My grandparents, Moira & Obbie, were the first people I knew who recycled. As a kid in the '70's I remember being taught to crush soup cans and collect compost. In many aspects of my life they have been a great inspiration, a font of creativity and inventiveness. When I began collecting old clothes, cutting them up, dyeing, screen-printing and quilt-patchworking things back together, they were a wonderful source of inspiration offering me their old sweaters, and memories of my great-grandmothers party dresses.
The work I create is from 95% reclaimed fibers which I deconstruct and then rebuild into something new taking inspiration from the story or use the item may have previously had to inform what it will become. Men’s business shirts become frilly blouses, extra large sweaters get felted and patch-worked into form fitting “swackets,” discarded t-shirts change color and get quilted into to new fangled t’s, and old kitchen curtains become boho bags. All work is handcrafted and one of a kind.