The Sustainable Quilter Bridget O'Flaherty

Sustainable Textile Art by Bridget O'Flaherty

MENU

Nature

Why I Decided to Make Material from Scratch

Looking for Sustainable Options

natural tones of hand dyed cottons

I love that there are so many choices around fabrics available now and the industry has grown to be so creative and to showcase textiles in this way. But I also have a problem with it. The lack of local, sustainable options is becoming apparent to me. I’ve been working in the fibre arts industry for over 25 years. I began with my mother where we had a store and brought in top-of-the-line cotton fabrics for quilt making, all imported.

Fast forward and you can now buy cotton, jersey, fleece, designer prints, indie prints, minkie, knits, canvas, hemp and more almost anywhere on the internet, local quilt stores and large fabric supply stores. There are even organic cotton options from producers like Cloud 9 and Birch Fabrics.

The Bad News

The carbon footprint of textiles is large.  According to a 2009 article on Ecotextiles blog:  ‘the U.S. textile industry was the 5th largest contributor to CO2 emissions in the United States (after primary metals, nonmetallic mineral products, petroleum and chemicals).  In the developing world, where the textile industry represents a larger percentage of GDP and mills are often antiquated, the CO2 emissions are greater.’

cotton plant

The majority of textiles for the quilting industry available in North America (definitely Canada) are imported. Cotton fabrics come from Pakistan, India, China, Turkey. There is USA cotton available, but it is often exported for manufacturing and imported back in for distribution. The same is true for cotton thread.

Water scarcity and quality have impacted cotton production globally with climate change disasters increasing. According to an article in The Guardian, in 2010, flooding in Pakistan (the 4th largest producer of cotton) had a dramatic effect on cotton production and pricing when over 1/5th of the country was under water.

The Good News

The industry is working to adopt sustainable practices and groups like BCI(Better Cotton Initiative)  are gaining ground. Accountability and verification in standards like a Better Cotton Standard System, GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) and other certifications are also growing in popularity and making headway for a more sustainable industry.

This is a good thing but still does not address the lack of domestic options here in Canada. I looked into hemp, organic cotton, bamboo, lyocell. There is a Canadian supplier Simplifi Fabrics who carries these and more stores are carrying organic lines. They are all good alternatives, it’s exciting that there is an environmental consciousness and I am thrilled to see some alternatives becoming norms in the industry.  But it is still imported and requires lots of water use and long transport and handling.  For me in Canada, there are still no local, viable domestic options.  I wanted to find something local and sustainable.

A Bright Idea?

Stephen McRae in a field with his sheepI have a neighbour who raises sheep. I decided to take a walk across the road and talk to Stephen McRae from Blairich Farms.  His mission is to encourage a healthy environment for his animals to grow, to leave it better than when he arrived.

We got to talking about the fleece he has annually after he shears his flock. Right now he pays to have his sheep shorn( as a necessity for the good health of the sheep) and the fleece is usually sent to the Canada Wool Growers located in Carleton Place, Ontario. The fleece does not fetch the top price as a spinning wool since his sheep are primarily for meat and it is almost not worth the work it takes to drive it there.

Being curious, I liked the idea of using this resource in my art. So we struck a deal. I helped with shearing and did a test of cleaning and felting before diving into the production of processing the fleece for my intended purposes.

It is important to note here that I am not a knitter, spinner, weaver, nor have I ever felted…

Shearing

I arrived to help. He had a seasoned shearer there and a few experienced helpers, so I was just there to learn. They took off the first fleece and tossed it on the table. We then gathered around and “skirted” the fleece, removing the really gross parts. They asked me what I was looking for… I now had washed and felted one fleece, so I was more experience than they, but still had no idea of what to look for as “good” felting fleece. So we just got rid of the poopy bits( I think that is the technical term) and rolled them up. I then got my chance at tossing a fleece. I’m not nearly the expert that Titia – the helper was, but I had fun trying and got better after 20 fleeces.

Washing

I needed to set up a system for washing the fleece. In the end, I was very ambitious and took all 42 fleece. I am fortunate that I am in the country and on a well.  I set up washing sinks and drying racks in my backyard and got to work. It’s messing, smelly and wet, but I love every minute of it. It’s not for the faint of heart.  The dirty water is flushed out into the trees beyond this setup, it is nutrient and the water eventually finds it’s way back into the water table. It takes about 1 hour per fleece to clean them properly and about 24 hours of drying time. I’m still working my way through the processing, but hope to have them done by the end of the summer – hopefully, the heat isn’t too hard on them!

Table, sink and racks for processing fleece

Felting from Scratch

So I had the raw fleece, it was clean and now I had to figure out how to make a fabric I could use in my art. I knew I was not a spinner/weaver – that is a whole other line I want to try someday though! So I looked into felting, I am industrious and really committed, I am figuring it out. I talked with a friend who is an amazing felt artist Zoe Lianga and she offered a few tips and of course, I looked to YouTube. I also am totally into just diving in and figuring out what works, what doesn’t and adapting.

The first thing I needed to do before I could felt it was to card it. I looked at the process and decided I needed a little mechanical advantage over hand carders. I put a call out to my fibre friends to see if anyone had a drum carder, I was in luck! I got my hands on an antique, it’s funky, but I love it! How many hands have used this?

felted pieces in a basket

Figuring out the Basics

I was really happy with how the wet felting went. It is not likely to be a fabric that would be good as a wearable as there is still a lot of vegetable matter in it, but for my purposes it is perfect. I created some small felted pieces that seemed perfect for what I wanted. Check out the videos I made of my experimenting with this process I really wanted a fabric that I can embroider on. That was the next test. I did some trials with different stabilizer options and landed on a system that I’m really happy with![hr]

great blue heron in thread painting on felt and pine board

Local and Sustainable, It’s a Start

This may not be a true answer for everyone, but I feel like I am doing my small part to be the change I want to see. I’m not sure where else this will lead, but I am looking forward to the journey. I am really happy with the results so far. It is local, natural and sustainable.

To take classes with me, check out my online workshops

To see more videos, subscribe to my YouTube Channel

The Best Reason to Own Art

Art and photo ©Lyla Cravero

Art and photo ©Lyla Cravero

Why do we buy Art?

When we consider the number of households in Canada and the number of rooms in a home, it adds up to millions of pieces decorating walls. Most of it is reproductions, personal photos or a relative’s. It is fair to say only a marginal percentage is purchased original art, but what compels people to seek out original art? Why do we have it in our homes at all? This is a question that seems to have an obvious answer, doesn’t everyone have art? I wanted to understand what motivates and drives people to place it in their home and look at it daily. Is it a status symbol, family heirloom, décor, something inherited or is there a bigger need filled with owning art?

It’s all about Connections

When I asked the questions; why do you buy art and what is your favourite in your home? Most of the time I heard about connections to the artist: a family member painted it, a friend, a loved one, a mentor. The art itself was somewhat irrelevant. Sometimes this applied to the person who gave it to them, it really wasn’t about the subject. Though one could argue that the subject became interesting because of the emotion around the presenting of the gift.

When prodding further, art subjects almost always trigger a memory or inspiration for people and tell a story they identify with.  A connection to the land, the architecture, the sunset, the colours, the texture seemed most common. Pretty well every answer came back to sparking an emotional tie to the piece to a person, thing or place. They evoked special memories, a treasure and keepsake, this lead to feelings of peace, contentment, nostalgia, love, inspiration and improved self-worth.

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” 
― Thomas Merton, No Man Is an Island

It is good for your Health

There are studies out there that show that participating in art relieves stress.  It can have a calming effect and can contribute to the overall well-being of a person and improve recovery times in some health situations. Some work is designed to be a social commentary and is intended to spark conversation. It does not always have a “calming effect”, it is subjective and can have different meaning for people, often different from the artist. That’s the beauty of it. It feeds the soul of the person observing it.

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
― Pablo Picasso

Owning art gratifies a desire rather than a need like clothing, furniture, technology etc. The desire to connect with a place, a memory, a feeling or person. The initial attraction may come from the impact, the craftsmanship, style, quality, colours, or connection with the artist, but ultimately the driving force behind a person making an art purchase is personal. It’s between the viewer and the art. Some believe that beauty (in the eyes of the beholder) opens the heart and feeds a deep well of contentment.

Fibre Art Connects people to Traditions

When I ask what connects people to textiles, it is almost always about family and lineage.  The historical context is important for the traditional crafts like quilting, knitting, weaving, sewing.  An aunt, grandmother, mother used to do it and it reminds people of that. There is a thread connecting to the people in their lives, a tactile relationship and an emotional tie to textiles. People are always compelled to touch my fibre art. Bringing nature and landscapes into contemporary fibre art bridges traditional craft and artistic imagery. It can be a very powerful way to engage with a viewer.

Log Cabin Never Square by Fibre Art Bridget O'Flaherty

When I started quilting, one of my first quilts was a traditional sampler. I then moved on to geometric modern art quilts and now blend the landscape with the traditions of quilting like in the Offset Log Cabin quilt.

This speaks to the traditions not only of quilting but also the craft of log home building. They are never square! I love to work with clients that are interested in creating a keepsake in thread painting. Custom work is one of my favourite and most satisfying projects for so many reasons. Choosing an image from a memory like a family homestead, cottage or vacation to have represented in a commemorative quilt is one of my most common requests.

 

Connecting with Landscapes for Peace of Mind

I spoke in another post about mindfulness and fibre therapy, this was referring to doing it. I think the same really applies with observing, viewing and owning art. It gives us an opportunity to pause, enjoy, derive pleasure from what we are viewing. It’s worth reflecting on and taking the time to own art that speaks to us tol improve our overall well being.

What does it take to Find Inspiration?

Sometimes you just need to get out of your routine.

Finding inspiration can take a bit of work and can come in different forms.  There is the kind of inspiration that feeds your soul, a walk in nature – a trip to a gallery, and there is the kind that excites and feeds your work. This week I concentrated on feeding my soul.

I went to the Art in the Garden festival at Kiwi Gardens near where I live with my son last Sunday. One of the most striking artists was Liz Ciesluk. She does amazing fabric sculpture, it was so intriguing, wild and so different from anything I do! It was a glorious day to be walking in a mature garden. Not to mention with really talented and interesting artwork sprinkled throughout the property and woods nearby. There was great music and good food to complete the day. This was an inspiration session that truly fed my soul.

Wor by Liz Ciesluk

Fibre art by Liz Ciesluk

A memory neither of us will soon forget.

We then went to Purdon Conservation Area near where we live. They have over 16,000 wild orchid blooms. The Showy Ladyslipper is a plant that requires very specific conditions to thrive. Joe Purdon worked hard cultivating and nurturing from 1930 and preserved a place for them. There is the added bonus of the rare and endangered species of the Pitcher Plant. We went on a banner day and the blooms were out in full force. As an added treat for the day? We saw a nesting Woodcock in the grass beside the boardwalk. It was very shy and hard to photograph, we got a good look at her chic once we finally saw it not 2 feet from us!

Showy Lady Slipeer

Making time to expand my knowledge and giving myself permission to explore inspiration is often put aside as I have busy days and work to be done. But I really think it will make for more interesting and compelling work ultimately and keep my adventures in my art interesting!

If you would like to follow my journey sign up to be part of my Fibre Tribe. It’s free and comes right to your inbox monthly.

What do you do for inspiration?  Please post in the comments below, I’d really like to hear from you.