Laying down thin layers of merino and silk fibers to create a felted edge on the hand painted silk.
Made by Hand in Canada
Mad science
It never ceases to amaze me how ingenious ancient humans could be. To discover mixing minerals such as alum with ground up cochineal insects and applying heat could produce vivid shades of crimson, fuchsia & mauve on fabric. That wool fibers mixed with soap, water and a lot of elbow grease resulted in amazingly warm and tough felted fabric. Or that a small moth's cocoon could be woven into a luxurious fabric that would still be prized many millennia later.
Serendipity
Elvenwoods also has a journey of happy accidents and inspiration. I started out originally doing fantasy themed stained glass as a creative outlet when I stayed home to take care of my young kids. As is the way with many artisans soon I had glass coming out of my ears & that led me to the craft show circuit. A couple of Ontario storms (& not so happy accidents) soon cured me of outdoor shows with glass. However I had bought my Mom a beautiful silk scarf from a fellow vendor & a good friend had recently gifted me a gorgeous bracelet that she had made herself. And so began my love affair with textiles & jewelry making.
Aspirations & techniques
I strive to create distinctive, quirky, boho chic designs that are colourful, feel lovely to the touch and are fun to wear. I make all my designs in my Guelph studio by hand.
I use many techniques on the silk such as cold batik, direct painting with a brush, shibori dyeing and eco printing with leaves found close to home.
Felted accessories are made by wet felting wool, silk, bamboo, tencel, to name a few, fibers onto a base of silk.
I use many textile techniques in jewelry making such as weaving, knitting and crochet.
Elvenwoods' clothing designs are flowing and suit a variety of body shapes and sizes.