The commitment to a Sunshine Coast Fibreshed began 3½ years ago with an article in ‘Weaving Today’ on Rebecca Burgess and her quest to bring together farmers, spinners, knitters, weavers, dyers and clothing makers within 150 miles of her Northern California home. Her commitment to caring about “how do we clothe ourselves?” was echoed from […]
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Spin-in at the Yurts
Once a month Guild members gather for our northern spin-in at Yvonne Stowell’s beautiful FibreWorks Studio and Gallery in Madeira Park. On a windy rainy day we gathered in the yurt which is Yvonne’s studio and set to spinning with our assorted wheels. We knitted, carded, visited and shared our creative ideas. And then the […]
Read MoreEarth Day at Roberts Creek
On April 26th Earth Day was celebrated at the Roberts Creek mandala for the 26th year in a row. This is an event that celebrates the Earth and the vibrant Sunshine Coast community and offers an opportunity for local environmental and community groups to share their message. We set off at 8:30 to put up […]
Read MoreCoast Colours – Dandelion Flowers
Despised by many as pesky ‘weeds’, dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) have long been appreciated by herbalists for their valuable healing properties. The 17th century herbalist Nicholas Culpepper proclaimed, “You see here what virtues this common herb hath, and that is the reason the French and Dutch so often eat them in the spring.” And indeed, dandelion […]
Read MoreThe Three Circles – The Spinning Circle
Over the past years our Sunshine Coast Spinners and Weavers Guild and its project the Sunshine Coast Fibreshed have brought together some special gatherings/circles of women deeply connected by their love of fibre. The Fibreshed search for local fleece, local dyes and the artisans who transform them into products of special quality and design has […]
Read MoreSeedy Saturday 2015
On March 28 the One Straw Society and the Sunshine Coast Seed Collective held the 11th annual Seedy Saturday at the Roberts Creek Hall. It was a wonderful day for gardeners and other members of the community to buy and exchange seeds and live plants. There were a number of interesting workshops and a farmers […]
Read MoreCoast Colours – Apple Bark
The apple (Malus domestica) was brought to North America in the 17th century by colonists. At one time there were thousands of varieties of apples with greatly differing sizes, shapes, colours and markings. There were early, midseason and late varieties for fresh eating, varieties for winter storage and others for baking, drying and cider. Sadly, […]
Read MoreThe Icelandic Fleece Project – Part 1 (An Overview)
In October of 2014 our Fibreshed team had the great pleasure of witnessing the first shearing of the small flock of Icelandic sheep at Leila Bee’s Round Table Farms. See our blog of November 10, 2014 for the video Ron McInnis generously filmed and edited for the Fibreshed. Needless to say the arrival of our […]
Read MoreCoast Colours – Arbutus Bark
The beautiful arbutus tree (Arbutus menziesii) is one of the distinctive features of the Sunshine Coast. Canada’s only native broadleaf evergreen grows in areas where the soil is rocky and drains rapidly and is often found along rocky shorelines. It can also be found growing in residential areas. The flowers, which open in April and […]
Read MoreCoast Colours – Alder Bark
The plants and mushrooms from our gardens and wild spaces on the Sunshine Coast offer us many beautiful colours for dyeing fabric and fibre. This blog is the beginning of a series which will explore and document dyeing with local plants and mushrooms. I hope that other local dyers will add their dyeing experiences. Alders […]
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