Horsetail (Equisetum sp.) is a living fossil. Those of us who find it as an uninvited guest in our gardens can be thankful it doesn’t grow 30 metres high like some of its ancestors in the Paleozoic forests. It’s also called scouring rush as the stems are coated with abrasive silicates and the plants were […]
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Marie-Claire – Our First Certified Artisan Producer
Three years ago Deanna Pilling introduced the idea of the Sunshine Coast Fibreshed as a project for our Sunshine Coast Spinners and Weavers Guild. After a great deal of time, effort and love on her part, everything came full circle at the Guild’s annual potluck lunch as Deanna presented tags to Marie-Claire DeClerck as our […]
Read MoreSoft as Silk
Sammi the llama is guard and protector of Round Table Farm’s flock of Icelandic sheep. This spring Sammi was sheared at the same time as the sheep and his wool was available for our first Fleece Sale at the FibreWorks Studio & Gallery (see blog May 11, 2015). Deanna, Merrily and Lynda D. shared his […]
Read MoreFibreshed’s First Fleece Sale
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 […]
Read MoreSpin-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, […]
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