What a wonderful time of year to begin our Fibreshed’s very first blog!

Aahh, summer. . . when we return to outdoor living, enjoying those summer breezes and dining al fresco. I have always been an outdoor girl who now enjoys a small home with a large garden and my wonderful large porch, which I like to refer to as my “breathing room.” Whether your “porch” is tiny or grand, sitting on the porch is not a place, but a state of mind, and having a pretty spot to land is so enjoyable this time of year.

Not only are summers on the porch a traditional icon of Canadian life, they have also become special studio space for all things creative, colourful and beautiful. In summer we look forward to moving our spinning wheels, knitting baskets and portable looms to the outdoors, along with all those wonderful plants, fungi, seeds and flowers we have collected to dye with in relaxed safety.

A frosty glass of lemonade or a cup of tea from a favourite family heirloom teacup/teapot with a cookie or biscuit helps to celebrate this special personal time we can share with our friends, or even just alone with our thoughts and summer dreaming. These are special times and will soon be gone for another year, so we must savour and use them fully now.
For this first blog we are sharing with you a peek at the ways the ladies of our Guild share our summers together and the wonderful projects we enjoy working on together in small informal groups or at our twice-monthly spin-ins at each other’s homes. Future blogs will feature more details of these gatherings.

Tell us about a treasured porch memory or what’s happening on your porch this summer.
Did You Know?
New Urbanism advocates communities with small-town-like layouts that encourage walking and decrease reliance on cars. The front porch, which had gone out of vogue after World War II, has played a key role in fostering community in such developments.