Connectors ...

I love a great button tin. These particular buttons literally came from our beach in Titahi Bay in New Zealand. I collected them on our many walks along our local beach when the boys were little before we moved to Australia.

My wardrobe is currently boring me and funds are tight, so I'm remaking some of my wardrobe using clothes I already own like a couple of my cheapy cardigans. One of my fave things to do is to switch out my buttons.  These buttons are a bit of my collection of thrifted and sea buttons that I've  gathered over the years. My kryptonite is haberdashery, natural fibres and yarn - especially vintage pieces.

My fave form of mark making is stitching and I enjoy the slow pace of handstitching amd I adore the challenge. My fave media is textiles. I love wearing my own work. And I love a good story.  I'll  print, stitch, dye, cut,  deconstruct and reconstruct things  in a way that makes sense to me.

It's a bit cooler at the moment. Queensland winters aren't as cold as Wellington winters but we still need an extra layer. My cardigans are cotton rather than merino wool. A bit of applique and new "old" sea buttons and handstitching and Bob's  ya uncle.

The thing is, when I wear my cardigan, I can feel the stitching and the decisions I made on each stitch placement, each thread chosen or button placement. Its a very organic process. No straight lines. No rulers  or tape measures which allows  for the unknowns to happen. I respond to the garment and trust my own vibe. It's  awesome when that flow hits. Being in the zone is the best rush a maker gets. Like a wave, you ride it in.

And those buttons, they link me to my kids, to a special time and one of our fave places in the world. My marks turn my clothes into beautiful narratives that are meaningful to me. And for me, nothing has more value than my whanau and our connection to our whenua and the ocean, to others and ultimately to our Maker. xo

#ministryofhome ➕