WHY MAKE? : SPIN SPIN TEXTILES & CERAMICS
Dear readers, spring is fast approaching and so is our September (10th) market!
This week, we are beyond excited to feature a very special maker - Susan Fitzgerald from Spin Spin Textiles & Ceramics!
Susan's handiwork is behind our fresh new artwork for spring (sneak a peek on our Instagram and FB channels here). Not only is she incredibly multi-talented – from screen printing to ceramics, graphic design, photography and blogging, she is a wealth of creativity and maker spirit.
Why Make?
My background is in graphic design and I started screen printing about 10 years ago, as a way to get away from the computer, get my hands dirty and make something real and tactile. I love simple patterns, natural fabrics and imperfection. I'm also really into colours and coordinating colour palettes. My work often starts out as a rough sketch or a primitive print (a potato stamp or a lino cut) and develops from there. It's often the opposite of perfect, smooth vector illustrations. That said, I totally love Illustrator and the potential it offers in the development of design ideas.
As much as I love creating objects and products, I hate the idea of this contributing to the further destruction of the planet. That's why I choose to work exclusively with beautiful, textural and environmentally friendly materials such as organic cotton, hemp and flax. As well as looking great, these fabrics are strong, durable and long lasting. I also use water-based, non-toxic ink and try to stick to recycled or reused materials for packaging (every little bit helps!) and steer far away from plastics.
Why Screen printing/Textiles/Ceramics?
I've always had crafty projects on the go, right back to when I was a kid. Back then, my sister and I used to make all sorts of hideous frilly and lacy things! I learnt to sew and did basic pottery at school but it wasn't until I'd had about 10 years out of school that I really yearned to explore making a little further. Sometimes, you need that distance to appreciate things more.
I mainly draw inspiration from nature, abstract patterns, walking around my neighbourhood (lots of hanging out in Seddon!) and hanging out with other creatives and bouncing ideas off each other. I like to immerse myself in a problem then stop thinking about it for a bit. It's usually in the downtime that the solution pops into my head.
Why MMM?
I love having such a great local market. The fact that it's run by volunteers and loved by both sellers and shoppers is so impressive. Being involved behind the scenes is a great way to help out, develop your skills, get to know like-minded people and it's also good to give back to the community. I've met heaps of lovely stallholders and the marketing team are the best - so patient and generous and just all round lovely people.
At MMM HQ, we love hearing all about the journey that makers go through to learn and hone their craft. What a fluid, challenging and winding journey it is and we hope makers keep on creating beautiful pieces for all of us to lovingly covet and admire.
Spin Spin Textiles & Ceramics
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