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My latest sewing project: A lined trench coat. For the big reveal of my finished coat, follow me on Instagram!
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Dear Friends,
When I'm not busy helping my real estate clients, it's highly likely that you will find me in the sewing studio.
Sewing and other needlecrafts have been an interest of mine since I was young, but it has just been the last few years sewing has become a more serious pastime. I credit this, in large part, to the rising tide of artisans and creative professionals in Charleston area that have helped to inspire and challenge me to elevate my skills.
In honor of National American Craft Week (October 3-12, 2014) and all those who are elevating the culture of creativity in Charleston, comes this months' newsletter. I hope you will will enjoy it and maybe even be inspired to get a little creative!
Best,
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Traditional Lowcountry Crafts: Sweetgrass, Silver, & Indigo
While traditional craft may not be Charleston's most well-known attribute, the Lowcountry indeed has a legacy of making that runs just below the surface. Thanks to the increasing numbers of makers, creatives, and stewards of traditional methods and techniques that is taking place here and throughout the country (aka, the "maker movement"), Charleston's traditional crafts are becoming more visible. Here are a few of the traditional crafts with roots in the Charleston area.
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Sweetgrass Baskets
Needing little introduction, sweetgrass baskets are one of Charleston's most iconic traditional crafts. These hand woven baskets have a history and tradition that trace back to pre-amancipation Charleston with roots in West Africa; the baskets had utilitarian purposes during the days of slavery and rice cultivation in the Lowcountry. Over the centuries, the tradition of weaving has been passed down generation by generation, typically by the women in a family; the baskets are appreciated for their function as well as their designs, which vary from artisan to artisan. Weavers and their wares can be found for sale at the Four Corners of Law (Meeting & King intersection), in the City Market, and in stands along highway 17-N as you leave Mount Pleasant heading towards Awendaw and McClellanville.
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Silversmithing
Pre- and post-Revolution, as Charleston's merchants and growers accumulated wealth, luxury goods became a staple of the grand homes in the area. As demand for silver homegoods grew, European-trained artisans began setting up shop in the area. According to the Charleston Museum, there were 25 silversmith shops in Charleston just after the American Revolution; by 1820, there were almost 75. For a look at some of the lavish items that were crafted by these world-class artisans in the 18th and 19th centuries, take a trip over to the Charleston Museums' Loeblien Gallery of Charleston Silver. And if modern silversmithing is more your thing, don't miss an upcoming one-night-only trunk show of work by local 'smith, Kaminer Haislip, at Surface Craft Gallery on October 9, 6-8 PM.
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Charleston silver.
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Indigo dye was one of South Carolina's cash crops during the 18th century, a boom attributed to the innovation of Eliza Lucas Pinckney (1722-1793), the daughter of a planter who was charged with managing the family's Charleston-area plantation in her father's absence. With the eventual fading of plantation economies and the advent of synthetic dyes in the 19th century, knowledge and practice of traditional indigo growing, extraction, and dying processes have become rare. Determine not to let this culture disappear is Donna Hardy of Sea Island Indigo, working to re-establish commercial indigo cultivation and dying. For more on Donna's work, the legacy of Indigo in the Lowcountry, and opportunities to learn and experience indigo processes first-hand (warning: they will be blue!),
visit Sea Island Indigo online
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The legacy of Lowcountry indigo is alive in 2014, thanks to the work of Donna Hardy with Sea Island Indigo. |
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For more on these and other traditional crafts of the Lowcountry, visit the Charleston Museum, located at 360 Meeting Street, and be sure not to miss the Historic Textiles Gallery, the Charleston Silver Gallery, and the Lowcountry History Hall.
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Organizer, Maker, Mover & Shaker: An interview with Heather Powers
If you've had the chance to meet Heather Powers, you've surely been impressed by her knowledge and skill in textile arts, her passion for connecting like-minded creative people, and her commitment to furthering the creative climate for makers in Charleston. I was thrilled when she agreed to participate in an interview for this month's newsletter--I hope you enjoy getting to know Heather a little more, and don't forget to stop by her website for more insight on organizing and creating, beautiful photography, and the latest news in Charleston's maker scene.
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Charleston area professional organizer, textile designer, and maker, Heather Powers. To learn more, visit HKPowerStud
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Professional organizer, textile designer, maker, community connector... there are many titles that might describe you. How would you describe yourself?
Heather: All of those titles are accurate and all of them are interwoven...some learned and some just in my nature. I am a very passionate person who wants to connect on a deep level with my community. I strive to find solutions to problems that affect us all as creative makers, but also as individuals coming together to live in a place that we all love.
Speaking of a place that we all love... What's different about the creative scene in Charleston compared to other places you have lived/worked?
Heather: I think there is still something naive and raw about Charleston's art scene but also vibrant and alive...rooted in history and inspired by the beauty that surrounds us. The makers scene here is still evolving. Another reason I was drawn here was the deep connection I forged with textiles in the Southeast; both in the time I spent on my education in Fibers at SCAD and the work I have done with US textile mills. I think the deep connection to textiles in the Southeast US is another reason I was drawn here. I saw the industry practically vanish after college graduation and over the past 15 years I'm excited to see a sustainable textile scene beginning to emerge. I also felt like the size of the community here would allow me to become involved in a way that I could really make a difference or affect a positive outcome.
Connecting with other makers/creatives seems to be a big part of your life (personally and professionally)-why is this important to you?
Heather: I guess the easiest answer is that it feeds my soul. When I am around other creative makers I am inspired to do for the community, to make something beautiful, and to teach others to use their hands and their hearts to create beauty to surround us all.
Speaking of your connections with other creative people, your website features a popular
blog series called "Inside the Studio,"where you interview local artists and makers about their studio spaces and their personal organizational systems. How did this series come about, and what do you hope to convey through it?
Heather: I began to brainstorm about this project while I was attending Penland School of Crafts in 2011. I observed how different creative individuals worked in their environment and how their style of organization might affect their creative process...and perhaps even their artwork.
What I hope to share is that there is no right or wrong approach and that we are often taught organizing by observing others (our parents, teachers etc). I hope it's clear that we all need to organize our spaces differently according to our own needs. I also hope readers will find unique tips or approaches that might inspire us to try something different.
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Inside Heather's Byrnes Downs studio. Heather practices a variety of textile crafts including weaving, sewing, quilting, and digital fabric printing using her own photography.
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You provide Professional Organizing services to all kinds, not just artists and makers. What can less-creative personalities learn about organization from watching how artists and makers work?
Heather: I hope that everyone realizes that we are all creative!
It's important to remember that there is no one system that works for everyone and that we all have to learn to make changes as our circumstances change. Chaos is part of the creative process, accept it and give it a place in your process. When it bothers you, do something about it!
For more on Heather's Professional Organizing services, her latest creative projects, and her engagement with the community, visit HKPowerStudio online.
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Where to learn, create, & connect in the Charleston area
Where can I learn? Be it sewing, knitting, or other crafts, this is one of the most common questions I get when friends and acquaintances learn that I enjoy creative hobbies. In the last few years, the opportunities in the Charleston area to learn and be inspired, in sewing, craft, and fine arts has grown exponentially. There's something for everyone, from the utter beginner to the intermediate and advanced looking to further develop their skills. While this list is hardly exhaustive, here are some of my favorite places to learn, create, and connect with other makers in Charleston.
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Redux Art Center
Below the Crosstown
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Offering fine art instruction with a contemporary twist is just one of the ways that Redux Contemporary Art Center serves our community.
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Cone 10 Studios
In the Upper Peninsula
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Confession: I have not taken a class at Cone 10 Studios. As more of a textile gal, ceramics have never really been my thing. However, the skill, passion for the craft, and commitment to the community that surround Cone 10 make it worthy of a mention here, even if you are unlikely to find me personally behind a potter's wheel. In addition to a variety of classes, Cone 10 has a membership program for more experienced ceramicists, special events, and a gallery of members' works. |
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