Salvaged Materials

While visiting the Textile Museum of Toronto in 2017, my gift shop purchases were cleverly wrapped in recycled dressmaker's pattern tissue. Not one to toss a reusable item, I brought the tissue home. The color, black or blue inked directional guidelines, arrows, and the paper's fiber fascinated me. First, I used the tissue as a skin on my reed and encaustic wax sculptures (see "Trumpet Vine"). Later, I yarn-bombed the surface of a large reed/fabric/encaustic sculpture (see "Caught"). Then, I was inspired to “knit” the paper, using my own method to gently finger-knit the fragile paper—using just my fingers.

My forms and materials are a reboot of traditions:

• Knitting traditionally used for garments

• Wall hangings commonly woven on a loom

• Vessels created from sturdy materials such as metal, wood, and clay

I obtain dressmaker's pattern tissue from printing discard waste, originally intended for use as sewing pattern guides. Gilding foils traditionally enhance walls, picture frames, paintings, and objects deemed of high value. My newest material addition is end-use fiber — I use both factory mill-end fibers and cording from landscaping mulch or animal feed bundles.