A new collaboration with TOAST: Hand-tufted leather bag and pouch made out of waste yarns
Maria and I meet to discuss her latest project, a collaboration with TOAST for the Autumn-Winter collection, on Zoom. (The large loom in the background and chunky reels of yellow and red yarn in front of her – beautifully functional, romantically utilitarian – go some way to offset the dullness of the virtual space). Together with leatherworker Candice Lau, who also joins us, Maria has created a tufted bag and pouch for the collection. “I had worked with TOAST before, holding workshops on how to weave using waste yarn,” she says. This project takes that premise a step further, putting to work leftover yarn – from her own rug remnants to cotton, wool and cashmere remaining from TOAST knitwear production – to make the whole collection as economical and low-waste as possible.
Maria’s practice is evolving, too. Tufting, for example, is a relatively new technique for her, and one she decided to use to help use up her waste yarns. When TOAST approached her to make a bag like this, it offered a golden opportunity to experiment with her tufting gun, which she holds up, explaining how it connects to an air compressor, shooting through the fabric to pull yarn outwards and create piling.
“In the beginning, we talked about the bag having a pile or fringing, but ended up with these looped tufts,” she says, holding up a sample. It is gorgeously ’70s– voluptuous loops of yarn, black, white and orange colour blocks, slightly curved, are arranged in what might be the shape of a landscape.
Do I see, in those curves, a hint of Andros? Possibly yes, but Maria is never literal. “All the connections are very abstract in my work,” she says. “Memories, images and emotions are woven together, also the light when I’m working, my mood at the time, and the materials and their interactions. It’s never just one thing – but Andros is always there, continuously inspiring my weaving in weird ways.”
Interview by Mina Holland. Photographs by Suzie Howell.
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Maria Sigma x TOAST Creative Residency at Crafts Council Gallery
Join award-winning weaver Maria Sigma, who follows a zero-waste philosophy, as she demonstrates a needle tufting technique to create abstract landscapes using remnant yarns from the TOAST production process.
This season TOAST has collaborated with Maria on a hand-tufted fabric made using waste yarns, which has been incorporated into a bag by leatherworker Candice Lau. During this workshop, through Maria’s step-by-step guidance, you will learn the basics of needle tufting and how to up-cycle your old knitwear to create unique textile artworks for hanging on the wall or turning into a small accessory.
Friday 22 October, 3pm BST, 2 hours. In-person tickets include materials and cost £40.
Fri 22 October, 3pm BST (4pm CEST / 10am EDT), 2 hours. Online tickets excluding materials cost £20.
The annual TOAST Creative Residency brings together our community of creative individuals. This year, we are hosting our first blended Creative Residency, with a three-day programme of engaging talks, workshops and live demonstrations hosted both online and in-person at the Crafts Council Gallery, Islington.
The programme, inspired by our seasonal campaign titled Rewilding, is open to all and aims to connect individuals and foster thought. Prices for individual events vary and limited spaces are available for in-person attendance. Drop-in event highlights include a wild floral installation by renowned floral artist, Frida Kim, a curated edit of pieces from the Crafts Council Collection and TOAST New Makers and watching our artist in residence, Liaqat Rasul, at work.
20% of all ticket sales will be donated by TOAST to Crafts Council UK to support their Young Craft Citizens Programme - offering workshops, paid opportunities and creative and professional advice for young people from all backgrounds interested in shaping the future of craft, design and making in the UK.
