Medium: Fibre Arts
Location: Vancouver, BC
Member Since: 2012
ABOUT
Maria and her husband knit, crochet and sew wearable art, collectible bears and soft, safe stuffed animals for children. Everything is made by hand, from start to finish. The yarns are selected carefully for their sustainability (bamboo), breathability (cotton), and long lasting warmth (wool/silk/alpaca blend). After knitting the yarn into a hat, many of the toques have special designs which are hand embroidered on them e.g.: the caterpillars, butterflies, ladybugs, cherry blossoms, bee antennae, or tassels. Maria also crochets leaves, pea pods, and rosettes. Joy and comfort are the qualities and emotions they hope to stir up with their knitted wear.
The jointed bears are for all the adults that never grew out of collecting teddies. They have beautiful glass eyes, new and vintage fabrics, and truly unique expressions. Two decades ago non-jointed bears,bunnies,kittens and monkeys were added to the collection. Machine washable and perfect for children, stuffed with hypo-allergenic polyester fibre fill and eyes secured with safety lock backings. For an even younger set Huggables will stand up to all the adventures a toddler will throw at them with their outstretched arms and hand-embroidered smiles just waiting for a hug.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Since I (Maria) was a young child I have enjoyed creating, especially sewing my own dolls. From making their clothes out of any scrap fabric I could find, to knitting teddy bears with lopsided smiles, I have found so much joy in creating little critters. The stuffed animals I create today are much more refined than those early editions but one thing remains: the joy they bring.