GO NATURAL

THIS year has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Natural Fibres . Past years have raised awareness about food ...


THIS year has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Natural Fibres. Past years have raised awareness about food crops like rice and potatoes and this year will focus on the growers of natural fibres and communities reliant on producing these fibres.

Most Australians learned about our wool industry while at school, and we have a cotton industry as well – threatened by the nation’s dire lack of water – but I have been keen to learn about fibres once used by the indigenous community.

I missed Craft Australia's Selling Yarns 2 conference and workshops, in Canberra last weekend, but last year travelled to Bathurst to learn more about indigenous basket weaving. I hope, this year, to learn more about the native coastal fibres used by the Darkinjung people where I live. The grasses pictured and used in last year’s workshop were sourced from inland waterways but are similar to a sedge growing in abundance around the waterway where I walk.

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