‘The cloth is everything‘ and the designs created to showcase the fabric, are basic with a simple clean line. Repairable, adjustable, meant to last a lifetime, the entire garment will bio-degrade back to the earth, following the age-old ‘soil to soil’ regenerative agricultural model.
Working from the basic philosophy, that economies must support a thriving community while doing no harm, we engage a local workforce and area artisans, and look for local, pure, unadulterated, bio-degradable materials to create each garment.
Wave Weir is a clothing designer, wool mill owner and operator in Seguin, Ontario, near Parry Sound on the shores of Georgian Bay. Her designs are simple, classic, unstructured pieces that are meant to showcase the fabric, last for years and accommodate body changes. Looking for a quantity and quality of local, natural fibre and materials for her clothing line, Weir came face to face with the limitations and bottlenecks in wool processing being felt by small sheep farms. Most are forced to sell their annual harvest of raw fleece to the wool grower’s co-op to be shipped off shore, or to destroy it, if the cost of transport from the farm is more than will be realized by the sale. Living in an area desperately in need of permanent year-round employment, Weir decided to start a fibre processing mill in her small community. Purchasing vintage equipment from a retired business, Weir has established a semi-worsted spinning and weaving mill, providing added processing services for area farmers as well as purchasing raw material from regenerative farms to be used in an ever-growing possibility of product.
Heather Darlington is a farmer, spinner, weaver, designer and textile artist. Heather oversees the mill floor operation. With several years of experience, she is the one that knows sheep, fleece quality and what a well spun yarn should feel like. Heather joined Wave to bring the mill into operation, skipping with glee when she saw the equipment, for she actually knew what it was and what it could do.
Peter Robbinson is the proverbial “jack of all trades”. Peter has turned his hand at uncountable tasks bringing a wealth of skills to the floor. Overseeing the equipment and it’s needs, figuring out how to move a couple of tons of steel…”just six inches to the left to straighten it up”. Joining with Wave and Heather this is the threesome that is making it all happen.
Deborah Livingston- Lowe has been instrumental in setting up and advising on our fabrics and weaving operations. Initially, weaving our yardage by hand until we got our Industrial Dobby Looms functioning.
Our ‘Motley Crew’
All of this is possible due to the skills and dedication of many individuals!
There are several ways to become involved; paid positions, as available, volunteering, contract work or teaching. Give us a shout!
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