‘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 in desperate 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 who knows sheep, fleece quality and how a well-spun yarn should feel. 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 to innumerable tasks, bringing a wealth of skills to the floor. He oversees the equipment and its needs, and has figured out how to move a couple of tons of steel…”just six inches to the left to straighten it up”. Peter, Wave and Heather are the threesome who are making it all happen.
All of this is possible due to the skills and dedication of many individuals – we did not accomplish what we have in a vaccuum!
There are several ways to become involved; paid positions (as available), volunteering, contract work or teaching. Give us a shout at wavefibremill@gmail.com or 705-378-4878!
Member
