“I am intrigued by the possibilities of textiles– of textures and fibres to evoke emotion. I believe that our sense of touch is one of the most powerful and profound vehicles of human experience. Thus, I am drawn to materials with strong tactile qualities as metaphors through which to explore this experience.

“Through creating textures from materials such as delicately embroidered tissue papers, tea bags, book pages, silk, and cotton, and using techniques such as smocking, free motion embroidery, hand spinning, and weaving, burning, and the wearing away of material, I create figurative and abstracted forms that are densely layered, much like memory. Through these explorations I have come to understand that texture can be a trigger to unconscious memory, evoking emotions that are preverbal and profoundly personal - at once vaguely familiar and yet never encountered.”

As a child Noelle Hamlyn wore thin her crib blankets by rubbing the flannel between her fingers. It was therefore not surprising that she became a fibre artist. Noelle is a recent graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she was awarded a Presidential Merit Scholarship. She is an alumnus of the Sheridan Crafts and Design Program where her studio work earned her numerous awards for textile excellence, and a Canadian Millennium Scholarship. Her Expressions of the Incomprehensible was recognized as Best in Show in the 2007 Sheridan graduate exhibition. The Ontario Crafts Council has awarded Noelle two OCC Scholarships, the Mary Diamond Butts Embroidery Award and the Mary Robertson Textile Scholarship Most recently Noelle’s installation Sanctuary was selected for inclusion in the International Craft Biennale in Cheongju, South Korea and as part of a North American touring exhibition showcasing Canadian craft that debuts at the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad. Noelle was recently awarded Best in Show – Fibre and the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. Noelle splits her time between her studio overlooking the Credit River and a shared studio at 401 Richmond in Toronto.

www.noellehamlyn.com
noellehamlyn@sympatico.ca

Lissa Brunet graduated from the Ontario College of Arts and Design in 1991 with the Governors General Award in Textiles and Sculpture Installation.

"I approach my work with a textile sensibility, utilizing textile techniques such as knitting, corking, weaving, braiding, any textile technique that captures my imagination and allows me the flexibility of texture and fabric-like qualities that I look for in the finished product. I’m interested in longevity, quality and strength in my pieces; therefore my materials are of semi and precious stones and metals.

"My work is available at Made You Look in Toronto or by calling me directly. I will have a website in mid-november."

416.531.8242
416.347.3427

Born in Montreal, Manon De Gagné lives and works in Toronto since 1991. After graduating from the haute couture programme at Cotnoir-Capponi school in 1985, she began a career as a theatrical costume builder that has spanned over 20 years working on productions across North America. Her work has been featured in productions of Opera de Montréal, Cirque du Soleil, Mama Mia, and The Lion King, to name a few. Pursuing an interest in fine leather work, Manon came to Toronto in 1991 and started an apprenticeship in shoemaking which led to an eclectic range of experiences, from theatrical shoemaking for the Stratford Festival to cowboy boot-making in Texas. The birth of Shoe Babou coincided with the beginnings of her own family and as a mother of two she shuffles between her home studio and the laundry room.

www.shoebabou.com

“My name is Susee Padias, the “moi”, and Lilli is my daughter.

“I have been playing with fibers for over 35 years starting in my early years as a children’s wear designer. After my son was born, I was inspired to be a teacher of sewing/needle art classes to children and adults. And as an artist, my blessed hands continued to create beautiful pieces of ‘recycled love’, a yearly (sometimes semi) showing and sale. Fourteen years later, my Lilli, a little piece of heaven was born. And after a few more life changes and years “lilli et moi” gave birth.

“ Lilli et moi can best be described in these simple words: My hands need to touch….feel the textures of the cloth, the yarns, the threads, paper and nature. My passion for vintage fabrics, whites and lace, find a home in my pieces. Poetry, quotes, doodled flowers…graceful words from many old and new books inspire my heart stitch by stitch.

“In all this, fine beauties grace my work; a reflection on nature’s beauty seen and unseen.”

www.lillietmoi.com

susee_padias@hotmail.com
416.465.2220

Kate B. Textile Design is the work of designer and maker Kate Busby. Kate’s passion for craft stems from her desire to create intimacy between people and their belongings. Her blankets and quilts are collage-based and explore both the functional and decorative aspects of textile design. Recent pieces feature geometric pattern, bold colour, and a playful mixture of prints, and include a range of textured fabrics and hand stitched embellishments. Her pieces utilize vintage, hand dyed, and hand printed materials. Kate strives to apply traditional craft practices, such as quilting and handmade felt, to a more contemporary aesthetic.

Kate Busby is a graduate of the Crafts and Design Program at Sheridan College and now works out of The Contemporary Textile Studio Co-operative in Toronto. She also holds a B.A. from the University of Toronto with a specialist in Visual Studies, and a major in Art History.

www.kateb.ca
kate@kateb.ca

Michael Deptuch is a resident in the glass studio at the Mississauga Living Arts Centre and has been working with warm and hot glass techniques since graduating from Sheridan's craft and design programme in 2004.

416.690.2464
msdeptuch@gmail.com.

“My name is Margi Laurin and I live and work in Morrisburg, south of Ottawa, Ontario, with my husband Sam, who owns the local weekly newspaper, and three adult kids and their partners...oh no sorry, they don’t all live with me, but are close by. I have two cats who live here and a number of cute kittens who visit periodically.

“Currently, I am best known for my Recycled Library Book Journals. Sometime in the late nineties, I found out that library books are being tossed in the garbage all the time. Who knew? Not me...so in the era of ‘upcycling’ a product line was born.

“Most of the books I use to make the journals and other by-products are old discarded library books on their way to being destroyed. (Many still have library cards intact .) Have a look inside and you will see that I have left many of the old illustrations and some selected text. It is very nostalgic to search through the categories of books and come up with the perfect journal for a friend or yourself! It is reminiscent of being ten years old on a Saturday morning by yourself at the library. Along with the journals, I create unique one of a kind handmade writing instruments, each colourful and unique, created from durable polymer clay.”

www.margilaurin.ca
613.543.2835

“I was seduced by clay while studying fine arts at Houghton College. I began my career as a sculptor working in stone; however, I quickly shifted my attention to clay. I was captured by the immediate responsiveness of the medium and its fleshiness as it pushed back against my hands. After graduating with my Bachelors in Art, I continued to work with clay and study its roots and applications. The communities in the Burlington Potters’ Guild and the Arts Centre were invaluable to my growth during my first year after university. Since then, I have moved into a private studio in my own home.

“As part of my study of ceramics, I spent three years exploring functional work. Although I continued to enjoy the medium, I did not find functional work emotionally or spiritually satisfying. In 2007, I returned to sculptural ceramics, which provides an outlet for my thoughts. I am currently involved in a Mentorship Program for Ceramic Artists, run through the Burlington Arts Centre. This is helping me to find new areas for development in my work, as I interact with ceramic artists at various points in their careers. “

www.magdolenedykstra.com
magdolene@magdolenedykstra.com

"My artwork is an exploration of society’s relationship with treasured objects and personal memories. I revere old photographs and found ephemera as time capsules and storehouses of information. My work is also inspired by an ever-growing collection of found objects and imagery. From various moves to Colorado, California, and New York, my search for discarded imagery never ceased. There is always an intrigue in the lost story behind each found treasure. There is great satisfaction in recycling discarded items and giving them a new life while still imparting a sense of mystery and nostalgia."

www.daniellehession.com

Jenna grew up in Guelph, Ontario, in a family where art and sewing were a prominent part of life. In 2002 she moved to Halifax to study at the Nova Scotia College of Ar and Design where she received a major in textiles and a minor in fashion. Her focus at NSCAD was textile design and screen-printing. In her fourth year of studies she developed a line of fashion and home accessories, which was the beginning of her business today. Upon graduating in April 2006 she set up her studio in Guelph and started producing her work full time under the label Jenna Rose. In the summer of 2008 she relocated to Hamilton, where she currently has a studio within the artist community of James Street North.

Her current line consists of hats, belts, bags, pillows, blankets, and storage bags. Each piece is hand screen printed and all of her designs are original and initially drawn by hand. Her work is currently sold in galleries and boutiques across Canada and in the United States. She has been profiled as a designer in Canadian House & Home magazine, and her work has been featured in Canadian Home & Country , Style at Home , Canadian House & Home , Chatelaine , The Globe and Mail , the National Post, Design*Sponge, and the book Simply Pattern, published by Viction:ary.

www.jennarose.ca

Michelle Kosoy has been been working in clay for over 20 years and shares her Toronto studio with her husband glass artist Pierre Bouchard. Michelle's work is greatly influenced by her travels and her main collection is inspired and made with the antique Nepalese and Indian woodblocks she bought over 22 years ago in Nepal. Her work can be bought at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Hollace Cluny, and Good Egg in Toronto.
(Photo to left courtesy of the One of A Kind show.)

michelle kosoy
Kosoy & Bouchard
651 St Clair Avenue West
Toronto, Ontario
416.651.4480
www.kosoyandbouchard.com

Patouche is the creative child of Kessa Laxton. After working as a designer and scenic artist for the theatre world and having two kids, she started making stuff for her son and daughter to wear that was playful and free from branding. She discovered that she might be onto something when her son was reduced to tears on finding his favourite “pirate” pants in the wash.

"At Patouche, we like to keep it simple using natural fibers like linen and cotton and sometimes bamboo. We offer organic options in some of our styles when possible. All of our outerwear wool blend is milled in Quebec and detailed with fine Japanese textiles. Sometimes we throw in a little vintage trim and we also create limited runs of some styles using end-of-roll textiles from select Toronto women’s wear designers. By using up remnant textiles rather than new stock, we save energy on the production of new textiles."

www.patouche.ca

Mark Willers is a furniture designer/maker based in Toronto. He designs and builds unique hand made pieces such as coffee tables, dining tables, benches, and storage units. The use of reclaimed materials and less toxic finishing products is central to his work.


www.willersfurniture.com
mark@willersfurniture.com
416.689.8737