OUR STORY

Chimaera Crafts is a shop of handmade textiles, jewelry, handspun art yarn on naturally dyed watercolor paper, natural plant dyed journals and memoir books and natural plant based dye print techniques on fabric and watercolor paper for the fellow artist to utilize in their own work. I’ve always been a bit obsessed with hair, fibers, textiles, beads, dyes, metals. I used to sew, crochet and bead for my dolls and friends and have projects going continually since as far back as I can remember. As a very little girl I was a flower girl for a couple but wouldn’t walk before the bride until i was promised that I could keep the flower petals in the basket. After which, I glued them onto paper and made pictures out of them. Nothing much has changed really.

I have been doing textile work for many years, teaching a few classes, entering pieces into exhibits and shows here and there and selling my products at fairs and through Etsy as well. My children and I have experimented with raising silkworms and french angora rabbits for the production of fiber. My husband, being an Archaeologist/Anthropologist, has given me the opportunity to dig my heels into natural dyeing and growing plants for natural dyeing as well as learning a bit about the history of many textile and fabric making techniques such as naalbinding, weaving, crocheting, knitting, handspinning wool and flax, sewing and embroidery, fingerweaving sashes etc. I never get bored! I really enjoy printing on fabric and paper with plants and flowers. I love fine art and handmade finished goods but I also really am drawn to making things with a utilitarian purpose or materials for others to make their own creations as well.