Posted on by Theda Sandiford

St. Georges Botanical Garden Fiber Workshops

I’m a fiber artist who processes repurposed materials. Now that I am on St Croix, I am itching to explore the abundance of natural fibers just outside my door, palms, coconut, vines, bamboo, to name a few. Last month, St. Georges Botanical Garden hosted three natural fiber workshops using materials sources from their garden. Naturally, I showed up ready to learn and experiment.

This is how it went

Rope making using invasive snake plants.

Same twist away and bring forward process I use to make rope with upcycled textiles.

Paper making is sparking new ideas.

The potential for “painting” paper made from natural fibers has me giddy with joy.

And I spent a morning palm weaving…

I will definitely do this as an activity with friends visiting from the States. You have been forewarned.

Ive been thinking incorporating these experiments into my practice and new ideas are percolating. Meanwhile, I am building a tool kit of garden sheers, gloves, buckets, and bins to process natural fibers at Sky Garden Retreat in St. Croix.