Introducing Keryn from Lilibet Original Re-Creations. Where every item is handmade!! From her home in the Yarra Valley, Victoria, Keryn transforms pre-loved materials into unique items.
Find out why Keryn started creating and why she is so passionate about the value of handmade.
Tell us about your creations and your handmade process.
Creating something new from something old has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I find beautiful or practical fabrics, cut them to shape and combine them into functional items that someone would be happy to carry and use.
If the fabric lends itself to embellishment, I add appliqued and embroidered designs, usually sourced from pieces left over from other projects, and sometimes including vintage buttons from my Nana's stash. My aim is to reuse as much of an item as I possibly can, in order to reduce waste and contribute to a circular society.
Tell us a bit about your journey to becoming a handmade artist.
I have always wanted to have a small 'cottage industry' business that combined my creative skills with my concern for our planet. I toyed with lots of ideas - for a while in the early 80s (before the advent of children), I had a small market business, upcycling vintage beaded necklaces into new jewellery.
I finally settled on bag making because I could add beauty to a functional item, practice lots of different skills and techniques, and my design options were virtually unlimited.
What is your inspiration or where do you find inspiration?
My very first spark of inspiration came from finding a well-loved woolen dressing gown in an op-shop and I was sure it was just asking to be reborn.
Now, I wander around op-shops looking at clothing, fabrics or soft furnishings that someone has donated and ask the question "what beautiful and useful thing would you like to be remade into?"
I love texture, patterns and colour. Inspiration for embroidery and applique design can come from anywhere - a recent trip to Europe gave me so many ideas - colourful Gaudi buildings and streets in Barcelona, paving in Paris & Rome, and mosaics, paintings and windows in churches everywhere. Another huge part of my inspiration comes from nature, particularly Australian flora and landscapes. I take loads of photos when I'm on holidays, usually of birds, plants, rocks and repeating patterns.
Where did you learn your craft?
My grandmother taught me hand sewing and embroidery when I was very young (maybe 7 or 8). I was taught to sew on a sewing machine by a friend of the family when I was about 12, and my Nana gave me my first sewing machine at about 13. I taught myself my bag-making skills and have worked on refining them over the past few years.
Why is handmade artistry so important to you?
I believe that outlets selling cheap clothing and items made overseas in sweat shops are huge contributors to excessive energy use and a disposable culture. I feel that supporting and advocating for handmade creation offers a meaningful response to the pervasive consumerism that dominates our media and culture. And importantly, there are so many talented individuals in this world, that I feel really passionate about nurturing and encouraging fellow artisans to explore their creativity and share it with the wider community. They need to be seen and celebrated.
Keryn is a much loved member of the MadeIt Collective, posting regularly in our Facebook Group ~ The Handmade Marketplace of Australia ~ and sharing their new creations as they are released. If you haven't connected with Lilibet Original Re-Creations, make sure you join our FB Group and say hi !
