As a visual person it can be tempting to dream about owning all sorts of beautiful objects, wearing fabulous clothes and living in architecturally designed homes. But when I think of design and how we should apply it to our everyday lives in order to have a positive impact, the three words – more with less - make so much sense to me.

Less stuff….oh yes this is something I constantly dream of. In this modern world what a ridiculous bind we find ourselves in! Owning too much can be almost like a disease. With a family of five, things just accumulate. And it can be very stressful and take up a whole lot of headspace. Without juggling all of this stuff there would be more time for family, friends, health, spirituality, gardening, cooking, lovemaking, weaving, the list goes on....

Which is why it was an absolute pleasure visiting the home studio of weaver, baker, teacher - Carla Grbac.
Carla has recently moved into a shared home with her sister and the lack of things clogging up their rooms was just wondrous. Compared to the chaos in my own home it seemed to me that the two of them were living an almost monastic existence. The home is very modest...in fact it is an unremarkable regular suburban flat but with Carla's aesthetic tendencies the space takes on an ethereal feel...a simple vase of homegrown roses adds warmth to an otherwise stark bathroom scene...a handprinted work on paper adorns the wall of her serene bedroom...the kitchen bench is clear apart from the warm tart on a cooling rack waiting to be served...

On my way home I made a mental note to be mindful and satisfied with what I already have rather than what I might think that I want. To pare back, to be reverent, to make space for the things that matter.

Carla will be teaching a natural dyeing and kumihimo workshop at Pop Craft Studio on the last Saturday of March. I look forward to spending the day learning from her - being resourceful, celebrating nature, using my hands.
There is an interview with her on the Pop Craft blog -I love the parallels she finds between her weaving and baking practice.

Em x