Description: This material would be suitable for a jacket or a sculptural piece as its stiff quality makes it shapeable and ideal for building silhouettes.

Textile/Material: A thick, shiny, dark fabric with a gridded formation visible in the flax layers and in the small holes that pierce the fabric all over. Where the flax has been pushed through is visible on the underside as the stiff black flax sprouts contrast the white canvas.

Impact on Planet/People/Animals: The light canvas was a leftover material found in the AMFI textile bins. The impact of recycling old fabrics and repurposing what is already there is significantly more sustainable than using new materials. Flax fiber is also a more sustainable alternative, as it is grown quickly and easily, requires very few chemicals, and does not require irrigation during its cultivation.

Construction:

• Composition: 50% LI, 50% CO
• Raw Materials: Cotton, Flax
• Coloration: Piece bleached, Fiber dyed
• Sourcing: AMFI and Meaningful Crafts
• Weave: Weave + Non Woven

Circularity: The great thing about needle punching as a technique is that fibers and fabrics can be reused over again. The flax can be removed and repurposed from this sample. Its quality will have diminished, but in any case, needle punch felting is extremely flexible and versatile. Recycled flax and fabrics can add an extra element and quality that may not be achieved with new materials. It is something that can be explored and appreciated in its own way.

Recipe: Four to five layers of flax were laid on this larger piece of light canvas. Alternating from horizontal to vertical for each layer, ensuring the whole fabric was covered in flax. The black flax fibers were kept facing up towards the needles each time it was passed through the machine. As a result, the flax side is pierced all over, and the underside is hairy and covered in stiff flax tufts.