This Small Business

 
Photos by Gustav Schmiege.

Folk Fibers is the creation of me, Maura Grace Ambrose (maura@folkfibers.com).  I was educated in Textile Design + Fiber Arts, at Savannah College of Art & Design.  I worked for a few years in preschools, on a couple organic farms, and then spent some time traveling America. 

My goal is to share the craft and folklore that prevails around natural dyes and quilting.  I use natural dyes to dye my favorite fabrics used in the making of my quilts.  I patchwork my dyed fabric with other fabrics, both vintage & new.  I am faithful to using 100% natural fibers; they feel better and live longer.  I favor solid colors for their timeless appeal.  

Every Folk Fibers quilt is entirely hand quilted right here in Austin Texas.  My passion for quilting is rooted in the love and beauty achieved from hand stitching.  The art of hand quilting does take more time, but the results are greater and more valuable than a manufactured quilt. Hand quilting adds one-of-a-kind beauty and will be cherished as an heirloom, passed down through future generations.  For my large orders, I have reached out to the Austin community for some helpful assistance in the hand quilting process. The selected few women are highly skilled at hand sewing, and budding new friendships. 

I organically grow, harvest, and forage for natural dyes around Austin.  With a focus on "substantive dyes" also know as direct dyes, such as Indigo, Cochineal, Walnut Hulls, and Onion Skins.  I favor substantive dyes because color fast fabrics are achieved without the aid of chemical additives, known as a mordants.  Without the need for mordants the dying process becomes simplified and enjoyable, as well as kind to the environment.

I welcome you to join in the conversation, or just follow along, and I sincerely thank you for your interest in Folk Fibers! 

Feel free to shoot me an email at maura@folkfibers.com or follow some of my process at twitter.com/folkfibers and facebook.com/folkfibers.

Signup for my email newsletter if you'd like to be the first to know about workshops, new quilts, or other goodies.

Photos by Theron Humphry 

Photos by Me :)