Many artists work alone but find great joy in coming together for collaborative events.I met the lovely Peining Sheng a final-year PhD candidate in Design at Edinburgh College of Art. Her research focuses on the sustainability of traditional crafts in rural areas, with a comparative study between China and Scotland, specifically in Fife, Scotland, and Chongming, China.
I was a case study on the role of rural-based craft practitioners in contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.Through Peining’s work at the University a workshop was held with a total of three local rural artists "Co-Crafting Through Rural Craft: A Hands-On Workshop for UoE Students and Staff."
Liz Gaffney
April 16th 2025
In so many lives 2025 is putting forward challenges many of us find difficult to navigate through. With all my sadness and personal loss this year my garden and my craft have kept me sane.
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Structural pruning ( hacking back trees and plants) is cathartic. Pruning away the dead growth with the ambition for strong new life. Setting seeds of dye plants and flowers( grown just for their beauty) a miracle from such tiny beginnings. It’s like that with teaching and passing on knowledge, sharing skills and cultural differences, uniting in the same mediums as crafts people around the world, wool and plants being universal...more
Blue, a visible colouring in our landscape. Sea and sky, river and flower and yet elusive when it comes to capturing that colour into a viable lasting range of shades.
We think blue with Indigo but in fact it produces many different colours depending on the method of extracting dye-from salted methods to fermentations of vats. A glorious plant to immerse yourself in and easy to grow from seed or cuttings in our Scottish climate. The frost will come and I know these nurtured Japanese plants will not survive our winter. What they leave behind is pure magic.
Icelandic Sheep wool
Felting this fabulous fibre
September and October 2024
South Iceland Wool week is an amazing collaboration between Icelandic wool lovers and everything sheep. Farmers, spinners, knitters, weavers and a host of other skills gather together to celebrate and share. I have been so fortunate to have travelled and taught at all of the events.
I have watched it grow and spread with many visitors coming from around the world. Iceland is a unique and stunningly beautiful country but it is the people and of course the Icelandic sheep that make it so special. Sharing my joy of this beautiful fleece through a workshop on creating collars and scarves was a real highlight for me.
Some wonderful designs were made and a seed planted. Looking forward to the next event there in 2026.
Rhubarb is King
For food, for colour ( in its roots )and for acids in its leaves
November 2024
Rhubarb, Rheum x Hybridum
​Such a useful plant with its edible stalk used in pies and jams and many culinary uses. Its oxalic acid in the leaves but its real gem to the fibre lover is its dye properties in its thick root. From browns and greens right through to pinks ( in ammonia ) I choose a rhubarb day as a celebration in the summer time for this worthy plant.
Tastes and colours like this are worthy of a dye day all to themselves
Contact me if you are keen to join the celebration this summer
