Seminar 2021 | Seminar Keynote Speaker
This year, the Seminar Organizing Committee is pleased to present Deborah Livingston-Lowe, who will speak about different approaches to our theme of Sustainable Fibres. Get ready to learn about how empowering and transformative Sustainable Fibres can be in our Local Community! The topics and descriptions of both presentations are included below.
Deborah Livingston-Lowe has been involved in many aspects of textiles, both practical and academic, for about 30 years. Her early interest in handloom weaving and spinning grew into historic weaving, historical research, textile conservation and restoration. Her work in textiles continues to be multidisciplinary as she works with designers to create textiles for fashion and interiors, with museums to reproduce textiles and provide consultation for their collection and research into the production and consumption of hand woven cloth in 19th century Ontario. www.uppercanadaweaving.com
Topic: The Promise of Linen
Description: Early settlers to Ontario chose to grow flax in the early 19th century for a variety of material, cultural and financial reasons. Linen was a desirable cloth for the household: sheets and towelling and garments: underclothes, shirts and dresses, due to its beauty, durability and strength. The work involved in taking this elegant, willowy, blue-flowered plant from seed to woven cloth is a multi-stepped, laborious and not always profitable endeavour. Although government officials and businesses encouraged farmers to cultivate this plant, farmers did not often agree that there would be sufficient financial compensation at harvest time and as such, reluctantly took part in flax cultivation. Today, there are small scale initiatives, in a handful of areas in Canada and the U.S. led by people passionate about seeing this plant grown and processed into textiles for environmental, social and entrepreneurial reasons.
In this presentation, we will examine the challenges of working with this fibre and the desire to use this sturdy cloth in early 19th century Ontario. We will survey flax production projects in a few North American locations such as: Ontario, Nova Scotia, California and Massachusetts. In particular, we will focus on an initiative in Orillia by members of the Upper Canada Fibreshed.
To fully understand the issues of flax as a fibre, we will look at people’s first use of the wild flax plant beginning 30,000 years ago when it was used as spun cord, its appearance 6,000 years ago as woven cloth for garments in the Middle East and its many uses by many cultural groups up until present.
Description: Early settlers to Ontario chose to grow flax in the early 19th century for a variety of material, cultural and financial reasons. Linen was a desirable cloth for the household: sheets and towelling and garments: underclothes, shirts and dresses, due to its beauty, durability and strength. The work involved in taking this elegant, willowy, blue-flowered plant from seed to woven cloth is a multi-stepped, laborious and not always profitable endeavour. Although government officials and businesses encouraged farmers to cultivate this plant, farmers did not often agree that there would be sufficient financial compensation at harvest time and as such, reluctantly took part in flax cultivation. Today, there are small scale initiatives, in a handful of areas in Canada and the U.S. led by people passionate about seeing this plant grown and processed into textiles for environmental, social and entrepreneurial reasons.
In this presentation, we will examine the challenges of working with this fibre and the desire to use this sturdy cloth in early 19th century Ontario. We will survey flax production projects in a few North American locations such as: Ontario, Nova Scotia, California and Massachusetts. In particular, we will focus on an initiative in Orillia by members of the Upper Canada Fibreshed.
To fully understand the issues of flax as a fibre, we will look at people’s first use of the wild flax plant beginning 30,000 years ago when it was used as spun cord, its appearance 6,000 years ago as woven cloth for garments in the Middle East and its many uses by many cultural groups up until present.
Photographs provided by Deborah Livingston-Lowe
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Topic: The True Measure of Men's Wear in 19th century Ontario: Inspiring 21st century Textile Production in the Upper Canada Fibreshed
Description: This presentation examines 19th century menswear in Canada using evidence from period garments, technology used in textile production and farming practices that produced these garments. The 19th century model of textile production provides parallels with today’s fibreshed movement which uses local resources to produce cloth. Deborah will discuss current projects she is developing which blend 21st century fibreshed and 19th century textile production principles: Ontario sourced and produced tweed suit fabric and flannel shirt fabric. Deborah will examine the challenges and benefits of sourcing from a fibreshed. What can we learn about sustainable and ethical production from our own textile history? This talk will be illustrated with images of garments and textile equipment. |