Inspired by Kaija Sanelma Harris, the Art & Design store worked with local weaver Amanda Brown, Scarlett Dahlia Artistry to produce items that speak to the impact on contemporary artists working in the medium today.

This colour way was Inspired by Downtown Vistas - "Kaija’s work “Wild Goose Chase II” in the Remai Collection reminds me of a city landscape. The Downtown Vista colourway is Saskatoon’s downtown in the fall: the coloured leaves, charcoal pavement, navy water, brick and Tyndall stone. Mood: supper on 2nd Ave and a walk along the river, taking in the smell of wet decaying leaves and the way lights sparkle on the water. " - Amanda Brown, Scarlett Dahlia Artistry.

The Small Sqaure weavings measure 30x30cm - "For the small square hanging I was inspired by the way colour in Kaija’s weavings seems to defy the logic of the woven structure. In many of her hangings, the colour patterning creates a geometric pattern of its own beyond the texture of the cloth. Unlike standard tapestries with clearly identifiable blocks of colour, the nuance of the colour shifts denotes a different way of
thinking about how colour and weave structure interact to create a final image.
I then settled into solving the problem of how to capture the same feeling of wonder into a reliably reproducible process. The resulting solution: three single ply yarns (Mulespun sheep wool from Custom Woolen Mills, Carstairs, AB) will be wrapped around a custom made dyeing frame and the colour pattern hand painted onto the yarns. Once steam set and dried, one of the singles will be inverted, then all three plyed together on the spinning wheel to create the final variegated yarn. Once woven into the cloth, the original design as painted on the dyeing frame will be reassembled in the final piece. This method also has the benefit of being fast to weave, making restocks if necessary a possibility. Final design touches will be added in the weaving process with geometric lines and an overlaid triangle using danskbrogd technique in a contrasting merino/tencel blend. Tencel is a very lustrous fibre and reflects the light much like silk. Danskbrogd is a pickup method of weaving motifs." - Amanda Brown, Scarlett Dahlia Artistry

Krokbragd is a weft-faced weaving technique originating from the nordic countries - mostnotable for its popularity in Sweden and Norway. It produces a thicker fabric suitable for rugs, table mats, and wall hangings. Patterned motifs are built up in columns of coloured squares. All of Scarlett Dahlia's krokbragd items can either be used on a flat surface or wall mounted.

Amanda Brown is a sustainable textile artist from Saskatoon, SK. Originally a fashion designer using commercial textiles, in 2020, she transitioned into making her items from her own hand-made fabrics. Having the flexibility to customize every aspect of the textile design is what makes dyeing, spinning, and weaving fibres so appealing to Amanda. Her studio practice operates using zero-waste principles – all fibre scrapes are repurposed, recycled into new yarn, or composted depending on the quality and fibre content; all product packaging is recyclable and/or compostable.