Maker Monday: Sun & Soil Handmade

If you love unique jewelry, macrame home decor and plant hangers you’re going to love all of Sun & Soils products. Shannon, the talented maker behind Sun & Soil, makes beautiful plant and wall hangings as well as mixed-media necklaces. We have been loving her Instagram feed for awhile so we were excited to find out more about her creative process.

You can read last week’s Maker Monday interview with Tera Luna Jewels here.

Tell us a bit about Sun & Soil.

Sun & Soil is fun, unique jewelry and macrame home décor for colour-loving humans. Macrame is a life-long hobby that has naturally progressed into my main creative focus over the last couple of years. I create plant hangers and wall hangings and use mainly cotton and hemp cord, which I often hand-dye. On the jewelry side of things, I focus on mixed-media necklaces and love using a mix of natural (crystals, wood, stones, glass) and vintage materials.

What is your creative process like?

When creating macrame pieces, I usually just go with the flow. Measuring and cutting rope is the tedious busy work in the macrame world, so I’ll usually throw on some music (and pour some wine) and prep a bunch of plant hangers at once so I can just start knotting away when I want to. Sometimes I’ll sketch out a pattern for a wall hanging in advance (I was recently inspired by a print on a new pair of pants) and go from there, but oftentimes I assess as I go. This usually involves a lot of stepping back, crossing my arms and staring at it for a while, then untying a bunch of knots and continuing on.

In addition to the actual construction of a plant hanger or wall hanging, I’ll have a dye day where I’ll add colour to several pieces and dye lengths of rope for upcoming projects. I’m a lover of colour, so I really enjoy playing around with dyes to get different shades. I’m a horticulturalist, so playing around with natural plant dyes has been on my mind for a while. I’m currently experimenting with several different plants, so you can expect to see some pieces that I’ve dyed with flowers I’ve grown or foraged for very soon.

How did you get started with macrame?

It all started when my aunt gifted me her lot of embroidery thread when I was seven. I started making friendship bracelets for everyone I knew from there, and eventually started making hemp bracelets when I was older. I’m a Plant Person first and foremost, so the creation of plant hangers initially came out of necessity – more space for plants – and they’re made with many of the same basic knots as those hemp bracelets. The creation of larger wall hangings was a natural progression from there.

You have participated in some local markets, what has that process been like and can we expect to see you at more of these?

It’s been so great. My first market was the Etsy: Made in Canada event put on by Makers North last September. It was so much fun to meet and talk to people interested in the things I make. I feel so lucky that I was successful at my first market – it really gave me the boost of confidence I needed to continue on and strive for bigger things. I’ll be at the Etsy: Made in Canada Market again this year on September 29th at the LU Alumni Hall, and I’ll be applying to winter markets as well.

Do you do custom orders? What has been one of your favourites so far?

Yes, definitely! I’m actually working on a macrame wall hanging right now to hang above my friends’ daughter’s crib. Pieces like these are extra special because I can see it styled in someone else’s home and watch as the room it lives in evolves as the years progress. I also know I’ll be a big part of this girl’s life, so being able to tell her I made that for her during her first year is pretty cool.

Do you have any tips for other makers who may be looking to start selling their own pieces of art?

Just try. Apply to markets and be confident in what you make. Don’t compare yourself to strangers on the internet.

You can check out Sun & Soil’s Etsy shop or follow along on Instagram to find out more.

 ***Head over to our Instagram to enter to win a beautiful macrame plant hanger***

Emily Franceschini

Emily Franceschini is former full-timer and lover of all things purple. In a past life, Emily worked as a marketing manager and spent her free time searching for the perfect cup of coffee. Now all of her time is free time and she's spending it exploring the world.

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