Makers: Lauren & Kassandra of Crossing Threads
Tell me about you: where are you from, how old are you?
We are 'first-generation' Australian-born sisters, with a Filipino heritage. We live in the inner west suburbs of Sydney and are city-goers.
Lauren is 28 years old and Kassandra 27 years old. Being only one year apart, we are very close as siblings and we believe this is a contributing factor to our success as business partners and being a creative duo.
What do you do?
We are fibre artists specializing in handwoven wall hangings and fibre art. All of our pieces are Australian made and one-of-a-kind, celebrating the organic process of weaving and character of the fibres. Each piece is an extension of our dual personalities and Mother Nature. We aim to inspire, evoke emotion, conjure up memories and new experiences; ultimately highlight the innate connection that we are all individual threads that make up the tapestry of life.
Complimentary to this, some people may not know that the both of us lead distinctly, different full-time careers.
Lauren works in advertising as a Creative and in contrast Kassandra works in financial services. Crossing Threads has become a creative outlet to express ourselves and explore new possibilities by manipulating fibres and pushing fibre boundaries.
When did you know that weaving and creating fiber art was something you were passionate about?
Our first weaving workshop was a birthday gift that Kass bought for Lauren in April 2015. Since then we caught 'weaver fever' and have experimented with different fibres and techniques to develop our own aesthetic; which is raw, abundant, highly tactile and an extension of Mother Nature. Crossing Threads was first a passion project that we shared as sisters, providing an avenue to express our creative abilities and bounce off ideas from one another. Soon, we found that we were investing a lot of our spare time creating these bespoke wall hangings and decided to formally make it a business.
What has been your biggest accomplishment to date?
We were honoured to be hand-selected to exhibit our work amongst 20 international and Australian fibre artists by curator and fellow weaver/maker Natalie Miller, in the Thread and Colour Exhibition. The exhibition was held in Paddington Sydney of April 2016 and was very special achievement for us, as Natalie was the one who taught us how to weave. Not only is she a pioneer in the Australian weaving community and aboard, but also an inspiration to our practice.
The exhibition exposure was well received and we were stoked to be exhibited amongst key fibre artists such as Jacqui Fink, Meghan Shimek and Maryanne Moodie.
Furthermore, we were commissioned by Australian fashion designer Christopher Esber, to create woven pieces as part of his 'Desert Dweller' Resort 2016/17 collection for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia 2016. This collaborative opportunity allowed us to incorporate hand-weaving into high fashion designs and broaden our clientele.
What advice do you have for others aspiring to do what you do?
It is never too late to pursue your passion and make it happen. Through consistent hard work, dedication and self-belief, anything is attainable if you put your mind to it. Finding the time to invest into Crossing Threads outside of our full time roles is our biggest challenge.
Start off small and if you focus on achieving realistic goals and continue to put yourself out there and connect with like-minded inviduals, all the rest should fall into place. Also cohesive team work is necessary for any partnership to thrive and a continuous support network underpins this too.
Life quote: If there was one quote that summed up your view on life what would it be?
"If you do nothing, nothing will happen". - Jacque Fresco
We believe the hardest challenge is making a start and getting your self out of the way. It is literally that simple, just do it!
How can we stay connected with you?
Feel free to say hello, give feedback or simply stay in loop with all things Crossing Threads via
Instagram @crossingthreads
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/crossingthreads
Website http://crossingthreads.co/
I've been following these lovely sister's works for about a year via Instagram, and I must say that I am continually inspired by their art. Not to mention witnessing their steady growth of success. Thank you ladies, please continue to create, and to inspire.