Making ropes, cords and braids from discarded clothes for The Nest.
For the making of a huge nest in the library of Alphen aan den Rijn, elements where made with inhabitants. From around 250 kilo’s of discarded clothes from the municipality big ropes and cords were created.
First all unwanted clothes needed to be cut and sewn into strips, with the help of many local volunteers. Than these strips were braided and twisted into beautiful colorful ropes that now adorn THe Nest in the main library in Alphen aan den Rijn.
Beach Clean Up!
In 2 hours beach combing every participant had a bag with this.
After 5 Saturdays mornings of picking up every piece of plastic found on the amazing Casa Wabi beach, this was the harvest.
During the residency at Casa Wabi in Oaxaca, Mexico, Femke was smitten by the beautiful beach at the location. It looked deserted and pristine. But walking there every morning Femke started noticing tiny, and big, pieces of plastic every day. Each Saturday she started collecting that. The other artists residents started joining her. In 6 weeks this was the result. The waste could be devided into : hygiene stuff like toothbrushes and combs, wrapping materials, food things like cutlery, bottles and cups, weird stuff like insulation,mosquito mesh, many single flipflops, and so on. It washed ashore every hour. Femke was horrified by it and wanted to raise awareness for the local community. She tried to leave the area, a beautiful natural place, cleaner than she found it, after her residency.
Casa Wabi, residency
Girls age 14-17 in Rio Grande Mexico. Expressing their identities with discarded clothes and clay. Expressing their being and power through colours and textiles. In cooperation with Fondación Casa Wabi.
Design your Death Shroud
participant at work with clothes from her mother and herself.
By using favourite clothes from themselves and loved ones, the old tradition of making a death shroud was brought to life again. In cooperation with Susanne Duijvestsein, https://bijafscheid.com/, meaningful and personal pieces were created. Jewelry and dried flowers were added to personal textile items. Evolving and be further embellished at home. The pieces became even “life shrouds” that could be hung on the wall, and later in life used as a death shroud, a wrapping for the body, or a beautiful throw over a coffin during the goodbye ritual.
Fashion Swap at What Design Can Do
On the international design event What Design Can Do, attendees were asked to bring their no longer wanted fashion items. During the 2 day event these items could be swapped in the pop-up boutique that was set up in the halls of the city’s theatre. Many vintage finds were done, no money spent, and the deigners community awareness on fashion waste grew. See Femke’s talk at this event here above.
Springhouse, residency
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Rubbish Costumes
participant at work with clothes from her mother and herself.
Kids aged 6-8 yeras, of a primary school collected waste for a weeks from their homes. In the workshop they decided what “world” they wanted to create. The kids came up with space, to live in space where there would be nu waste! So they created , with some technical and practical help from Femke, the most awesome astronaut outfits and space ships, to be able to live on any “rubbish free” planet they liked.