imperfect waste and expressive craft
design in the 21st-century confronts waste as a new creative opportunity. applying her extensive knowledge of upholstered textiles and furniture, cia experiments with waste as a provocation to reconsider off-cuts and deadstock.
imperfect perfect
furniture factories are left with large amounts of textile off-cuts and yardage that may have no afterlife. a bolt of textile is typically 54” wide x 30 yards but furniture has many variables that cause excess waste. “dead stock” patterns that are out of favor also result in waste that may or may not be recyclable. opportunities exist to consider using off-cuts by design.
patchwork sofa concept: intentional asymetrical design and piecework pattern for use with excess textile remnants.
an experiment in craft from upcycling
cia collaborated with friends in portland’s maker community to knit, stitch, and assemble excess materials for an experimental chair project. the underlying structure is an upcycled seat shell that was modified and covered in cotton batting to create the underlying form. textiles and hand-knitted patterns were pieced together with “string-pulls” for tensioning, a common technique in upholstery. the base was fabricated using remnants of cardboard sonotubes. bands of excess trim wrapped the outside.
the “chi-chi” chair is inspired by colorful memories of miami and cuban conga culture.
big thanks to the team — chris, tim, and danika for their talent and help!
