TOOLS OF THE TRADE: TOWNSHIP 31

TOOLS OF THE TRADE 

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ARWYN MOONRISE of TOWNSHIP 31

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Township 31, the moniker of Arwyn Moonrise, is a nod to the small area of wild land in Maine where the artist was raised. A place that instilled in her a wonder for the natural world and a love for old world skills and crafts.  Arwyn is an embroidery artist who stitches stories with a needle and thread and often works with customers one on one to customize designs on their already well loved garments...adding to their charm and meaning. I love her delicately stitched flowers and impeccable attention to detail. Recently she has parlayed her love of stitching into the art of stick + poke tattoos, seamlessly shifting her original designs into a more permanent form of adornment.  Below she talks tools and heirlooms. 
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What is your craft? 
   
Hand embroidery.
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What are your 5 most used tools of your trade? 
     
My most used tools are a needle, thread, and scissors. I can't go anywhere, even for a few hours, without these three things! The other two things I use most are a really sturdy hoop and whatever fabric I am stitching on. 
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Do you have a tool that’s unique, an heirloom, or holds special significance for you? 
It's not a tool, but I have a gorgeous piece of embroidery that my mother did in the 60s that is one of my most prized possessions and serves as a constant inspiration in my work.
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If you could talk tools with another artist, maker, or crafts person, alive or dead, who would it be and why?
Probably Mary Ann Schildknecht. She learned to embroider from nuns while serving a jail sentence, basically creating an entire shirt with embroidery by tearing up her bed sheets. 
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Follow Arwyn's journey with a needle and thread on instagram at @township31 
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Photo by Arwyn Moonrise
 

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