Sandra Junele

When should a material be classified as waste? As a future focused designer, I am dedicated to developing sustainable practices. It is crucial that we take responsibility for the lifecycle of the things we design and make. This starts with our materials. I have collected and analysed the waste produced in the knitted textile workshops within DJCAD and used this as the raw material for my designs.

The collected yarn scraps required colour separation and shredding, a labour-intensive process, to make ready for experimentation using various textile techniques. The key process I developed involved mixing the shredded yarn with glue which could then be formed and moulded into various shapes. As circularity is a fundamental part of this project, I used an organic homemade glue. This allows the final material to be broken back down, by placing it in water, and reused potentially endless times. The material is lightweight, dries firm and has many possible applications. Driven by a strong interest in interior design I have used the material to create bold wall panels exploring colour and form and celebrating the natural surface texture created by the yarn fibres. Further embellishment has been added with a range of sewing and mixed media techniques embedded within or added to the surface.

Finding inspiration in piles of ‘trash’, rich in texture and colour, I created a collection of 9 unique wall panels. The pieces have their own individual character and come together as a modular set that can be arranged in various compositions. There are clear challenges in working with waste streams, but I hope this project highlights the scope and value in doing so.