Upcycled Leather - #ReykjavikRecycled

An Inner Need

For some time Ive been working with leather, upcycled leather. This made me realize that I could use the Instagram hashtag #reykjavikrecycled.

To start from the beginning. As long as I can remember, I’ve had a craving for making things. My extracurricular choices in school were always along the lines of design. I made my daughters’ clothes when they were little. And when that wasn’t considered ‘hip’ anymore, I turned to designing and creating for myself. I took courses in ceramics, immersed myself in quilting, and finally found my shelf when I discovered upcycling. There are numerous raw-materials out there that can be upcycled. For example I use leather, canvas and silk, mainly pure fabrics, not synthetics, plastics and such. These materials have character when they have lived a previous life. That’s why, today, I work mainly with materials that no longer serve their owners’ original purpose.

My First Mentor

This brings me to think about my maternal grandmother, I see that I’ve been under her influence my whole life. I can remember sitting in her kitchen, watching her reuse and upcycle all kinds of „raw-material“. She worked in a shoe factory in Akureyri, Iceland, and made shoes, but I think she had stronger feelings towards the tannery that was next door. She would bring home remnants of tanned sheepskins and make wall hangings/pictures with the different colored wool. I can remember that pictures of horses were especially popular.

Grandmother Kristín

My grandmother’s name was Kristín Björnsdóttir. She was probably given her Christian name because it was a common name in the family. Her name Björnsdóttir, according to Icelandic custom, is not exactly a surname, it means just what it says, „daughter of Björn“. I, for example, have four daughters, they are the daughters of their father, hence, Sigurpálsdóttir, daughter of Sigurpáll. Some families in Iceland have surnames, which often came about when they were referring to the farm or valley from where the family originated. But being -dóttir or -son is more common.

Now, I’ve gotten off track. I started this blog because I’m infatuated with reusing, and want to spread my knowledge and educate everyone as to the good habits we can dedicate ourselves to, especially thinking about the youngsters who will be here after we pass.

More later…