Ignacia Ibarra Black

When I was very little, my mother made an exquisitely glamorous, strapless, black and gold jacquard evening gown for my Barbie. It was magnificent and the fact that she had made it herself was nothing short of magic, to me. I was hooked!

Making stuff is in my family; we are a clan of creatives. We are painters, artists, seamstresses, knitters, fibre artists, photographers, crafters and makers of every sort of thing. I never lacked for inspiration or encouragement, and pursued every creative curiosity, since I was small.

My journey drew me to art school and more art school. I studied Drawing and Painting at OCADU, where I also took every opportunity to branch out, so I learned woodworking, bookbinding, printmaking, and paper making, too.

After graduating, I was yearning for a new creative outlet, and that led me to the magical world of fibre! First crochet, then knitting and spinning, and finally, back to one of my first loves: sewing!

As a devoted maker and total clotheshorse basically since birth, the idea of creating a self-made wardrobe is an extremely appealing ambition. I have always believed that aesthetics are a powerful communication tool, and making my own clothes feels like a natural extension of exploring and expressing various facets of my identity. So, as my skills grow, I hope always to find new and better ways to joyfully festoon myself with colours, textures and shapes that are a faithful reflection of my feelings-place.

Spending a lot of time at the workroom means that I am constantly surrounded by beautiful things and creative people. It is so inspiring! I get to see and, in a small way, share in the processes of so many other makers. I love watching folks gather their materials, create colour palettes that reflect themselves, or a mood, or a theme. I love helping in that process! And I extra love the show-and-tell of a finished project! (So please show me your makes!)