Showing posts with label #MakerMonday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #MakerMonday. Show all posts

Monday, August 24, 2020

Living Heritage Economy Case Study - Living History Meets Social Enterprise: The Green Family Forge

The Green Family Forge is the focus of August's Living Heritage Economy Case Study.



The Green Family Forge. Photo by Dale Jarvis.

The Green Family Forge is a Registered Heritage Structure in Trinity. It is both a Living History museum and a fully functional forge, supporting two blacksmiths who create stunning metal crafts. The Trinity Historical Society hopes to grow this social enterprise and generate new opportunities in old traditions.

Blacksmith working at Green Family Forge. Photo by Dale Jarvis.

You can download a pdf version of the case study here.

This is part of a series of case studies examining the links between living heritage, traditionality, entrepreneurism, and community economic development in Newfoundland and Labrador. For more information, contact Dale Jarvis at dale@heritagenl.ca. Photo courtesy of Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Monday, August 17, 2020

Living Heritage Economy Case Study - Revitalizing Barking in Southern Labrador: The Labrador Artisans Co-operative

July's Living Heritage Economy Case Study features the Labrador Artisan's Co-operative.

Barked Labrador cossack. Photo by Cindy Colosimo Robbins.

A newly incorporated organization, the Labrador Artisans Co-operative is using old traditions in new ways to tell the story of Labrador and its history. Barking is a centuries-old tradition used by both Indigenous and settler communities to preserve animal hides, textiles, and fishing gear. The Labrador Artisans Co-operative is mixing this Labrador tradition with innovative materials dyeing techniques to create products that showcase what makes Labrador unique.


Barked hand bags. Photo by Cindy Colisimo Robbins.


You can download a pdf version of the case study here.


This is part of a series of case studies examining the links between living heritage, traditionality, entrepreneurism, and community economic development in Newfoundland and Labrador. For more information, contact Dale Jarvis at dale@heritagenl.ca. Photo courtesy of Labrador Artisans Co-operative.

Monday, July 27, 2020

There Would Be None Left Around to See: Wriggle Fences with Kevin Andrews #MakerMonday

For #MakerMonday we'll be profiling some of the people practicing traditional skills on the Baccalieu Trail.
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Kevin Andrews of New Perlican learned how to make wriggle fence by helping his uncles and grandfather make their own. Eight years ago, he and his wife Bonnie made one of their own to show their kids how it was done.

I just wanted to show the kids the type of fences that were around the community 40 and 50 years ago because there's none left here now. So I just made an 8 foot section, that's all. Just for them to have a look at it and just see the work that was involved.

He says that there is a fair bit of work involved in constructing a wriggle fence, but that it is worth it to preserve this knowledge for future generations. It is also what he calls a "long time fence." A wriggle fence will last up to 20 years.

Kevin Andrews' wriggle fence. Photo by Dale Jarvis.


Kevin likes that the wriggle fence is cost effective. The wood is harvested locally. He uses spruce or var for the wriggles and rails, but he says whatever wood bends easiest is a good choice. It also only uses four tools, so it does not require a lot of specialized equipment. He says all you need is an axe or power saw for cutting the wriggles, a hammer or wooden mallet for driving in the posts and wooden dowels used to secure the rails in place, an auger or drill for making holes in the rails for the wooden dowels, and a pocket knife for sharpening the wooden dowels so they can be used as nails.

If you're curious on the steps to making a wriggle fence yourself, listen to Kevin describe how he built his own.



We took the wriggles and we come out and you need some rails too for to weave the wriggles in around. You need one on top, one in the centre, and one on the bottom. So you take the wriggle and you bend it, and you go in through the centre one from the top and come out through the bottom one, and that applies the wriggle out facing you. Then the next one you put in, you put it in on the opposite side of the centre piece and the three rail fence, and you weave it the opposite way and put it in through the centre and come down and come out through the bottom. So, each one, every second one goes the same way. There's no nails involved because, well, years ago they had no nails, so they used to make wooden dowels and they'd nail the rails onto the fence, drive the wooden dowel in through the rail and into the stake and weave the wriggles in the way I just told you, and you end up with the wriggle fence. But now, in the beginning you got to put the stakes down in the ground first. 6 or 8 feet apart, however wide you want it. And then you start from there after you get the stakes down in the ground. You drive them down through with a wooden mallet. And then you start from there and put your rails on and then after the rails on then come with the wriggle fences which you weave in through. I done 8 feet and it took me 8 hours, so it was roughly an hour a foot for to build the fence.
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Do you live on the Baccalieu Trail and practice a traditional skill or know someone who does? Fill out our survey!

Monday, July 13, 2020

A Beautiful Boat is a Cranky Boat: Wooden Boats and Snowshoes with Edwin Bishop #MakerMonday

For #MakerMonday we'll be profiling some of the people practicing traditional skills on the Baccalieu Trail.
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Edwin Bishop of Heart's Delight-Islington learned how to build wooden boats from watching his father. Boat building skills were passed down through generations, and he has been building wooden boats since he was a teenager. He estimates he has built around 36 boats to date. Last year, he launched what he swore would be his last boat but he is already building another one for his granddaughter. As he says, "Sometimes I think I'm just crazy about boats."


Boats built by Edwin Bishop. Photo courtesy of Edwin Bishop.
The hardest part about building boats, Edwin says, is choosing the design. Each boat serves a different purpose, so depending on what you want to use your boat for will influence which design you choose. Edwin loves to build boats that can accommodate sails. He and his wife have taken many sailing trips in boats Edwin has built. Listen to Edwin's advice on what makes a good boat below!


I think what makes a good boat is the design. The shape of it and the design is what makes a good boat for me, right? I got a phrase that I use from my father that you probably heard before, too, "A beautiful boat is a cranky boat." Now, most people don't to have anything to do with a cranky boat because they figure they're not safe and so on, but for me, and I learned from my father, if you're going to build a boat make sure she can wear a set of sails, and make sure she's a little bit cranky because she'll be better as a sailboat. You know, the curves and the lines...I build all kinds of boats, but a round bottom boat for me is a real boat. The round bottom, a nice sheer curve on top, and when you look at her on the water she's round, and she's curved, and she's pretty. 
Edwin credits the Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador for working tirelessly to preserve and pass on boat building knowledge, including his own. He said he has learned a lot from them, and is glad of the work they do bringing education about wooden boats to the younger generation.

He also makes traditional wooden snowshoes, steaming and bending the wood by hand and tying intricate knots. He began learning this skill because he needed to repair the snowshoes he owned. Once he got started, he found it was something he enjoyed. He does say that it is a complicated process, especially tying the knots. He recalls the first pair of snowshoes he made and how he woke up his wife and his visiting sister with his celebratory shouts when he successfully figured out how to tie the knots after working on them until the wee hours of the morning.

Moose hide snowshoes by Edwin Bishop. Photo courtesy of Edwin Bishop.
Edwin describes knowing how to build boats and make snowshoes as almost a spiritual experience. He says when he when he sees stuff coming out from his hands, it is like being given a gift, one that he is lucky to have. He also appreciates the way that these skills connect him, and also his grandchildren, to people who were living almost 100 years ago. He says being able to do the same thing that his father, and his grandfather did, is very important to him, and he hopes that others will continue to do the work to celebrate these skills and help future generations connect with them like he has.
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Do you live on the Baccalieu Trail and practice a traditional skill or know someone who does? Fill out our survey!

Monday, July 6, 2020

It's a Family Tradition: Working with Sealskin with Laurie Pitcher. #MakerMonday

For #MakerMonday we'll be profiling some of the people practicing traditional skills on the Baccalieu Trail.
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Laurie Pitcher of Heart's Content has been sewing ever since she was taught by her grandmother at 12 years old. She was more used to working with silks and satins until her husband asked her to make him a sealskin jacket. She's been hooked on sealskin ever since.

Sealskin mittens. Photo courtesy of Sealskin Treasures.
Her company Sealskin Treasures makes everything from keychains to purses to jackets and employs several women in her area. Their work appears at craft shows across the island every fall and winter. Through their online shop, Laurie says they have shipped their sealskin products all over the world, wherever it is legal to do so.

Sealskin purse in the Republic of Newfoundland colours. Photo courtesy of Sealskin Treasures.
It is important to Laurie to source whatever materials she can locally. She works with companies within the province to source the pelts she uses, some of which are then tanned by her son, Tyler, a taxidermist in Harbour Grace.


Well, I think the most important thing that people should know about it is that, 'cause you know, you hear so much with Greenpeace and all that kind of thing. And, you know, we've been, like I said, this is 7 years now we've been going across the island with our stuff, and we've had very little people say anything to us. But I know I've had people who have gone on the mainland and stuff and, you know, people say things to them. I mean, years ago people used to throw paint on people that had sealskin. So, I think the biggest thing to know is that our seals are harvested humanely. It's a beautiful product, is a very durable product, and it's truly Newfoundland. It's a part of our heritage. The seal hunt has been going on here for a long, long time, and I'm just proud to be able to do that and to continue it.
Laurie is carrying on a family tradition of working with seals. Her father and grandfather, as well as her husband's family were seal hunters. Working with sealskin allows Laurie to participate in this family tradition, and help educate people on the importance of the seal hunt in the history of the province.

Sealskin hat. Photo courtesy of Sealskin Treasures.
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Do you live on the Baccalieu Trail and practice a traditional skill or know someone who does? Fill out our survey!

Monday, June 29, 2020

What Will Happen to the Storytellers?: Storytelling, Painting, and Newfoundland Ponies with Clifford George. #MakerMonday

For #MakerMonday we'll be profiling some of the people practicing traditional skills on the Baccalieu Trail.
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Clifford George of Whiteway wears many hats. He is a storyteller, an artist, and has been rescuing Newfoundland ponies for decades.

Storytelling comes naturally to Clifford. He says that growing up without electric lights and without television, stories were all around him. He was inspired by the stories of his father, Esau George, and others, and has been remembering and writing them down to safeguard them for future generations. His favourite stories to tell are about Newfoundland fairies. These stories about ghosts and fairies were told to him by older family members to encourage him to be home before dark.

He has also always been a painter, and credits his isolation growing up in a small town in Newfoundland with training his eye to see the shapes and colours of the land. He practices plein air painting, capturing the vivid colours of Newfoundland and Labrador outports. He says you can probably hear his palette knives clicking all over the harbour as he lays on the paint. He plans to continue painting this summer, and you may see him on the side of a road with his easel surrounded by yellow caution tape.

Clifford George and one of his paintings. Photo by Jackie Evans.
Clifford has also worked hard to save the Newfoundland pony from extinction. With his own money, he would buy ponies that were destined for meat trucks, and established a sanctuary for retired Newfoundland ponies to spend their days. While the generation of Newfoundland ponies that he saved in the 1980s and 1990s are mostly gone now, their legacy lives on.

To hear more stories from Clifford George, check out the Living Heritage Podcast Hidden Gems episode.
This episode is part of a special series about the Baccalieu Trail region of Newfoundland and Labrador. Join us as we explore the hidden gems of the Baccalieu Trail- from stories of phantom ship sightings to local art and history.
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Do you live on the Baccalieu Trail and practice a traditional skill or know someone who does? Fill out our survey!

Monday, June 22, 2020

It Was the Music That Got Me: Tin Whistle and Wooden Flute with Gerry Strong. #MakerMonday

For #MakerMonday we'll be profiling some of the people practicing traditional skills on the Baccalieu Trail.
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Gerry Strong is a self-taught tin whistle and wooden flute player living in Carbonear. He has always been interested in music, playing in the brass band in his high school, but it wasn't until he moved to Ireland after graduation that he found his calling in the tin whistle.

Gerry Strong playing the wooden flute. Photo provided by Gerry Strong.
The tin whistle has given him the opportunity to travel the world and share traditional Newfoundland and Irish music with people in other countries. He has been a member of several bands including Tickle Harbour, A Crowd of Bold Sharemen, What Odds, and Cotillion with Dave Panting and Hugh Scott. The only challenge he finds with the tin whistle is to always keep learning and improving.

Knowing to play a traditional instrument allows Gerry to connect with his heritage. As long as he has one or two people who appreciate the music, he will sit and play for them all day.  He is part of a project which is working to get tin whistle introduced into school music programs to foster a love for the instrument and traditional music with future generations.



It means a fair bit. It's part of what we are and who we are and it's important that we keep it alive, to keep it going. It's made us unique in the world. When I started playing, I was mostly Irish traditional music and stuff, and I was up in Toronto at a session. A session is where you're just sitting around at a bar with a bunch of other musicians and you're just playing. There's no set list or anything you have to play. It's like a kitchen party. And people were really interested. Those musicians were saying, "Play some of your music now!" And I had one or two Newfoundland tunes, not an awful lot, and it made me realize that you go out into the world and you can hear the Irish music pretty well anywhere. It's very popular all around the world now. But the Newfoundland, the pure, traditional Newfoundland music is not that well known, and people are eager to hear it. So, it's important that we learn it, and carry it on, and pass it on to others. And it is starting to get a much broader audience now. There are musicians from Ireland that have come over here and gone back over to Ireland, now, and they've recorded some Newfoundland tunes they've learned while they're here. So, I mean, it's important that we learn these and pass them on to the future.
The reaction from the crowd when playing traditional music inspires him. But it also brings him a personal joy. He says that if you've had a hard day, and you can get a chance to sit down and play a few tunes, all is forgotten.
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Do you live on the Baccalieu Trail and practice a traditional skill or know someone who does? Fill out our survey!

Monday, June 15, 2020

It's Just the Love of the Craft: Stained Glass With Michael Laduke. #MakerMonday

For #MakerMonday we'll be profiling some of the people practicing traditional skills on the Baccalieu Trail.
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Michael Laduke remembers seeing his first stained glass piece, a gift given to one of his friends, and the love of glass was instantaneous. Originally from Quebec, he and his wife have been operating the SeaGlass Bed and Breakfast in New Perlican for the past 6 years. After moving to Newfoundland and Labrador permanently last year, Michael brought with him all the glass he needed to continue making stained glass and selling it out of his studio.

Jellyfish stained glass sun catchers by Michael Laduke. Photo from Sea Glass BnB.
Influenced by nautical themes and the scenery of Newfoundland, Michael likes to play with colours and textures in glass to catch the light in different ways and bring dimension to his work. He uses his wife's photography as layouts to design unique Newfoundland inspired pieces.


I really like the way the light plays on the glass in different intensities. In the sunlight sometimes it looks completely different than if you're in the shade. So, that's kind of cool. I really like that aspect of it. I try my best to think about that. I mean, sometimes I finish a piece and hold it up to the light and go, "Oh my God, what was I thinking?" But probably most of the time, I hang it up anyway because, a piece that's completed, it'll sell right away. So, I have my tastes, but that's probably not the same as anybody else. I mean, everybody's taste is individual, so what I think doesn't go well together, somebody else might really love.
According to Michael, stained glass has one speed: slow. It is a solitary process, and you need to be comfortable to sit down for hours and do the work. He says that for self-isolation during this pandemic, it has been the perfect refuge.
Michael Laduke working on a piece. Photo from Sea Glass BnB.
Michael says that the way this tradition will continue is for other people to fall in love with the craft as he as. His best advice for new practitioners is patience. It will take time to learn how to put thin, smooth lines of solder on and to grind the glass to the appropriate shape. Even though he has been practicing this craft for over 40 years, he says he is still getting better at it and there are always new things to learn.

Puffin stained glass sun catcher by Michael Laduke. Photo from Sea Glass BnB

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Do you live on the Baccalieu Trail and practice a traditional skill or know someone who does? Fill out our survey!



Monday, June 8, 2020

Out of Necessity, I Suppose: Knife Making and Wood Carving with Edward Delaney. #MakerMonday

For #MakerMonday we'll be profiling some of the people practicing traditional skills on the Baccalieu Trail.
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Edward Delaney of Gull Island has been whittling and carving since he was a child. He describes himself as an outdoorsman, and carving has been a way for him to pass the time and entertain himself while hunting or working outside.



I could always kind of recognize the images and shapes of the things, right? Like I said, what it was, you look at a piece and you see something into it, like you see an animal, like a weasel, or a mink, or maybe a head of a horse. Something like that, right? And then you go from there. Of course, you'd start off with a pocket knife. And then as I got a little bit more advanced, then I had to make my own knives because, they were basically, well, you couldn't hardly buy them and they were too expensive to buy anyway, so you had to make your own knives. Something like that, right? It was a hobby and a pastime, and like I said, you create something that you like. Because I was always interested in it. I like horses, and I like animals, and I like wildlife, right? So, why not carve it?
Now, after years of practice, he can see animals and objects in the shape of the wood. He prefers to carve wildlife. He does several different types of carving including carving in the round and relief carving. He prefers carving in the round because it allows him to bring the animal to life from the wood. For people new to carving, his advice is to start small and visualize the end product. If you can't see what you're trying to bring out of the wood, it will be harder for you to figure out the steps to make it happen. He says no one gets it right on the first try, so keep practicing.

Horse carved by Edward Delaney. Photo by Linda Delaney.

Edward also makes his own knives for carving and hunting. He says that commercial carving knives were too expensive and had to be ordered from away when he started carving. Out of necessity, he started crafting his own knives out of already tempered steel. Making knives this way requires no specialized tools, and the knives are able to be resharpened and reused. Sustainability is an important factor for Edward, and knowing how to make knives is important to him so that he can continue the traditions of resourcefulness and independence of Newfoundlanders.

Knives by Edward Delaney. Photo by Linda Delaney.
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Do you live on the Baccalieu Trail and practice a traditional skill or know someone who does? Fill out our survey!