MARYANNE MOODIE

WEAVER

I love the idea of a hot Aussie Christmas spent in the desert. Imagine dried eucalyptus leaves and gumnuts spray-painted gold; white tablecloths set against a red-dirt backdrop. For this project, I wanted to move away from traditional colours like red, white and green, and away from the European Christmas snowy season. I thought about the stinking hot Christmas days we have in Australia. I’ve also been loving the return of brown to modern interiors – the ’70s aesthetic has always been a favourite of mine. The hardest part of making the stocking was figuring out how to weave the pattern. I cut out the base shape from cardboard, warped it up and actually wove it in the round in one piece. Once I’d worked out the pattern and approach, the actual making was easy! I used lots of hand-dyed and hand-spun fibres to give it an organic feel, plus handmade ceramic beads. I tend to make a couple of new Christmas decorations every year, and buy two or three, as well. I’m slowly building up a meaningful collection, including some I’ve bought while travelling. Each piece tells a story, which is so nice. This Christmas, I’d love to receive a few quiet hours alone, and maybe a facial and swim at the beach. Time is the only resource I wish I had more of. A full 24 hours each day to dedicate to family, work, wellbeing and friends.