A course in the design program at Waipapa Taumata Rau, The University of Auckland.
(Cover image by Shiyu Jin)
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A Local Making Journey Through Plush Toy Art
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212 assignment 3b by Anna Cao Personal Story: Roots and Growth My ideas come from deeper personal experiences that have shaped who I am as a person. I grew up in a family, where my parents didn’t spend much time with me during my childhood. Later, my sister and I moved to New Zealand on…
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Beaded Embroidery Pouch: An Exploration of Fashion, Sustainability, and Craft
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By Ella Lin Beaded Embroidery Pouch: An Exploration of Fashion, Sustainability, and Craft Introduction My Beaded Embroidery Pouch is a project that combines my love for fashion, textile craft, and sustainability. I began by experimenting with recycled and faulty fabrics sourced from my retail workplace, where imperfect or damaged materials are often discarded. Instead of…
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Bridged Coaster
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Project Summary This project explores how everyday waste can be reimagined through craft. I created a wooden coaster inspired by the form and structure of wooden bridges. Using found wooden sticks and recycled paper string, I experimented with different binding methods to create a stable yet expressive surface. The design evolved through reflection and iteration,…
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Bridging the Breeze – Bamboo & Wool
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Synopsis The concept of Bridging the Breeze is inspired by my childhood memories of summer days at my grandmother’s house. I was particularly influenced by the handcrafted fans I saw in Suzhou’s traditional gardens, especially the works of artist Xing Weizhong at the Humble Administrator’s Garden. I used wool, bamboo, and jute string, applying simple…
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BUSINESS IN THE GARDEN
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DESIGN 212: Local Making Design by: Lana Victoria Elegarle Model: Zlata DenisenkoPhotographic Assistance: Emilie Czarny SYPNOSIS For my Individual Making Project in Design 212: Local Making, I repurposed old clothes and locally NZ-produced wool and yarn to recreate a new fashion design. The outfit is heavily inspired by the deconstructivism movement in fashion. Among many…
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Carrying The Past
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This project will be about a baby carrier used by my great grandmother during her time in China in the midst of war. I was inspired by my Chinese culture and family heritage as the baby carrier my one is based on is a family heirloom. Additionally, I wanted to use some of the sewing…
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Catching the Wind: Jute & Bamboo
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(This video shows the key making process of my work — extracting jute fibers, twisting ropes, crocheting the net, and trimming bamboo branches.) Synopsis This project, “Catching the Wind,” is inspired by my childhood memories by the sea. I was captivated by the sight of fishing nets swaying in the ocean breeze. Using recycled jute coffee…
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Crochet Tube Top
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My design draws the inspiration of the progression of my culture and identity/race within South Africa. Diolies are found in many south african homes that were symbolised to connect with Ordentilkheid ideology (the sense of tideness/orderliness and respectability) in ways tht siginifies keeping a house in order but as well as welcoming to those visiting.…
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Crocheted Hanfu:
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“A Love Letter to Warmth, Heritage, and Second-Hand Yarn” About Hanfu Traditional Hanfu for men usually consist of cross collar worn over a inner garment with wide baggy pants, whereas for women, it includes a long skirt, flowing robe, and a loose upper shirt. This often reflects elegance with different designs across the historical periods.…
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Exploring the combination of everyday technologies with fabric.
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Quick overview Plastics can be found in everyday tech and products. In this project, I look into redesigning how we can produce things, replacing plastics with fabric. I came across a company known as Woolkin that designs kids’ toys from recycled cardboard and wool. Drawing inspiration, I started experimenting with ways to implement fabrics into…
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Fabric Vinyl Sleeve – An Exploration of Music, Identity, and Sustainability
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Abstract Fabric Vinyl Sleeves is a project that combines my love of music, vinyl collecting, and sustainability with textile craft. I began by experimenting with different recycled materials, before pivoting to denim for its strength, and then finally to tufting for its creative potential. Tufting allowed me to design a sleeve and disc that were…
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fiber-woven “map of myself”
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By Zixi Zhou The Product For this final project, I continued my exploration of local fibers and craftsmanship from the previous two assignments, attempting to tell my own personal story through the medium of weaving. My work is a decorative fabric wall hanging, sourced from my surroundings: discarded yarn from recycling centers, twigs pruned from…
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Flower Bouquet Crochet Blanket
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Introduction For this project, I created a flower bouquet crochet blanket, a piece that connects my personal memories with cultural traditions of home-making and care. The work builds upon my exploration of local fibres and domestic craft practices, using mostly materials passed down from my grandmother and found yarns from the back of the class.…
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Fox needle felting
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Why made a fox? The reason for choosing the fox is because the fox is closely related to my name. In Chinese, Fox is called H ú l í, which is the same as my name Hu — H ú, representing a part of me. Of course, even the butterfly jewelry decoration in front of…
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From Against to Harmony
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Roots of my journey: Within New Zealand, one of our leading industries lies within the agriculture and farming sector. This extensive industry is responsible for one of the country’s largest contributing economic pillars, built upon the contributions of numerous contributors, with a total combination of 13.2 million hectares. With an industry as large as this,…
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Hand in Hand
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Hand in Hand uncovers a part of my childhood that had been forgotten for some time now. My aunt. Its been a while since she moved back to China, and the last time I met her face to face was roughly a decade ago. This project is an ode to the times that she had…
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Handbag
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Some symbols for myself that would like to includes in this assignment: To add myself to this project, I start to think about what connection I could have with this assignment. My background could be the most powerful thing that I can add to the project. I would like to combine traditional Chinese culture and…
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Hanging Lantern
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The Hook & The Product This project explores how handmade materials can reshape the emotional experience of design in a world dominated by mass-produced, synthetic objects. Inspired by the cultural symbolism of the Mid-Autumn Festival—reunion, warmth, and connection—I began creating a wool felt moon lamp that blends tradition with modern craftsmanship. As a Chinese student…
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Held By A Thread: and the stories between each strand
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DES 212 Local Making | Assignment 3B This project began with a simple question…what holds me together? Over this semester, weaving became more than a process of making; it became a way of understanding. “Held By A Thread” is a woven reflection of my sense of self. These pieces were created using local fibres and…
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Holding the Ocean, Shaping Connection
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by Qiuhui Li Why the Ocean? All of my work for this project is centered around one theme: the ocean. Even though I didn’t grow up by the sea, I’ve always been drawn to it. The ocean feels full of life but also peaceful and calm; it’s always changing but also healing. It reminds me…
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Internal Map: A Hand-Tufted Exploration of The Self
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by Luca Lin Abstract Internal Map is a hand-tufted project designed to be a reminder of my own as well as existentialism as a whole drawing upon themes of existentialist philosophy, fiction and other inspirations like topographical maps/ The initial design medium was going to be a utilitarian themed crocheted piece such as a utility/tool…
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Intertwined In Memory
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Intertwined In Memory explores local making through the repurposing of old fabric items that carry personal and familial memories. Through crocheting these items together into singular works, I created a material representation and archive of memories that make me, me. This project not only reimagines and preserves fabric memories, but explores how we can transform…
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Knitted bag
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Made Outcome – Knitting BagMy knitted bag is all about connection to my family, to my environment, and to the act of slowing down. I couldn’t choose the colour of the wool, just like I couldn’t choose my family, but I’ve learned to appreciate what I’m given and make something meaningful out of it. The…
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Link Knot
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Overview This is a hand-woven bag I created using a hybrid of Macramé and Chinese knot techniques. It’s both a practical, everyday item and a cross-cultural experiment in craftsmanship. The main structure of the bag is primarily constructed using the Macramé flat knot, while the upper embellishment incorporates the Chinese knotting techniques of the Panchang…
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Lotus Rebirth
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by Jiaying Yu Needle Felting Wool Work Name of work: Lotus Rebirth Design Brief Inspired by the Chinese mythological character Nezha, this work uses New Zealand wool and needle felting techniques to present the character’s posture. Through the layering and shaping of wool, and strong color contrasts, the character’s vitality and indomitable spirit is reintroduced.…
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Mt Taranaki Tufting Material, Place, and Identity through Local Wool
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by[simon wang] Project Mt Taranaki Tufting Material, Place, and Identity through Local Wool Abstract Mt Taranaki Tufting combines a material led approach with place-based storytelling to reframe strong New Zealand wool as a medium for contemporary textile design. Beginning with small scale trials and tool tests, I developed a layered tufting language to translate the…
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Nahl
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(Screenshot from Quran by Quran.com) STARTINGTo begin the local making process, I had explored different types of hand crafting with a couple of materials and processes. Before I explored components of my internal self, I wanted to see if I found a form of creation which I connected with. Through my exploration, I found that…
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Papier-mâché Lampshade
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01- Intro This assignment revolves around using locally sourced fibres or those intercepted from a waste stream to develop and create a physical product. From the start I considered my lack of experience with traditional fibre techniques like sewing, weaving, crocheting, etc to be insufficient for a satisfactory product outcome, therefore I explored alternate techniques.…
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Pegloom Weaving – An exploration of cultural craft and Chinese aesthetics.
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By Wen Tan Pegloom Weaving – An exploration of cultural craft and Chinese aesthetics. Context During one of the workshop sessions, I found myself drawn to the making process of pegloom weaving. The process of threading, packing, and seeing a structure slowly form through my hands felt calm and comforting. This discovery led me to…
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Rewoven Traces — Handmade Paper Book from Auckland Fibres
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1.Project Overview Right Book is a small hand-made artist book that came out of my experiments with papermaking. I wanted to mix what I know from traditional Chinese paper craft with what I’ve been learning here in Aotearoa about local plants and fibres. It started as a simple idea, but it slowly became a way for…
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Rows of Home: A Handwoven Coastal Scene
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1. Overview Rows of Home is a handwoven piece depicting a coastal scene, a sunset beach lined with vibrant houses along the sea. It was inspired by my mum’s hometown in India’s smallest state on the west coast, known for its golden beaches, palm trees, and blend of Indian and Portuguese influences. Through weaving, I…
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Seats of Sound: Reweaving Ghungroo with Local Wool
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References Archana Arts. (2024, March 21). How To Weave A Ghungroo | Archana Arts. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fodj6rVlJ24 DIY Lark’s Head Knot Bracelet | Make Bracelets with Macrame Thread #shorts. (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. Retrieved November 4, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cHjqLTsneLc Objectspace. (2015). Weekly Objects #2: Finn Ferrier, White Lace Collar — Objectspace. Objectspace.org.nz. https://www.objectspace.org.nz/weekly-objects-2-finn-ferrier-white-lace/
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Tactile Impressions: Three-Dimensional Wool Felt Painting
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Introduction“Tactile Impressions” is a series of three-dimensional textile artworks that transform wool and waste materials into visually appealing and commemorative works of art. The project uses locally sourced colored wool and discarded fabrics found in the classroom as a painting medium integrating the colors and artistic conception of Impressionist paintings into fiber art. Through layered…
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Talking threads
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Project Description Talking threads is a Kantha quilt, where the stitches tell stories. The quilt involves pieces of kurtas and a saree stitched together using colourful threads to depict a weeping willow tree, a symbol of grief and resilience, under which my mother and I are speaking Bengali. All materials have been sourced from: Red…
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Textiles: A Second Chance
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By Ratashya Eliasson Surrounded by a household where fabrics were constantly waiting to be repurposed, I found inspiration in transforming forgotten textiles into something new. This project transforms discarded clothes into a Noren through smocking and pleating. Exploring texture, memory, and renewal, reflecting both personal values and a challenge to fast fashion. Textiles & Garment…
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The Asian Satellite
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Yunan Tan About ME My family is like any other southern Cantonese-style family out there, constantly revolving around familial duty and responsibilities as an adult and giving back to the people who raised you. My Grandmother learned how to knit when she was a village schoolgirl before she moved into the urban district of what…
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The Highland-Weave
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The Highland weave joins together two very important parts of my positionality, namely the two countries from which my parents hail. Those two countries are Scotland and New Zealand. I created the weave as a better way to represent myself physically in the decoration of my living spaces, as I wanted something much more tied…
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The Prepared Hand: A Functionalist’s Journey in Crochet
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“The Prepared Hand” is a functional, cross-body bag that embodies my need for hands-free mobility and preparedness. It results from a user-centred design process, translating a deep self-analysis into a tangible object through the local crochet-making practice. This project illustrates my journey from foundational skill-building to overcoming a significant technical hurdle, culminating in a final…
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The scroll
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This is about the source of inspiration. My first work was actually a scarf, but since the raw material was purchased online and not from the local area, there was a defect The scroll (卷轴, juǎnzhóu) is one of the earliest forms of artistic and literary presentation in Chinese history. Before the invention of bound…
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Three-dimensional paintings made from old clothes and wool
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INTRODUCTION: This is a three-dimensional painting. It is mainly made of old clothes and wool. It is a three-dimensional painting that combines different techniques and craftsmanship. This is an attempt to combine these two materials – old clothes and wool, and to integrate the techniques I have learned with artistry. From the perspective of content…
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Traces in the Snow — A Scarf Inspired by a Cat’s Footprints
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Introduction My final work is a scarf made by hand-knitting with local New Zealand wool. The material of the scarf comes from the community knitting activity I participated in on the weekend and the leftover wool provided by the design lab at school. Using these recycled materials to embody the sustainable and sharing spirit of…
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Vaaya: Threads of Tradition
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Vaaya: Threads of Tradition represents a journey of reclaiming form and meaning. It frames my corset not as a Western silhouette, but as a wearable archive that is an tactile bridge between the past and the present. It challenges the colonial aesthetics and redefines beauty through Indian artistry and feminist intention and this project is…
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Valenki – Traditional Slavic Wet felted boots
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For this project, I wanted to create something that deeply connects both to my own cultural background and to the local materials and making traditions of Aotearoa New Zealand. My context comes from my Russian heritage. I grew up surrounded by wool clothing, snow, and stories of handmade crafts. When I thought about felted wool,…
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Weaving and fabric collage — By using waste materials to show Chinese cultural connotation.
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By April Yang Context After learning about this final assignment, I immediately chose to use waste fabric as the material for my final work because I believed it would be easier for me to use fabric to achieve my ideas in production. I want to showcase the connection with traditional Chinese culture through weaving and…
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Woven Aotearoa
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Synopsis:A handwoven flax textile reflecting New Zealand’s connection to nature, craft, and sustainable design. Developed through material experimentation, natural dyeing, and manual weaving, the project bridges traditional fibre work with contemporary sustainable practice. Script: Hello everyone, For my final project, I chose to work with flax, or harakeke, a material that holds deep meaning in Aotearoa’s…
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Woven Whispers: A Tapestry of Story
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Overview The projectWoven Whispers is an exploration of weaving, tension, and storytelling through a handwoven tapestry from reused and locally sourced fibres like jute, wool, cotton, silk fabric strips, flax, and a few unconventional materials I tested along the way.This piece is inspired by Warli art, an indigenous storytelling form from Maharashtra in India. I…
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Yorkshire Patchwork Piecing
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For the last design experiment, I brought together everything I had learnt throughout this course. This meant combining my understanding of patchwork patterns from creating the visual swatch sample with the sewing machine skills I developed during my second experiment, where I made the hanging patchwork banner. My goal was to create a larger patchwork…
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☆Wool Witch Hat Collection☆
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✦A collection of wet-felted witch hats made with New Zealand local wool that combining fantasy, sustainability, and local making.✦ ✦Brief description of the project This project is a collection of witch hats made from local wool in Aotearoa New Zealand. Throughout the assignments in Design 212: Local Making, I explored the possibilities of using fibres…
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福 Bliss Symbol
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Hi my name is Nicholas. I wanted to do an outcome that is related to my community. I am Chinese and in China, people put bliss symbol on their door every New Year. I thought it would be very cool to make a symbol. Chinese symbol has mainly two components, the 福 in the middle…
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Crochet DES212 2025 Fashion Waste ghungroo Localmaking McFarlanTartan Needle felting rwhy664 Sustainability Tartan Weaving whakapapa wool yarn