ABOUT
The beginnings of CROWMAD are rooted in Iceland where back in 2013, Sara Eleonora Makocka – former fashion model and avid traveler, learned about the ancient techniques of wool felting. Hooked from the start she dedicated next couple of years to mastering the craft, deriving inspiration from harsh beauty of Icelandic landscapes, music and folktales.
Today CROWMAD shawls keep people warm and cozy in all corners of the world.
Sara owns a small workshop, surrounded by forests in the heart of Poland’s Świętokrzyskie Mountains. She concentrates fully on creating. Aside from exploring different mediums of art she continues to reinvent the age-old wool felting methods to create modern pieces with their own character. There is no machine involved in the creation process.
Each shawl is handmade by Sara herself.
From Sara…
Craftsmanship and uniqueness are very important to me. I want all of my pieces to be really special, and you can’t get that from something that was made en masse from a machine. To me working with wool is something very personal. I love each piece that I make and want it to be special for the person I am making it for.
Felt is one of the oldest forms of fabric known to a humankind. The wet felting technique that is used in the creation of all CROWMAD felted shawls was originally devised by nomadic communities in central Asia and it is still being used there to create i.e. voyloki (войлоки) – felts [for yurt coverings]. This laborious technique can also be successfully combined with modern designs to create something new and uniquely individual.
The process of felting is based on natural property of wool – the tendency of fibers to interlock, or intermesh in specific temperature and humidity conditions under varied pressure. The result is a fabric that has a strong yet fine structure. It protects against cold and insulates heat. It gives the shawl its characteristic raw look and character, while keeping it light and soft to the touch.
In creation of her shawls Sara works with fine 18-23 micron merino wool (originating from South America or the cape of South Africa (depending on availability) and Icelandic wool (directly sourced from Iceland). She makes sure the wool comes from non-mulesed flocks, that are treated humanely and well looked after. She aims to create products that are in synch with environment and contribute to a better planet.