Melinda Ramsay from Lickety Spit Fibre Farm is the founder of Landmade. Lickety Spit Fibre Farm is an alpaca and sheep farm located south of Hamilton, which produces fleece, yarn, roving and finished goods with the fibre we grow. We are committed to raising our animals with compassion and ethical husbandry, and to promoting the unlimited possibilities of natural fibre. Melinda is passionate about agricultural education, encouraging people to embrace natural fibres and supporting the important work of Ontario fibre farms, mills and producers. She is always happy to talk about, use or skirt wool especially.
Rachel MacHenry is an experienced designer and educator who brings exceptional depth and knowledge to the field. With over twenty years of international experience developing textiles and fashion projects in collaboration with artisan communities for both public- and private-sector clients, including international projects for the Government of Canada and UNESCO, her work focuses on inclusive and sustainable practices and community-focused design. Using her extensive experience working with natural dyes, traditional techniques, and bio-regional fibres and materials, she has developed collections with artisan communities in Haiti, Peru, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Assam and elsewhere, and is involved in ongoing investigations into natural dyes and fibres through a multi-year SSHRC funded research project, "The Art of Necessity".
Julia Lee is professional spinner who uses and promotes Ontario fibres in her work. Through her Toronto business, Provenance Yarns and Textiles, she teaches spinning, operates a fibre club subscription service, and creates custom yarns and knits. She also takes commissions to spin special fibres—often from beloved pets—into unique yarns. When designing her textiles, Julia uses Ontario-grown natural fibres to create attractive garments, blankets, and knitted tapestries. She likes her pieces to be noticed, while being practical, durable, and ethical.
A graduate of the 1994-2000 Ontario Handweavers and Spinners’ Spinning Certificate Program at the Haliburton School of Art + Design, Julia now coordinates and instructs in the course. She was recently OHS Spinning Education Chair, and is currently an Executive member of the Toronto Guild of Spinners and Weavers and a member of Ontario Fibreshed.
