About the Patterned Collection

Depending on where you grew up; chances are you spent hours drawing zig zag patterns, braiding palm leaves or making friendship bracelets with plastic strips. Perhaps you’re like me and you did all? In kindergarten I happily zigzagged my way through books and walls driving my Mum nuts, in primary school my friends and I braided palm leaves then at yet another school new friends taught me to braid plastic strips that we made into friendship bracelets.

Fast forward to now, a zigzag, chevron filigree pattern has haunted my dreams.. So I finally gave in and started the collection.

Chevron filigree Pattern

 As I zigzagged silver, I had an itch to braid and weave; so I started trying to braid metal. Now prior to this the only braiding I could do perfectly was twists or French braids. Can you relate?

There are weaving patterns that have been passed down mother to daughter in my family. Patterns that my Mum and Grandmother tried to impress many upon me as a little girl. I did not pay enough attention, but at least enough sank in that when I started my metal weaving trials; it felt instinctive.

Weaving metal

As you can imagine it was challenging to get it perfect. When I told my mother I was trying to weave metal and showed her my few attempts, she was delighted and immediately sought to continue my little girl lessons in grass weaving 😂

weaving lessons re-continued 

There is something calming and relaxing about repeated patterns. We clearly find them beautiful, the patterns we repeat as kids are very similar if not identical to patterns that have repeated themselves the world over through eons of time. Think   Aztec zigzags and Zimbabwe's chevron pattern. I realised as I was weaving that many of the patterns passed down through the ages in my family are the same patterns you see at ruins like Great Zimbabwe, Khami ruins and Naletale ruins. We rightly celebrate these astonishing ancient structures today but I have to say when I finally got the weaves right I could only think of my great, great, great grandmother somewhere smiling at how how a bit of her has made it through the ages; albeit translated to silver. Like many cultures worldwide the women of Great Zimbabwe also passed down something that’s still ‘standing’. Perhaps your mother passed down embroidery patterns and you can relate?

Great Zimbabwe image from Greg Bayer 

 As you look back through time; it’s clear that the making of patterns serves a higher purpose than decoration; structures that defy time are built, friendships are cemented and mothers and daughters are drawn closer. 

I get that the priceless memories that carve a hollowed space in the heart are often created during mundane deceptively ordinary moments. It’s not always just the special family holidays to places such as Great Zimbabwe ruins but also the routine moments learning something from a friend or teaching it to a daughter. This collection is created for you, your Mum, your daughter, your friends and for that deep desire to always be cherishing what matters with wearable keepsake reminders.

Chevron Filigree chain with locally mined Aquamarine

I hope this collection reminds you of the best days, happy times when you spent time learning from your Mother or teaching your daughter, times when a woven bracelet from a friend became the greatest treasure in your school bag, or when your family took that holiday to Great Zim ruins. Really just a time when it was okay to just be, to learn, and to have fun. I hope you can pick a pattern that reminds you to cherish what matters most. 

This collection is only available in person, message me to find out more