Hello!

I'm Mari, a craftswoman by profession and education, owner of Hylda OÜ, a drafts(wo)man, re-creator of old patterns, fabric researcher, seamstress, customer service representative and parcel mailer.

Most of my adult life has been involved in textiles in one way or another. My CV as a craftsman is quite long and varied, starting as a weaver's apprentice in the former ARS Art Factory of the Art Fund and including occupations as production manager of one large, well-known, and another, smaller defunct company, editor of the handicraft magazine Käsitöö and a couple of handicraft books, teacher of textile subjects in vocational school, member of the organizing team and teacher of the international Craft Camp Estonia, and in addition, a few jobs not directly related to textiles.

I found my current activity, creating printed patterned replica fabrics, through my studies in the field of native textiles at the Viljandi Cultural Academy of the University of Tartu, from which I graduated as a "lifelong learner" in 2019. In the second year of study, a heritage culture internship took our course to the island of Kihnu. The island's distinctive culture and customs attracted my attention both during and after my studies. I wrote a seminar paper on "Printed-pattern headscarves in Kihnu cultural space"  and, as a logical continuation, a thesis on aprons, "Printed aprons in Kihnu traditional clothing. The creation of modern prototypes for apron and kerchief fabrics". 

My first replica was drawn as a part of my museum work internship, from an old kerchief in the Kihnu Museum collection with the item number Khn. 1760. It can be found here in the collection of kerchief fabrics with the same marking. Nowadays, making copies of old prints has become a daily activity. A trip to Kihnu to discover new old patterns and the peace of mind that comes with being on the island has become an annual habit.

I've recently realized that I've become a boring person - a hobby has become work and work has become a hobby and a passion. However, there are a few more things that keep me going: jazz and soul music, Mediterranean and Georgian cuisine, autumn with all its colours and shades, Estonian marsh landscapes and misty weather. 

If you have an old fabric pattern that needs reviving, feel free to get in touch - let's see what we can do together. Luckily, there is still much to learn!