Ambling out for a stroll in the wilderness with her dog, she often collects twigs, leaves, seed pods, curly dried ferns, moss covered rocks, wild blooms and anything that hooks her fancy and inspires her mood. How can one not be inspired by this land of abundance? The breath-taking landscapes, pristine sea shores, wild forests and hills are a backdrop to her imagination.

She lays down these precious gatherings on the table in her workshop and starts translating them on paper. Illustrating these collected pieces of treasure, she converts them into lovely prints and layouts. She is a meticulous craftswoman, a thinker and maker. From the small island state of Tasmania, comes a mighty story of inspiration. We present to you Yolanda Zarins; Textile designer and creator.

Yolanda graduated from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, majoring in Textile Design. She believes and emphasizes on the importance of producing sustainable textiles through her work. This virtue was embedded in her during her tutelage in the RMIT. Her philosophy is futuristic. She practices ethical ways of manufacturing textiles so that none of the resources are vanquished and can be conserved for generations to come.

“It is incredibly important in my design and making process to have respect for the environment and the working conditions of people making my raw materials” she quotes.

Yolanda develops look books for her collections giving visual directions to style her textiles in a personal space. She makes small batches of hand dyed and hand printed home furnishings and utilities.

Her latest collection, KNOCKLOFTY – a/w’15, is a delightful assortment of foliage prints and dyed soft furnishing which exudes country life and relaxing motif language. This collection dialogues about minimal calm spaces and organic living.

KNOCKLOFTY | Autumn/Winter, 2015 by Yolanda Zarins

“The word “Knocklofty” is an interesting and unusual word. It is also the name of a place near my home where I regularly walk my dog, Klaus. Along the scenic trails, I collect seed pods, leaves and much more treasures wilderness. These findings from the intricately detailed landscape of Knocklofty Reserve have been drawn into paper with ink, exposed onto silk screen then hand printed directly onto natural linen and cotton fabrics.”

We at Muscari Lane are absolutely charmed by the “Bush Pearl” print which is simple yet so versatile. The gorgeous tonal variations accentuate the surface even more. But the true beauty of the collection lies in the fact that everything is handmade with love. It goes without saying that every piece is therefore slightly different from the previous one of the same design. Hence every piece is unique. The lovely natural fabrics used add refined textures to the dyed and printed surfaces. All this beautiful furnishing comes with a whole lot of purpose and we could not agree more when she says:

“Having an awareness of the bigger picture means that we can look forward to enjoying textiles made with love and kindness for many years to come.”

   Yolanda’s studio space is a delightful mess during the production and sampling period. Fabrics swatches and samples fill up the table and many are out in the shade to dry. Her collection is retailed by many selective stockists and she is often found exhibiting at many renowned galleries and markets in Tasmania and Australia. She has been featured in many blogs and magazines in Australia. Amidst all this she also takes out time for life …….. evening walks, adventure and photography.

Yolanda’s gorgeous textiles replicate the joy of owning a handmade piece and appreciation for natural resources; truly, “A piece of heart from Tasmania“.

Know more about her textiles label: Yolanda Zarins and her life.

Buy her collection online & follow her on Instagram and Facebook.