Claudia Wilde

An Interview with Claudia WIlde

“I was in a period of my life where I was questioning a lot about where my clothing came from and where it was going after I finished wearing it.”

Ciara: Your designs are so intricate and beautiful! What made you get into knitwear and making your own patterns?

Claudia: Thank you Ciara!! My mom taught me how to knit when I was in elementary school, but it wasn’t until third year university that I re-taught myself by watching YouTube videos and asking the women at my local yarn store a lot of questions. I was in a period of my life where I was questioning a lot about where my clothing came from and where it was going after I finished wearing it. Making my own clothing was an attractive alternative because it gave me almost full control over the production and materials while still allowing a great deal of creativity. 

Making my own patterns has been the indirect result of me teaching myself how to knit the very specific things I want to wear. The incentive being if I succeed in learning how to do a stitch or intarsia or Fair Isle right, I get a cool garment to wear.

Ciara: What are you most passionate about outside of your art?

Claudia: Poems, people, and vulnerability. As I get older, I realize my fascination with most things comes from a desire to understand and experience as much as I can more honestly. People are so nuanced, contradictory, and endearingly guarded. I think good stories and poetry are often able to slip past facades and reveal us in our most honest form, which is also usually our most vulnerable.

That, and disability rights! I’ve become more immersed in the disabled community in Vancouver this last year and am shocked by the amount of work that still needs to be done, specifically regarding financial support for disabled people and flexible work options. I think many disabled people would be more employable if more businesses and companies offered flexible hours and WFH options. That, and there need to be better support options available for those that are disabled who cannot work as the current system leaves many in poverty.

Ciara: What made you transition into sewing, and do you find more enjoyment in one over the other?

Claudia: I transitioned to sewing because I wanted to make clothing for myself that I couldn’t knit! Knitting is also a very physical and time intensive practice, some of my sweaters take over 20 hours to make and can get very heavy to hold on needles by the end. I can have a full dress done with minimal physical effort in a matter of hours if I really want. (And I can wear it in the summer, too, which is a plus!)

Ciara: Who (or what) do you find most inspiring? This could be related to your needlework, writing, or just general life matters!

Claudia: Big character flaws in good people and public fuck-ups. The more I accept the bad in everyone I love, the more easily I allow myself to take risks and make mistakes too, be it with knitting, writing, or pursuing anything that might garner attention.

Ciara: Where do you see yourself and your craft in the future? Any big dreams? Sky's the limit, I want to hear it all.

Claudia: Get my health sorted!! Lol. Once that’s done and I’m feeling a bit better more consistently, I’d love to write and publish a variety of patterns for both sewing and knitting, host workshops, and continue to sell my own sweaters and clothing. Not everyone needs to sew or knit, but I think it can be an excellent way to connect to yourself and slow down.

I’d also love to potentially have my own therapy practice one day. To connect with others in an intentional way and make things with my hands would be a very fulfilling path I think.

Ciara: Favourite authors?

Claudia: I have a collection of excerpts from stories and poems saved on my phone and it wasn’t until recently that I realized at least three of them were excerpts from short stories by Lydia Davis. If I could write like anybody, I’d write like Lydia Davis. I recently finished “A Tale For the Time Being” by Ruth Ozeki and it was so existentially hopeful it made me cry. An ex-boyfriend told me he thought I would like Walt Whitman and he was right, I bought another collection of his poetry last month. I read “Landmarks” by Robert MacFarlane during quarantine and felt like a child again. I used to be impressed by language but now I’m more impressed by observations. There are so many beautiful stories and poems that have no authors or words.

Ciara: Favourite creators in general?

Claudia: Kyla Jamieson! She’s a local poet, model, and disability advocate and the founder of Rest Days, a virtual reading series starring disabled poets. She also is the author of “Body Count”, a chapbook she wrote after suffering a disabling concussion that left her re-gathering parts of herself.

Jackie Dives is a local New York Times published photographer and journalist with a focus on Vancouver’s opioid crisis. She runs an ongoing project featuring people, like herself, who’ve lost a family member to an accidental overdose.

Sally Nadison is the founder of Picnics and Poetry, a boutique with a focus on slow-living featuring ethically and locally crafted items.

Connally McDougall is a size-inclusive local designer who sews organic, small batch clothing tailored to a variety of different body’s needs.

Ciara: I used to needlepoint in class when I needed to pay attention because I had an awful habit of dozing off, I love needlework because I find it rhythmic and helps with focus. Do you have any good shows or music recommendations for when you are making your pieces?

Claudia: Absolutely! Pod Save the World is a great podcast if you’re interested in learning more about Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. How to Build a Happy Life by The Atlantic is also very good, although I think it’s now called How to Start Over. In terms of music, I’ve been enjoying Jon Batiste and Próxima Parada a lot. If no one else is home, I love singing while I sew, I find it also helps me focus just like your needlepoint! Dance breaks help too haha. It’s all about keeping everything moving. Also Selling Sunset is the best.

Ciara: What inspired you to get into writing, and do you find there to be any connection between your written work and your handcrafted work?

Claudia: I’m not totally sure what inspired me to write in the first place, but I remember being a big reader and journaller when I was young and winning a poetry contest in grade 6, so that probably ignited some inspiration to continue. My grandma is a writer, too, so I think that might have something to do with it.

I definitely find there’s a connection between writing and making things with your hands. They both force you to slow down and pay attention to very basic things and I think there’s a lot of wisdom that can be gained from moving slowly and presently. I also love the connection they both have to the act of weaving—be it words or wool. The movement of spinning something from nothing. It’s all magic.

Ciara: Favourite colour palette and type of wool?

Claudia: Highland, alpaca, and mohair are my faves. I love pastels but think I look better in jewel tones and more muted shades lol so I would love to start experimenting more with colours like navy, bright red, hot pink, and emerald green. That being said, I keep saying I want to knit something more conservative and then I’ll knit a fuschia balaclava and buy glitter wool so idk.

Ciara: What do you find to be important in starting your own small business, and how did you get established?

Claudia: I got started during the pandemic after graduating and while I was trying to find work. I’d wanted to do more knitting in university but hadn’t had the time. The pandemic was honestly a really great time for that specific reason.

I set up a website on Squarespace and continued posting my knits on my instagram. There’s a really supportive arts community on IG and I was very quickly met with a lot of supportive people. That encouraged me to continue. I still remember the day I opened my website for orders and received my first order from a stranger. Best feeling ever.

If I had to give advice, which feels hilarious for me because I feel like I’m currently on a break from figuring it all out, it would be to have a good website and social media and to reach out and connect with other makers. I’ve learned so much from other artists and designers. The only way to build anything is with support and I really wouldn’t have taken it as far as I did had I not had the support from other people.