Fibra Creativa studio
Fibra Creativa is an independent textile studio born in 2011, based near Barcelona.
We have a passion for colors, natural fibers, original prints, and customization.
What do we do?
Do you like sewing, patchwork, embroidery, making things with your own hands? Our goal is to offer you printed fabrics, sewing kits and patchwork kits that are original, clever, and customizable, accompanied by tutorials and creative ideas, to enrich your experience of textile crafts hobbies.
All our products are imagined, created, and tested in our studio and sustainably printed in Spain by our trusted partners.
Our values
Among the things that outrage us most in the world, the catastrophic abuses linked to the offshoring of textile production and the rampant overconsumption of fast fashion are at the forefront.
“There is no beauty in the finest fabric if it causes hunger and misery.”
Gandhi said this more than a century ago, in 1920s India; what would he say today? From cotton fields soaked with pesticides to the miserable living conditions of the farmers who work them, from the pollution caused by petroleum-based synthetic fabric manufacturing to the tons of clothes thrown away en masse contaminating even the most remote places in the world, from the destruction of textile jobs in Europe to the unworthy working conditions of workers on the other side of the world, the list of tragedies is long and the outlook bleak.
No, we are not going to pretend to be able to change all that with a magic wand from our small studio. But we adhere to this thought of the 18th-century philosopher and statesman Edmund Burke:
“No error was ever more fatal than that of doing nothing because you could only do a little.”
We firmly believe it is possible to do things differently. We are convinced that no one needs a new piece of clothing every day, or even every week, that people are much happier with a few items they love and are proud to have created. Convinced that those who create with their own hands appreciate the time, skill, and effort that go into making a textile item, and value the work of others. Finally convinced that in a stressful world, practicing a creative hobby brings escape, relaxation, and satisfaction, and that sharing our passion creates social bonds. In a word, that it makes us happier.
So because we want, on our modest scale, to offer alternative solutions rather than contribute to the problem, we strive every day to offer textile products, fabrics, and creative kits designed and made with respect for people and the environment. Hoping they will help create joy, sharing, pride, and that they will give you as much satisfaction as we had pleasure in creating them.
The story of Fibra Creativa
The origin of a passion for textile arts
Originally, there was the discovery of crafts and handmade work, in an environment where it was normal to sew, knit, grow your own vegetables, preserve them, and make many things yourself that since then we have gotten used to buying ready-made ("it's self-sufficiency at your home," a friend would later say). From the hands of the women in my family came wonders to which no more importance was given. In my youth, I wore the sophisticated crochet tops made by my great-grandmother Catherine, the dresses sewn with loving detail by my aunt Nicole, the fabulous sweaters knitted by my mother Danielle (whose production continues at a good pace), envied by my office colleagues, now taken over by my daughters. I learned the basics of all that and even rug weaving with Zohra, far too little, alas! And I kept the taste for beautiful well-made things. But in order to find a decently paid job, I studied numbers and letters.
The discovery of patchwork
In the early 90s, I relaxed from the stress of my "real" job in IT by sewing makeshift clothes with the sewing machine lent by my friend Hélène (without YouTube tutorials, at the time). At the nearby fabric store, the huge range of colors in the calicos section fascinated me. One day, discovering the famous book by Eleanor Burns "A Quilt in a Day", I innocently thought that if a quilt can be made in a day, why not... And I started my first log cabin, an exact copy of the one on the book cover, sewing flaws aside, since turned into a dog blanket (loved).
My interest in patchwork was nevertheless slowed by lack of time (3 young children plus a job keeps you busy), and by my taste for contemporary style, while the patterns remained largely traditional. Until my love-at-first-sight encounter with a superb art quilt displayed in the living room of my friend Monica. "You know nothing, my friend," she said, long before a series made the expression famous. Indeed, I knew nothing about contemporary patchwork, but not for long. Here I was running to exhibitions and festivals, where I discovered the wonderful world of quilts, and, taking advantage of being temporarily unemployed, attending patchwork classes by Mary Tabar and Karen Cunagin, among others. Then sewing quilts for my children, then, step by step, creating wall quilts to exhibit, patchwork patterns. An infinite universe had just opened.
Tech meets craft
Here we are in 2010, the Internet has begun to disrupt the world, it is the golden age of blogs, online commerce is about to explode. The moment has come for the meeting between my professional activity and my personal interest. Thus was born the Fibra Creativa patchwork blog, initially written in Spanish (local presence required) which met with some success, a marketplace for handmade and artisanal products, now forgotten, then the Fibra Creativa online shop, which then marketed original patchwork kits and fabric sheets to print at home.
Precisely, digital printing, a technique that has made tremendous progress on paper, is beginning to revolutionize textile printing, and open immense possibilities for creating fabrics in short runs and customization. Thus began personalized photo printing on fabric, which is still in the catalog! Then, following customer requests and as technical possibilities developed, Fibra Creativa turned to made-to-order printed fabrics, personalized silk scarves, and thanks to the collaboration and experience of Lupe, the creation of artisanal personalized silk clothing collections.
The great return of do-it-yourself or the birth of DIY
Until spring 2020, when Covid locked everyone at home. Pajamas and sweatshirts were promoted to workwear, while beautiful silk scarves and blouses gathered dust at the back of wardrobes. No one wanted new chic clothes anymore, what for? At the start of the pandemic, masks were sorely lacking. While sewing dozens of masks and protective gear for medical staff with volunteers from my neighborhood, the idea came to me to create original printed fabrics for masks. Their success, although fleeting, helped keep the studio afloat.
Fortunately, the pandemic is behind us, the "return to normal" is slow and laborious. But the shock of confinement led to a considerable and unexpected boom in do-it-yourself, or DIY in cool modern jargon. A return to our first passion, patchwork and sewing, therefore, the origins of Fibra Creativa.
Not quite a return to square one, however, because things have changed a lot in 15 years. The evolution of techniques and the experience gained over these years now allow Fibra Creativa to offer exclusively original fabrics and sewing and patchwork kits imagined, designed, and tested in our studio, and locally printed by our trusted partners using sustainable techniques.
We hope our creations will inspire you and bring you beautiful relaxing and creative moments.
To get to know us better, we invite you to visit the Fibra Creativa website or find us on the inevitable social networks.
Thank you for your visit,
FC