THE HISTORY OF THE GHILLIE BAG
TLDR -
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To see a short reel about what a Ghillie is and why I am making bags inspired by them, click here
To see a short reel about what a Ghillie is and why I am making bags inspired by them, click here
The Ghillie bag is a functional fruition of multiple things that I love - crochet, camouflage, upcycling and hardcore music.
The idea for The Ghillie bag was born through my design work with my friends in a band named, Solum. For Well Fed Fest 2024, we collaborated on a shirt that had a ghillie man on the front and "100% MOSH PROOF" printed on the back. That was when I learned what a ghillie suit was. Admittedly, niche hunting attire was not on my radar as a vegan.
Solum wore Ghillie suits for their Well Fed set and as I stood stage side, it occured to me that these earthy sasquatch-esqe suits were made of yarn and there, the idea was born.
SVCD started with a Ghillie bag, the very first one was the main prize in a give away to celebrate the launch. It was very different to all of the other ones that have followed.
Shortly after this, I happened to find a large amount of grassy yarn secondhand, which I used to make "LAWN", Ghillie 2 and Ghillie 3.
Shortly after this, I happened to find a large amount of grassy yarn secondhand, which I used to make "LAWN", Ghillie 2 and Ghillie 3.
Finding this yarn was awesome but when it ran out, I discovered that finding secondhand grassy yarn is super uncommon and it has led me on an endless hunt for the right materials to continue making bags that are earthy whilst limiting impact on the earth. The hunt is a long and inconsistent one and to meet increased demand, some new materials have been incorporated in more recent
designs BUT I am still hunting and will always prioritise the use of recycled materials.
Materials like Polyester, acrylic and polypropylene are terrible for the environment, they take a very long time to biodegrade and they release harmful chemicals into the earth during this process.
At the time of my writing this, I estimate that all of these designs are made of at least 80% recycled materials with the only new materials used being some green tones and any hardware, such as metallic buttons and carabiners.
The designs are completely reliant on what I can find. While green textures have been challenging to come by, all other yarns used are sourced from charity stores and secondhand sellers. The majority of these yarns are discontinued and once I have used them up, it is very unlikely that I will find them again. This is why I do not offer custom orders for Ghillie bags and why every single bag is one of a kind.
In every Ghillie design, there is at least 7 different yarns, I gather different textures and earthy tones and draft them
Materials like Polyester, acrylic and polypropylene are terrible for the environment, they take a very long time to biodegrade and they release harmful chemicals into the earth during this process.
At the time of my writing this, I estimate that all of these designs are made of at least 80% recycled materials with the only new materials used being some green tones and any hardware, such as metallic buttons and carabiners.
The designs are completely reliant on what I can find. While green textures have been challenging to come by, all other yarns used are sourced from charity stores and secondhand sellers. The majority of these yarns are discontinued and once I have used them up, it is very unlikely that I will find them again. This is why I do not offer custom orders for Ghillie bags and why every single bag is one of a kind.In every Ghillie design, there is at least 7 different yarns, I gather different textures and earthy tones and draft them
together into one big cake.
In order to make the bags sturdy and shapely, there is always a foundation yarn, most often these are recycled textiles that I "yarnify" myself but I have also made designs with recycled macrame rope, paracord, frilly scarf yarn and polypropylene.
In case you were
In order to make the bags sturdy and shapely, there is always a foundation yarn, most often these are recycled textiles that I "yarnify" myself but I have also made designs with recycled macrame rope, paracord, frilly scarf yarn and polypropylene.
In case you were
wondering.... Behind every Ghillie bag is my time yarn hunting, drafting, producing textile yarn, crocheting and sewing by machine and hand. I spend at least six hours on each bag.
With mossy textures and humble, earthy tones, You CAN have a statement bag that goes with everything.
You can scroll up or down for a link to get your own <3
With mossy textures and humble, earthy tones, You CAN have a statement bag that goes with everything.
You can scroll up or down for a link to get your own <3
