{"id":2034,"date":"2016-03-01T21:28:06","date_gmt":"2016-03-01T10:28:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.handkrafted.com/blog\/?p=2034"},"modified":"2016-03-02T12:18:48","modified_gmt":"2016-03-02T01:18:48","slug":"women-woodworkers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.handkrafted.com/blog\/women-woodworkers\/","title":{"rendered":"A Celebration of Women Woodworkers"},"content":{"rendered":"

In honour of Women’s History Month & International Women’s Day, we wanted to shine the\u00a0spotlight on Australia’s remarkably talented women woodworkers. Meet a few of Handkrafted’s fantastic\u00a0female furniture makers, who have carved out big names for themselves in this male-dominated domain.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Women have played a critical role in the woodworking sector for centuries, despite often sliding under the radar. Fortunately for us and the furniture industry as a whole, more women have begun to occupy a prominent space as woodworkers. Through our platform, we want\u00a0to continue to help female woodworkers \u2013 like those you\u2019re about to hear from \u2013 gain the exposure they deserve.<\/p>\n

HISTORY AT A GLANCE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over the last two centuries, some women have made a big name for themselves, though too often in the shadow of their male partners. Did you know that an American Shaker woman, Tabitha Babbitt<\/a>, invented the first circular saw? We didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

From Charlotte Perriand<\/a> to Margaret MacDonald Mackintosh<\/a> and Eileen Gray<\/a>, female furniture designers inspired some of the biggest movements throughout the last two centuries \u2013 Art Deco, modernism, and more \u2013 at a time when leading furniture designers were nearly all male. Too often, though, we don\u2019t hear of women woodworkers attributed with accomplishments of this calibre.<\/p>\n

The infamous Ray Eames<\/a>, for example, made ground-breaking contributions in the fields of architecture, furniture design, industrial design, and manufacturing. She embraced her era\u2019s visionary concept of modern design as an agent of social change, elevating it to a national agenda.<\/p>\n

But, thanks to Ray\u2019s male pseudonym and focus on the Eames chair, many unknowingly ignore the great strides she individually made in the design industry. Her husband and design partner, Charles, famously said, \u201cAnything I can do, Ray can do better.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is the type of sentiment we hope to hear more of when it comes to female woodworkers. Luckily, our maker couples<\/a> have made a promising start!<\/p>\n

Just a few decades ago, being a female furniture maker was an anomaly. In recent years, we\u2019ve witnessed tremendous crossover between women who sway back and forth between architecture, interior design, and furniture making; it has become less and less rare to be a woman in the industry. We hope this trend will continue to lead talented women to the hands-on woodworking we value and showcase at Handkrafted.<\/p>\n

LET\u2019S HEAR IT FOR THE LADIES<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Laura<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Laura<\/a>Laura McCusker in Hobart, Tasmania. Image Credit\u00a0Bo Wong of Design Satellite (check out their feature on\u00a0Laura here<\/a>)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Not to mention, being a woman woodworker comes with pretty sweet benefits and acclaim.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing a female woodworker is a really liberating thing,\u201d said Tasmania-based furniture maker and mum, Laura McCusker<\/a>. \u201cYou can live where you want to live and you can have kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

Juggling between family and business as a working mum in any industry is complicated. But, Laura feels it\u2019s probably less difficult to be a woodworker mum than a mother who works in the corporate world.<\/p>\n

Female woodworkers are self-directed, make their own rules, and most importantly, make their own hours. Like our maker fathers<\/a>, several mums who make furniture for a living see it as a career that allows them to strike a work-life balance.<\/p>\n

Being female in a historically male-dominated (or so it seemed!) industry is itself an admirable point of difference. Thus, female furniture makers tend to be admired for bringing a praiseworthy approach and unique outlook to the craft.<\/p>\n

A general consensus amongst the female makers we spoke to was that although they enjoyed art and creation from a young age, many did not envisage woodworking or furniture making as a viable \u2013 or even possible \u2013 career.<\/p>\n

This often spawned from not having role models in trades, a lack of exposure to the craft in school, or inheriting the idea that a woman\u2019s place was as a designer or architect (not a maker).<\/p>\n

Laura McCusker also spoke of celebrating the collaborative ways women tend to work.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith genuine collaboration you get better outcomes, but it\u2019s also a really rewarding way to work,\u201d Laura claimed. \u201cI think there\u2019s a lovely way that women work together very collaboratively. It\u2019s a pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just a male-female thing,\u201d Laura clarified. \u201cWe can all learn from each other.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"1452046_10152042293035199_1342302418_n\"One of\u00a0Laura McCusker’s\u00a0beautiful pieces<\/em><\/p>\n

Two talented Handkrafted makers who can teach us a thing or two about excelling as woodworking women \u2013 Sarah Carrucan and Leah Hudson-Smith \u2013 also offered up their first-hand accounts:<\/p>\n

SARAH CARRUCAN of <\/strong>LILLIER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Only after 10 years of working an office job as a lawyer did Sarah embark on a journey that harkened back to her childhood love of woodworking.<\/p>\n

Sarah produced her first wooden creation \u2013 a tiny rocking horse \u2013 when she was a little girl, from random wood she\u2019d found in the woodpile. \u201cI remember using my dad\u2019s drill (without permission!), and gluing it all together with cheap PVA glue,\u201d she reminisced.<\/p>\n

When Sarah bought a house, she began fitting it out with self-made furniture. A few years into her law career, she dropped back to four days a week, and completed two certifications in Cabinet and Furniture Making.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I first started making pieces for my own home years ago, I used to feel intimidated going into the local hardware store to buy tools or timber. I\u2019m far more confident now and I think that comes with practice,\u201d Sarah said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t feel out of place. More than anything I feel like I am where I should be,\u201d she concluded. \u201cI make pieces that will last generations, and will be used \u2013 and loved \u2013 every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Sarah<\/a>Image Credit Bluestone Magazine<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

LEAH HUDSON-SMITH<\/strong> of <\/strong>PONO<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Handkrafted maker, Leah Hudson-Smith, is one who followed the designer-to-maker trajectory. She has worked for renowned architecture firms including Wood Marsh, Bates Smart, and Hassell, and only last year became heavily involved in woodworking fuelled by the desire of wanting quality furniture for her own home.<\/p>\n

\u201cI foolishly thought: If I can design and draw good furniture, then how hard can it be to make it?\u201d Leah confessed. \u201cI started making stuff in the backyard of my share house in Fitzroy. I now work out of the Pop and Scott<\/a> workshop in Northcote as a part-time furniture maker.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWoodworking for me is a way of getting back to the world of craft and making I grew up in,\u201d Leah said. <\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Pono<\/a><\/p>\n

BUILDING A COMMUNITY<\/strong><\/p>\n

With the proliferation of social media, web forums, and platforms like Handkrafted, women woodworkers have built a widespread, welcoming community to support one another.<\/p>\n

The virtual world of like-minded people at our fingertips has also facilitated the creation of a digital environment where women woodworkers can unite and learn from one another. For starters, there\u2019s the womenofwoodworking<\/a> Instagram account and hashtags exclusively for #womenwoodworkers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Plenty of female woodworkers have also made a big name for themselves on social media; some of their accounts have attracted tens to hundreds of thousands of followers. A few ladies we keep tabs on are: @ArieleAlasko<\/a>, @AleksandraZee<\/a>, and @_Amy_Grigg_<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Laura McCusker said she often follows and interacts with fellow female woodworks on social media, which has validated that she\u2019s not alone in the industry and this ever-shrinking world.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the last two years, I\u2019ve noticed that there\u2019s a cohort of women [on social media] who are doing some really great things,\u201d Laura remarked.<\/p>\n

We couldn\u2019t agree more. It\u2019s an absolute pleasure to support talented women woodworkers in our communities who build incredible custom furniture to last a lifetime. We\u2019re optimistic to hear that the gender gap appears to be closing, and we aspire to feature more and more women woodworkers across our site in the future.<\/p>\n

In the words of Laura: \u201cIt\u2019s really nice sometimes to feel like you\u2019re not the only freaky female woodworker out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

You’ll find many more female woodworkers\u00a0when exploring<\/a> our website … here’s just a few more:<\/p>\n

TARA WILCOX\u00a0\u00a0of\u00a0REDFOX & WILCOX<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>(Fitzroy, Victoria)<\/p>\n

\"Tara<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

ELISE CAMERON-SMITH<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>(South Coast, New South Wales)<\/p>\n

\"Elise<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

ALICHIA VAN RHIJN of HEARTH COLLECTIVE<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>(Yarraville, Victoria)<\/p>\n

\"Alichia<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

About Handkrafted:<\/em><\/p>\n

Handkrafted<\/em><\/a> <\/em>is a community marketplace connecting people with passionate makers to commission custom goods. We have brought together hundreds of Australian independent, bespoke craftspeople and artisans who specialise in producing high quality, sustainably made pieces.<\/em><\/p>\n

Our makers can help you realise your own idea or collaborate with you on a new design. Many also feature a range of original designs that can be made to order or customised to suit your specific needs. Whichever option you choose, we\u2019re here to help make it happen. Support local makers and <\/em>kick-start<\/em><\/a><\/em> your own project today. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Sign up<\/a> for our newsletter to receive all the\u00a0latest updates\u2026 and a bit of fun.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In honour of Women’s History Month & International Women’s Day, we wanted to shine the\u00a0spotlight on Australia’s remarkably talented…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":2302,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-insights"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t