WELCOME WEDNESDAY – SECRET WOOL SOCIETY – MEGAN
If you like the cozy, squishy and cloud like – you’re going to love our next maker. Megan is the shy introvert behind Secret Wool Society. Though she may be quiet, the creativity that flows through this girls veins is unreal. Enjoy!
What do you make / sell? Tell us about yo’ self.
My name is Megan Borg and I am a fibre artist in Calgary, Alberta and the sole crafty gal behind Secret Wool Society. I’m obsessed with anything fibre related: weaving, knitting, sewing, embroidery, felting, macramé, crochet, and textile dyeing. If there were two of me I would also be spinning and quilting, but since human cloning is still in the early stages, those will have to wait for now.
Secret Wool Society is where I sell some of my fibre arts – specifically woven wall hangings, handmade kitty dolls, felt ball garlands, cotton & leather zipper pouches, and felted wool soap. I try to keep my business as local and as low-impact as I can, sourcing a lot of my fibres locally (Custom Woolen Mills and Alberta Natural Products are my go-to!) and I’m also an avid thrifter, so I love finding many of my fibres in vintage shops and at estate sales.
Secret Wool Society is where I sell some of my fibre arts – specifically woven wall hangings, handmade kitty dolls, felt ball garlands, cotton & leather zipper pouches, and felted wool soap. I try to keep my business as local and as low-impact as I can, sourcing a lot of my fibres locally (Custom Woolen Mills and Alberta Natural Products are my go-to!) and I’m also an avid thrifter, so I love finding many of my fibres in vintage shops and at estate sales.
How long have you had your business?
Secret Wool Society hatched in the spring of 2015, so I’ve been at it for about a year and a half. I’d started weaving some time before that and became totally obsessed with it – spending all of my spare time researching weaving techniques in vintage books, fibre art blogs and watching tutorial videos on YouTube. Initially I posted a few of my weavings on Instagram and got a really positive response, so I decided that I would try my hand at offering a few of them for sale on Etsy, and then a few months after that I mustered up enough courage to try selling at a few local art and craft markets.
How did you get started?
I’ve loved making since as long as I can remember – my Mom is an artist and was an art teacher for many years, so creating is in my blood (thank goodness some of her talent rubbed off on me). I’d always admired and been inspired by the folks who were able to turn their crafts in to a business, and I secretly wanted to be one of those folks, so that led me to open my first Etsy shop in August 2013 selling handmade aprons. I like to dabble in all sorts of mediums, but fibre arts are what really gets me excited – and I feel most myself when I am in my element surrounded by piles of natural plant and animal fibres. After discovering my love of weaving, the decision to start Secret Wool Society came very easy to me – I was so passionate about the work I was doing, plus I already had experience running another Etsy shop so I knew what I was in for.
Who or what inspires your work?
It’s important to surround myself with like-minded and positive people who inspire and encourage me (and support craft in general). I love to spend time with people that allow me to bounce ideas and thoughts off of them and who provide me with honest feedback.
Being a severe introvert can often be a challenge and it’s so easy for me just to lock myself in my creative space and ignore the outside world, but I’ve found that pushing myself to become more involved in the local community has been a positive venture. I’m also one of the co-founders and organizers of MidModMarket which has really helped me to connect with the local community of artists and vintage enthusiasts who are so unbelievably inspiring and supportive.
Being a severe introvert can often be a challenge and it’s so easy for me just to lock myself in my creative space and ignore the outside world, but I’ve found that pushing myself to become more involved in the local community has been a positive venture. I’m also one of the co-founders and organizers of MidModMarket which has really helped me to connect with the local community of artists and vintage enthusiasts who are so unbelievably inspiring and supportive.
What do you dream for your business in the future?
I decided that 2016 was the year of putting myself out there, so I applied to all of the local handmade markets that I’ve dreamed about being involved in (as Nike says, Just Do It!). Participating in the Royal Bison and Market Collective were both such exciting opportunities for me and really encouraged me to come out of my shell a bit! I have a few more markets coming up this Fall that I’m very excited about (including the second MidModMarket in November – it’s a project that I’m just so proud to be a part of!). In addition to that, I’ve been working with a few local businesses to have my work featured in their spaces, and I’ve been working on some collaborations with other local artists.
What’s your favourite social media platform and why?
I am obsessed with Instagram because of all the wonderful artists that I have been exposed to through it. It’s an amazing place to connect with other artists and build a little fibre arts network – I’ve met a handful of other fibre artists IRL who I wouldn’t have even known existed had it not been for Instagram. And I also love Instagram because of the constant and unlimited supply of cat photos!
