Vaida chose an unusual material for his work: he carried the idea since adolescence

The beginning of history with Turkish rugs

When asked when she got the idea to create products from more than just the reeds that grow in Lithuanian lakes, Vaida admits that life slowed down due to the pandemic and she thought about it herself. “I discovered the beginning of the thread in my teens. Turkish rugs were very popular at the time, but even then my teenage sense of smell said that everything was strange to me. I started to think about what kind of cover I would have on my own, what kind of good it would be for me to be on it. I realized that I wanted cozy and natural fibers ”, shares the interlocutor.

After coming up with the idea, he put it away in a drawer and went to study cultural anthropology, then went on many expeditions and finally started making pottery. But then came 2008. Economic crisis. Like hers, people cared about covering the ceilings rather than decorating the houses with wall mosaics created by Vaida at the time. The creative pause that began suggested that a certain stage in his life was over.

“Then an incredible amount of amazing coincidences happened in my life. One of them came from my brother, who is a musician. Wandering the world, he kept sending me excerpts from architecture magazines. In one of them, I came across a story about how furniture restorers in the UK use sentences in their work and run creative workshops. I immediately packed my backpack and went to them ”, says V. Vaitkė about the beginning of the new creative stage.

However, the organizers of the creative workshops soon made the artist with experience working with ceramics known, saying that she, who is experienced in working with ceramics, had nothing else to do here. He advised him to go home and start building. “I went to live by the sea near the border with Latvia, where there is a lot of nature and water, I broke into the lake and started. Those around me laughed at me, saying that I would play and pass. But how can they see, it hasn’t happened until now ”, said the creator while speaking to the Delfi.lt portal.

Sustainability came from within

Asked if the idea of ​​a sustainable business was born naturally, the interviewee laughed that by living in nature and invading the lake, it is no longer necessary to develop business strategies and think about sustainability or other missions. “Since it is important to me not to cut my legs while swimming in the lake, I pick up trash on the shores of the lake every spring. I don’t consider it a feat, just like that in my life. I have formed a whole such that I can no longer distinguish where work begins and where life begins. I don’t really think about business or its sustainability, I just think that’s the way of life, ”says Vaida.

According to her, the deep sense of self inevitably resonated with the people around the woman as well. The interviewee is glad that her buyers are very conscientious people. Vaida believes that people with similar values ​​are attracted to each other.

“I also felt that my clients were slowly maturing. When buyers came to my booth at exhibitions, I always offered them more walks and thoughts. I knew I would come back if I really wanted the product. So, the people who have matured so far, this year, during the pandemic, began to ask for things for the home: beanbags, rugs, storage boxes. After staying at home for a longer period of time, they realized that they wanted to have cozy and real things in their environment, ”says V. Vaitkė about changing shopper habits.

The developer, who previously shipped most of the products abroad, is pleased that more and more orders are being received from Lithuania. She is convinced that Lithuanians are beginning to appreciate natural materials more and more and it becomes important to them which items they buy.

How the cane products are born

When asked to share how the reeds that grow in our lakes become products or accessories that decorate homes all over the world, Vaida says it all starts when summer turns to the other side. “Then it matures in the lake, I cut the prayers and, protecting them from the rain, I dry them outside. After a week, I pass them to a special dryer, where the reeds are stored until winter. During the summer, I collect up to 70 hug reeds, which are then classified according to their thickness and softness, because different reeds have different reeds. And after the selected rods, hundreds of meters of rope are used, which is used to create products, “said the interlocutor about the characteristics of the process.

Large needles and hand guards are used during the sewing process of these strings, all done slowly and with great music. Since natural leather is also used in the production of the works, Vaida says that he likes to improvise with the peculiarities of leather in mind. “I hardly have the same job because the materials I use are constantly changing. Besides leather, I also use canvas and brass details,” says V. Vitkė.

When the conversation comes to an end, Vaida urges all who read her story to listen to themselves and bravely follow their chosen path. So, according to the creator, all circumstances will serve an incredible purpose and will not require any extra effort to get where we want and be interesting to other people.