Story Behind the Artist - Cristina, Sofia, and Mariana | Linking Threads
Spring has already sprung and, as they say, “April showers bring May flowers”. It takes time and weathering to bring new life into the world and, when it happens, it’s worth the celebration. But May flowers are not the only thing worth celebrating this month. While new flowers bloom and new life is born, we also celebrate the very people who cultivated us to be who we are today… our mothers.
This month on the blog, we are honored to feature not just one female artist but three, a mother and her two daughters, Cristina, Sofia, and Mariana, who have brought new life themselves to the world of Fiber Art. Their boho-inspired wall art feels so naturally made and adds such a soft element to any space they’re in. They make both small- and large-scale wall hangings along with wall tassels as well, each with its own unique design and character.
Cristina, the mother of this amazing team, has always been a creative. She was born into an artistically inclined family, with family members who were passionate about art & music, including playing piano & guitar, oil painting, and other crafts. Cristina’s own passion has been oil & watercolor painting, which she has pursued from primary school, to high school and through the birth of her two daughters. It wasn’t until a few years ago that she learned to crochet and considered using it to do something truly innovative in an artistic sense. Cristina’s background, as well as their passion for interior design and handcrafted art, set the three of them on a journey to create fiber art that goes beyond the average canvas - and this is how their company, Linking Threads, was born. From every stitch to every dip-dyed fiber, it’s their mission to create captivating art full of movement, warmth, and texture.
They shared with us that their inspiration for their organic feeling pieces comes from many sources including nature’s earthy color palette itself, the rich textures of various fibers, and even their own prior works. Specifically, the use of crochet and dip dye methods in fiber art provides infinite possibilities. During the design process of a project, they like to implement new techniques or variations, which results in truly one-of-a-kind pieces. “As we learn new skills, we then begin to imagine how we can use them to execute our vision for future projects. This creative cycle, as well as working alongside each other, results in a constant flow of creativity & inspiration.”
When we asked them what their favorite piece to create so far was, they replied with, “This is a very difficult question to answer! It has been incredibly rewarding to create each and every one of our wall hangings, but we think our Earthy Luxe Collection [shown below] was a turning point. This collection represents the coming together of organic & earthy hues - like sage, slate, and sand - with delicate, geometric lines inspired by southwest decor. These works continue to be a source of inspiration for our more recent pieces.”
Each of them has their own studio/workshop in their home and they all say how much of a sanctuary it is to each of them. This mother/daughter trio is from Texas; Cristina and Mariana are currently located in South Texas (Brownsville and Edinburg), and Sofia is from Houston, although she is temporarily residing in Toronto, Canada.
When asked about what their favorite thing was about working together, they answered, “We love that we share the same values & vision for Linking Threads,” they shared with us. “We trust and support each other, and have been able to find a wonderful balance in our respective abilities and creative processes.”
With Sofia in Toronto and due to the pandemic, they have not been able to celebrate Mother’s Day as they normally would in the recent years but, generally, they would celebrate by “spending the day all together then gathering at a restaurant to close out the day (with many flowers & gifts in between).”
We are honored to have such an amazing team within our marketplace and love seeing each new collection as they create them.
We wish Cristina and all the other moms out there a very Happy Mother’s Day this month and invite you to do the same. Whether they are mothers of children or their businesses, they are strong, courageous, and infinitely talented. May each of you treat yourself a little this month and truly recognize how strong and influential you can be.
**Editor’s note: This article was composed as a joint effort between the Made By Her staff and Cristina, Sofia, and Mariana themselves. You can find her work listed in her online booth, Linking Threads Fiber Art.