Welcome to my page
This site will accompany me on this new journey and will track my progress along the way. Probably, these pages and their quality will grow with me as I learn new skills, let’s enjoy the process!
About me¶
I am Martina, 33 years old and I was born in Sardinia, a beautiful island in Italy, to which I feel deeply attached. I can talk for hours about sustainability, arts and plants. I love visiting exhibitions and second-hand shops, making crochet pieces, exploring new cities and enjoying a novel over a cup of coffee.
My Background¶
I hold a Master’s Degree in Engineering, which combines scientific disciplines with courses more related to art and technology, such as new media, cinema, 3D modeling and user experience.
For the past six years, I worked in tech companies designing innovative solutions for digital customers. Starting from the COVID-19 pandemic, I looked for more authentic rhythms and gestures in my life and began applying sustainable habits and using my hands to create clothes and objects.
I discovered how consumerism and the fashion system were impacting our society and decided to take courses about circular economy and sustainable business to give a twist to my career.
I tried to change things from the inside at the company I worked for, but I felt more and more out of place. I changed company, but the feeling of being in the wrong place wouldn't go away and last June I decided to leave: a big jump into the unknown!
I am now looking for new paths with the desire to explore new techniques and combine my digital skills with craftsmanship, regional heritage and social impact projects.
Why Fabricademy¶
After years in a big city like Milan, I felt the need to reconnect with my roots and spend more time in Sardinia. Over the past two months, I’ve been exploring local artisanal techniques and materials (from traditional costumes to tapestries and handcrafted objects) while reaching out to local businesses to better understand their challenges and opportunities.
This journey made me curious about wool and I asked myself:
How could technology and innovation merge with traditional knowledge to create something new and also reduce the waste of such a precious material?
While searching for answers, I came across the Fabricademy program in partnership with EU Woolshed at the Lyon node. I thought “That’s perfect!” and here I am.
Small Projects¶
Trame¶
I am a member of Tramaplaza, a non-profit promoting sustainable fashion and design through art and education, composed of 60 women around Italy.
TRAME is one of the latest projects we are working on. It’s a collective notebook by Moleskine Foundation that contains stories of people behind fashion, like tailors and artisans, who transform and create memories. Each member of Tramaplaza fills pages with stitched fabrics, words, sketches and embroidery to finally create a shared visual diary.
In my pages, I honor who keep alive the traditional Sardinian customes.
Called "istimentas" in local language, they appear during festivities as symbols of identity. Each village preserves its own version, handmade with unique colors, fabrics and details, passed down as family treasures carrying the memory of those who wore them. I called "istimenta de memòria" a garment that bridges generations and Sardinia’s collective story.
Sewing, crochet and more to come¶
I took my first sewing lessons right after work, which meant carrying my sewing machine to the office in a suitcase. Every time my colleagues thought I was going on a business trip.
I learned the basics to make a skirt but soon I began skipping some steps and cloning clothes directly on the fabric, then altering garments from my own closet to create something new.
Crochet is probably my favorite stress-relief! I can do it while watching a movie or traveling. Sometimes I copy a pattern, but many times I improvise. I use second-hand or recycled yarns and create for myself, my family and friends.
Over the years I have experimented with natural dyes and recently started knitting.
I don’t have high-quality photos of my projects yet, but I want to start documenting my progress. For me, the real reward is in the process itself, from idea to completion.
