Our Creative Process

At Christiana Vardakou, we believe in the beauty of slow, deliberate craftsmanship. Every step of our process—from gathering materials to hand-finishing each piece—is grounded in sustainability, traditional techniques, and a deep respect for nature.

Collecting plants for Natural Dyeing

Natural dyeing begins with the seasonal collection of plants, a process deeply connected to nature. We grow some of our dye plants in our studio garden, including marigolds, coreopsis, and woad. We also forage in the wild, gathering plants like heather flowers, acorns, eucalyptus, broom and heather flowers from the landscapes of Greece. Christiana often hikes with her dog to collect wild plants such different leaves for eco-printing.

In addition to foraging, we collaborate with local restaurants to repurpose kitchen waste, like onion skins and avocado pits, further reducing waste and supporting a circular production process.

Natural Dyeing

Natural dyeing is a slow, labour-intensive process that results in rich, complex colours. After gathering our plants, we carefully extract pigments from them, a process that can take several hours—or even days. The resulting dyes are then used to colour our fabrics and yarns.

Because natural dyes are derived from plants, they are non-toxic, biodegradable, and environmentally friendly. The process itself is unpredictable, often leading to delightful color surprises. The colors created by plant dyes are not only beautiful but also dynamic, shifting in different light conditions, giving each piece its own unique character.

We use natural dyes exclusively in our practice, after Christiana discovered their benefits while studying textile design. The dyes are not only kind to the environment but also gentle on the skin, making them ideal for both homeware and clothing.

Hand-weaving

We work with three looms: a back-strap loom from Thailand, a small floor loom, and a large handcrafted floor loom made locally in Athens.

Our yarns are made from organic fibers—silk, cotton, linen, wool, and hemp—all of which are dyed in-house using natural dyes. From these fibers, we weave small-scale items for the home, such as table runners, pillows, and placemats. We also accept custom orders for larger pieces like rugs, blankets, and throws. In addition, we create scarves and incorporate woven details in some of our loungewear collections.

Christiana’s passion for weaving began during her studies at Chelsea College of Arts but deepened during her travels in Asia, where she fell in love with the intricate ikat technique. This method, which involves tying sections of the thread before dyeing, creates beautiful patterns that are woven into the fabric, making each piece one-of-a-kind.

Batik is a traditional Indonesian wax-resist dyeing technique that we incorporate into our practice to create beautiful, layered designs.

The process involves applying wax to fabric, which resists the dye, allowing us to colour select areas while leaving others untouched. We repeat this process multiple times, creating stunning layers of colour.

Christiana first learned Batik during her travels in Bali and used it as her primary technique during her final year of university.

Batik

Bundle Dyeing

Bundle dyeing is a technique where we wrap fabric with plant materials, such as leaves, flowers, or herbs, and then carefully tie it into a bundle.

The bundle is steamed or simmered to allow the plant pigments to transfer onto the fabric, creating unique patterns and colours. This method allows for beautiful, organic designs, where the shapes and colours are subtly influenced by the plant materials, making each piece one-of-a-kind.

Bundle dyeing is a slow, meditative process that highlights the connection between nature and textile, capturing the essence of the plants used.

Eco-printing is a process where we transfer the colours and patterns of leaves directly onto fabric by applying heat and pressure.

The plants release their pigments onto the fabric, creating intricate, natural prints that are full of texture and depth.

This technique is a celebration of nature's beauty, producing one-of-a-kind prints that reflect the seasons and the environment around us.

All the leaves we use are collected by Christiana and friends on hike, or collected by Christiana’s grandma, from her beautiful garden.

Eco-printing

Sewing & Finishing

Violetta is our in-house pattern cutter and seamstress, responsible for translating Christiana’s sketches and ideas into functional garments and accessories. She creates all of our machine-sewn pieces, ensuring precision and quality in every stitch.

Embroidery

Embroidery is a technique we love using for small details.

Christiana learnt traditional H'mong embroidery in Laos, and traditional Red Dao embroidery in Vietnam.

It is probably the most time consuming technique we use. The items listed on our website might have some small detail of embroidery, however it is a technique mostly used for commissioned pieces.

One of our favourites was embroidering three stars on a table runner for a customer. The three stars symbolised the three daughters of the family.