FEATURED ARTIST: POLDER'S OLD WORLD MARKET

Hi friends! I have some exciting news!! We our launching today our new featured artist section of the shop.

Photo: Alice G. Patterson

Our first featured artist is Loran from Polder's Old World Market. When I came across Polder's dreamware on Instagram I was immediately enamored with their wonderful hand carved wooden spoons and kitchen utensils. After reading all about Loran and her families business I knew that  Polder's Old World Market artisan products were a perfect fit for our shop. 

Photo: Alice G. Patterson

I asked Loran if she would be so kind to share a bit about her dreamware and the creative process that goes into each piece that they make in a guest post for us. 

Dreamware: the story of our creative process

Greetings! I want to thank Charity for having me today, and allowing me the opportunity to share a bit about the creative process behind the new kitchenware that she’s added to her lovely shop. I am so happy to be here with all of you!

For those of you who don’t know me, my family and I are creators of luxury wooden kitchen utensils. We call it dreamware, because it’s the kitchenware of your dreams. Each piece we create is truly artisan crafted, using traditional techniques. We are aspiring to offer the finest wooden utensils available in the world. It’s a lofty goal, but we believe in our product and we’re up for the challenge.

Photo: Loran Old World Market

The story behind our dreamware is fascinating to many. Being so deeply familiar with the process myself, I take it for granted that it isn’t so obvious to others and I’m always surprised when I share behind the scenes and work in progress shots on social media (@poldersowm on Instagram, if you’d like to join me!) and the amazed comments begin to roll in.

“I had no idea you actually made these by hand!!”

“Amazing! I didn’t know that you carved these with chisels!”

“This is so incredible! I had no idea. Please share more!”

This sort of excited feedback reminds me that people care deeply about the process behind the products they buy, and it makes a difference to them.

Photo: Loran Old World Market

To make a piece of dreamware, we have to start with sourcing the raw material- the wood. We don’t buy the wood to make our products, we sustainably source it from the woods around our farm. We use already fallen hardwoods that blow down in the winter storms each year. These are usually enormous trees, precariously lodged far up in the hills and ridges around our farm and quite a trick to salvage.

Once we get the log out of the mountain side, we cut it into boards on our sawmill, then into smaller “blanks” on a table saw. After the wood dries sufficiently, which may take weeks or even months, we are ready to begin carving.

Photo: Loran Old World Market

We carefully select a piece of wood and sketch the utensil onto it. We then clamp it down and carve out the spoon. After carving, we take the block of wood and cut the rough, outer shape of the utensil on a band saw, and then hand shape all of the lovely curves and contours. Each piece is hand finished to a silky smooth finish with sandpaper and then hand rubbed with our signature beeswax cream to seal the wood and make the natural color glisten. The process takes a great deal of skill and time, which is reflected in the evident luxury quality of our workmanship.

Photo: Loran Old World Market

Photo: Loran Old World Market

We put a great deal of love and care into our dreamware, and each piece is a natural reflection of the way we seek to live- with simplicity, beauty and purpose. In our handmade creations, we seek to combine beauty with function, in a way that is both deeply meaningful and unequivocally practical. We hope that each piece of dreamware will be used and loved for a lifetime, and then passed on to a new generation for continued use.

Photo: Alice G Patterson

Photo: Alice G. Patterson

Loran Polder is a writer at Old World Living Blog,  photographer and artisan crafter. She and her family create luxury wooden kitchen utensils on their farm in the mountains of Tennessee. You can connect with her on Instagram, Twitter ,  and Pinterest !

Thank you Loran! I hope that you will stop by and take a look at our wonderful dreamware collection at our store.

XOXO,

Charity

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