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Welcome to fresh cercle by Mary Ann Stewart: fiber artist, zero-waste natural dye artisan, and fiber systems advocate

Where sustainability meets story and stitch...

Where sustainability meets story and stitch...

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Collection of stitching and mending tools, including spools of thread, yarn, scissors, a wooden darning egg, a wooden mushroom, a seam ripper, and pins, arranged on a dark surface.

A few mending supplies from an afternoon spent stitching. Inset detail: View of the Arlington Great Meadow from the Minuteman Bikeway, Lexington MA

šŸŒ Thread by Thread, toward a more conscious world

ā€˜cercle’ (pronounced SERK-leh) means *circle* in French: a symbol of wholeness, interconnectedness, and quiet homage to the Paris Climate Agreement.

ā€˜fresh’ is both invitation and responsibility: to care for, sustain, and renew the planet we call home.

Every vowel in fresh cercle is an ā€œeā€, a quiet nod to our guiding principles: earth, environment, and ethics.

At fresh cercle, we believe that small, intentional choices ripple outward. Clothing is political. What we wear, and how we care for it, can influence systems, support artisan communities, and shift environmental and economic policy. We advocate for just practices and bold policies that center both people and planet.

This work is personal. I learned to sew, knit, bake, and mend from my mother, my grandmothers, and a circle of aunts who knew the value of resourcefulness and care.

My journey with plant-based dyes began in 2015 and deepened during the stillness of the CoVid-19 pandemic.

Founded in 2020, fresh cercle is a space for awareness, artistry, and action, supporting individuals in making more conscious clothing choices while nurturing my own evolution as an artist and craftswoman.

I've had the privilege of meeting remarkable people along the way. Every day, I’m grateful to serve, to create, and to keep learning, thread by thread.

~ mas