Birdseye Studio Knits 3D Knitted Floral Wall Hangings

A dark blue knitted wall hanging with a floral arrangement.

Michelle Dunbar, founder of Birdseye Studio Knits, creates 3D knitted wall hangings to be adorned with flowers by their owners. The resulting artworks are ever changing botanical arrangements displayed via luscious textiles. In this interview Michelle tells us about the ideas behind her pieces, her commitment to sustainability, and her current projects

How did the idea for Birdseye Studio Knits come to you?

The relationship between people and objects has fascinated me for a while. I feel the objects we surround ourselves with aren’t just inanimate clutter but take on memories, emotions, and experiences from our own lives. How can we use these objects to facilitate interactions and relationships between people? I’ve wondered how I can make art to create a mood, start a conversation, or encourage collaboration that brings people together.
When I was working through ideas for Birdseye Studio Knits first collection, I was drawn to the ones that would invite the individual to be a part of the artistic process. I settled on an interactive flower wall that encourages the individual to pick and style flowers, greenery, or plants in the vases encased within the knit tapestries. I believe this collaborative experience creates a connection between the hand of the maker and the touch of the owner. It encourages the owner to engage with nature and observe the beauty in a simple walk. With the ability to store little treasures in the vases, be it flowers or twigs, the owner can bring their memories of the outdoors back inside with them.
I personally feel happier, healthier, and more recharged when my space is filled with plants and flowers. I hope these wall hangings make it easier to bring greenery inside and onto your walls. The coziness of the knit adds to this calming visual, but also has the added wellness benefit of absorbing sound. By acting as an acoustic panel to help dampen unwanted noises and vibrations, these hangings are a perfect way to create an intimate space.

Table arrangement with dark blue knitted floral placeholders.

The corner of a room with a hanging wicker chair and two knitted wall hangings displaying flowers on the wall.

Tell us about how Birdseye Studio Knits was created.

In some ways, Birdseye Studio Knits has been in the works for a long time. I have always been a maker– much of my childhood was spent burning through boxes of crayons and bottles of glue. When it came time to think about college, I knew I wanted to pursue art as a career. I majored in textiles at Rhode Island School of Design and developed a deep appreciation for the ancient art of creating fabric. The process felt like a poetic blend of meditation and creativity– with a healthy dose of frustration! I had a bit of a breakthrough when I realized that working with the constraints of the loom and knitting machine actually allowed me to loosen up in my work. It’s not simply a matter of willing my pencil to move in a certain direction– there’s an element of spontaneity to working with yarns that I’ve learned to love. I found myself exploring the conceptual and sculptural possibilities rather than simply focusing on how to capture a subject representationally.

I wanted to blend this artistic appreciation with the technical expertise I’ve gained in my role as a 3D knit innovation designer within the footwear industry. Birdseye Studio Knits was born out of a desire to explore shapes and form by combining conceptual craft and technology. The name Birdseye is on the surface a nod to my favorite knit stitch, but on a deeper level reflects my desire to keep sight of the bigger picture even when I’m fussing over details.

A room with large windows, a wooden table and a brown leather sofa. On the wall behind the sofa is a beige knitted wall hanging displaying flowers.

A blue fibre art wall hanging displaying flowers.

What is the process behind your 3D knitted pieces?

I like to start my projects the way I did when I was younger- with a sketchbook on my dad’s vintage drafting table and a dog at my feet! I like to sketch out early ideas and notes of what I’m trying to capture. Once I have a rough idea of what I want to play with, I’ll spend some time creating a mood board. I like to pull photos and mementos from trips and museums I’ve visited. I’ll also reference previous projects I want to push further and images from artists and photographers I admire.

Once I have a general direction and vibe, I start making mock-ups and knit swatches to test out different ideas. When I feel that I’ve landed on something interesting, I combine and scale up the swatches and start working though the kinks. It takes a while to fine-tune the files and create a knit that runs smoothly and hangs nicely on the wall– the machine and yarn really have a mind of their own sometimes! In the case of the floral wall hangings I’ve made for Birdseye Studio Knits, I send the completed files to an industry friend in North Carolina to knit up a batch on his Stoll knitting machines. He sends the knits back to my studio in Massachusetts where I assemble and package everything.

It’s such a fun feeling to see a box full of pieces I’ve designed and programmed that are ready to share with the world. Leveraging 3D knit technology has been a wonderful way to create accessible art. I can design and sell pieces at a larger scale and at more affordable prices than if I were creating such large pieces by hand. I still feel drawn to the traditional ways of creating though and enjoy hand weaving and wood carving in my free time. I’m hoping to share some of these projects through Birdseye as well, stay tuned!

What steps do you take to make Birdseye Studio Knits more sustainable?

As a maker bringing more things into the world, I feel a responsibility to create mindfully and tread gently. The knits that I’m making celebrate plants and greenery, so it was very important to design with sustainability in mind!
All of the hangings are knit in one piece, with the vase tubes and hanging system built into the fabric. This means that there is no waste to throw away as opposed to traditional cut and sew methods. 3D knit technology is incredible; I can integrate multiple yarns, structures, and shaped elements all into one piece.
Given that I can control the raw materials going into the 3D knitted wall hangings, it was important to me to choose my yarn carefully. Birdseye Studio Knits uses 100% recycled polyester from post-consumer plastic water bottles. Color is added to the raw yarn with an environmentally friendly solution dye process. This means there is no fading or bleeding and requires significantly less water, releases fewer harmful chemicals, and emits substantially less CO₂ compared to traditional dyeing. I’m excited to research other potential yarns to knit with, like locally spun natural animal fibers, Tencel, or hemp. The packaging materials I’m using are also recycled, recyclable, and/or compostable. I’ve tried to be thoughtful about the raw materials that Birdseye Studio Knits uses while still ensuring the product is high quality and the unboxing experience feels special.
I’m also passionate about sourcing from and producing in the USA. Besides being more energy efficient to ship within the US rather than from factories overseas, I can visit the local facilities myself. I can guarantee the people behind the product are paid well and work in comfortable conditions.

A woman against a snowy backdrop holding a knitted artwork displaying winter foliage.

A close up image of a woman's hands arranging flowers on a wall hanging.

What are you currently working on?

I am the type of person who likes to stay busy… so naturally I have several projects going on at the same time! I’m currently playing around with a new variation of the floral 3D knitted wall hangings. I’ve been sketching and mocking up some playful new shapes and patterns, and I think the results are pretty exciting! I’m hoping to share some updates later in the year. I also have a few ongoing carving projects that I work on when I need a break. I find the process of chipping away at a block of wood to be extremely meditative. It also forces moderation–I can only work on it for so long before my hands start to ache!
I’m also in the process of moving to a new studio! My new spot is in an old mill building with lots of character and huge windows. I have big plans for how to set up the space to be an inspiring place to work. I can’t wait to get settled in and see how the history and aesthetic of the building inspire future projects.

What is your dream commission for your 3D knitted wall hangings?

Ahh such a fun question to think about! In general, I love working with other artists and would love to be part of a collaborative project. I’ve been really interested in architectural art installations lately and I would love to work on a large-scale installation. I think 3D knit would be a great medium to work with given the shaping capabilities as well as the ability to create large pieces of fabric relatively quickly. I’ve worked on a few large-scale projects in the past– a public seating installation in a community park and a large-scale backdrop for my wedding. I loved how these pieces interacted with their surroundings and were designed to bring people together. I found the technical and engineering aspect of the planning to be intellectually and creatively stimulating and would love to work on a project like this again!