Eve Eunson

Based in Shetland, I am a designer maker inspired by the vernacular furniture of Fair Isle.

I was born and raised on my family’s croft in Fair Isle, Shetland, and studied Art and Architecture in Aberdeen. In 2018, with no previous woodworking experience and little knowledge of vernacular furniture I began an ambitious research project to trace, survey and recreate the traditional chairs of my native isle.

Although completely self-driven, The Fair Isle Chairs Project became much more than a piece of personal research. Through the process, the Heritage Crafts Association became aware of the precarious nature of the future of the Fair Isle Strawback Chair and listed the technique on their Red List of Critically Endangered Crafts.

Through my own continued craft practice in wood and straw, I promote the Fair Isle Strawback Chair knotting technique and pass on the skills in workshops, to help preserve an important piece of Scotland’s heritage.

I am also secretary of the Shetland Straw Society, an umbrella organisation started in 2026 to promote and preserve Shetland's heritage straw craft practices and other straw-related activity. This includes but is not limited to: basketry, chair making, simmens making, thatching, skekling, and the growing, harvesting and processing of our landrace cereals.

• Basketry
• Chair Seating
• Straw
• Straw / Lipwork