"I find joy in the creative process and when others find joy in what I’ve made it doubles inside of me. It is a way of sending a piece of my soul out to the world so I strive to make beautiful hand-woven fabrics accessible to all."
If you ever got a breath-taking thrill upon opening the BIG box of 60 Crayola crayons, in awe of the possibilities, then you know the way I feel when I look at the world around me and consider my next dye project and how that will transform into a piece of fabric and then become a wearable item. The way that yarn holds onto color, with all the light and shadow and texture, is exciting for me. I feel there is an endless path to combining these colorful threads and weaving them into beautiful, functional cloth that can be worn and enjoyed every day.
ABOUT MY WORK
"All work is completed by me on one of three wooden hand looms in my bright mountain studio. My color palette is inspired by nature, of which there is a bounty in my own back yard.
I am endlessly excited by how colors interact with each other, so work with blending many shades and hues of color together to create a vibrant look. All work showcases my own hand-painted warps, a dye technique used to interpret personal color inspirations. I am also intrigued by varying textures of yarns as they capture light and shadow, giving the fabric depth and interest. These qualities in my work are best appreciated up close and by handling the piece and letting each detail unfold.
ABOUT ME
I became a weaver in 1979, however my journey in fiber started long before.
On a visit with my grandmother when I was about 7 or 8 years old, my mother and Grammie taught me to crochet in an effort, I’m sure, to keep me busy as the grown-ups talked. What they didn’t realize was that they had awakened in me the fascination of turning one form of fiber into another completely different and useful object.
I believe these are ancient memories passed from one generation to the next since the beginning of our human existence.
My mother Martha and her two sisters.
In high school I learned to spin wool, first on a drop spindle, then on a spinning wheel. I attended college at Warren Wilson College near Asheville, NC and took advantage of an opportunity for study abroad in England and Scotland. There I learned more about sheep and wool production, absorbing the love of woven textiles, and making more connections with my fiber path.
Upon returning stateside, I enrolled in the Professional Crafts Program at Haywood Community College and completed the two-year course in Fiber, officially becoming a weaver. Having met my husband nearby, we decided to make our home in the mountains of Western North Carolina, raise our family and pursue our careers. My weaving studio took shape on our property and after years of participating in many fine craft shows, I have developed my cotton wearables that have become so popular.
