This Q&A comes from the 2023 Working Weavers Studio Trail. As a Trail participant, I answered questions on topics ranging from my favorite handwoven items to the place of weaving in the modern world.
What kind of working weaver are you?
I used to sell my work at fairs, craft shows, and on consignment at local shops, but I have never been a true production weaver. I am primarily a weaving teacher. I have been fortunate to have taught classes at Webs, the Fiber Art Center in Amherst (now defunct), and Snow Farm, and for many New England weaving guilds. Since 2004, I have been the Director of the Master Weaver Program at Hill Institute, which is just down the street from my studio. There are 32 students currently enrolled in the four sections.
What is the relationship between Western MA and your weaving practice? AND Why do you work where you work?
I was born and raised in Florence, MA. Although I learned to weave while I was in graduate school in Iowa City, my love of Western MA drew me back to the area. My weaving practice is connected specifically to Florence in two ways. First, as a child I took sewing and cooking classes at Hill Institute, and as a young adult I took a theorem painting class. I did not realize that Hill Institute had a weaving program until I returned from Iowa. I completed the Master Weaver Program in 1998. I often tell people that I was meant to move to the Midwest to discover my love of weaving. Then Hill Institute provided the environment for growth and community. I am grateful for the opportunity to share this with its current students. The other connection relates to my weaving studio at the Arts and Industry Building in Florence. My mother was from Okinawa, Japan. After high school, she attended a trade school to become a seamstress. But then, she met and married my father, immigrated to the US, and had other life experiences along the way which prevented her from working as a seamstress. My mother spent life doing factory work in the Arts and Industry Building where I have my studio. It was formerly known as the Pro Brush Building. I feel my mother’s supportive presence when I am there, and I am happy to have a studio in that building knowing that my mother walked its corridors and looked out its windows through the seasons.
You participate in the Working Weavers Studio Trail. Why a studio trail devoted to weavers? AND How does hand weaving fit in the modern world?
I believe that people are becoming more aware of the amount of unnecessary things that they own, and they are recognizing a decline in the level of craftsmanship. One of the purposes of the studio trail is to allow people to gain an appreciation for the time, knowledge, and skill involved with the production of quality cloth.
What type of things do you like to make?
I practice several crafts, and I am continually exploring ways to organically combine my interest in weaving with kumihimo, origami/kirigami, bookbinding, and papermaking. The result (thus far) is a series of birds made from handwoven cloth, woven bands and kumihimo braids, and small handmade journals and booklets. In addition, I weave scarves and towels inspired by my ongoing interest in asymmetric and geometric patterns. I also weave hand towels in float work inspired by early textiles and miniature wall pieces that explore the Munker-White color illusion.
What is your individual story? How did you become the weaver you are today?
My path to becoming a weaver was happenstance. During college, I often balanced out the rigors of my studies with a creative arts class in the summer. When I was unable to get into a papermaking class one summer, I happened upon a weaving class. This decision would have an enormous impact on my life. I must have really loved the process of preparing the threads and loom, and the act of weaving because that first introduction to weaving was not good. The class was over-subscribed; students shared warping boards that were lain flat on a table resulting in yarns being drawn up and over the table at a 90-degree angle from cones that kept falling over on the floor below; and the July heat in the attic classroom (without fans or air conditioning) made it hard to focus. But, the flow associated with weaving worked its way into my body. Shortly after I completed my graduate work in Latin Language and Literature, I enrolled in Hill Institute’s six-year weaving program. In 1998, I earned the Master Weaver Certificate, and in 2004 I became Director of the program. As the weaving instructor at Hill Institute, I have the opportunity to delve deeply into structures and techniques, and I am inspired continually by students’ ideas, projects, and inquiries.
When a visitor comes to your studio, what do you hope they experience or take away? AND How does your work space influence how you work?
I hope that everyone who visits my studio will become interested in the variety of looms that I use. Each one has its own personality – needs and quirks. Yet, they have the ability to produce flawless, beautiful cloth. I weave on a 1900’s counterbalance loom that I bought from a former Hill Institute student at the start of my weaving journey; a lowering jack loom made by Rolo Purrington in the early 1900’s (in addition to making looms, Purringon was the principal and woodworking and weaving instructor at Hill Institute); and an eclectic collection of used, middle-aged looms. I also hope that they notice the large windows, natural light, and abundance of plants – all of which contribute to a peaceful work space.
What drives you to make handwoven textile work?
The meditation that I experience when I am sitting at the loom and engaged in the weaving process is what draws me to make cloth. This state of mind is termed flow by psychologists. Weavers call it the zone. I like watching the cloth develop with each pick, I like sharing a telepathic relationship with the loom, and I like producing cloth that feels well made.
What handwoven textiles do you find yourself using most often in your own life?
Hand towels, without question. I believe a hand towel should not be wimpy, but rather it should have a strong presence on a towel rack – a sufficient length hanging down so that I can comfortably dry my hands. I also like to wear my handwoven scarves. Scarves are my form of sampling, and I love to sample. Thus, I have no shortage of scarves.