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My fascination with textiles started at an early age with
fiber and spinning. I repaired my first wheel
with a jury-rigged knitting needle for a spindle and used carded wool
from the Old Sturbridge Village mill. Eventually I learned how to use
hand cards and a treadle wheel. Since then, I have learned to
spin just about any fiber and have several more wheels in my
collection.
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Once I learned to spin and make yarn, I had to learn to do something with it. First I learned to knit, then eventually to weave. I had an early interest in history which led me to learn of textile mills and the lives of mill girls through the resources of historic villages like Sturbridge Village in MA, Slater Mill Historic Site in Pawtucket, RI, the Museum of American Textiles in Lowell, MA and the New Bedford Whaling Museum, MA. Throughout my schooling, I worked on projects, read book andvisited textile exhibits. After my early academic years, my long-standing interest
in textiles, their production, and social history led to working
in the museum field doing hands-on demonstrations at several Shaker
museums in New England and academic research on historical and technical
aspects of ethnographic textiles and design. In 1993, I graduated with
a Masters in Science in Textiles and Related Art from the University of
Rhode Island. Several years ago, I followed my dream and became a
full-time weaver.
People
often ask what has drawn me to my crafts...
With spinning, I enjoy feel of the fibers, long and short, fine and coarse, curly and straight. There is a cohesiveness of creating order and alignment from a bundle of fiber through combing and twisting it together. The natural rhythm and continuity of the motions is soothing and meditative on a basic level. The process is very simple, but can be varied in many ways to make different kinds of yarn and can be slightly different for each fiber or each mechanism used.
With my weaving, I enjoy the order and
meticulous nature of weaving. It also involves me very much in the
moment as I cannot skip ahead, but must work one thread at a time and
one row at a time to build the fabric. The process is methodical, but
never stagnant, as the fibers each have their own character and the
patterns develop as I go along. The process is also repetitive, but
needs constant attention to create even tension and consistency. Some
people think it takes a lot of patience, but I don't think about it
because I enjoy the time I spend focussed on the details. Every piece
I work on makes me think of many more combinations to work on. I feel
I am continually learning with each project and building upon my skills.
My
goals are to combine natural yarns and traditional weave structures to
highlight form and function in classic fabrics for unique hand towels,
table linens, scarves, blankets and rugs. I believe that art can be
expressed in well-crafted everyday items, no matter how utilitarian.
The materials and processes involved in making objects are just as
important as the finished pieces. Many techniques have evolved through
the history and traditions of each craft. I practice these foundations
in my development as a weaver of fine textiles.
My
woven work appeared in Early American Life Magazine's Annual Directory of
Traditional American Crafts for several years and is included in The
White House Collections in Washington, D.C. Currently, I make and sell
my work at my studio and gallery in Tiverton, RI and participate in
occasional craft shows throughout the year.
Suggested Readings:
- A Way of Working: The Spiritual Dimension of Craft Edited by D.M. Dooling
- The Work of Craft: An Inquiry into the Nature of Crafts and Craftsmanship by Carla Needleman
- The Art Spirit by Robert Henri
- Art as Experience by John Dewey
- The Art of Happiness at Work by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D.
1988
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2002
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Regular Hours: Wed-Sun 10-5, weather permitting
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