Professional Weaver Podcast

This week we will be talking with Evee Erb from North Carolina. Erb is a nationally award-winning American Artist who graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2016 with a BFA in Ceramics. During her time at MICA she also studied illustration and textile design. After studying ceramic sculpture in Florence, Italy, and receiving her degree, she returned to her hometown in Durham, North Caroling, where she has worked at the North Carolina Museum of Art, taught workshops at a variety of art centers, served on curatorial jury panels, and given lessons and art talks at various institutions.  Continue Reading…

This week we talk with Justin Squizzero of The Burroughs Garret in Vermont. Squizzero challenges modern definitions of progress by creating functional textiles that celebrate the natural world and the dignity of human labor. Echoing a time when utilitarian objects were entirely handcrafted, his work connects material, maker, and user across time and place. Squizzero’s venture, The Burroughs Garret, draws on the textile traditions of his northern Vermont home, marrying natural dyes and fibers with a reserved aesthetic rooted in early New England. Produced on his 19th-century farm using 200-year-old hand looms, Squizzero’s textiles examine the role of handcraft in Continue Reading…

This week we talk with Constance Collins of Constance Art Couture from Indianapolis, Indiana. Constance expresses her artistic voice through pattern and color. Using primarily alpaca, bamboo, silk and a dash of metallic for sparkle, she modifies traditional weave structures to create unique patterns. Her complex weave structures create a sense of rhythm and play as they interact with her bold warp and weft colors. Her strong sense of color comes through particularly in her art pieces. Similar to pointillism, she creates works that reveal deeper texture and strategy the closer you inspect.  We hope you enjoy part one of Continue Reading…

This week we talk with Constance Collins of Constance Art Couture from Indianapolis, Indiana. Constance expresses her artistic voice through pattern and color. Using primarily alpaca, bamboo, silk and a dash of metallic for sparkle, she modifies traditional weave structures to create unique patterns. Her complex weave structures create a sense of rhythm and play as they interact with her bold warp and weft colors. Her strong sense of color comes through particularly in her art pieces. Similar to pointillism, she creates works that reveal deeper texture and strategy the closer you inspect.  We hope you enjoy part one of Continue Reading…

This week we are talking with Francisco and Laura Bautista of Bautista Fine Hand Wovens from Sandy, Oregon. Francisco (a fourth generation Master weaver) and his wife Laura were born in Teotitlán del Valle (teohtetlan del valyay), a Zapotec village in Oaxaca, Mexico. The weavings they create are inspired by the the beauty of traditional Zapotec weavings, Navajo art and the Bauhaus design. They are both fascinated by the infinite possibilities of crossing threads, and the magic of dancing with their looms. Even when honoring the ancient ways, they never forget that weaving is more than a museum piece- it Continue Reading…

This week we speak with David Jagger and Susan Mills from JaggerSpun yarns in Springvale, Maine. JaggerSpun yarns have been a staple in many weavers yarn stashes for many years. Their bright saturated colors in worsted yarn makes for beautiful suiting, wearables, and home goods that will last for years. I find the drape of the cloth produced to be light, weighted just enough, and comes together for a nice hand.  Though they have restructured in the last year, they are still going strong selling to fiber artists, knitters, crocheters, and weavers. My favorite is their heathered 2/18’s. It just Continue Reading…

This week we talk with Hannah Wallace and her mother Joyce about their handwoven rugs from Easton, Pennsylvania. Together as 4th and 5th generation rag rug weavers, they upcycle all different materials into their weavings. Being able to share stories of where their fabric came from is just another level to the textured and often colorful pieces they create.  We hope you enjoy our conversation as we talk about the technicalities of rag rug weaving, efficiency in dressing the loom, and being able to spot family weavings at auctions. Find Hannah & Joyce Online : Instagram | Facebook Stuff we Continue Reading…

This week we are talking with Gail Parrinello owner of the Cornwall Yarn Shop in Cornwall, NY and President of the board for the Hudson Valley Textile Project. Gail started her yarn shop in 2004 with the intention of offering locally produced yarn, but at the time she was disappointed in the offerings that were available. That fueled her passion to create connections in our local supply chain that eventually developed into the Hudson Valley Textile Project. Now her store and many other places proudly carry Hudson Valley yarns on their shelves. Bringing our supply chain closer together and sharing Continue Reading…

This week we are talking with Mary Jeanne Packer from Battenkill Fibers Carding and Spinning Mill in Greenwich, NY. A little over ten years ago, Mary Jeanne started the Battenkill Fiber Mill, which processes raw wool and spins it into beautiful worsted yarn for both knitters and spinners. This small mill takes the raw fiber from our local fiber shed and takes it through all the stages necessary to make great yarn that is best for the the fiber itself. As part of the services the the mill provides, they have weaver’s on contract to help bring those yarns further Continue Reading…

This week we are talking to Lindsey Wiseman of Central Oregon Textiles from Oregon. Lindsey’s woven work showcases the artistry and bold colors of a designer, and the meticulous balance and symmetry of an engineer, blending her careers together into cloth. She creates accessories for the home and fashion such as towels, scarves, travel bags, eyemasks, and jewelry cases, flexing her skills in both hand weaving and in sewing. I love how she explores colors and textures with different materials in her work, always exploring the options in which handwoven textiles can be applied in a functional way. We hope Continue Reading…