Tell us about your craft, do you have a special method or use particular materials that set you apart?
I am a weaver. I work with a 32 shaft compu-dobby loom and play with new yarn combinations. More than ever before, I believe the future success of textile artisans will depend more and more on innovation. You can find innovation world wide, and to compete with that innovation, you need to be just one step ahead of the curve.
When and how did you get started?
My 40 year career was spent in New York City as the Senior V.P. of Design of Sunbury Textile Mills, a high-end domestic jacquard mill that concentrated on upholstery fabrics.
During my career, I spent most of my time researching new yarns from around the world. Merino wool, baby alpaca, linen, mohair and cashmere were on my list along with finding spinners who were willing to try something different. Even today, I still work with the most innovative yarns.
What keeps you inspired?
Karl Lagerfeld and Jack Lenor Larsen were my leaders and sources of inspiration. They both loved to push the boundaries and try to come up with something new and different. Karl was fearless in creating yarns and fabrics that had never been seen before. He found spinners that would do the unimaginable. I was fortunate enough to meet one of those spinners in Italy. I was truly amazed and inspired with what I saw but went into sticker shock, some of the yarns were over $200.00 per pound. Today, Jack Larsen, at the age of 103 is still pushing the boundaries.
Where did you grow up? Do any aspects of your early life influence your current work?
I spent my childhood in Auburn, Massachusetts and spent my youth dabbling in textiles. Textiles have always been in my blood. At the age of 7 my mother taught me how to knit. By the time I was 10, I was weaving on my grandmother’s 2 shaft rug loom and taught myself how to tat. In high school my Dad built me a spinning wheel and we converted the 2 shaft loom to ten shafts. I loved weaving overshot coverlets.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Today, perfect happiness, is found in my studio with a 32 shaft compu-dobby loom and playing with new combinations, turning the yarns themselves into “Art”.
My husband and I now reside in upstate New York at our home that we call Hidden Falls. We are right next to a gorgeous lake and a tall water fall that turns into a large stream that borders our property. During the Summer the trees completely block the view of the falls but during the Fall, Winter and Spring we have a magnificent view. Thus, Hidden Falls.
What is your motto?
It's all about the yarn!
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