For several months, I’ve been more inclined to weave than to write, so the finished work has been accumulating, as have the photographs. This post is an attempt to somewhat catch up to where I am now, so there will be lots of pictures and only a relatively minor amount of verbiage. If you have questions about any of what you see, please comment below, and I promise to respond promptly.

First off, a series of my designer kitchen towels, in colors unusual for the purpose. This began as an idea for a Christmas gift for my friend Chet Sulgrove, a musician and composer, who had just bought a stunning new black guitar, and needed a unique “guitar rag” (as he calls them) that would coordinate with the new instrument. The one pictured above is what I designed for him, liberally patterned with X’s and O’s to remind him of my fondness. The rest of the run of nine were woven over the next month or so, repeating the same three patterns with each of three weft colors (black, medium grey, and silver grey). I named this series Winterdawn. Not all are pictured below.


The photos above show all three patterns woven with black, which was the most dramatic. The two greys are more subtle and quiet.




The last one above is woven with the silver grey; compare it with the one immediately above it. Same pattern, but visibility is reduced.
Finally, I squeezed out one final somewhat skimpy towel (number 10) at the end of the warp, woven with black and a new pattern. I think it’s spectacular.

About half of these beauties are still available for purchase; please contact me if you’re interested.
Next up, a series of experimental pieces, all in undyed cotton, rayon, tencel, bamboo.

No name for this crowd; they’ll go to a friend of mine for dyeing using a variety of techniques and multiple layered colors. I’ve played off different fibers against each other, partly so we can see how the colors “take” differently on each.


These are difficult to photograph, due to the lack of contrast in the warp and weft yarns; getting just the right angle with the light and the cloth is an exercise in patience.

Each of these has a different weft yarn, and a different pattern. It was a pleasure to play around with all the changes, watching how the different elements interacted without the aspect of color entering into the equation.

This is the second group of these white-on-white pieces I’ve done in the last six months; there will likely be two more before year’s end, each substantially different from this batch and the first one. It’s a reminder to me of how vast are the possibilities available with the simple process of threads intersecting at right angles to each other.

The use of a very bumpy, shiny rayon thread in the warp makes this series more interesting than it might otherwise have been; that rayon will absorb the dye excellently, so the colors will be intense, accentuating the textural effect.

After this crowd, I whipped out Terrarose, a series of three scarves on a hand-dyed bamboo warp. As usual, I changed the weft yarn and the patterning for each one, and for two of these, aimed for quiet subtlety. The colors are warm and soft, the patterns more complex than they appear at first glance, and the drape and flow of the finished cloth is delectable.

You may be able to see that the pattern is asymmetrical, one of my favorite design practices.


These three scarves are available for purchase, along with quite a few others. My next Open Studio Day is Saturday, July 8; you can see them here at my studio, and take your favorite home with you. I also invite you to take a self-guided garden tour (see previous blog post for enticement), which will give you an idea of where some of my inspiration arises, and where some of my design aesthetic has played out.
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