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 their stories.

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 to life by having them woven into heritage blankets that will showcase the best qualities and colors of the yarns created at the mill.

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.

This week we talk with Kat Howard from New York. Kat Howard is a fiber artist who blends the literary nuances of poetry into the textural work of weaving. Her MFA background in Book Art and Creative Writing, has given her a clear voice and understanding in her practice as a sculptural tapestry weaver. She uses a variety of materials in order to address how the female body has been viewed over time. Her combination of utilizing visual art and poetry is simple, but fully charged: revealing women’s relationships to their bodies, and the roles that those bodies have played throughout history.

We are doing a something a little different this week. We are talking to a business that utilizes handwoven fabrics from weavers in their final product. We would like to introduce you to Jamie from Jamie and the Jones from Nashville, Tennessee.

This week we talk with Joseph Young of Interwoven from California. Joseph is a weaver who specializes in contemporary Zapotec weaving. For a little background, the Zapotec are an indigenous people that have lived in the Valley of Oaxaca for at least 2,500 years. Their one-of-a-kind weaving traditions have carried on to this day, showcasing unique colors and symbolism. Joseph, fell in love with this style of weaving and dove in, learning how to create tapestries in both the traditional and contemporary style. From the start of getting hand selected wool fibers spun for warp and weft, naturally dying the yarn, and executing the designs, he is intimately involved with each step of the weaving process, making these creations an extension of himself.

This week we talk with Denise Kovnat from New York. Denise is a weaver, dyer, and self proclaimed "free-ranged seamstress" who loves painted warps, collapse techniques, and extended parallel threadings- all to make colorful, texture cloth used in garments for teaching, shows and sales. For 20 years, she has been teacher who continues to grow and explore new possibilities to bring back and share with her weaving students. She has taught at the Weaving and Fiber Arts Center in Rochester, NY, weaving conferences and for guilds in Canada and the United States. Her textural and vibrant clothing have also been juried every year into the Handweaver’s Guild of America Convergence Fashion Show since 2008.

Katie is a production weaver who creates yardage for clothing and her own wearable weaving designs. The desire to make functional beauty is amplified through her playful dyeing and weaving of dimensional and textural fabric. She also offers whimsical wall hangings that resonate joy and flow. Through her making, she continually thinks about how her impact of creation effects the environment on a larger scale. She aims to use natural, sustainable and responsible materials- utilizing vintage, thrifted, or new responsibly grown natural fibers in her work. Every step of her business is consciously feeding in to her desire to create, problem solve, and explore the craft of weaving.

Amanda is a production weaver who creates beautiful, handwoven yardage for wearables and accessories. She uses her AVL looms to create yardage that explores the relationship between textures and colors. When she works with her clients, it is a collaborative effort to create textiles that exude comfort and style while maintaining the small surprises that come up with weaving. Her work reflects the collaborative effort she puts into the marathon of creating cloth. Consciously, the way color and pattern is placed in the textile, allows the design to breathe and appear effortless.

Julia is a production weaver who creates unique utilitarian and ceremonial textiles. Her company Machine in Hand, radiates how she feels in connection to her work. Julia views weaving as a physical collaboration between herself and the loom, like playing the piano. She focuses her weaving evolution toward depicting and recording time into cloth. As a craftsperson, she questions and shares her views about the supply chain and how it relates to us in terms of value and connectivity.

Lilly is a production weaver whose work is directly connected with her active role in the fiber shed community. She views the weaving and textile world through the lens of her PhD in American Cultural Studies at Purdue University, with a focus on American Craft in the 20th Century. Out of her studios in Queensbury and Glens Falls, New York, she produces fine scarves, shawls, and simple garments, as well as throws and blankets. Her work primarily showcases the beautiful qualities of naturally colored, regionally sourced wool, but she also has used silk, tencel, and cotton in her work.

With an eye on the environment around her and her hands rhythmically working on AVL looms, Sydney brings to life wearable pieces that celebrate how nature and technology can work together to make art. She hand paints her warps with wide swaths of bold colors, pulling color palettes and ratios from her research of birds and marine wildlife. The complex weave structures she creates make the colors shimmer throughout the cloth. Her computer aided designs also serve to accentuate the qualities of the yarn she uses. These yarns are manufactured in a closed circuit loop, minimizing its environmental impact by reusing all water and using only non-toxic chemicals.

This week, we are super excited to have our guests, Cecelia Frittelli and Richard Lockwood of Frittelli and Lockwood. They have been involved with textiles for decades, and just so happen to be our weaving mentors. They have been producing their line of handwoven wearables from various studios, but most currently out of the Textile Studio in Saratoga Springs, NY. Their clothing for men and women are wonderful pieces that showcase their combined talents of textile design, tailoring, and finishing touches that would make any person look dashing.

Our first full episode! This week we kick things off talking with Scott Norris of Elam's Widow. Scott is a prolific weaver who lives in Mass. Working out of his converted garage, he creates beautiful heirloom fabrics using hand dyed linen. His pieces have evolved over time to a select palette, precise structures, and a luscious, crisp hand.