off the loom \\ where the sand meets the water in Chicago, IL
Weaving over the years for me has meant so much more than just owning a small business. The hustle, the exploration, the opportunity, and most importantly, the friendships I’ve been able to build have been amazing. I constantly find myself in awe of the way fiber and memories can tie themselves together to form a wonderful foundation.
Late last year, I had come across an article on Building Design + Construction’s [2019] 40 Under 40 class. As a woman in this industry, I am constantly inspired by other women doing really great work and pursuing their dreams. Mindy immediately stood out to me — especially with her greyhound, Biki, by her side. I decided to reach out and congratulate her. From there, we connected and immediately noticed so many similarities: both architects, married to architects, greyhounds, a love for textiles and refined design, and that we both attended Kansas State University for architecture school nearly a decade apart.
When Mindy and her husband, Michael, purchased and started renovating their new apartment, Mindy reached out to me to collaborate on a custom weaving for their living room. I immediately said yes!
setting //
Mindy and Michael’s gorgeous space features a view of the water and there’s a constant stream of beautiful diffused light into the space. Mindy shared so many photos early on to allow me to see the space as if I was there. It was IMMENSELY helpful as I am a visual person (as is Mindy.. it’s an inherent trait as an architect).
process //
Our initial conversations discussed size, style, and color palette. Mindy and Michael had envisioned a size around ~6’ wide x 4’ long and wanting an excuse to explore a bigger scale myself, I immediately jumped on board with ideas on how to make it happen. My largest loom currently limits me to a maximum 4’ wide piece, so we had to get creative. We decided on a two-piece weaving, strung together by fibers woven through the entire piece. This concept alluded beautifully to how the sand meets the water along the Chicago lakefront.
I studied proportion, trying to find the best balance of solid versus void. Trained in spatial thinking and organization, this part of the process sets up the foundation of the weaving. Thinking creatively on how to construct this weaving was the other large component to setting a solid foundation before beginning to weave. Given that I could only weave one side at a time, I had to strategically work through how I would construct this. The end goal is having a weaving that compliments and enhances its space, which takes days to study in the form of sketches and mockups.
The color palette exploration was so inspiring. We initially settled on 70% neutrals and 30% color accents (and we exchanged more neutrals for colors during production).
When it came time to choose the neutral fibers, I am always sensitive to the fact that ivory-tones can tend to look too dark or too “warm” on white walls. The sunlight is also a huge factor- many times receiving natural light from the east or west direction tends to make the fibers look darker. There are also many shades of “white”, so being able to test the fibers against the exact paint or wall is important. To make sure the fiber I had in mind would work, I sent Mindy samples of the neutral fibers to hold up to their white walls. The colors were a success!
The basis of the weaving was a smooth cotton string in various thicknesses (2mm, 4mm, 9mm). The other colors and fibers are a range of wool, silk, and cotton and complement Mindy and Michael’s jewel-toned palette.
A snap from my design option boards sent to Mindy and Michael during the planning process.
Over the years, I’ve come to realize that the hanging rod can make or break the weaving. It’s important to know the intended shape, strategy for spacing or gaps within the weaving, the color of the wall beyond, and the weight of the weaving itself.
The majority of my commissions are done from across the country, meaning I am not there for install. This can present many problems, the largest being the transfer of responsibility to unpack and hang a weaving as if it wasn’t folded into a tight box to begin with. BUT, I’ve been very lucky to have clients that understand the importance of hanging and adjusting appropriately per what the weaving needs.
Mindy and Michael came up with a brilliant idea on how to hang this piece. They purchased these beautiful brass screws that they spaced per the warp loops into a painted wood piece that they would hang on their wall. Not only did this weaving weigh close to 20lbs, but the solution was the perfect way truly make the weaving an integral part of their space.
From there, I put together four sketches using this knowledge of proportion, sequencing, color palette, and texture.
Option 1A/1B explore delicately draped fibers and a more directional approach to the color patterning. Option 2A/2B explore draped sections of a weaving, incorporating a third “layer” in which I would weave separately and then overlay. This suggests the weaving continues through the gap. The color placement in these pieces was more of a random order and provided opportunities to break the symmetry. All of these options allow the same overarching concept to be implemented: the water meeting the shore. The stitch itself represents that fluidity and motion that happens when the water meets the land.
We landed on a combination of the two, keeping the communication open to refine as I continued weaving.
development \\
And so I weave...
I usually adhere to a strict 25% and 75% progress, where I share photos and more in-depth thoughts about the journey at those milestones, but the dialogue between Mindy and I from the start was so naturally fluid and aligned that we quickly started talking weekly about the progress.
After the first section was done, we discussed adding in more color on the second section to break the symmetry. At this point, I also refined the directional color move.
It took roughly one month of planning + setting up the foundation, and two months of weaving. I had my husband capture some lovely shots in our living room before wrapping it up to send to it’s final destination.
install \\
The package was set to arrive less than a week from when I had shipped it but like all things in 2020, we were in for a big hiccup. The package ended up sitting in the Post Office for an extra week. When it finally made it to Mindy and Michael, the fun began.
They waited until they could verify the dimensions before installing the board with the brass screws that would hold the weaving.
Shipping off this weaving to its lovely home was such a bittersweet moment. I was happy to have been able to create this piece for their home that they can enjoy for years to come!