Blog

"Mumps" September 2024 We have four kinds of squirrels that visit our yard: gray squirrels, the native Douglas squirrel, chipmunks, and the California ground squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi), who we’ve dubbed “Mumps” for obvious reasons. Mumps is a burrower and...

Open-cockpit biplane ride July 2024 An open-cockpit biplane ride – something my husband has always wanted to do. We finally did it! https://www.nwplanerides.com/ Usually the pilot flies out of a tiny airport on the coast, but we scheduled before he left his home...

Oolong June 2024 Oolong—my latest piece. It was inspired by a historic Japanese earthenware tea jar that was displayed with a cover held in place with decorative cords. Oolong is ply-split with artist-made linen cords. The dark blue cords are made of rayon. My focus...

Autumn Beauty November 2023 As a weaver, I really appreciate the productivity and the precision of spiders’ work. It truly is amazing. On damp days, their webs stand out, begging to be photographed and admired. Meanwhile, in autumn our sunrises are spectacular— beyond...

Textiles & Tea October 2023 It was a pleasure to be interviewed by Kathi Grupp on Handweavers Guild of America’s Textiles & Tea, October 3. We chatted about my work and some particular pieces. Have a look!...

Samples & Starts October 2023 We weavers are accustomed to sampling for a major project, although I freely admit to winging it much of the time. I have found that sampling is also a valuable step in ply-splitting to see if an idea will work, or to see if there are...

Minus Tide September 2023 Minus low tides are magical (ones that are lower than average). So much is revealed that is usually under water. Just about every tidal creature is visible. My favorites are starfish—beautiful colors, and it’s fascinating to see them...

Farmers' Market August 2023 If you love fresh food, is there anything better than a summer farmers’ market? Here in the Willamette Valley over 200 different crops are grown, many of which are food. Right now berries and cherries are in season, peaches and nectarines...

Around Home July 2023 We live in a wonderful area. Each day brings something unique to observe. We’ve seen rainbows at sunset from our deck, looking east. One day a southern alligator lizard (native to the US Pacific coast) appeared in our front yard. I love the...

Ply-Split Peruvian Designs June 2023 World renown fiber artist, Rodrick Owen, introduced me to loop twining in 2015. I never quite got the hang of it, but as I worked on a beginner’s sample, I realized that it could be ply-split. It was quite a revelation and...

Oregon Coast May 2023 Words are hard to find to describe the beauty of the Oregon coast. Usually images show gorgeous vistas of beach, sea, and sky, but beauty can also be found in looking closely at patterns on the beach. Waves, as they recede, create wonderful...

Takadai April 2023 Takadai weaving on the diagonal is fascinating. Each group of threads on a bobbin acts as a warp and, in turn, a weft. The rhythm of creating the shed with the hand, casting a bobbin through, and beating by hand is soothing, as is the gentle...