Beacon is Woven Into Swannanoa Valley History
byTo coincide with the release of Rebecca Williams’ documentary Blanket Town, about the Beacon Blankets Mill in Swannanoa, the Swannanoa Valley Museum & History…
Fiber
Studious Textiles Go Many Fathoms Deep
byTextile artist Amy Putansu says her earliest “fiber memory” is watching her fisherman father using a knotted netting technique to knit heads for his…
Chair Maker Doesn’t Take the “Life as Art” Idea Sitting Down
by“Art isn’t just the stuff we make,” declares Pedro Esqueda. “It’s our whole life.” He’s proof positive of that, as his work expands into…
Traveling Makers Take Wing for the Festival Season
byThere’s something about the official onset of summer that prompts local revelers to step up their costume game, ascending stilts in sweeping Stevie Nicks-esque…
Designer Slows Fashion Down to the Speed of Rust
byGigi Reneé is the owner of the clothing boutique Vintage Moon Modern in downtown Asheville, and a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild….
Tradition is Breeze-Tested at the Appalachian Women’s Museum
byWhere do quilts hang out today? If you’re a collector, either of antique-patterned or free-form modern quilts, you’ve probably got your favorite specimens displayed…
Spring Forward by Learning Your Denim Terminology
byT.S. Eliot said, “April is the cruelest month,” and we assume he was talking about tax deadlines or late snowstorms. But maybe the poet…
This Studio is to Dye for
byAfter running her business from a warehouse full of shared makers’ spaces, Jessica Kaufman, a woman with a knack for teaching crafts and a…
Quilting Expert Got Her Start by Pairing Barbecue with a Side of Law
by“People would come into my store and order a custom quilt,” recalls Kari Morton. “Then they’d come back in six weeks to pick it…
Felter’s Fake Animal Heads Look so Alive that Real Dogs Attack Them
byHaley Nocik studied at Sante Fe University of Art and Design, concentrating on oil painting. But she dropped out to do animal-conservation work in…