WHERE COLOR, TEXTURE AND NATURAL FIBERS COME TOGETHER IN WOVEN GARMENTS.

My Background: I am from a family of creative seamstresses and I watched my mom and my grandmothers sew and quilt as I was growing up. I learned to sew at age ten and have been sewing since that time. I’ve made clothes, curtains, costumes and covers for anything that needed it. And many times that has been a rewarding, creative outlet for me.

As I neared retirement, I wanted to do more with textiles and I decided to pursue weaving. With weaving my own fabric, I could combine my sewing skills with material of my own design. I attended the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina to learn the basics of weaving on a floor loom. Subsequently, I attended classes in Michigan and Wisconsin and joined a weaver’s guild in Wisconsin. Most recently, I am working on dyeing my yarn to achieve the colors and variation I want. This, I believe, makes my garments truly unique.

I weave using natural fibers, mainly alpaca, mohair and wool from Merino, Corriedale and Romney sheep. For lighter garments, I weave with rayon and cotton. I have been fortunate to find many yarns from Wisconsin and other parts of the Midwest and also from individuals who hand dye natural fibers. Needless to say, I have shelf after shelf of yarn just waiting to go on some loom!
Combining sewing and weaving has allowed me to be creative in a new way. Once I have my loom warped, it is a great pleasure to see the colors and patterns take shape as I throw the shuttle, realizing that I’m very fortunate to be able to do something that is so much fun!

Artist Bio:

Ruth Manning is an artist living in Madison, Wisconsin. She maintains a daily practice of tapestry weaving in her studio and teaches students in conference, workshop, and private settings.

Artist Statement:

The field of fiber arts is vast and I’ve tried most aspects, but soon found myself drawn to hand-woven tapestry. There was an immediate attraction to the image-making possibilities of tapestry, a very specific type of language that no other art process can duplicate.

My tools are simple and I like that too; a frame loom, a variety of yarns, and a tapestry bobbin to tap them into place. I dye my yarns each summer to achieve the range of color I prefer to use.

During my life as an artist I became increasingly interested in the stories people could tell of their lives. I slip into the role of listener and observer to study their faces and gestures. Later at home I try to bring back some part of their character in my sketchbook. These are the seeds that grow into my hand-woven tapestries.

I also share my passion and expertise by teaching the art of tapestry. If you would like to learn more, please visit my website.

Helen’s Daughters Studio designs, creates and sews award-winning tapestry handbags, pocket books, totes, backpacks, and purses. The Helen’s Daughters handbag business started in 1989 between two sisters: Char, in Wisconsin, and Mariella, in Minnesota. Helen was our mother. The handbag business honors her and all that she taught us about being creative, loving life and having fun. Char and Mariella constantly search for unusual and sometimes limited fabrics and trims. Each sister has her own individual handbag style and creative designs. They participate in regional art fairs and shows. Helen’s Daughters Studio can custom-design handbags for any need or occasion. The handbags are plain to fancy, pretty to bold, and everyday to occasional – always useful. Their handbags have been carried at hundreds of weddings and proms, and some have traveled all over the world. They are collected and loved by young and old.

Helen’s Daughters Studio is open only by appointment.

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I am a self taught textile artist specializing in creating art using hand made felt. I use various felting techniques but my work is primarily wet felt which means the felt is created using hot water and friction. I am inspired landscapes with rolling hills and the beauty of the flowers in my garden. I was raised in near the Mississippi River where every landscape contains a patchwork of fields with shades of green and fabulous fall colors. The patterns of the fields often appear in my art. As a master gardener, I also find beauty in my garden. I create my images free hand before felting. The felting process softens and blends the images to create work that has been compared to pastels.