In Bonnie’s Studio

Equipment

I currently operate two looms— an 8 harness 48” Fireside named “Gary” after the maker Gary Swett and a 4 harness 32” Gilmore named “Grace” after the former owner, Grace Hossack.

Guarantee

I guarantee my work
100% for as long as I live.

Fibers

I work with cotton, rayon chenille, silk, and wool. Most recently I came upon some yarn made from Bamboo. I call it vegetarian silk as it feels (unbelievably) just like silk.

Scarves

I think of scarves as “sketches” for larger weavings and concepts. In the late 90s I fell into a pit of chenille and haven’t been able to climb out. I refer to chenille as “the pet you don’t have to feed”. Each scarf has a hand-braided fringe which takes as long to braid as the actual weaving process. Attention to detail is what makes my scarves (in addition to their unique design) so spectacular.

Blankets

If you asked me what I like to weave best, I would answer “blanket”. To create a large textile, equally functional and decorative, is the ultimate in weaving satisfaction for me.

Techniques

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Color Horoscope Weaving

During the late 70s, I searched to create a product that I would know exactly how much it would cost to make, how much time it would take to weave, and how much I could charge my client. I also wanted each weaving to be different, so I would never get bored weaving the same thing over and over again. I wanted this product to be too individual to be mass produced. The result was Color Horoscope Weaving.

I developed a method of translating an individual’s horoscope into color using a system of superimposing a color wheel over the horoscope. There are 360 degrees in a circle, 360 degrees in a horoscope, and 360 threads in each weaving. I use 12 colors (to represent each sign, house, and planet), and these colors combine to create over 5 billion color possibilities. Color Horoscope Weaving lends itself to any fiber, is equally striking as a scarf or a bedspread, and is the ultimate personal gift. (Satisfaction guaranteed)

Easy Ikat

The term “ikat” refers to an ancient technique in which yarn is tie-dyed into patterns before it is put on the loom and woven. This is a very time consuming process. First the design must be planned out and a cartoon made the size of the finished piece. Next the yarn lengths are counted out and placed over the cartoon. Then the sections of the design must be tied and the yarn dyed. The dye is blocked from the tied sections creating a design. If one is planning to use more than one color, the yarn must be un-tied, replaced on the cartoon and retied.

In Easy Ikat, I bypass the planning and cartoon stage. I tie and dye the yarn in skeins, put the skeins into balls, and use the ikat dyed balls combined with solid colors to count out the lengths (placing each length carefully to create a spontaneous design).

Words in Color

I developed a system of color and number correspondences with each letter of the alphabet. I found a book that had alphabet colors, but I changed them somewhat to suit my aesthetic. As for the numbers: A=1, B=2 and so on. This is a delightful method of producing a personalized textile.