Textiles
Lauren collaborates with fiber producers to source materials that she makes into yarns, which she either uses in their natural colors or dyes with natural materials. She then works these yarns into one of a kind textiles. Lauren works by private commission and releases small collections of yarns and textiles seasonally. Below are examples of previous works.
Handspun silk yarns, milled silk yarns, handspun cashmere yarns, bombyx mori silk top, and baby alpaca yarns. The silk and cashmere yarns were dyed with cochineal. The alpaca yarns and bombyx mori silk top were dyed with marigolds.
This shawl is completely handspun, handdyed, and handwoven. It is a celebration of natural materials and colors. The grey and white are Finn and Cormo fibers. The Finn wool was grown by Oscar, a ram from Heidi Quist’s farm in Minnesota. The Cormo is was grown by a ewe in Geof Ruppert’s flock in Maryland. The yellow fibers are silk and superfine kid mohair dyed with marigolds grown in by me. The superfine kid mohair is from Lin Schwider of The Pines Farm in Washington state.
Organic, naturally colored cotton from Sally Fox in the Capay Valley of California and handspun fibers from Mary Pettis-Sarley’s farm in Napa, California. The blues and peaches were created with indigo, madder and quebracho red dyes on organic cotton from West Texas.
Research and Development
Lauren works with fiber producers and companies to explore the potential of their materials. Drawing on her studio work as well as my years of analyzing and examining historic textiles, she creates yarns and swatches for research and development and proof of concept samples.
Every project to create or consult, begins with a literature review and many house of handwork and sampling.
Opening the locks for processing.
Carding fiber for spinning.
Spinning.
Handspun yarns from the fleeces of Kiira and Silvo, two Gotland x Finn sheep from Prairie Willows Farm.
Washed locks, flicked locks, and spun yarn from a Rupperts Cormo fleece.
Sampling handspun yarns in woven structures.
Weaving a scarf with handspun yarns in natural colors.
Colors
Indigo flower, the beginning of a new vat for dyeing.
Handspun Cormo yarns that were dyed with indigo.
Handspun yarns in and madder and cochineal dye pot.
A range of yarns dyed with cochineal.