Lemony Fresh Etsy Seller: Nutfield Weaver

credit: NutfieldWeaver

Happy Wednesday, lemonheads! I hope your day is going swimmingly. Today I am SOOO excited to share a wonderful weaver with you, Kate of NutfieldWeaver on Etsy. NutfieldWeaver is our Lemony Fresh Etsy Seller this week. You are absolutely going to love the stunning beauty of Kate’s items. They are so wonderfully crafted and her pictures make each item she has in her shop just pop. I was also lucky enough to be able to interview Kate. She shared a bit about her Etsy journey with us today as well. So let’s get started!

Isn't the texture of the weave so beautiful and light? | credit: NutfieldWeaver

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started with weaving?

My first weaving projects were, as you may guess, potholders, made on the small, square, red looms that many of us had as children. I still have one of those potholders. I come from a family of weavers: my great-grandfather, Alexander Briggs, was a veteran of World War I. He returned from the war as an amputee (he lost a leg below the knee). To support his family, which eventually grew to include 8 children, he worked in the textile mills of Ontario. In my early 30s, as a mother of two very young boys, my husband got me a gift of 6 weaving classes at a small shop in Michigan, thinking that I might enjoy the occasional creative diversion. I was hooked instantly. I loved the entire weaving process – planning, measuring, warping, weaving – from the first go. I tell people that when I began weaving, it felt so familiar that it almost seemed that I had done it before. I found a second-hand table loom and have been weaving ever since (more than 10 years). Now I work on a LeClerc floor loom.

credit: NutfieldWeaver

What are your favorite things about making your lovely pieces?

It is still a magical thing for me to see those first few picks of thread (and I use very fine threads — less than fingering weight) turn into cloth on the loom, so that is a favorite thing. I love the rhythm of weaving – treadle, throw, beat, repeat… I really like designing new patterns to use the fabric. Sometimes this is a frustrating process — there are many clunkers and misfires (and I practice my designs on scrap fabric before cutting into the lace) but I am trying to learn that mistakes can be viewed as opportunities to push you onto a different creative path. Finally, it is a really nice feeling to know that one of my items might chosen by a bride or her family to be used at her wedding. I love chatting with these young ladies. They’re so full of excitement and enthusiasm and hope for their futures. It is such a privilege to have my work selected to be part of such a significant celebration.

credit: NutfieldWeaver

What made you want to turn your art into a business?

Family members and friends encouraged me to try selling my handwovens. I’ve made lots of things over the years – christening blankets and bonnets, shawls, liturgical vestments, utilitarian pieces for the kitchen, formal table linens. I first tried getting my work into a local artisan fair and was turned down by the director. A friend suggested eBay, which somehow didn’t appeal to me, and then I found Etsy. I listed 3 sets of dishtowels (which were very nice, I might add) and basically floundered for about 3-4 months trying to find my niche. I started my wedding line with a few lace lavender scented sachets, which I also gave to relatives, friends, and teachers for Christmas. It just kind of grew from there. (It was a long, cold winter in New Hampshire this year, so I had a couple of months to weave and to think!) I sold my first ring pillow in April 2009. While I’ve been a member of Etsy since November 2008, it wasn’t until spring 2009 that I really found my place in the Etsy community. And Etsy is a great community! People are so supportive and encouraging of each other. I’ve made connections with lovely people from all over the world (Etsy sellers and buyers) and feel grateful to have done so.

credit: NutfieldWeaver

I hope you love Kate and her work as much as I do. I am lucky enough to have one of Kate’s sachets. Let me tell you that her weaving is more beautiful in person that even in the pictures. I wam blown away by her work. Visit her Etsy shop at NutfieldWeaver.etsy.com. I bet you will like her work as much as I do!