My interest in Native American arts and crafts, particularly Northwest basketry, led me to basket making. I wanted to understand and better appreciate what went into making a basket, from gathering and processing natural fibers, to styling, and forming the basket. The logical course, it seemed to me, was to learn how to make baskets.
I took my first classes in the mid-’00 with Kim Black and Margaret Mathewson. I was taught full-turn twining by Kay Harradine.
I enjoy working with natural materials, but twining has become my passion. I use full-turn twining to create cylindrical baskets in the style of Wasco (Sally, Wa’paas) bags. I create original designs and weave exclusively with wool yarns. As a non-Native weaver, I work to respect Native American designs and basketry traditions while drawing inspiration from them.
I live in Vancouver, WA, and I am active in the Columbia Basin Basketry Guild (www.basketryguild.org). I teach classes through the guild as well as privately.
