Fiber Arts
Inez Attemark's spinning wheel
The tools we use bear our stories. In this blog post, Mathilde Yakymets-Lind writes about a well-loved spinning wheel they saw in Sweden and shares the story of Inez Attemark and her relationship with this wheel.
A Brief History of Looms: From Weaver-Controlled to Loom-Controlled
Loom technology has changed drastically over time, from completely hand-operated to modern and mechanized. In this blog post, Josie Cooke wonders: which weaving tools make the most sense for her craft?
Hej from Sweden!
As weaver Josie Cooke traveled through Sweden, a set of questions guided her journey. How did people make textiles long ago? What does it mean to continue these crafts? And what will her contribution to the story of textiles be?
The delight is in the details
In the dark of winter, craft brings unexpected color. In this blog post, Mathilde Yakymets-Lind writes about the braids, bands, and mobiles they found on their trip to Sweden.
Sprang: The Ancient Technique for Creating Stretchy Fabric
Was there such a thing as stretchy fabric before synthetic materials? There was! Sprang is an ancient technique for creating elastic cloth. In this blog post, Sharon Wichman writes about this once-forgotten fiber art.
Recreating the Egtved Bog Shirt
Craft is a way to connect to traditions that have been passed on for generations. In this blog post, Josie Cooke writes about recreating a historic garment known as the “bog shirt.”
Meet Mathilde Frances Lind
Meet Mathilde Frances Lind: a folklorist, textile artist, and member of the Artisan Development Program! In this blog post, Mathilde writes about their travels, research, and their goal of recreating historic Eastern European fabrics.
Making Japanese Sukumo Indigo Vats for North House, Unplugged 2025
This fall, Kenta Watanabe (Japan) taught sukumo indigo dyeing at North House. But in order for class to happen, someone local had to prepare the dye vats. In this blog post, Jazmin Hicks-Dahl shares the process she used to carefully prepare the living dye for class.
Meet Josie Cooke
Meet Josie Cooke! In her first blog post as a Resident Artisan, Josie writes about the Slow Fashion Movement, and her work creating locally sourced, ecologically friendly, and ethically produced textiles.
North House and the World Shibori Network Foundation Partner to Host Kenta Watanabe at Unplugged 2025
Unplugged returns this fall, and we're honored to announce Kenta Watanabe, an indigo farmer and dyer from Tokushima, Japan, will be joining as one of our 2025 Featured International Instructors!