Emily Archer, Feltmaker & Handmade Books
Leslie McCann, Quilter
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Works in Textiles by Emily Archer, Feltmaker:
“Feltmaking is the art of the nomad, a life defined by journey, sustained by beauty. For thousands of years, felt-makers have used the animal fibers at hand to partner the practical with the beautiful. I look not only to this ancient guild to mentor my craft, but to the wildflower nomads that drift and spangle the New England landscape.
That work often begins for me with the creating Word. A fine line of prose or poetry often inspires my feltmaking. So does the speech of birch, leaf, and bee. The span from text to textile is the breadth of a hand, as it translates such everyday eloquence into designs of fine merino wool and hand-dyed silk for personal wear, home, business, or sacred space.
A native of Atlanta, GA, I have made my home since 1990 in Mont Vernon, NH, with my husband and daughters, and make felt there in The Pod, home studio of Milkweed Arts.
“Endless returning … not farewell, but faring forth into the grace of transformed continuance … “
—Denise Levertov, “Relearning the Alphabet”
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Leslie McCann, Quilting
Email: lc_mccann@comcast.net
I have been making quilts since 1990, although my mother and I made a quilt together in 1978. I remember tracing around sandpaper templates and cutting out the shapes with scissors. Sadly my mother passed away in 1980 but I still have that old green and yellow quilt to remind me of a warmer time. Back then her cutting table was the ironing board and the only way to quilt was by hand. Quilting tools and techniques have come a long way since then, which has allowed the medium to explode in a frenzy of artistic expression.
Quilting for me combines color play, light and shadows, creating an emotional connection which speaks to the heart. My love of color – lots of color – is reflected in my designs, which run a riotous gamut from whimsical to traditional, from a baby’s first quilt to an elegant wall hanging. Many of the people who have asked for a quilt will point to a specific piece and say, “I want that”, but for me a picture or pattern is just a starting point. I have to make it my masterpiece before I let it go to becomes another’s treasure.
I have lived in Mont Vernon since 2000 with my husband and two wonderful children. I am blessed to have a supportive family who have given up on having a formal living room in order that I can have a studio big enough to support my artistic endeavors. Someday we plan to turn the attic into my studio, which will allow space for a longarm quilting machine. The future holds very colorful possibilities indeed!
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