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ABOUT

I see my world in patterns. I discovered weaving in college and never looked back. It is important that I honor the tradition of weaving by keeping the focus on the pattern. My color placement accentuates the pattern and never obscures it.  Taking a traditional weave draft & modifying it to create a pattern with curves or diamond shapes where there were none is another design challenge I love. My inspiration comes from architecture, nature, and menswear. Weaving speaks to my soul and allows me the freedom to create as I see my world.

Weaving is a slow Zen-like process, allowing my ideas to expand as the fabric is growing. I use my fabrics as others use paints & inks, seeing them as the source material for making my artistic statements. My collages begin with a societal issue such as climate change, pollution, racism, social injustice and inequality, or the purely artistic desire to create a kaleidoscopic experience for the viewer.  Disrupting the natural order of the fabric by cutting into it to create something new is simultaneously exhilarating and scary.  When finished, I achieve a kaleidoscope of intersecting designs and patterns.  Like a pointillist painter, my pieces delight from afar yet reveal new intricacies upon closer inspection. 

All my wearables are handwoven with sustainable alpaca, bamboo & silk yarns that create surprisingly lightweight items with an exquisite drape & hand. I use 2 AVL Compu-Dobby looms to create my fabrics. Most pieces are woven with very fine yarns that produce a luxurious fabric that feels scrumptious, doesn’t wrinkle and drapes smoothly around your body.

My artwork is created by upcycling fabric swatches and samples from my wearable warps.  I use fabrics as other artists use paints or inks, combining different patterns and colors into a kaleidoscopic piece.  Several of my collages are inspired by my concern for our planet’s health, something that the fashion industry has been guilty of damaging for quite a while.  Others reflect elements of nature or everyday life images.

As much as I enjoy weaving, I also enjoy sharing my passion and knowledge with anyone interested in the process.  As an Associate Professor in a Fashion Design program, I taught young designers about woven structures, CAD design, and marketing.  It’s important to me that weaving remains vibrant and vital to future generations and doesn’t become a ‘lost art’. 

I welcome any questions regarding weaving, fabric care and sustainability – feel free to contact me! 

Check out these videos
to see all the steps involved in
hand weaving my fabrics.

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Follow me on Instagram @constancewcollins

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