August 2018 Spotlight on an awesome artist!

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Working with independent artist is one of our favorite parts of our business. Deb Essen of DJE Handwovens holds a special place in our hearts. Deb makes absolutely fantastic weaving kits for looms of all types, from rigid heddle to 8 shafts. She even designs the completely adorable Swatch Critter Kitsfor the Schacht Zoom Loom. We got the chance to ask Deb some questions about her process and are happy to share her answers with you!

What was your journey to becoming a weaver?When I was about 9 years old and attended a St Lucia Day celebration at our church. There was a lady who was demonstrating spinning and weaving and I was absolutely fascinated. Fast forward to 1993 and we decided to move to Montana from Minneapolis. I still hadn’t learned to spin or

weave and I was more than a little nervous that I wouldn’t be able to find teachers in Montana. So I jumped in with both feet and took two spinning classes, a rigid heddle class and a floor loom class at the Minnesota Weavers Guild within one year. Little did I know at the time, turned out that where I live in Montana you can’t swing a purse without hitting a fiber artist! (I knew the place felt right!)Where do you draw inspiration from for new kits and projects?I take a lot of color inspiration from photographs of nature/landscapes—magazine photos, photos shared on Facebook (very helpful). I like to offer a variety of weave structures so I’ll create a series of samples in yarns that work with the design idea and play with combinations to see what sings to me. Sometimes, inspiration comes from conversations with yarns of “what do you want to be?”

How do you plan out your kits? Do you start with a sketch or start from the yarn?Generally speaking, an idea will pop into my head (usually when I’m winding warps for kit orders) and I’ll do a quick draft on my computer to play with the idea and design. Then I have a “discussion” with the yarns that I feel will play well in the design. Sampling ensues to find successful combinations of color and design.Is there an element of owning your own business that you particularly enjoy?The idea of designing weaving kits rattled around in my brain for years—literally. When I finally took the plunge in 2010, my first show was Convergence in Albuquerque, NM. I found out that I LOVE interacting with other weavers, bringing new weavers into “the fold” and delight in seeing the finished pieces made from my kits. It makes my heart sing and there aren’t many jobs out there that make me say that!Read more questions and answers with Deb Essen on our blog.

Click here to read the rest of the interview!

We really love all of Deb Essen's weaving kits. If you haven't checked them out before here are some of our favorites:

Zoom Loom Swatch Critter Kit - Turtle

$30.00

Zoom Loom Swatch Critter Kit - Teddy Bear

$44.00

Harmonious Huck Scarf Kits

$50.00

Thank You for Being My Friend Scarf Kit

$66.00

DJE Anthology Infinity Scarf Kit$68.00

DJE Handwovens Chasing Rainbows Napkin Kit

$66.00