When in her early twenties and looking for a creative outlet, Rebekah took up spinning. Rebekah enjoyed it immensely but after a year or two she had an enormous stash of handspun yarns and . . . nothing to do with them. Rebekah didn’t knit or crochet or do anything involving yarn. Eventually she took a weaving class just so she could justify continuing to spin. After the first class it was all over for her; weaving was officially the path her life had been waiting to take.
Over the years Rebekah has learned to knit and crochet and while she continue to spin, weaving has remained her true love. So filled with joy, Rebekah says “I wake up every morning and think, I get to go to work today!”
Rebekah has over 20 years experience creating usable and wearable works of art. Her studio is located uptown in the Victorian seaport of Port Townsend, Washington, where she focuses on the transformation of fiber to fabric. While spinning, dyeing, and weaving all take place at the studio, her emphasis is primarily on weaving and the exploration of color.
Most recently Rebekah has become enthralled with temari, the Japanese art of ball-making. These are ornaments created by wrapping successively smaller diameters of string and thread around a core and then adding an embroidered design to the surface. Rebekah finds it a very satisfying form of recycling as she can use loom waste for the core and much of the wrapping. Traditionally, the Japanese recycled scraps of kimono or rice hulls for the core.
Rebekah can be found most Saturdays, April through October, at the Port Townsend Farmers Market ; her garments and textiles for the home can be found at galleries and fine boutiques around the country. she lives within sight of the Straits of Juan de Fuca with her husband and numerous offspring.
THREE STRANDS HANDWOVENS
Three Strands textiles for the home are woven from 100% cotton or a linen/cotton combination. A certain percentage of the yarns are purchased or salvaged mill ends, thereby preventing many pounds of fiber and cones from entering landfills every year. Each hand-finished piece is of heirloom quality but sturdy enough to be thrown in the washer and dryer.
Three Strands garments are woven from a combination of cotton, silk, wool, and hemp and often feature handspun, hand-painted yarn. Each piece is hand finished with half-fell seams.
Three Strands Handwovens has a “use it all up” policy. Greeting cards are created from fabric scraps and temari from thrums and waste yarn. Each card and ornament is guaranteed one-of-a-kind.
