Perfecting a Craft: Fiber Arts

Earl Copple

 

 

Can you describe your journey with fiber arts? 
My father was weaving before I was born. As a child, I did small things to help him, so I probably started around 7 years old in 1958.

What types of products do you make and why do you gravitate toward those?  How have they evolved over time?
I make rugs or place mats. I really haven’t changed because what I am making is, to some degree, timeless. I tell people that I am making modern “antiques.”

 

 

How would you describe your style?
Classic rag rugs. My most common piece is made from a men’s dress shirt and an old sheet. I make the beginning and end pieces and the main body from the cut-up sheet. Near either end is a color bar, typically about four inches from the shirt. I offset those segments with a small color stripe specifically chosen to highlight the color of the sheet and the shirt.

Which piece has been the most challenging?
I was commissioned to make a bathroom rug of a specific dimension from “mop cotton”. I wove it and then washed it in hot water and it shrunk by about 20%! Duh… So, I took a large batch of mop cotton and pre-washed it to deal with the shrinkage and then wove a new rug. Older but wiser?

What do you love most about the work you do?
What’s the most challenging? I am confident that the rugs I make will last for many years! It pleases me to see my rug in a friend’s house that has been there for five years and still looks very good. In all honesty, the greatest challenge is in selling at a fair price when competing with Walmart products at roughly half the price.

What advice do you have for aspiring artisans?
Have patience. Producing a satisfactory product requires a learning curve, and you might have to grind your way through some tough spots. Do it and you will get that feeling of satisfaction with the finished item.

 

 

 

James McKissic

 

 

Can you describe your journey with fiber arts? 
I started working with fiber arts about seven years ago, but I think the seeds were planted much earlier. I grew up in a home where my mom sewed a lot of our clothes and costumes, so fabric, thread, and making things by hand were always around me. I knew the basics of sewing, but weaving was something I had always wanted to learn. I finally bought my first little frame loom just a couple of months before everything shut down during the pandemic. The timing couldn’t have been better. Suddenly, I had the time to really sit with it, teach myself, experiment, and figure out what I could do with yarn and a loom. Eventually, that little frame loom led to bigger looms, more complicated weaving, and a much deeper love for fiber.

What types of products do you make and why do you gravitate toward those?
I mostly create tapestries, wall hangings, and woven yardage – pieces that can be displayed and experienced almost like paintings or sculptures. I think I gravitate toward that kind of work because it gives me room to tell stories through color, texture, pattern, and materials. I love the idea that textiles can be both beautiful and carry meaning. Right now, I’m working on a quilt made from my late partner’s dashikis. It’s a very different kind of project for me, but it feels like a natural extension of where my work has been going. I’m taking clothing that holds memories of someone I loved and turning it into something new – something that can hold those memories in a different way.

 

 

Do you have any memorable moments from any of your projects?
One of the most memorable experiences for me has been being part of the ongoing statewide exhibition “Crafting Blackness: 100 Years of Black Craft in Tennessee.” I don’t think I’ll ever get over walking into the gallery and seeing my work exhibited in the same rooms as a sculpture by William Edmondson. He’s an artist I’ve admired for a long time and such an important trailblazer for Black artists, Southern artists, and self-taught artists. It’s an honor to be included among the generations of Black makers who came before me and be connected to the traditions we inherit, build on, and make our own. To have my work included as part of that larger story of Black craft in Tennessee was incredibly meaningful to me.

What is one misconception about fiber arts, and what do you want people to know about the craft?
There is a fiber art for everyone, you just have to find the one or two or three that resonate with you.

 

 

Michael Goodson

 

 

Can you describe your journey with fiber arts? 
I learned to sew in college when I was offered a job selling sewing machines, if I learned to sew. From there I made my sport coats, and later I sewed for my wife, daughter, and other family members. As my daughter grew, I was asked to provide costumes for many plays and regional theaters across the South. I was asked to reproduce two of the gowns from “Gone With the Wind” (GWTW) for a 60th anniversary fashion show in Atlanta – one of which was displayed in the Marietta GWTW Museum. From the museum connection, my wife and I became friends with many old Hollywood stars and fashion designers globally. After retiring from teaching nuclear chemistry, my wife and I, who were over our seniors’ program at church, started a quilting ministry for our seniors to pass on their quilting skills to the next generation. That project blossomed to a program where we make lap quilts for cancer and dialysis patients, the elderly in nursing homes, veterans, deployed active military around the world, and masks and surgical caps during the pandemic – whatever the Lord puts before us.

 

 

Do you have a favorite piece you’ve ever made?
From costuming, my favorite piece was when actress Morgan Brittany (who retired after the TV show “Dallas” to start her family and who played Scarlett O’Hara in three movies) asked me to make her favorite gown from GWTW – the red and white dressing gown where Rhett carries Scarlett up the stairs. All the other gowns I have reproduced – the burgundy gown, the green curtain gown, and the barbecue party dress – still exist (though in vaults now). I or others have been able to photograph and/or take measurements of those to recreate. The red dressing gown does not exist, so I had to reproduce that gown fully from photos only. I made that gown specifically for Morgan, to her measurements. It remained in the GWTW museum for two years, but Morgan has it displayed at her home now.

What is one misconception about fiber arts, and what do you want people to know about the craft?
It’s okay for men to sew, too. I tell guys all the time, “Sewing is just like when I do woodworking. It’s just another medium.”

What is your creative process?
I start with a general project in mind but actually let the fabric guide me. I may have an idea, but the fabric always says, “You want WHAT? I don’t think so!”

 

 

Kayvon Sadrabadi

 

 

Can you describe your journey with fiber arts?
My first exposure to rug weaving began when I visited my cousin in Yazd, Iran, as a child. Her family had set up a loom to keep her busy over the summer, and I remember being mesmerized as I watched her tie knots. Eventually, I tried tying a few myself and was fascinated by how those knots, combined over time, created patterns that told their own unique story. Iranian rugs are beloved for their quality, materials, and the masterful way color and design come together. Years later, after moving to the U.S. and eventually Chattanooga, I attended UTC while working at an oriental rug store called Massoud’s Persian Corner. Over the course of 12 years there, I gained formal training in weaving, cleaning, and restoring rugs. Those years, paired with my childhood memories, sparked a lifelong passion I still carry with me. My journey has continued to evolve – from learning every aspect of rug weaving to becoming deeply invested in education. Rug weaving in Iran has existed for thousands of years and is recognized worldwide for its excellence. Yet, due to geopolitical challenges, the industry is now in serious decline. Part of my mission has become sharing knowledge and promoting this art form to a new generation around the world.

 

 

What types of products do you make?
I make hand-knotted or hand-woven rugs. I gravitate toward rug restoration thanks to my time at the rug store. Understanding the many types of weaves, each requiring authentic repair methods, was a challenge. To bridge my own knowledge gaps, I spent three and a half years researching and ultimately wrote an eBook on identifying rugs by their weave. I also created a website dedicated to educating future rug enthusiasts (bofandeh.com). To demonstrate different weave structures, I wove numerous samples myself, which appear throughout the book.

 

 

Is there anything you’d like to add?
Working with your hands improves mental health, reduces stress, and engages the brain in a meaningful, multisensory way. It’s easy to lose yourself in the process for hours – much like meditation. In a world full of busy lives and constant noise, it is therapeutic to immerse yourself fully in creating something. Come on in – the water’s fine.

What is one misconception about fiber arts and what do you want people to know about the craft?
Fiber arts are not masculine or feminine – art is simply art. If it interests you, pursue it without hesitation. Don’t chase perfection; instead, pursue excellence and let the work guide you. There’s an old saying: “only God is perfect.” Every handwoven piece has its flaws, and those small nuances are often what give it character and charm. Our eyes naturally appreciate subtle variations.

 

 

Mike Ellis

 

 

Can you describe your journey with fiber arts?
At scout camp in 1998, a bunch of us first-years in troop #351 (The Purple Chickens) got together and started learning knots. We started with the reef knot and the bowline, and we made a game of it. Different colors of ropes were status symbols that showed off your knot tying prowess. You could challenge someone to tie a knot based on their rope color and the list we created, and if they could not tie it properly and explain its use, they went back down to the pink rope and had to work their way back up from the bottom of the list of knots. Nowadays, I enjoy learning new techniques with rope-making, braiding, weaving, and knot-tying.

 

 

What types of products do you make and why do you gravitate toward those?
My two favorite types of pieces to make are shepherd slings and ropes. The shepherd slings rabbit hole started eight years ago while I was teaching hunter education for sixth graders. My friend who was helping me with the class challenged me to a sling-off at the end of the course, and while I was preparing for that, I made my first sling. My mother-in-law crocheted the pouch, and it was very basic. I was seriously impressed with how well it worked, so I started researching how different cultures made slings throughout history. Slings from Peru and Bolivia are my favorite because of the braiding style and use of color. Nowadays, I mostly make them out of paracord because it’s incredibly durable and easier to do four-strand braids than 24-strand braids. Twisting rope is satisfying and useful. You can make your own rope using a tent stake and a power drill. I use the ropes I make as lanyards for name-badges, basic household tasks, and for ply-split braiding projects.

 

 

What do you love most about the work you do? What’s the most challenging?
I love giving projects as gifts. I love trying new things and learning new techniques. Currently, I’ve been using knotwork to make insects including dragonflies, bees, and ants. I like being able to choose what kind of experience I have while doing fiber arts: if I want to challenge myself, I can try an intricate weaving project. If I’m looking to relax I can make simple keychain lanyards.

What is one misconception about fiber arts, and what do you want people to know about the craft?
Many people tie their shoes wrong (granny knot). The granny knot is the weaker version of the reef (square) knot that most folks use to tie their shoes.