Pat Vinter
Scarves and shawls, placemats and kitchen towels, extra-large alpaca blankets. Came to weaving through a Norwegian grandmother who wove rag rugs.
My interest in weaving stems from my Norwegian grandmother, who was a rag-rug weaver. Participating in the warping of her loom as a child made me curious about the way fibers combined to make cloth. I started taking sewing classes at ten and took a part-time job in college working for a tailor, but found that my real interest was in the fibers, not the sewing.
Looking for a new approach to my love of fiber, I began weaving 25 years ago with a beginner course at the Danforth Museum School in Framingham. Since then I have gradually expanded my knowledge and my interests in creating with fiber.
Exchanging ideas and learning collaboratively pushes me to continue growing as a weaver.
Now, when I weave for someone, I think about what colors they would like, what textures would be just right, and what design would be meaningful to them. Weaving has become a way that I connect with people. It is a meaningful manifestation of who I am, and it gives me great joy to share my work with others.
The sense of belonging to a weaving community has been very important to me. Exchanging ideas and learning collaboratively pushes me to continue growing as a weaver. I am a member of the Weavers Guild of Boston, the Handweavers Guild of America and the SoWa Artist Guild.
