Barbara Holloway

Color and comfort are very important elements in my life, work and world. I am a hand weaver of wearables, living and working on the high desert plateau in Galisteo, New Mexico.

I am very influenced by the subtle natural colors that surround me and dazzled by the array of brilliantly hued yarns that adorn the shelving of my studio. I weave predominantly with plant fibers; rayon, cotton, bamboo and tencel, occasionally diverting off into the luxurious softness of alpaca. My criteria for my fabrics is that they must feel wonderfully comforting next to the skin and they must be composed of gorgeous color combinations that would make you walk across a room to see them closer. My clothing designs are easy to wear, easy care, comfortable, flattering and distinctive. I want my clothing to travel the world and be a great accent for the client’s existing wardrobe.

Currently, I weave three different fabrics. I weave a four-harness Blockweave fabric in thirteen colorways each composed of 5-6 base colors with at least 5 more accent colors. This fabric is woven with rayon chenille, cotton and rayon boucle yarn. It is very soft and drapey but has enough body to hold a jacket style. It is great for any season but hot summer, then it feels great in air conditioning! I also weave a lighter weight fabric in a 4-harness Huck Lace weave structure using cotton, rayon, bamboo and tencel yarns. This is a wonderfully random fabric, each colorway comprised of many different colors and textures. My third fabric is also a rayon chenille, cotton and boucle combination but the weave structure is a 2-harness tabby on a solid black warp. On this “canvas”, I love to explore the infinite varieties of the stripe. I never tire of the multiple combinations of color and dimension.

I love to weave. My body craves the rhythmic motion. I began weaving after years of sewing with a desire to go further in depth in clothing design by creating my own fabric. I’ve been weaving since the early 1970′s and in that time have experimented with innumerable yarns, weave structures and applications. The hands-on process of hand weaving creates my design inspiration. During the many hours spent throwing the shuttle back and forth, I am constantly thinking of and visualizing the next pieces I will weave. I believe that the craft of hand weaving can fascinate a devotee for a lifetime with it’s infinite ways to combine color and texture.

Barbara Holloway
barbaraholloway.com

Barbara Holloway Gallery