I cut the red thread after sewing the cloth label onto the towel and exhale. I hold the towel up, fold it in thirds lengthwise, then in half and place on the stack with the other towels. The last label, the last towel. This collection of towels is now finished. I take a moment to […]
The uncommon magic of a handwoven kitchen towel: What I long to tell you
I was at a craft fair recently and over the course of three days, I heard several women comment, I’d wear that as a scarf, as they fingered a kitchen towel. I’ve heard this and similar comments frequently over the years. Even after all this time, I struggle to respond, feeling like it’s not okay […]
Can a tea towel reduce the crime rate?
In the 1990s the crime rate in New York City fell suddenly. Violent crime decreased in cities across the country as the crack trade declined, the economy recovered and the population aged. But these facts don’t explain why it fell so dramatically in NYC where the population was actually getting younger and the poorest neighborhoods […]
In praise of slow weaving
People often ask me how long it takes to weave a towel. The short answer is: I don’t know. I don’t weave one towel from start to finish and then weave the next one. It takes a long time to set up the loom, so I make a warp as long as possible, which with […]
Everyday soul-tingling
One day, a few years ago, when I was making a deposit at the bank, the teller, Cindy, asked me about my business name, “Whimsy & Tea.” We started talking about kitchen towels, so on my next visit to the bank, I brought some with me. She purchased one towel, then a second one, and […]
