1 of 3
Kate Koconis (Photo by Sarah Der)
2 of 3
Deep Sea Stack Woven Banner, 14 by 19 inches, 100% cotton, $85 (Photo courtesy Kate Koconis)
3 of 3
According to Koconis, weaving is a deeply personal art. (Photo by Sarah Der)
Who: Kate Koconis, Little Black Sheep Studio
What She Makes: Woven banners, wall hangings, mug rugs, wool blankets and table toppers
Fun Saying: “I can create the kind of world that I want, and I can make this world happy as I want it.” —Bob Ross
How She Got Started: Born and raised in Wisconsin, Kate Koconis found weaving while studying at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. One of her classes introduced her to the craft, and ever since then, she says, “I’ve been in love with it.”
Fifteen years later, she has found passion and purpose in the beauty and simplicity of her handwoven creations. Koconis now resides in Providence Forge, a rural area that she thinks fits well with her weaving, “because it forces you to slow down. It’s a very tedious, slow, repetitive process, and it really makes you focus and think.”
Design Philosophy: The quiet, open space and starlit skies provide inspiration for her weaving. “Life is made up of a lot of those quiet moments,” she says. “If you pass over them, you’ll look back at them and regret it.”
Though weaving has grown in popularity in recent years, Koconis was determined to find her own style. “In the last year or two, I’ve really started to hone in on what I really like making,” she adds, describing her approach as “clean modern designs using an old, traditional technique.”
The Process: The slower pace of life in rural Virginia dovetails with the meticulous process of weaving by hand. Koconis creates her handwoven products through a painstaking, regimented system. While others may find it tedious, Koconis finds meaning in the process itself.
The art of weaving is deeply personal. Koconis estimates that every inch of every thread is touched at least three or four times by her fingers. Minor alterations can have large impacts on the final product, making each piece unique.
She starts by picking a base color and making a warp, which she describes as a “base for your weaving.” She then strings the warp onto the loom, guiding each individual thread twice. Once the warp is attached, she begins weaving, thread by thread. All the while, Koconis is imagining new ideas for future projects.
“I get a lot of ideas when I’m making something,” she says. “The entire time while I’m warping and threading, I’m thinking in the back of my head” about new patterns and color schemes.
