Amy Ashdown

Winslow & Co.

What’s your story?

I’ve always been drawn to simple pattern and design.  As early as 13 years old I spent many hours exploring pattern and design with tiny glass and ceramic beads.  Symmetrical sketches on graph paper were transformed to little pouches and bracelets via a bead loom.   This was it!  I had found my craft.  My mother ordered some business cards, and I even sold a bead bracelet and a few pouches. 

By the time I was 16, my mother thought it would be nice for me to take an official art class at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY.  Naturally, she chose the weaving/fiber arts course.   Though I had hoped to take ceramics, it ended up being an amazing experience!  I learned everything from block printing and silk screening on fabric using the studio dyes, to weaving a large wall hanging with hand-dyed fiber (designed after one of my bead bracelets).  As it turned out, this first time using a loom would also be the last time I would weave for many years.  My focus shifted to other art classes and ultimately photography became my passion in college. 

The next twenty-two years were filled with homeschooling my seven children and tending a growing family homestead, including raising sheep.   During these busy years, I continued to learn other fiber arts (sewing, quilting, and knitting) incorporating patterns and designs from various cultures.  I also ventured into mosaic work using glass and ceramic tile, drawing inspiration from fiber arts designs.

It was about four years ago, that I was reintroduced to traditional weaving on a floor loom like the one I had learned on many years before.  I had now entered a season of my life where I could focus on weaving.  My little Leclerc table loom that my husband found at a garage sale came out of storage, and I started taking some basic classes and purchasing my own fiber and books.   I began researching and experimenting with different patterns, designs, and fibers.   Colored sketches on graph paper were transformed into dishtowels, scarves, and pillow covers.  Many mistakes were made and valuable lessons learned, but my appreciation for this ancient craft grew.

During the quarantine of 2020, I purchased an 8-harness floor loom and simultaneously started my Instagram account.  It was exciting for me to blend my passion for photography with my love for these crafts.  As I still experiment and learn, my appreciation for simple pattern and design continues to grow, and thankfully, my creative journey continues.