Episode #31: DIY Woven Art’s Rachel Denbow
In today’s episode Vickie kicks things off with lifestyle blogger and Author of DIY Woven Art, Rachel Denbow. Rachel’s a creative skills teacher, weaver, and home decor expert. She’s been featured in HGTV Magazine, Apartment Therapy, Design Sponge, and writes regular features for A Beautiful Mess.
Vickie’d never met Rachel before this interview, but within minutes she felt like she was chatting with an old friend from the craft industry. They talked about her evolving aesthetic, her urge to create daily, what she does to feel connected with other makers, and what it’s like balancing a creative career with a family and home life.
This episode is sponsored by:
CRAFT*ish Listeners get 10% off from MakersMercantile.com!
Use code: VICKIE10 at checkout!
Show Notes:
Rachel Denbow is a fiber artist and creative skills teacher with a background in teaching English as a second language and over ten years of experience as a lifestyle blogger and maker. She has written over a dozen project and skill based e-courses over the years with her most recent classes being “Sew With Us” and “Everyday Photography: 52 Weeks of Documenting Life”. She regularly contributes weaving, sewing, and home decor tutorials to A Beautiful Mess and has worked as a freelance contributor with Glidden Paint, Shutterfly, and Ace Hardware. Her work has been published both online and in print with HGTV magazine, Bob Vila, BUST, Design*Sponge, Apartment Therapy, NYLON, Babble, CRAFT, Curbly, Ladies’ Home Journal, and Handwoven.
Her recently published book, “DIY Woven Art:Inspiration and Instruction for Handmade Wall Hangings, Rugs, Pillows, and More!”, marries traditional frame loom weaving techniques with modern color stories to create bespoke home decor and has been a best seller on Amazon. She also teaches the class “Intro to Weaving” on Skillshare and is currently working on a video tutorial series for beginning and Intermediate weavers. You can find exclusively designed frame looms and tool kits as well as fiber packs and weaving kits in her shop as well as her own woven work.
Rachel will resume her popular weaving workshops across the country in 2017 while continuing to seek out that elusive work/life balance with her husband and three kids from her home studio in Springfield, Missouri.
ENTER TO WIN a copy of Rachel’s book, DIY Woven Art!
To enter, post a comment about what you do to feel connected to the maker community. All entries must be received by 10pmCT on February 1, 2017.
UPDATE: Winner is…Heidi. Congratulations!
Links:
Rachel Denbow for A Beautiful Mess
Smile and Wave on Instagram: @smileandwave
Mentioned in the Show:
A Beautiful Mess
Credits:
Produced by: Vickie Howell
Edited & Mixed by: Dave Campbell
Music Provided by: Explosions in the Sky
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24 Responses to “Episode #31: DIY Woven Art’s Rachel Denbow”
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Beautiful book cover! Feeling a connection to other makers is so important. I belong to a couple of local FB makers groups. We support each other and help with tips and tricks. No criticism. I love this work. Great colors.
To stay connected to other crafters I am part of several FB groups as well share my own projects with friends and family. I am lucky enough to have the support of others which makes a great difference.
I bought a weaving loom from a second hand store and it has a half way completed project in it. It is a beautiful work of art but I would have no idea on how to finish it. So I’ve been debating on trying to finish it or take it off and try to start something new. Your work looks so amazing and I would live to find out more info on how to create something similar.
I am in charge of “Crafty Work Days” at my church for Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Ministry. I get women in my church and in the community to come together to make crafts of all kinds to put in the shoeboxes for children all over the world. I love it!!
I grew up around crafters and I continue to feel connected by encouraging the creative side of others. I have helped two others learn to knit and enjoyable my multimedia painting nieces now.
I feel connected when I am in the wonderful groups that share the same interests as me. I love weaving and would love to see new things to make, which looks like this book would be awesome to have for more ideas. Thank you for the chance to win one.
I think it is very important to connect with other makers! I started a knit and crochet club at my local library! I also connect through social media! I feel very inspired by other makers as well! I want to learn every aspect of creating with yarn!!
Love to try new things beautiful book. Ty Gale
So love seeing what others comenup with, ways to make mine bettter. Feeling pride that homemade is getting bigger and that such a large community has come together to support each other. That is another thing I love about this how people make every effort to help each other, support others and lift other’s work. Just a beautiful thing and a blessing to be a part of. Looming is something I would love to learn and the wall hangings are just beautiful.
I feel connected to the Pittsburgh maker community by attending small yarn shows such as The Indie Knit and Spin, coming up February 25 by the way.
I feel connected when I visit my local yarn and craft store Park Avenue Yarns in League City, TX. I have become friends with the owner because of our shared love of knitting and crochet, yarn and crafts in general. I love talking with my Mom and friends who also love crafting and sharing ideas with them.
Excited to see this!! That style of work is so dreamy! For me, staying connected is sharing with others in my FB community of crafter’s. Sharing ideas, positive thoughts and positive criticism…just telling someone how much you like their work can leave a warm and happy heart!
What a wonderful episode. Every time I make anything, and also when I listen to podcasts like this, I feel connected to all the makers now and through the ages. Thank you, Vickie, as always.
Some of the things I do to connect to other creative people is checking out Pinterest and IG, watching Vickie’s Monday Facebook Live and listening to CRAFT*ish podcast while I knit or crochet. 🙂
Weaving would be another cool way to use fibers!
I’m in many fb crafty type groups. My passion is crocheting but I have learned new things with it and have started making dreamcatchers recently. Have been curious about this type of craft and would love to win a book to find out more info on how to properly do it 🙂 🙂 <3 the pictures of your creations for this book that I'm able to see on here 🙂
i stay connected by emaling, posting everyone and everywhere the different craft ideas i learned that day. From classes to webcasts to conferences, there is always something unique out there. Keep crafting
I started weaving about a year ago, and I fell in love with it. I also sew and embellish with a embellishing sewing machine. Love putting all the techniques together. Love this book. Have watched Vickie since she was on TV. Still do.
This year my goal {turning 40 in a little over a week}, is to feel confident enought to call myself a maker. This week’s podcast brought it home, I am connecting with makers through this podcast {which I recently found and listen to when I walk my dog}, through the process of crochet {just learned} and other online forums {craftsy}. I am taking two trips this year {Bali and Morroco} to take solo vacations that are centered around craft. The process of becoming a maker is making me feel more connected to my family and my life. I’m learning and it’s good.
I’m an Art and Craft head of department for three schools , camps and sleep away summer camp programs for over forty years. I have done almost every type of craft you could imagine,and am an avid crochet and knit enthusiast. However; I have never done weaving, except for a craft called spider weaving which I learned on vacation on Sanibel Island about thirty years ago and have long since misplaced the instructions!
I love Vicky’s podcasts and would love to see many more diverse craft podcasts in the future. I would love to have this book to explore this new world of weaving and give it a prominent home on my bookshelf.
I love getting inspiration from crafting podcasts (like Craft-ish) and interacting with other makers on instagram
I stay connected to the maker community through facebook groups, instagram, podcasts, and local groups and my fiber guild. I also love going to local art shows to meet other makers nearby!
I love following people on Instagram to get inspired. Listening to podcasts make me feel that I can make an on-line store work and inspire me to get my art out there.
I have crafted my entire life and keep up with everyone on facebook, pinterest and all over the web! Crafting is just in my genes and makes me a happy girl 🙂
What a special idea!Good diy project.