A juried member of the Kentucky Craft Marketing Program
and the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen.
Won "Best Overall Booth Design" Award
for Kentucky Crafted: The Market in Louisville, KY in March, 2005.
My name is Fox Hutt and I am a fiber artist and owner of Lacetree Weaving. My
studio is in my country home which overlooks my garden and a scenic pond on 70-acres, which my husband, Steve,
and I have named Turtle Island Farm and Gardens.
I have always been attracted to art with a function. I create colorful hand-woven rag rugs, table runners, pillows,
and a variety of handbags in unique designs. Each piece is created by hand from beginning to end. All my work is
"one of a kind" and is made from high quality, durable materials.
I have been weaving since I was a child. I started weaving potholders in 6th grade and sold them to rasie money
to buy a transistor radio. Over 20 years ago I apprenticed with a professional weaver and learned to weave
using strips of wool cloth.
Though wool fabric is more costly, I prefer it because it packs more tightly than cotton or synthetic fabric strips. In my experience, a rag rug, table runner, pillow or handbag made with wool strips will last much longer and is easier to keep clean than one made with other types of fabric. The wool tends to resist dirt and stains, although many of the pieces can be washed in a washing machine.
While weaving on a beautiful spring day many years ago, I looked out my window and admired the emerging silvery leaves of a white poplar tree. It looked like an elaborately woven piece of lace. The word "lacetree" came to mind and I chose to use the name for my newly emerging weaving business.
My work is woven on a 36" Nilus LeClerc floor loom. To begin, I must prepare the warp on my loom, which takes from a couple of hours to most of the day to wind and tie-on the warp, depending on which, and how many pieces I will be weaving. There are 12 warp threads per inch and each thread must be individually tied. Each piece is designed individually, making the most of the colors and texture of the fabrics I will use, using variations of several main designs. I then weave a stabilizing header, using the cotton warp thread. Using 1-inch strips of wool cloth, which I have cut ahead of time, I then weave the body of the piece, using rows and inlays, which are laid in one at a time. The fringes of the rag rugs and the table rugs are hand-tied. The handbags are individually hand-constructed.
Rag Rugs and Table Rugs - Care as for wool clothing. Dry clean or hand wash with a mild detergent like Woolite or with care, machine wash, gentle cycle with a mild detergent like Woolite. Line dry - do not use a clothes dryer.
"Rag Bag" Shoulder Bags, Chenille Shoulder Bags and Pillows - Spot clean with water and a mild detergent like Woolite and rinse. Air dry - do not use a clothes dryer.