Butterfly Rug

Strip Weaving
2022

21x 36 inches, composed of 3 separate 8-inch-wide strips

Because of the limitations of the loom (I could only weave 8-inch-wide pieces), I had to come up with a design that integrates 3 separate strips.

Inspired by natural history museum collections, I started gathering all sorts of visual references relating to the environment and eventually narrowed my focus to butterflies, and more specifically, their wings. Some butterflies have wings that seem composed of strips, each with a similar, but unique pattern. These patterns inspired my designs and worked perfectly with the strip weaving technique. In the final rug, I used multiple colors to represent one color, just as butterfly wings display a staggering array of colors that merge into a single hue. I used a tapestry hatching technique to blend the colors and obscure the borders. Once each strip was woven I attached them together to create the final rug.

Design process: