A Conversation with Susan Gaire About the Tapestry Interest Group at Local Cloth

On March 29, 2026, I chatted with Susan Gaire about the Tapestry Interest Group at Local Cloth. Their newly completed project had drawn my attention at the Local Cloth Studio in the River Arts District.

Susan led me through the group’s inspiration, her participation in organizing the project, and the group’s collaborative interactions in completing the work. Susan is highly energetic and enthusiastic about the tapestry project.

Blue Ridge Mountain Collaborative Tapestry Postcard

Location: Local Cloth, Asheville, NC March 17, 2025

Weavers from left to right:

Susan Gaire, Stephanie Lyons, Madeleine Hairrell, Betty Hilton-Nash, Susan Gaire, Kathy DeOrnellas, Anne Burg, Kathy Dennison, Jennifer Zia, Jaqueline Fay

Size: 7’ x 3’

Materials: warp: cotton seine twine, weft: wool, silk, assorted fibers.

First, Susan Gaire showed me the folder she created for this project. She had collected photos of a project in which the same city view was photographed at different times. Slices of the images were extracted and reassembled so that, from left to right, a progression from day to night could be seen. One common element in their composition is the water-land interface.

The tapestry project was also highly influenced by another tapestry artist collaboration, The Murmuration Collaboration.

The Murmuration Collaboration

Susan Gaire showed me the foldout page from the Murmuration catalog publication.

We live in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina, which provided the next major influence for the textile interest group project.

The group worked on colored-pencil renditions of a beautiful photograph of the mountains at sunset and chose three strong ridgelines to act as the continuity thread between the individual contributions of the tapestry members.

From there, full-size strips matching the actual dimensions of the individual contributions were drawn, and the three ridgelines were penciled in. They were cut out and handed to each of the participants. Betty Winters is shown holding her pattern piece.

Individuals created sketches and small samples containing the yarns to be used so they could compare them for compatibility. You can see that the textile group collaborators have strong talent in coloring and drawing the mockups.

A deadline was set for April 2026, and they went to work.

Handwork Circle: Project #3

We are working on a 3rd collaborative project now. However, for review, I present the first two projects: Project #1 was lost to Helene and mud, but recovered; project #2 was never recovered.

Project #1. Susette Shiver, Carolyne Morrison, Ceil Jensen, Katya Krenov-Hoke, Paddy Lynch, Rebecca Norris, Tori Masaki, Silk, cotton, felted wool, miscellaneous items.

Project #1

Project # 2 Tori Masaki, Susette Shiver, Katya Krenov-Hoke, Paddy Lynch, Ceil Jensen, Rebecca Norris, Mary Kelley. Japanese kimono fabrics, sashiko, silk, cotton, Temari balls.

Project #2

Kathleen Lewis started the next project and we choose a theme from our experiences at Local Cloth of from the Helene hurricane of 2024: before, just after/during, and after.

Kathleen Lewis passed this project beginning to Martha Brandon. cotton, photo-transfer to fabric images.

Kathleen Lewis started the project by creating a linen background with photos transferred onto fabric and a dark-colored center.

Martha Brandon had to think awhile about what her contribution might be, but she followed Kathleen Lewis’s beginning brilliantly.

Martha Brandon’s contribution centered on the top of the piece: cards from Local Cloth vendors who lost inventory during Hurricane Helene, along with elements of thread, weaving, surface design, and photo transfer.

List of participants:

1 Kathleen Lewis done

2 Martha Brandon done

4 Katya Krenov-Hoke done

5 Tina Hvitfeldt done

6 Ceil Jensen working on project

7 Judi Jetson

8 Linda Hayward

9 Rebecca Norris

10 Susette Shiver

I’ll keep you all posted!

Katya Krenov-Hoke added the tree and then the fallen tree. This reflected an event she and her husband endured when the tree fell on their house. When the house was built, they had carefully preserved the beautiful tree, only to have it topple over a few years later during the heavy rains and hurricane winds.

Christina Hvitfeldt’s contribution was a phoenix rising out of the oval cloth rubble.