Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Hannah Hobbs. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hannah, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I first learned how to weave when I started at Threadbender Textiles. Our studio is for all fiber arts, with an emphasis on weaving and sewing. Weaving is one of the oldest fiber arts in the world! The experienced weavers and wonderful women Monica and Allyson taught me how to warp (setting up the looms), the intricacies of weaving, and how to fix any problems that arise. While each individual step is not difficult, weaving and learning take a tremendous amount of patience.

Our studio focuses on teaching neurodivergent adults textile skills and creates a positive community for them. Part of my learning was to also understand their needs. Each one of our students are full of creative energy that just needs to be guided. Much like weaving, I learned that patience and gentleness is key.

Hannah, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have always had an interest in fiber arts through sewing, knitting, crocheting, and other crafts. When I first arrived at the studio, I was blown away at all the creativity that was shown here. The storefront is filled with products that were carefully created by neurodivergent adults, ranging from apparel like scarves or shawls, to home decor such as table runners or wall art, to practical items such as our best sellers- 100% cotton handwoven kitchen towels.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

With our studio, my role is to set the looms up for the students to work on. Not only is this a technical role, but I also listen to what the students want to make. Seeing our neurodivergent adults work hard on a project and able to over come the obstacles has been the most rewarding experience at Threadbender Textiles. We have a few experienced weavers among our students who have been learning new and complex patterns! Amber, Heather, and David have all graduated to complicated designs, forcing me to have to learn alongside them. I love to see how proud they are of their work, and rightfully so.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Our students thrive on positive reinforcement from their achievements. I believe that all the encouragement they receive is genuine, so I would say that the best support would be to share and credit their art. Our studio is small, and sometimes struggles with having a small customer base, however they people who do know about us are huge supporters. Learning about new avenues of fiber arts is what drew me to Threadbender Textiles, and if more people knew about our studio I believe that more artists would want to join as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://threadbendertextiles.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threadbendertextiles/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threadbendertextiles