sosumi weaving

handwoven textile design

About our work + who we are

We design and hand weave fashion items for the person and the home.

We weave our designs out of 100% bamboo.

Yes: bamboo.

When we begin work, we are working with bamboo yarn that has already been spun and dyed.  The yarn is created by a method similar to that used to create rayon from wood waste: the cellulose is plasticized, extruded into a fine filament, then spun into an extremely long-staple, very strong yarn.

Despite the bamboo plant's reputation for outstanding strength and toughness, bamboo in the form of yarn creates fabric of amazing softness and drape.  Our bamboo scarves, for instance, have the feel of a silk/cashmere blend, but only require the easy care of machine wash, machine dry.

I have been a weaver for over 50 years. I became interested in it when I was about 11 years old. I went with my mom to the D+D Building in New York to look at fabrics to upholster our new living room sofa and chairs. We stepped out of the elevator into a great white room lined with shelves of swatch books. From the minute I opened the first book I was hooked! Our furniture was covered in fabric designed by Jack Lenor Larsen and he became my idol. My mom had been a knitter and always had beautiful yarn which I loved. She was right-handed, I'm a leftie and found it difficult to learn knitting from her. Instead, when I was 17 years old, I took a one week weaving class in Vermont and 51 years later I'm still at it. I love working in color and my husband, Richard Davidson, and I try to push color combinations. Richard has been a craftsman for decades as well but it wasn't until about 2007 that he learned how to weave. We are the sole weavers in our business. All of the scarves are woven in-house here in western Wyoming at 6200'. We use bamboo fiber because it is silky soft and machine-washable/ dryable. Richard's loom has four harnesses so his scarves are the Africa design with the little "tails". I have an eight harness loom that allows me to weave the more complex weave structures and pretty soon I will have my sixteen harness dobby loom up and running to create even more complex structures.

 

 

          We produce the following items:

SCARVES

Our scarves tend to finish out at 9-10" wide, by about 72" long, not counting fringe.  We can make scarves to your custom dimensions.  There may be a reasonable upcharge for changes in size.  Our weave structures are known for their crisp, graphic appearance, many giving the illusion of a third dimension.  To say the least, we are not afraid of color.  Most of our scarves are priced at US$180.  Africa is US$200.  Wider designs--shawls and half-shawls--vary.

TABLE RUNNERS   :   THROWS

These are almost always custom orders to satisfy your specific requirements of size and color(s).  We can work from fabric swatches or paint swatches--even photos.  Let's talk.

QUILTS

Our quilts are contemporary in design.  They are (so far) king-size, with a pillow tuck (approx. 104" square).  The top skirts, sashing, and binding and back are cotton flannel.  The batting is cotton.  We invite you to design your own bespoke quilt: you decide on size, color(s), weave structure for an absolutely unique item for your home.  King-size quilts are priced at US$5500.  Contact for pricing on other sizes.

PILLOWS

Our pillows vary in design and colors. Please see our “pillows” page.

e-mail us at: sosumiweaving@gmail.com