VD: So how do you intuitively
approach your artwork and design
your pieces? Your collages are eclectic
and vintage, yet speak to the current
trends of ‘bespoke’ and handmade.
KA: I love it when sewing friends
give me a handful of pieces from
their scrap bin. It’s a challenge to
incorporate them. With my collages,
I remember the origin of the
different pieces and it’s nice to recall
those stories. Often, I tear up prints
and use the scraps as elements in a
collage. I also block print my own
fabric, dye threads and incorporate
scrap quilts, vintage American denim
workwear, Japanese fabrics, pieces
of old woven ribbons or belts, and
other bits of fabric that come my
way.
VD: I can tell you love what you do and
have a passion for making something
out of nothing.
KA: I enjoy the process of fi guring
out the pieces and putting them
together in a way that makes sense.
The process of problem solving is a
puzzle, and I love knowing how the
materials in my world work and fi t
together. So whether I’m arranging
fi ve scraps of fabric into a collage, or
helping my husband fi gure out how
to reconfi gure a load-bearing wall
in the dining room, the process is
quite similar. For each, I determine
the problem statement, perform the
mental gymnastics to arrange and
rearrange the possible solutions,
assemble the pieces needed, and
then go about putting the pieces
together to complete the task.
Opposite page: Three examples of hand-
work from Kristin's “100 Days” projects.
Top: Boro stitching on denim.
Right: Boro stitching on hand printed and
Asian textiles.