Learning to weave, teaching others, taking workshops, weaving production for a weaver/designer, showing my own work in galleries---with our move to Whidbey Island Washington in 2005, I now have the opportunity to offer my handwoven and hand braided items for sale on a regular basis.
I have been weaving for over 30 years; for over 20 years I have used a 
computer-assisted hand weaver’s loom, which allows me to weave basic to very complex patterns using cotton, wool, alpaca, linen, silk and rayon. Currently my scarves and shawls are reversible creating a dark and light side giving the wearer two options.
Choosing the weave structure, the colors and the textures are the beginning of the cloth; I enjoy watching the pattern develop as I treadle the loom, throw the shuttle and beat the thread into place. Each item I weave is unique yet connected to all the weavers who have come before me since humans
first began to interlace threads.
Braiding in Japan, called Kumihimo (ku-me-he-mo), developed into a highly sophisticated art form about 1200 years ago. My Japanese stands, called dai (dye), are made by my husband, Dave Saunders, for our Internet business BraidersHand. They are based on the traditional Japanese braiding stands first developed about 500 years ago.
Beginning in the 12th century, braids were primarily used to lace together Samurai armor and to wrap sword handles. Today we see kumihimo used traditionally to make obijime (o-bee-gee-may), which is the belt that goes over the obi (o-bee, the wide belt) on the traditional kimono. Contemporary uses of braids are as barrettes, on cell
phones, purses, jewelry, in the tea ceremony or as closures for clothing, among other things. My bracelets incorporate ribbon, yarn, traditional Japanese kumihimo silk and glass beads.
The act of braiding is a meditative exercise and an opportunity to create small studies in color and texture based on the world around me. I find that adding beads to braids enhances both the beads and the braids. I use whatever piques my interest, especially silk, ribbons, metallic threads, cotton, linen, and rayon.