Cowee Textiles and Millinery Studio is located in the Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center in Franklin N.C. The goal of owner Teresa Bouchonnet is to teach textile art from the basic fiber to finished products. Teresa is a fourth-generation textile artist accomplished in many styles of textile arts, most recently, Millinery, or hat making. She started weaving in grade school, helping her dad in his weaving shed, and her passion for the craft has taken her around the world in pursuit of knowledge.
Visitors to Cowee Textiles can view multiple looms set up so that first time weavers can weave a rug, table runner, or coaster for a low fee. Children are welcomed to learn the process of taking raw wool all the way to finished clothing. Teresa will spin the wool and show clothes that have been made on the looms. She can also expand upon the dye plants she grows and explain the many ways to dye wool, silk, cotton, and linen using plants found in the area. You can set up a day or week to take spinning, inkle, tablet, and rigid heddle weaving lessons or learn to setup and weave on a floor loom. They offer one on one or small group lessons at the studio with an abundance of research material, tools and an instructor that makes learning fun.
Available for purchase are locally made weaving stick kits, handwoven cards, and custom handmade hats using traditional blocking skills. Customized couture special event hats from the derby to weddings are available. Also available are wool felt hats, many with handwoven hatbands, in different sizes and colors, as well as specially designed inkle looms, and more.
Open most days or evenings, based on students
