FAQ’s
What materials are these pieces made of?
Frame: Pine, Red Oak, Walnut or Whitewood.
Weaving: 100% sustainably grown cotton or humanely harvested sheep’s wool.
What kinds of dyes are used?
Depending on the material in question, acid or fiber reactive dyes.
Are these pieces treated with anything?
Each piece is treated with a special mixture that gives an extra layer of protection against disintegration.
How can you clean this?
You may use a small handheld vacuum to remove dust or a small handheld duster would work too. For pieces made of wool, extra care should be given as to not felt the art.
What is your current turnaround time?
At this moment, agreed upon commission based pieces are available to ship between 3-8 weeks. This is largely dependent upon the size of the artwork and overall complexity, in addition to the artist’s current backlog or commission workload.
Where can I find examples of some of your custom pieces?
You may find some examples on the main landing page, just look for the banner “Recent Projects”. Or, you can click the Kate Bigham logo in the left corner to be redirected.
Process*
While each piece is unique, they almost all begin construction in the same way.
This is not a canvas that materials are wrapped around. Each piece is woven atop a custom built wooden frame. These frames are constructed of either pine, red oak or whitewood and are fit with hooks or screws on the inside. Each screw is utilized as a lever for the materials to be woven around.
Once Kate constructs the framing, each frame is sanded and either stained or painted.
The materials chosen to make the woven art are then measured and dyed by hand using acid or fiber reactive dyes. Each piece is unique and both wool and cotton have incredibly special characteristics.
After the materials are dyed and the framing is completed, the weaving begins. For projects made on a commission basis, Kate provides the client with sketches and color swatches prior to beginning. For all other endeavors, Kate does not create sketches.
*Overly simplified process