"Plum Island"

Claudia Mills

"My first priority is to create a well-designed piece, a functioning floor covering - a product showcasing both beauty and durability."

Claudia Mills began her artistic career with a childhood fascination with designing clothes. Initially using novelty fabrics, she began weaving with large bright prints, lurex, ripstop nylon, and plaids. Her explorations with so many different fabrics led to her weaving her first rag rugs in 1985. She loves the mathematical rigor and tactile diversity of weaving.

For the last two decades, Mills has adapted traditional rag rug craft to her own contemporary aesthetic. As a designer, she tries to strike a balance between color, texture, and pattern in each rug. Interlacing colored yarns and strips of fabric create infinitely variable possibilities for color and textural effects. Inspiration comes in many forms, but foremost is the fabric itself.