Constance Collins

"I see my world in patterns. As a child, I drew patterns while others sketched their pets or family. My eyes recognize patterns in everything from nature to buildings to menswear. Crisply defined patterns are the foundation of my work. Designing my color runs in my warps to complement the pattern is a puzzle and requires many iterations before I am pleased with the final placement of each yarn."

Constance's artistic expression contains three elements: pattern, color and texture. She became a weaver because it requires all of these. Architecture is a major inspiration for her patterns and designs because of its precision and angularity. The interplay between colors intrigues her and its impact is critical in her fabric design. Her textiles' textures add a dimensional component to our lives.

Constance modifies traditional weaves and strategically integrates colorful warps to create new fabrics featuring ovals and other shapes uncommon to conventional weaving. Most pieces are reversible. Each one is handwoven in ultra-fine eco-friendly alpaca, bamboo, and silk yarns that create up to 1000 interlacings per square inch of fabric.

Constance's Fine Arts Degree from Indiana University is in Woven and Constructed Textiles. Then she developed her artistic expression while honing her craftsmanship to an expert level. In Chicago, she did production handweaving, making fabrics for Henredon and others. As an Associate Professor in Fashion Design at the Illinois Institute of Art, she taught woven fabric design using a CAD program.