Eva Klee

Weaving dreams into reality

• The loom allows Eva to create her own world
• The simplicity of a pattern leaves her space for creativity
• A leap of faith turned weaving into a profession for her

It was at the tender age of 11, that Eva learned the invaluable foundations of weaving with her mother’s guidance, subsequently taking over her mother’s loom altogether. The loom had woven its magic, leading her to Southern Germany, where for three years, she honed her weaving skills further through the teachings of a master weaver. Years later, she opened her own studio in Amsterdam, after taking a leap of faith and converting her weaving passion into a livelihood. She remembers the first time she received a commission to weave a tablecloth with matching napkins. It gave her the most wonderful feeling, "it was so special and such an honour." Besides her own creations such as tea towels, serviettes and scarves, she works on commissions.

Interview

©KLEE handwoven

©KLEE handwoven

Why did you choose this craft?

I make textiles through weaving and design, it fulfils my need to create. I decorated my child’s room with fabric and yarns – it is a way of creating my own world. I like the combination of mathematical precision and creative freedom that’s specific to the weaving process.

Have you mastered any specific techniques?

Linen weaving is unlike other types of weaving because of the structure of the wax fibre. I use old-fashioned manual techniques and I create samples on the loom instead of the computer. It gives me more freedom for design and by producing simple patterns I can play with colour.

What do you love most about your profession?

That I’m good enough to be able to play. I love the beauty you can create with hand-dyed yarns, for example, that have a natural appearance, compared to mass produced yarn. I also love the shades of possibility to create fabric that is smooth, rough or shiny.

What aspect of your craft is often unknown to people?

That it takes more time to prepare the loom than it does to weave the fabric. It can take two days to prepare the loom properly. Preparation afterwards is also time consuming, depending on the type of material, as it needs to be washed and dried which also takes time.

Eva Klee is a master artisan: she began her career in 1991 and she started teaching in 2016

Works

©KLEE handwoven

©KLEE handwoven

©KLEE handwoven

©KLEE handwoven

Where

Experiences

Introduction to hand weaving in Amsterdam

1 Day

105 EUR per person