RALEIGH -- The sunlit room is the kind of space that's somehow primed for creation.
There's an old loom in one corner and a mannequin half-draped in yarn, and reams of fabric line the wall: all traces of fiber art in progress.
This is Gabrielle Duggan's kitchen, the de facto meeting space of the Common Seam Collective, fiber artists who hope to lead a resurgence of textile art and design in the Triangle. The group, which has five members, three in Raleigh and two out of state, doesn't have a formal space to gather but meets monthly to discuss their work, exhibition plans and ideas.
Collective member Liz Morrison, whose work focuses on the flexibility of fabric and hand-knitting and pigment techniques, works in New York, and Meghan Holliday, who concentrates in woven fabrics and contemporary weaving methods, works in Winston-Salem.
On this warm afternoon, fresh-cut pears, cheddar chipotle cranberry cheese, dark chocolate and homemade tea adorn their meeting table. Local members Duggan, Shelley Smith and Amy Quinn chat while working on excerpts of a process that will eventually become finished art.
Duggan hand-seeds cotton she grew for an upcoming piece. Smith sews a small purple silk dress she designed, reminiscent of one she used to wear as a child. Quinn's sketchbook is out; a hand-dyed dress she made rests on her lap.
Each member specializes in a different fiber method, but their foundation is N.C. State University's College of Design.
Smith's focus is found where old forms of textile production end and new ways of fabric design begin. The Raleigh native uses memories and ideas of tradition as inspiration for her pieces, which are typically sculptural rather than wearable.
"I feel like often people abandon old traditions when new technology comes along," she says. "I feel like there's a lot that's really special when you meet in the middle."
Duggan, originally from Buffalo, N.Y., stresses the natural and social origins and implications of fabric production. Trained in spinning and weaving, Duggan says exploring ideas of identity and images of garment wearers is central to her work.
"I'm interested in the image, what role clothing plays in that," she says. "The idea of spinning being a woman's work: What does that mean, socially? ... Consuming clothing is something we don't think about."
The intricacies in design, particularly in dyeing, are at the heart of Quinn's art. The Fort Lauderdale native designs apparel and incorporates hand-woven pieces into her hand-dyed work. She has about 150 homemade dye recipes for fabric and is continually tweaking ingredients to create new shades.
"I see a creation as a reflection of myself being created," Quinn says. "I think about how I can control the process all the way through."
Process is a centerpiece for the collective. Members spend most of their time grooming the process and perfecting their skills, but also learn from one another.
"The whole point of having a group is to interact with other people," Quinn says. "If we didn't have this group, we'd be floating off."
"It's like an obsession for me as far as process goes," Duggan says. "I try to grab every skill."
The textile and fiber connection to larger themes in the environment and pop culture underpins the group's work and provides inspiration for exploration and examination.
"We all just appreciate making something well," Duggan says. "We're wondering what our relationship is between the art and craft and design."
The role of fiber in the art world has changed as women's roles have become more fluid. Historically seen not as art but as a domestic mainstay, fiber work has come to be accepted as fine art along with painting and pottery.
"It's become a choice, not something that you're expected to do because you're of the female gender," says Vita Plume, associate professor of art and design at N.C. State's College of Art and Design.
But there is still a gap in fiber art awareness.
"The whole feminism movement within the art world allowed other mediums such as textile to be valued in the art world," Plume says. "Both of them have come around to help this younger generation because their work is accepted and they have a huge interest in doing it. The timing is right."
The group is working on finding a permanent space to meet and host workshops and exhibits to teach other artists and the community about their work. Renewing fiber traditions, particularly in textile-rich North Carolina, is important as methods like spinning and weaving are practiced less, they say.
"We have that history, but there seemed to be a gap; there aren't groups like this that we know of," Duggan says.
Common Seam hosted Fibra Vitae, a textile show at the Visual Art Exchange downtown in November.
The show was one of the first fiber-based exhibits showcasing the relationship between technology and art. The group is planning a show in November at the Southeast Center for Contemporary Art in Winston-Salem.
"I think people are going back to these artisanal craft methods," says Rachel Berry, who helped organize the show at Visual Art Exchange. "In North Carolina specifically - we're a big fiber state - I think it's natural that ... these women would want to celebrate our state's heritage in textiles."
