What is Up North?

I have found a deep love and appreciation for the art of handweaving through my four years at UW-Madison. My senior thesis collection, What is Up North?, is an exploration into Wisconsin culture and nature. The collection includes garments constructed from seven yards of handwoven cotton twill and leather accessories that all pay homage to the “traditional” day-to-day garb of Wisconsinites. I also draw inspiration from the imagery of Wisconsin’s animals and a human’s relationship with them. Part of my collection reflects the notion that every natural thing—plants, animals, or people—all come from the same Earth, and one day, we will all belong to the same dirt. Handweaving my own fabric allowed me to meditate over each pick of yarn and conceive a textile representative of my home state. With everything it is, and everything it isn’t, Wisconsin is still home, and Up North is whatever you make of it.