made in wnc

from generation to generation, and it can focus on thrifty ways to use up scraps of things. “Material from curtains can turn into a skirt, and material from a skirt can turn into a quilt,” she said. “It’s like telling stories with each of these little bits, and we are incorporating that in a new way with a nod to traditional basketry and Appalachian tradition. This technique of finding ways to form vessels using what we have feels close to home.”

The rope used in The Mountain Thread Company’s baskets is unique. Lile said she went on a hunt for the perfect rope for her baskets and nothing was quite right. After learning more about rope and its fiber content and construction, she learned different types of rope are very industry-specific. She reached out to a continued on next page