This Spotlights honors one of our members as part of our 75th Anniversary Celebration.
- by sandy mclain hochmuth
Billie has been a guild member since 2014; she’s our Hospitality Coordinator (and as you know, that role suits her beautifully). Our website front page and our Facebook main page both feature her gloriously colored work.
Billie McKee, speaking in her own words, beneath the photo.
“I’ve been weaving for about 20 years (gone by in a flash)! I’ve always loved beautiful hand woven things, but I NEVER imagined that I could create them myself. My daughter brought me a hand woven ruana from Ireland; of course I wore it, I loved it! A stranger asked if I wove it. I said “no”, but I would if I only knew how. That stranger introduced me to the weaving class at the Flint Institute of Arts. WOW! I flew down THAT rabbit hole. Color and texture…my two favorite things!! All wrapped up on one beautiful piece of furniture called a loom.
Just before my move from Michigan to Wheaton, I met Kathleen Blake at a workshop. She told me about Illinois Prairie Weavers, then Ellen sealed the deal after I reached out on a weaving Facebook page. I moved to Wheaton during summer break — I could hardly wait for September when I could attend my very first guild meeting. An actual meeting. With rules, board members, famous people teaching workshops and kind caring wonderful fellow weavers. What’s not to love about weaving?!?
Color and texture…I say it again. My most favorite things in the world. I must admit, I hate correcting threading errors and I’m not terribly fond of pastel colors. No pink or blue baby blanket shower gifts from me. No way. Never!
What I do with what I weave….good question. I really enjoyed selling at Art Shows. Making money was nice, but having people appreciate your work was amazing. I loved to hear people’s stories. A lovely lady bought a shawl I had woven that finished rather short. The lovely lady said it was perfect for her tiny Japanese pen pal that she had been exchanging gifts with for 55 years. How cool is that! So many stories.
Nowadays, I weave whatever I feel like. Most of the time, I don’t know what I’m weaving until it speaks to me when it comes off the loom. I have a pile of things that are yet to make their voices heard.
I love giving things away. Leaving garden veggies wrapped in handwoven towels on my neighbor’s porch, taking off a poncho and giving it to an admirer. Once, I emptied my handwoven purse into the store’s grocery bag so I could give it to the bagger who was smitten with it. Don’t call me generous, don’t call me foolish. I just like to share my work and make people smile.”
Illinois Prairie Weavers Guild 