Weaving a dream

Janet Wallace of Barefoot Handweaving always has a new artistic vision to share

Janet Wallace loves her work, and it shows. —

Photo courtesy Barefoot Handweaving

Janet Wallace has been weaving for 32 years, so she has had some time to perfect her craft. After selling her products at fairs for several years she opened Weaver's Corner in 1995, then in 2002 her husband, Ted Wallace, built a straw bale structure in Crawford Bay, that became the home of her current place of business—Barefoot Handweaving. There she has two other weavers who bring in items on consignment, and two seamstresses who work alongside her.

“There are four wooden hand looms of various sizes and complexity,” said Wallace. “This is where I weave the fabric while customers watch and ask questions. The entire back wall is dedicated to colourful yarn, cotton, silk, bamboo, wool and mohair. Many people come in for a regular colour fix.”

The perfect setting

Wallace's creations take various forms, from twisted shawls to ponchos and jackets—even tea towels and handbags of different shapes and sizes. Her husband is the local high school art teacher (also teaching adult workshops), whose paintings can be seen on the 10-foot-high straw walls.

Crawford Bay is an ideal location for an artisan to set up shop. Having dreamt of living amidst peaceful lakeside surroundings, Wallace was more than enthused to build her life as a businesswoman there.

“We fell in love with Kootenay Lake in the mid '70s and moved in 1981, just as Kootenay Forge was begun,” she said. "North Woven Broom Co. came next and when an opportunity came to lease a space, we jumped and haven’t looked back."

A family environment

While the bookkeeping aspect can sometimes be a chore for this creative soul, she continues to learn the ins and outs of that area as well. Her pride still centres on her art form, however, and the family and friends that she surrounds herself with on a regular basis.

"I’ve made great friends through this business," she said. "All our children have worked here. My husband is the builder and artist as well as the local art teacher. My mother has woven with me and still knits our mitts, and my father builds me great toys, like my winder and the model Moyie in the shop. I look forward to teaching our new grandchildren how to weave."

Inspired by her neighbours

Wallace has been inspired by the other artisans she's met in the course of her business operation. She's woven glass rods from Breathless Glass, broom corn from North Woven Broom Co. (which turned into a unique set of window shades that used Kootenay Forge hardware and a FireWorks copper enamel pull), earning her recognition from several architects who saw her locally-sourced products and were impressed enough to purchase them.

One thing is certain—Barefoot Handweaving has a bright future filled with new innovations and products, and we look forward to seeing what Wallace and her team come up with next.