About
The work . . .
As an artist, my convictions lie deeply within the Natural World around me, and I am forever thinking about how best I can integrate these natural resources into my designs. I source materials from unexpected places that inspire and bring character into each product I make.
The studio . . .
Each piece has a life of its own . . . all are designed and
crafted here in my studio, newly located in the community of Montville, Maine . . .
After dedicating 20 years to designing, manufacturing, and selling hats all over the globe, I now carefully craft each article in my studio, using a diversity of sustainable and organic fabrics, upcycled and local leathers and hides, and other resources from our local Fibershed. It is not unusual for me to meet with local sheep farmers, even to attend and assist with sheep shearings, to purchase some of their wool; or to visit the naturally colored cotton fields in Capay Valley, where I procure beautiful yarn and fabrics that grow in the field in their natural colors of brown and green.
The Connection . . .
. . . branches on the forest floor become buttons; sheep wool becomes hats; hides become coveted clutches; scrap leather destined for the landfill are transformed into whimsical pouches. Connecting you with our Natural World through the items I make. Visit with me at any of the events I attend or
send me an email — always love to hear from you.
Check out this past blog post from Fibershed to learn more about me and my work . . . Fibershed blog
More to share . . .
Honoring our ancestors . . .Hetty Anderson, my great grandmother, was a hat maker . . .
I can trace my past from a lineage of accomplished artists. My great grandmother, Hetty Anderson, was a hat maker in Ventura, California in the 1890's. She was my mother's mother's mother! I discovered this after I started making hats in my Sausalito studio over thirty years ago. I continue to honor the artists of my heritage.
Pictured here is Hetty Anderson in front, with her eldest daughter Mina behind her.
Carol Frechette's great grandmother Hetty Anderson was a hat maker in Ventura in the late 1800's
Fall here in Maine . . .
the seasons, they be a changing . . .