Debbie Johnson, President of MN Basket Weavers Guild and Textile Center Shop Staff Member
Anyone who frequents Textile Center’s shop knows how passionate Debbie Johnson is about making. As President of the MN Basket Weavers since 2017, Debbie focuses her craft on functional weaving methods. “The really motiving factor for me is the process of harvesting natural material, repurposing it, and making things out of seemingly nothing. It’s like bringing nature in and reinventing it.”
“For me, I’m inspired by nature. My stepson says while other people go and buy chairs in stores, I go into the forest to collect materials to make one,” laughs Debbie. “I value and see beauty in so many different materials. I don’t walk in the woods and just see a tree, now I go for a walk in the woods and see weaving materials.”
Currently, Debbie is finishing a white oak basket weaving project she started during a retreat in Tennessee. “There’s a comfort to being nested under your own roof,” Debbie says, “The excitement for me now is to take the time – because I can – to finish my unfinished weaving projects.”
