Heather Arps

Textile: Quilts, hand knitted items

Harpswear Textiles
430 Old Homestead Rd
Tel: 360.468.3163

+My studio is not opened to the public at this time.

Etsy Shop

As a self taught textile artisan, I am drawn to rich saturated color and visual texture. Consequently, recognizing and creating bold harmonies of colors and textures has been an inspiration I have pursued most of my life. I work intuitively to create pieces using wool or fabric that are both beautiful and useful.

From a very early age I have been fascinated with the act of manipulating various materials into a beautiful form with practical use. Even though I still enjoy the feel of working with good wool in my hands, these days I spend my studio time making quilts. Beginning a new project is like opening a box of chocolates; the way an idea develops in cloth from various bits into a whole is delightful and often surprising.

At this point in my life quilting and knitting are a necessary tonic to my hospice and elder care work. In my studio I am free step out of the normal routine of life and follow my heart. I make quilts and knitted items as gifts or for donations, and also for to sell. You can see some of my work in my ETSY shop.

In 2018 one of my quilts joined a group exhibit at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, TX, and it was also featured in an international exhibit in Chicago the following year. That piece was headed to a quilt festival at Long Beach last July when the pandemic changed plans for so many.

My quilts are an expression of joy, hope and the beauty of the natural world around us. I see them as functional art. Although fabric looks solid, anyone working in this medium knows it is not! So, my time spent in the studio is always a lesson in life... how to listen, when to push, and when to follow.