Weaving the Tapestry of Life - Asheville Woman Combines Fiber Art with Thoughtful Remembrance

Andrea Williams, owner of Crystal River Weaving has designed a thoughtful way of remembering the lives of loved ones through her hand-woven Memorial Comforters. Many area funeral homes offer Williams comforters to families planning both traditional and non-traditional memorial services.

Asheville, NC December 8, 2004 - Andrea Williams believes that our cherished relationships are what make life so precious. The Asheville weaver and owner of Crystal River Weaving has designed a thoughtful remembrance to honor the lives of loved ones through her hand woven Memorial Comforters.

A licensed clinical psychologist, Williams understands the emotional turmoil that can ensue following the loss of a loved one. People have a real need for something tangible, something symbolic that celebrates and honors the life of a loved one, she says. I want my weaving to brighten their spirits while sustaining the memory of a life well-lived. Williams achieves this by using a proprietary process to permanently imprint a graphic (photo, text, or drawing) on to her handwoven fiber art.

Many area funeral homes offer Williams comforters as a memorial gift to families planning both traditional and non-traditional memorial services. Andreas weaving adds something special for those looking to personalize their loved ones service, says Dan Pottinger, manager of Wells Funeral Home in Waynesville. Her memorial comforters become a keepsake that can be displayed on a table or framed in a shadow box.

Williams is also committed to fostering the resurgence of western North Carolinas cottage weaving industry. Susan Leveille, a relative of Penland School of Crafts founder Lucy Morgan, introduced Williams to the Stecoah Valley Weavers in Robbinsville, who now help produce her inventory. The art of weaving has been restored by traditional weavers in the Appalachians, Williams says. They are the bedrock of this craft, and I am delighted to be working with such talented people.

Williams studied weaving at the Springwater Fiber Studio in Alexandria, Virginia and later earned a degree from the Professional Crafts Program at Haywood Community College in Clyde. Her work has won several awards, including the Handweavers Guild of America Award and first place at the Blue Ridge Handweaving Show.

The threads of love and friendship are the warp and weft of human life, she says. Through our Memorial Comforters, we are able to preserve those timeless emotions.

About Crystal River Weaving
Crystal River Weaving is based in Asheville, North Carolina. For more information about Andrea Williams and her Memorial Comforters, please visit her website www.crystalriverweaving.com or call (828) 298-3638.

Contact information
Andrea Williams
Crystal River Weaving
(828) 298-3638
www.crystalriverweaving.com

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