Today we’d like to introduce you to Jess Wrobel.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Textiles and fiber work has been as integral to my life story as my DNA. I learned a love for many handcrafts at a very tender age from my grandmother, a textile worker in the Lowell Mills. We bonded making things together. I regret not knowing whether or not she enjoyed the process of making or did it for necessity: she died before I had the maturity or life experience to ask that question. Times were truly different. Our part of the world has become dominated by the prepackaged, instant, and disposable. We’ve lost touch with the value of the time, tenacity, skill, and will of pieces made by hand. Change is inevitable and is usually for the good, but there is value in the Old Ways and I see the shift as more and more people are coming to the same conclusion and a rebalancing is in the works.
I make because I can’t not. I worked in the wedding industry for 18 years, but I never stopped knitting, sewing, creating. When it was clear that it was time for a professional and life change, I knew textiles were my next direction, but it was a “Deer in the headlights” moment and I floundered for a few years trying to get vision and footing under me. I made a few missteps as I dabbled at this and that trying to divine who this new me was going to be. And then, it just all clicked. A friend introduced me to rug hooking, and all my love of textiles, fabrics, colors, textures, and re-using fell into place. It wasn’t an art my grandmother knew, but I sure wish I could have shared it with her.
I knit, sew, embroider, and design patterns of all sorts, but rug hooking has become my real passion. It’s the perfect medium for me to express my joy of making, a love of old and new techniques and materials, of taking care of our environment and community. My rug hooking is inspired by a love of the world around me, the work of those before me, and a desire to be part of that tradition going forward.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
This question gave me a good laugh. In the best of times, I’ve never known life to be smooth. There are always hiccups in the road. Our fixer-upper has sprung a new leak or a door falls off its hinges. Family complications or health snags are all a part of life. Part of building a business is testing new ideas and products and accepting that some fail. And sometimes business is going so well, you get no sleep and start grousing with your spouse for the fatigue of it all. Yes, the hard-won hardships. I’m well aware of the bounty on my plate and am so grateful for all the positivity and good fortune in my life that it is difficult to define anything as a struggle. What I work most on is being disciplined about my time. I’m the only one who can decide the importance of what I do is. It’s easy to get distracted by the needs and surprises of home repair, a sick pet, and daily chores, but I stay focused on the goal and the work. From my very first business in my teens to my business now, I’ve always believed that if I’m not willing to take a risk on myself, no one else would ever be willing to either.
Please tell us about your work.
While I’ve been rug hooking for years now, it was a recent move that has most significantly impacted my work. We live on old farmland at the river’s edge with some significant history behind it. My studio is high on a hill with full Southern exposure. The light and wind are always in my favor. It feels very sacred to me, and I feel very grounded here. There is no question that it has greatly influenced my perspective and even my technique. Antique, vintage, recycled, and environmentally and community friendly materials have always been my mainstay, but that mission has been amplified here. While our farmstead can boast nothing more than a vegetable patch, we are surrounded by organic farmers and good neighbors, soaring bald eagles and seals that test their limits swimming up our brackish water path. Everything I make now attempts to capture a time and place or sentiment, where I am now both physically and emotionally. Every piece I hook or stitch, I form with a profound sense of well-being that I hope translates into the finished piece.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
I listen to audiobooks, podcasts, and NPR all day while I work. There is not a piece I’ve created that I cannot tell you exactly what I was listening to while I made it. That said, I have a small collection of battered and dog-eared books that I always turn to when I am in need of clarity or direction. Several are by Anne Lamott, Everything and More by David Foster Wallace, and The Soul of Rumi by Coleman Barks. There have been a number of great influencers in my life and Rumi’s poem, Begin, is high among them. “Seat yourself next to your joy and have your awakened soul pour the wine.” I’m fortunate that I get to do what I love every day. It’s a good life.
Contact Info:
- Website: JessWrobel.com
- Email: info@jwrobel.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/jwrobelstudio
- Facebook: facebook.com/jwrobelstudio
Image Credit:
Dave Carpenter
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