ABOUT
JOY SELBY CAIN: WEAVER | ARTIST | SCHOLAR
Joy Selby Cain has a passion for textiles in her blood. Her mother worked for Stretch & Sew when Joy was a toddler, frequently bringing her to work and letting her touch all the fabrics. When she was in fifth grade, she visited a historic farm and was entranced by the spinning and weaving building. She learned to spin and weave in college. Recently, she learned that she descended from weavers living in England during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII.
Joy has had a long career in graphic design and web development. An opportunity arose that she was able to leave her job and follow her dream: weaving fabrics based on archeological sources. She has belonged to several reenactment groups based on the Middle Ages and Renaissance, studied Hopewell textiles and is a past president of the Central Ohio Weavers' Guild.
Joy uses natural dyes to add color many of the yarns used in her Living History Collection. These fabrics are based on archaeological finds, weaver's manuscripts and experimentation. The collection is woven with the costumer or conservator in mind.
In her Reenactment Collection, she uses cottons and other warm weather fibers for hot summer events and shows.
Can't find your fabric or have an idea? Joy is happy, truly happy, to use her skills as a textile researcher to provide materials and documentation for your film, reenactment or faire.
CAPABILITIES
WEAVING
Narrow wares: Inkle and Tablet Weaving | Full width fabrics up to 40" wide | Off-loom Techniques | Tapestry and Figurative Work | Woven Shibori
SPINNING
Fiber preparation including scouring, picking, carding and combing | Flax Processing | Spinning Wheels | Drop spindles | All fibers
DYEING
Natural Dyeing from Plants and Extracts both Protein and Cellulose Fibers | Acid Dyes | Fiber Reactive Dyes | Vat Dyes | Indigo | Shibori Techniques
OTHER FIBER ARTS
Twining | Crochet | Tatting | Nalbinding