Ruby Leslie maintains a full-time weaving and teaching studio in northern Vermont, where she designs her own line of handwovens as Ruby Charuby Weavings.  Boundless enthusiasm for sampling and experimenting, especially with color and its interaction with structure, has guided Ruby's creative endeavors from the beginning of her weaving career 25 years ago.

Handwoven magazine's invitation to become a contributing member of their 'Color Forecast' series, creating swatches on a regular basis, was the impetus for Ruby to streamline her design process. This fueled her desire to share her insights about how to successfully integrate color, structure and yarn in weaving without having to dye yarn or rely on recipes.

Ruby has taught above the Arctic Circle in northern Norway, as well as at Convergence, regional conferences and guilds throughout the US.  She was one of three weaver/designer teams invited by the Handweavers Guild of America to create a collaborative runway ensemble for the second Design Fashion Challenge at Convergence 2010 in Albuquerque, NM.

The rhythms of her looms inspired her children to produce Getya Loom Goin', a rap music weaving video for their "ma, the weava."

Artist Statement

Ruby Charuby Weavings are the product of my connection to the environment and the ebb and flow of natural cycles.  I am a professional handweaver, designing and weaving scarves, shawls, blankets, hats and functional household textiles.  All of my designs are original, one of a kind or limited edition pieces, woven with a wide variety of yarns and luxury fibers, including merino, cashmere, alpaca, silk, bamboo, cotton and tencel.

The fibers for each textile are chosen for their tactile and visual qualities -- the "hand" of the textile is as important as the color and reflective properties of the yarn.  I combine fibers of different weight to keep my textiles warm and stylish, while being lightweight and soft, with a fluid drape.  They are perfectly balanced for wear in a variety of settings.

The process of creating cloth is magical and functional.  My textiles speak to the delight I experience transforming a rigid grid into a fluid fabric.

On the Personal Side

Resume

Details about my teaching career and professional life are available in my resume. (Click to download a pdf)