I begin by creating multiple designs and then selecting the ones I want to produce. Several of the trivet designs relate to forms I have previously used in my sculptural work. For this project, I use a clean, high-quality white industrial felt—an amazingly dense, durable material made of renewable wool fiber. Then the individual designs are cut, weighed, and washed.

Because color is such an important part of the character of each trivet, I methodically test combinations of dyes to achieve the perfect hue. When I am satisfied, I hand-dye the trivets in small batches of about 35 at a time. Due to this process and the nature of the material, there may be slight variations within each batch. I rinse the trivets and then hand-shape the individual pieces and set them to dry. My last step is to attach a hand-made tag to every trivet—my final stamp of approval!