Talking Textiles with All Roads

All Roads is a Los Angeles based design duo who use playful, dimensional materials to make timeless one-of-a-kind decorative pieces. Artists Janelle Pietrzak and Robert Dougherty  combine wood, metal, fiber and reclaimed materials to create amazing objects and custom furniture. Sitting down for some Q + A, we get the opportunity to learn more about their craft.

 

Tell us about All Roads, where did it start? How long have you been weaving?

All Roads started between me and my boyfriend/partner Robert Dougherty last year.  We started making various things; home goods and decorational objects, but the woven pieces and the arrows were what people responded to the most.
I learned the craft of weaving in college at VCU in Richmond, Virginia. I picked it up again about a year ago when we moved to Los Angeles.  I have worked in the fashion industry for the past 10 years, mostly in fabric sourcing. I think my technical knowledge of fabric construction and weaves combined with my design experience provided a foundation to transition into weaving as an art.

The craftsmanship is amazing! How long does each piece take? What materials to you use?

Thank you. Each piece can take a few days, or be completed in just a day. It depends on how inspired I am, and how intricate the piece is.  I use yarns and fabrics from all over. I prefer to use vintage yarns or things I find at hardware stores, like jute, twine or rope. I rarely go to a yarn store unless I am looking for a particular color. I am most inspired by finding old yarns at flea markets.  Vintage yarns tend to be in off colors and are more true to a retro look.

 

Robert first made the welded arrows for me as a gift over a year ago when we still lived in Philadelphia.  Months later when I started weaving, he suggested I hang a weaving from one.  Robert also makes all the looms that I weave on. He made my first small lap-sized frame loom, and then he made me a huge 6 feet tall adjustable frame loom for my birthday.  I still have yet to make a huge piece yet, but I hope to in the next year. 

What are the inspirations behind your work?
The California landscape and botany has been the most prevalent inspiration I think. Color inspiration is everywhere. I have only lived in Los Angeles one year, so everything is still new to me.  Each season brings new color palettes to pick from.  I also look towards ethnic and vintage textiles and interiors for inspiration. I think one of my first pieces was inspired by a tiny corner of a very elaborate embroidered Peruvian blanket. 

desert photo

van

For more details on All Roads you can visit https://allroadsdesign.com/

 

 




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