Three Bags Full

FIBER ARTS FROM


Featuring HANDSPUN, HANDWOVEN WOOL RUGS
Three bags Full is a sheep ranch and fiber artist’s studio located at Mora, New Mexico in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, between Las Vegas and Taos. It is owned by me, Sharon White. I am a native of Michigan and received a BS degree at the University of Texas. I started the ranch in the late 1980’s. I have been raising sheep, spinning with a wheel and weaving for over 20 years. My weaving has evolved into doing “bound weave” rugs, and I am now concentrating on that process. My aim is to produce a beautiful, durable rug by having control of the entire process, from the sheep to the finished product. I am currently raising Churro and Mt. d' Oro sheep. The Mt. d' Oros are basically a closed flock with many generations of carefully selected crosses of Churro, Cotswold and a bit of Corriedale. They offer the best of the three breeds. They are a medium size sheep with a double coated fleece. The two coats are nearly the same length, with a high luster, silky hand and a staple length of eight inches or longer. The outer coat is nearly straight, while the inner is softer with a fine crimp which adds loft. They come in white, black, brown and red. The blacks turn silver as they mature, and the reds become cream, many with some red remaining. The white fleeces dye beautifully, with a clear, intense color. My loom is a 4-harness, counter marche Cranbrook loom with a six foot weaving width. I am weaving my boundweave rugs on the four end block draft (summer and winter) with shaft switching. This technique produces a double thick, reversible rug with total control of the design. If woven in two colors, the two sides are mirror images. If additional colors are used in tapestry techniques on one side, the two sides are very different. My processes are environmentally friendly, I catch rain water and use a biodegradable washing product. I use only natural dyes and when I collect native dyestuffs I am careful to leave enough to keep the stand going. I am willing to work with a customer to weave a rug from their design, or to help design a rug to meet their needs. Designs should be clear when shown in black and white, as those that rely on color shading, as tapestry does, are not suitable.
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