Amy Mackinaw - Fiber Artist

I tell stories about Alaska through colorful quilted fiber art. As a full-time fiber artist, I dye and print fabric and also curate a stash of found, rescued fabrics. These give me a variety of colors, textures, patterns and marks on fabric that transform into rocks, rivers, glaciers, drifted snow, grizzly fur, and flowers as I cut, collage and quilt fabrics into small art quilts and home and wearable accessories. 

My husband and I grew up in northern Minnesota and arrived in Alaska in 1992 for a short stint in his military career, but like many people, Alaska drew us in and became our home.  Now two kids, dozens of sled dogs, multiple sewing machines and hundreds of yards of fabric later, we're still here.

My life as a fiber artist began in childhood when my mother, also a fiber artist, taught me to sew. Since then, I have been stitching, hand-dyeing, printing, quilting and beading. Alaska's landscapes and wildlife inspire my work.

Adventures in Alaska's wide open country or even a walk in the birch woods near my workshop always offer something new to discover.