(a n y w h e re fro m $20 to $60
a d a y) and u ses e n viro n m e n ta lly
frie n d ly w o o l fe lt. A t th e sam e
tim e, th e c o m p a n y sta y s tru e to
its d esig n a e sth e tic. T u , w h o
also runs h e r o w n d esig n stu d io,
m a xim izes th e stru ctu ral p ro p -
erties o f fe lt w h ile d esig n in g
va se -lik e v e sse ls and orb-sh ap ed
lam p sh ad es w ith 3 D co m p u ter
p rogram s. “ M y in te re st in fe lt
lies in th is stru ctu ral q u ality , its
th ree -d im en sio n ality , h o w the
m aterial b e h a ve s w h e n m an ipu -
lated in certain w a y s , su ch as
w e a v in g and in te rlo ck in g . I t’s
also co m p le te ly b io d egrad ab le
052 american craft fcb/m arn
and in h e re n tly rich and w a rm ,”
she says. C ra fte d S y ste m s also
sells b o w ls , ru gs, ta p e strie s,
p la ce m ats, and table ru n n ers
th at co m b in e in d u stria lly in -
sp ired g e o m e tric sh apes,
w h ic h , w h en co n stru cte d
w ith fe lt, e v o k e a u nique
p o stm o d ern w a rm th .
T u , h e rs e lf w a rm and
en th u sia stic, is a w e llsp rin g o f
c re a tiv ity . S h e g iv e s th e im p res-
sio n she can d e liv e r on e v e r y
id ea th at sp rin gs to m ind. “ I’v e
a lw a y s cre ate d fro m th e tim e I
co u ld h old a p e n cil and d ra w ,”
she says.
Right: Tu shares a laugh
with a shelter resident
as she demonstrates the
technique for construct-
ing CraftedSystems
diamond bowls.
