Group weave photo (left): Robbie McClaran / Assembly photos (3): Lincoln Barbour

W h e n she w a s an u n d e rg ra d -

u ate m u sic m ajor and p e rfo rm -

in g c e llist in th e ’ 90s, sh e d ip p ed

in to te x tile d esign fo r th e first

tim e. S h e recalls b e in g fo n d o f

sk in n y p en cil sk irts th a t w e re

im p o ssib le to p e rfo rm in, and

sh e se t to w o r k so lv in g h er

w a rd ro b e p ro b lem . S h e m ade

w rap aro u n d sk irts th at fit h er

slen d er form b u t stre tch e d

w h ile she p la yed .

M a k in g clo th es fo r h e rs e lf

w a s T u ’s in tro d u ctio n to d e -

sig n , w h ic h she e x p lo re d in the

in d u strial arena fo r h er g rad u ate

w o r k . B u t she still calls on h er

Above: The women in the

“weave” events that Tu

organizes are making

difficult transitions -

from prison, addiction,

or domestic abuse.

e a rly exp erien ce fo r her C rafted-

S y ste m s p attern -m ak in g . T h e

ve sse ls, b o w ls , and lam p sh ad es,

in p a rticu la r, req u ire an u n d e r-

stan d in g o f th ree-d im en sion al

assem b ly fro m a flat p attern .

S h e ch o se th e Y W C A fo r its

cle an , w e ll-e sta b lish e d , and

w e ll-o rg a n ize d fa cilitie s. S h e

has lo n g fe lt a d riv e to su p p o rt

“ a cau se g re a te r than m y s e lf and

m y fa m ily ,” says T u , w h o has a

3-year-old . W ith th at im p u lse,

she w a n te d to cre ate “ a su stain -

able m ech anism th at w o u ld

b rin g an o n g o in g cash flo w to

th e w o m e n ’s sh e lte r.”

The shelter residents

Tu works with have

described the assembly

work as satisfying and

even healing.

fcb/m arn

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