a thin green line of trim, stretched on a loom. two green threads snake out from the top and coil around a pair of bobbins resting on a wooden beam. daybed in an upholstery workshop, perched on sawhorses. it has a dark wood frame, elaborate green and red floral velvet covering, and each cushion is lined with green and yellow trim. two handheld squares of white cardboard in front of a window. each is wrapped with several yards of trim that gleams in the sunlight. four samples of trim, each half a foot long and a different color, on a worktable with thread, ruler, and notes

Ingalls Wilder Trim

In 2021, I was asked to assist in the restoration of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s daybed to its original 1880s appearance. After nearly a year of research, sourcing, and sampling in partnership with the conservators of Fallon & Wilkinson, the daybed now sports a period-accurate trim newly woven by myself.

It was a privilege to focus in on this narrow (but vital) component of a larger piece and get acquainted with its intricate beauty. The daybed can be viewed in Ingalls Wilder’s historic house and museum.