Teresa Bouchonnet owner of Cowee Textiles

Teresa Bouchonnet, the owner of Cowee Textiles has a very extensive background in a number of textile arts. She is 4th generation textile artist with both parents, aunt, grandmother and great grandmother all weavers. She has accomplished many styles of textile arts and is now working to be an exceptional hat maker.

She is part of the Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center display at the  Franklin Chamber of Commerce. She is a listed artist with the Blue Ridge Craft Trails.  https://www.blueridgeheritage.com/blue-ridge-craft-trails   In the spring 2023 was part of the video for the PBS Weekend show.  She was featured on WLOS.com Carolina Moments. On September 19, 2020, Cowee Textiles conducted an hour Virtual Tour for Local Cloth members.   A full-page article in the Franklin Press July 26, 2019 issue and a number of photos over the years in the local papers & Chanel 13 News describes Cowee Textiles accomplishments. An Uptown Gallery Exhibit during Feb. 2019 showed hats & weaving. She was featured in the WNC Mountain Living in Western N.C. Sept.-Oct. 2015 issue and “Destination Macon County”, NC 2017-2018 displayed a full-page picture about Cowee Textiles room in the Macon County Arts & Heritage Center. She is a member of the Handweavers Guild of America, Tablet Weavers International Studies & Techniques (TWIST), Inspiring Creative Milliners Group, Society of Creative Anachronism (SCA) and Local Cloth.

In the 70’s, she was a member of the local Maco Crafts Cooperative in Franklin selling woven items. During four years in the 90’s living in Europe she was able to study with a number of top fiber artists and trained as a member of the Middle Essex Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers. She attended the International Weaving School in Denmark and visited many of the textile mills in Europe and U.S. For over 10 years she assisted U.S. textile businesses and during that time attended, sock school at the Hosiery Center, training classes at the Gaston College Textile Technology Center. She has written articles and discussions at a number of large international textile events. She attended Campbell Folk School in 2015 that helped start her millinery business. She has attended six international textile convergences with classes from top textile artists, attended two international Millinery Meet-ups with classes from top milliner instructors from all over the world and some millinery workshops. She has completed a one-year program with K E Millinery and Business Academy on-line out of England in 2021.

Her teaching credentials include, the Young Audiences of Virginia Program from 1997- 1999 teaching programs at schools and museums. Teresa has worked as a substitute teacher for four years. Her ability in teaching students of all ages is demonstrated by participation in the Macon County Fair, Heritage Day Events, craft shows, and numerous local events.