Out in Chicago, makers and designers gather daily at The Weaving Mill to work their magic and create fabric of all kinds. Two RISD graduates began this organization in 2015 with the hope of bringing together artists and community members under the textile umbrella, and since then, they’ve achieved that goal over and over.

Sometimes working with trained creatives on small-scale projects and at others orchestrating weaving workshops for adults looking to learn a trade, The Weaving Mill seems to be a place that’s never the same from one day to the next. By opening the space to a wide variety of people, the founders — Emily Winter and Matti Sloman — are able to both learn from peers and give back to the public, an unusual and special way of practicing their art. 

Out of all their recent projects, I especially like the Churro Churro blankets. Only 22 have been made, and because the yarn is American-made from Navajo-raised sheep, they’re bound to be especially high-quality (and warm). Simple, sturdy, and handcrafted, it’s a product that will undoubtedly last for a long while, and knowing that it comes from such an interesting design studio is just one more positive to add into the mix.