Textile Design and Designer`s Platform

Orna Willis 

Orna was born in Israel and lived in Tel Aviv and the San Francisco Bay Area before moving to Michigan. Orna's roots in two autonomous cultures, American and Israeli, are abundantly reflected throughout her work. Her father moved the family from Israel to the San Francisco Bay Area when Orna was 3. Life was good and they all prospered. Until one day in the 60's, when Orna's mother saw her teenage daughter returning from school in torn bell-bottoms, a too-close-for-comfort resemblance to the hippies who were making daily headline news. Since her parents had intended to return to Israel, it seemed the right time to do so. None too soon, as Orna's vivid imagination and zest for experimentation had already lured toward the counter-culture..

From her immaculate studio with sweeping views of a natural landscape, Orna now creates her spectacular designs, often borrowing the rich hues and vibrant colors visible from her window. It is here that along with creating her own art pieces, she also assembles a wide range of needlepoint design kits which you can see in wonderful detail on her website.

She create needlepoint art pieces for framed display, but also free hanging pieces, wearable art like cuffs, collars, necklaces, bracelets, pins and decorative embellishments on clothing, as well as wallets, pouches, handbags and even frames.

You can learn more about Orna, her patterns and kits on any of her web sites. Check out Adorn by Orna to shop for patterns and register for a cyberclass (like the one for these gorgeous Dolci Beads!). Visit  Orna’s inspiring blog for her thoughts on making thing by hand and her Adorn Atelier for a wide variety of handmade crafts including felting, paper cutting, wirework, knitting and more.

           Sources for info: http://www.stitchamaze.com/gallery-guest/ornawillis.aspx

                          http://www.caron-net.com/oct99files/oct99des.html

                          http://dmc-threads.com/interview-orna-willis/