"Crafting Comfort: The Artistry of Tufting"

Young fabric artist Kierran Taylor, Owner of "KTmakesrugs," tears through the popular trend of Tufting. Tufting is a type of textile manufacturing in which a thread is inserted on a primary base. It's an ancient technique for making various garments. Today, the method is implemented using a tufting gun. I hone in on Kierran Taylor's journey and exploration of becoming an artist.

I was welcomed into the mad scientist's lair(his home) and greeted by cascading stairs leading to his workstation. Laying about were shears, scissors, Yarn, and what he called a tufting gun. A metal contraption with its motor exposed the size of a submachine gun. I put the make-believe sub-machine gun down and strut my way to his inner sanctum. With the April sun blasting through the doorway, my eyes were left in awe at the sight of uniquely crafted rugs. Some rugs are themed after my favorite entertainment medium, anime: the Late Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball, and even my favorite, Naruto. I was in Wonderland, and the ceiling was covered with Tapestry of all colors, shapes, and textures—tight, fluffy, almost could-like coils.

Kierran took me through his process, start to finish. He must check his emails for orders and designs for the custom orders he selects to work on. He must decide the dimensions of the rug best suited for the design. Once he decides on that we head over to wood shop class to build the frame to tarp the cloth to. After some Whirling of the drill, he assembled a 2x2 frame in minutes. He allowed me to conduct the next stage, the actual Tufting. I fired off the gun, feeling the recoil shoot back into my arms; tightening my grip, I felt the mechanism punching back and forth into the tarped cloth. It was a Powerful Sensation: Addictive.

I interviewed Kierran to find out what motivated him as an artist. I found he is a fledging Creator brimming with talent and drive, diligently honing his craft.