In the Homestead Fiber Crafts shop, weavers, spinners, and knitters of all ages carry on the age-old tradition of creating yarn, cloth, clothes, and household items for home and family. Watching Kay Toombs’ hands move in graceful rhythm with the wheel and loom, one might assume she has spent her entire life as a fiber artist. The retired professor says her life prepared her well to enter this vocation at age 72.
“I love teaching others, and helping them learn and master new skills,” said Kay. “One of my older students told me that she was unsure of herself at first, but seeing me spin and weave, she thought, ‘If she can do it, ANYONE can!'”
Kay – also known as Dr. S. Kay Toombs, Associate Professor Emeritus, Baylor University and S. Kay Toombs, the name found on the many award-winning books and research works she’s published – finds great purpose in her work. Working in a reconstructed 1830’s barn surrounded by colorful yarns, fabrics, and finished goods, Kay sees more than beautiful merchandise. Creating physical fabric also creates the social fabric of the community.
“Handcrafted fabrics, especially those spun and woven traditionally, are not just about aesthetics but durability and sustainability,” said Kay. “This approach echoes back to times when garments were made to last, reflecting a culture of utility and conservation.”
Kay’s life and academic career gave her a deep understanding of the human condition. Born in England in 1943, she spent the first year of her life sleeping in an air raid shelter and grew up in the aftermath of war. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at 29 years old, she delivered her university lectures from a power chair and now crafts fabrics using spinning wheels and looms adapted so they can be operated using only her hands. At Homestead Heritage, she found a community built on the principles she cherishes: nonviolence, simplicity, and wholeness.
“There is true community here, and true peace,” said Kay. “I grew up in England and had a career in academia, which both have rigid class structures. Here, everyone works together, young and old, sharing their gifts with one another.”
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