Hi, my name is Kathleen Burnham. I don't really consider myself "a weaver" because I don't weave often enough, nor know that much about it. I have, however, always loved anything woven, be it beads, cane, wool, grass - whatever.

I lived as a child on my grandparents farm in Mission San Jose and was greatly entranced by the patterns of their Persian rugs and bead-fringed lampshades. My favorite gift from my mother was a woven child-size cane chair with "Indian" designs on it (that and my silver & turquoise ring). When we'd travel into town to shop, my mother could always count on dropping me off in the rug department at Macy's so she could make her purchases unencumbered by a tired, complaining child. I would lie among the Karistan carpets and marvel at the colors and beautiful, intricate designs.

Many, many years later, long after having chosen ballet as my creative outlet, I happened to see a Navajo rug weaving class being offered by Marilyn and Jim Brandon at Cabrillo College. And that was the beginning of this grand adventure into the world of designing and weaving Navajo style rugs. Since then I have traveled to Table Mesa, New Mexico to weave with Sarah Natani, each trip a journey smorgasbord of colors, textures and shapes that leaves me dreaming of the next to come. At age 53 I no longer dance ballet, nor am I as totally comfortable sitting cross-legged on my sheepskin as I once was, but weaving is a dream come true and I hope to continue to learn and improve and travel on the beauty path.