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Well, hello there! I'm Ellen and I like crafting connections - whether it's between people, things or ideas - so thanks for finding me!
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As a weaver, quilter, baker, event planner, author and advocate for preserving our natural world - I love exploring ways to protect our resources and bring people together.
Through repurposing textiles, using local grains and fibers, growing and foraging plants for natural dyes, nurturing relationships, telling stories and trying to be a member in good standing of the human race, I hope to braid together the strands of my life into a more balanced, integrated and sustainable whole.
Just as our personal and collective histories are intertwined, so, too, are the things we buy, wear and use. Twining Roots was born from my growing awareness about our consumer society and the waste and harm it often creates – to ourselves, each other, and the environment, resulting in a fierce desire to engage in more sustainable and regenerative practices - as well as celebrate the hand wrought.
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I realized my daily decisions about how to live and what to buy bind us together and forecast our shared futures. These choices tell stories of what came before, what gives meaning and purpose to our lives today, and how we walk forward, together, into a more equitable, kind, just, joyful, inclusive, and restorative tomorrow.


At Twining Roots, I start with what's on hand, and encourage others to do the same, through creative repair, recycling, and repurposing. The collection of hand-crafted and thoughtfully sourced textiles and home goods reflect this ethos.
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Each item comes with a story of its origins and
the care taken in its creation. I hope your purchase will serve you for many years to come.
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Thank you for being a part of the Twining Roots family.
A native tree, shrub or flower vital to our local
eco-system is planted with every purchase.
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Let's move forward together!
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Collaborations
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Claudia Kousoulas and I have written two books together! Bread & Beauty: A Year in Montgomery County's Agricultural Reserve and A Culinary History of Montgomery County, Maryland

I'm the "E" in the Electric Ladies Project!
While currently on hiatus, we offered creativity workshops and gatherings for, by and about women.

Member of Chesapeake Fibershed - here shown processing home grown flax to linen thread at the historic Button Farm!
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