In just a few short years, Megan Leedom has transformed from a curious beginner experimenting with macrame to a fiber artist crafting a career out of macrame and weaving. Somewhat of a nomad and an avid long-distance hiker, Leedom’s creations are infused with the organic textures and earthy tones of the outdoors that she loves to explore on foot.
The road to a fiber arts career was not a direct one, but born of a journey that includes studies, travel, a few career paths and an interest in hiking that soon became a passion, giving new direction to her life and inspiration for her art. A native Oregonian, Leedom was born and raised in Portland and graduated high school at the age of 16. She went straight into college in Wisconsin and started out studying sciences, but ultimately graduated with a degree in humanities.
After working for a few years at a frame shop in the Chicago suburbs, Leedom made a move to Seattle. It was during her time in Seattle that she discovered hiking. “I think I just got really burned out in the city,” Leedom shares. Hiking became a way for her to escape the city and connect with nature, bringing her a sense of peace and connection she had been missing.
In 2012, Leedom moved to Bend for the accessibility to hiking trails and to enroll in the forestry program at Central Oregon Community College (COCC). She graduated in 2014 and worked for the Ochoco National Forest. But, in 2017, she took a hiatus from the forest service to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).
Leedom hiked the entire 2,600 PCT from the Mexican border to the Canadian border in five months. “It was life changing. I realized how little one really needs. I carried everything I needed for five months on my back,” she reflects. “You’re moving across these landscapes as they change at three miles an hour every day, sunrise to sunset, and you just start noticing all these little details in nature that you didn’t pick up on before.”
Her next hiking adventure was in Europe. Leedom and her hiking partner were the first American women to hike the Via Dinarica, an 800-mile mega trail that extends from Albania to Slovenia. This hike took them about two months. After this, while still in Europe, Leedom decided to hike the Camino de Santiago. She makes a point to hike at least one long trail each year.
“Hiking is really a priority for me,” says Leedom. Her fiber arts career was somewhat born out of her love for hiking and nature. She decided to seek seasonal jobs in bakeries and cafes to allow her time to explore new hiking trails, which began to inspire an interest in fiber arts.
Leedom first learned the traditional art of macrame while living in Stehekin, Washington about five years ago. “I had gone up there to work at a bakery for the summer and with no internet or cell service, I needed something to do in the evenings and decided to give macrame a try. I found I really enjoyed it... it was meditative.”
In the winter of 2020, Leedom found herself living in a barn in the Methow Valley of northern Washington with a lot of time on her hands. Using the space she had available, she began creating more large-scale macrame pieces. “I had this huge barn with high ceilings and I started creating really big pieces. I was excited about what I was creating,” states Leedom. “That was when it really clicked for me that this was something I wanted to pursue more seriously.”
Along with macrame, Leedom now weaves on looms. Completely self-taught, she began by building her own small looms fashioned from thrift store canvas frames. “I tried weaving because I wanted to use more textures and colors,” she explains. “I still do macrame, and I often incorporate macrame into weaving, creating “macra-weaving” projects. I found I love the weaving.”
“I am inspired by what I experience outdoors, I feel like I just soak in my environment and that comes out when I’m creating my pieces,” Leedom shares. She often incorporates pieces of driftwood or other wood as hangers for her fiber arts creations.
About a year ago, Leedom joined the artists at The Workhouse in Bend where she has a studio space and displays her art for sale under her business name, Little Larch Studio. Up to that time, she had been working out of her van. “It’s been such a positive experience moving into The Workhouse, not only for the beautiful space, but also for the community of artists here that provide inspiration and support.”
Leedom creates fiber arts pieces of all shapes and sizes. She hopes to do an art exhibit at some point and would also love to collaborate with local designers to create custom pieces for homes. “I make custom pieces and enjoy meeting the people who will live with my art, creating something specifically for them and their space, something that flows with their environment and brings a bit of warmth, texture, and the feel of the natural world.”
“Ultimately, I want people to see a piece and have it bring to mind an image, maybe remind them of something – a place, a feeling, a time in their life. It might remind them of someplace specific, but more times than not, the piece captures a feeling, emotion and is reflective more than specific,” notes Leedom. “It’s different for each person. That’s the beauty of the fiber, colors and textures.”
A member of the “van life” community, Leedom has been living out of her van for over two years now. “My friend and I bought the same type of cargo van in 2021 and built out the inside on our own. I have a bed, stove, running water, and a shower. It was going to be my home for a while, so I wanted to do it right.” For now, van life suits her, allowing her to park somewhere beautiful to hike and work on her art. “I’m in my zone and it’s quiet and beautiful… and I’m home.”
@littlelarchstudio
Megan Leedom's fiber arts career was born out of her love for art, hiking and nature.