| Weaving is a legacy in the Teller family. For over five generations, Grandmothers, mother, sisters, aunts, and cousins have produced award- winning rugs. Lynda and her family are known for weaving rugs in the traditional Two Grey Hills pattern. Identified primarily by a double-diamond layout, intricate geometric design using natural colored, hand-carded and hand-spun wool, these rugs are easily recognizable. These finely woven rugs are known for their high weft counts. To qualify as a true Two Grey Hills tapestry, the weft count has to be above 80 in a one-inch square measurement. In addition to this fine weave, the family uses a trademark rich brown wool for the inside color field. In Lynda’s family, weavers turn to maternal Aunt Margaret Yazzie and her flock of sheep to supply the necessary wool for their tapestries. As the youngest child in a family of weavers, Lynda was raised in an atmosphere that encouraged creativity. Weaving was viewed as a “way of life,” and weaving lessons were mandatory. However, Lynda was given freedom to experiment. For example, she also pursued other art forms, such as beading and sewing. With so many mentors, it is no surprise that Lynda won her first weaving award at the Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremony at age 12, in the Juvenile Textiles Category. Lynda set aside other forms of artwork while she attended Arizona State University and relied on weaving to pay for tuition and books. Her mother also sold rugs to offset college costs. In 1979, Lynda’s last rug—before her college hiatus—took the First Award at Tanner’s All-Indian Invitational Art Show in Scottsdale, Arizona. Recently, she took first place in the Textile Category at the 2004 Santa Fe Indian Market, giving her one year of bragging rights over her older sister weaver Barbara Teller Ornelas. For the past twenty-one years, Barbara has won numerous awards at Santa Fe Indian Market, including two Best of Show titles, one in 1987 (in collaboration with sister Rosann Lee), and the other in 1991. |
| Lynda Teller Pete Contact Copyright 2005 |