Modique Couture is tired of traditional knitting. It does its own thing. If it loses interest, it changes direction. Or starts over. Modique Couture is attracted to complicated, broken, crooked, and chance. It sees beauty in untraditional and perfection in imperfection. It functions on compulsion. Its fabric is full of emotion, untamed, free to express its mood without hesitation, without apology, mentally and physically woven into whatever form it and the fiber agree on.
My name is Eris. I live and work in Raleigh, North Carolina. I want to make garments that become part of your identity. That embellish your personality. I love the intimacy of clothing. We have favorite garments. Things that give us confidence and comfort. Things we relax into wearing. This is the feeling Modique Couture wants to imbue.
I not only make clothing, I make the fabric the clothing is made from. My work is one-of-a-kind and duplicates are impossible to produce because of ADHD. I use this to my advantage. I am constantly moving forward from one design to the next, which is why all my garments are reversible.
I began hand-knitting and crocheting in 1990, at age 14. I taught myself from America's Crochet Book, 1972, by Gertrude Taylor. I have been an autodidact all of my life. I taught myself to use knitting machines from their manuals. I have been working with the machines since 2014. I currently work on a range of 5 machines that vary in age (1958-1988), gauge (4.5mm-9mm), and capabilities. Two of my machines have punch-card and computerized capabilities that will produce semi-automatic patterning (still manually operated), but I rarely use those features as I prefer to pattern manually. However, I sometimes draw patterns and import them into my hacked Brother 940. I service and repair my machines myself. For seaming, I use an English linker, which is like a fancy sewing machine for knits. It creates a strong, handsome, chain-stitch seam. I love seams. They are the skeleton of the garment.
I strive to use eco-friendly materials, and to always know where my fiber is sourced, spun, and dyed.
I enjoy traveling to shows with my 1966 Brother Profile 551 to give demonstrations. I look forward to seeing you and showing you my craft!
Read an interview by Jennifer Bringle of the News & Observer
