Blue Star Line is a project by educator and designer Mitch Frank. “Line” is a trade term for the long fibers that can be harvested from the stems of some plants. Line fiber is used to make strong yarn for weaving and knitting.
Plants in the Amsonia genus are commonly known as bluestars and yield some of the finest textile fibers of all North American plants. Blue Star Line seeks to raise awareness of the variety of plants throughout North America that have textile potential. The name honors bluestar as a promising fiber source, while the space between “Blue” and “Star” leaves room to explore North America’s broader fiber basket.
Blue Star Line grows, forages, processes, and tests native North American plants for textile use. This work follows materials from living plants through harvest and fiber preparation to spinning and finished textiles, and is shared through workshops, exhibitions, writing, and ongoing research.
Many of these species are perennial plants that are already well adapted to North American landscapes. They provide food and habitat for insects and other wildlife while producing stems that can be harvested for fiber. Blue Star Line explores whether useful textile fiber can be produced while also supporting native ecosystems and all the life that depends on them.
Blue Star Line began with the study of Indigenous fiber practices and relies on traditional ecological knowledge documented in historical and contemporary texts. Native North American plants including dogbane, milkweed, and nettles have been harvested and processed into cordage, nets, bags, textiles, and other useful objects for millennia. Blue Star Line seeks to honor these living traditions.