Ila raises llamas, using their wool to design and handmake wearable art and clothing such as hats, scarves, gloves, and more. Her “Soap in a Coat” is made using either her homemade soap or soap purchased from the Vermont Country Store. She hand-felts the soap, creating an all-in-one washcloth and soap.
Besides her llama wool pieces, Ila also makes pottery. After building a piece or throwing it on a wheel, she fires it at home on her ranch or at her studio, MAKU. At home, she uses either a pit lined with wood or a stock water tank with fire beneath it to finish her pieces. At MAKU, Ila uses the Japanese raku technique, subjecting her pieces to only a few minutes of fire, rather than hours. Once the piece is red-hot, she submerges it in water to stop oxidization. Utilizing these three different techniques creates a unique and diverse line of work.