Tufting, according to Hazard-Chaney, is “like painting, but with yarn.” “I’m a painter by nature, but I saw the machine and it was an instant connection for me,” Hazard-Chaney said.

The yarn — which measured almost 1,000 feet in length — was specially made by Holland’s Textielmuseum. The chair was on view at the design academy’s graduation show late last month ...