I thought it was time to reconnect with Peggy and see where she has taken her work with fabric. Peggy was included in the 2013 Almanac for her beadwork. One of her two quite large necklaces is shown below. This beautiful pieces shows fabric beading and sculpting...
I always look forward to a drive so when Paulette mentioned she was going to be at a wool retreat in Wabasha, MN, I decided to take myself on a little day trip. This was late September and most of the fall colors along the Great River Road had turned into muted...
Mary Mendla is an apparel designer, knitter, dyer and teacher from Grafton, Wisconsin. Mary has two labels, Facets Fashion and Affluere Yogawear. Both are complete wardrobe systems inspired by the wondrous beauty present in every woman. Mary is a member of the...
Nancee Arigano is a fun, bubbly person full of energy. Within 10 minutes of first meeting her, I knew I had to try ‘primsical’ punchneedle, too! Nancee loves all needle arts but focuses on punch needle and a little rug hooking in her shop/studio....
Ilze Heider creates stunning leather handbags which combine Latvian motifs, bold, rich colors and timeless style. Ilze’s studio is a warm, comfortable place in the Arts Mill in Grafton, Wisconsin and she would love for you to visit. Please call ahead...
Sheryl Thies is an accomplished pattern writer. With seven books to her credit, she understands the work schedule behind yarn type and color selection. For all of us who would like to sally forth into the pattern writing realm, it requires a great deal of commitment. ...
‘Show me how and I will master it.’ St. Paul, Minnesota knitter Paula Knutzen loves knitting, chatting and getting together with like-minded friends. Her ‘knitting production’ is prolific, taking on new challenges and very difficult color and lace patterns with...
Originally posted October 16, 2012 by Jenny Wilder. With all of the colorful leaves collecting in nooks and crannies, swirling up into cyclones and skidding across the driveway, I got to thinking about Susan Stein and her art quilts. Susan, who owned a quilt store in...
Deep Roots: a textile art exhibit from artists whose roots are in the Nordic countries The exhibit opens on March 28 and runs through April 25, 2015 at the Dassel History Center in Dassel, MN. The Dassel-Cokato area is known for its Finnish heritage, as Cokato was...
(This post is sponsored by the Cedarburg Spur Fiber Arts Trail members.) Just a few snapshots of Laura Weber’s studio space and baskets. Laura creates, sells and teaches workshops for functional and sculptural baskets and mixed media fiber art. Most of her work...
Good composition in any piece of art is magic. When it comes together it speaks to the viewer in powerful and inspirational ways. It’s more than technique, but yet the technique needs to be right on, so the viewer can look past it and see something more. The...
If you know Elizabeth, you know she can knit in the dark. Her knitting is always with her; at movies or even meetings at work. Her shawls are well worn, well loved and have been repaired numerous times because the knitting is so fine. Here’s a little bit about...
Madcap adventures, mishaps, all the big things in life and leisurely days frittered away wove four women’s lives together in friendship. With a gleam in their eyes, they’ll say they met while hooking. They are mischievous—the lot of them—down to the linen canvas of...
Fresh starts never arrive ahead of time and are usually there for a good reason. It’s an opportunity to sort through the everyday accumulation and pick what you’d like to keep and leave behind the things of little or no value. One of my aspirations is journaling. I...
Making gifts is always fun; especially when it can be combined with a book for a unique gift that reflects the personality of the person receiving it! These little ‘bookworms’ are a quick and easy gift that uses stash yarn or fiber. I decorated the...
When I first saw Susan Simonton knitting these stockings, I visualized them worn on a wedding day. Their color, fiber and loveliness bespoke of netting and lace. Susan always has a very complicated project on her needles—a project that showcases the fiber...
Jeneen, whose schedule allows her to have creative time in the morning, likes to say that she starts her day with craft and ends her day with craft. Three years ago, Jeneen took a break from making fabric baskets with a sewing machine and began to crochet vessles with...
Judy Saye-Willis, Minnesota State Arts Board grant recipient shares her work, “From Antiquities to the 21st Century: Natures Gentle Colors” in four exhibits across southern Minnesota from November 17, 2014 to March 15, 2015. (Location details below.)...
Robbin is wild about St. Bernard dogs. And cats and pretty much any other critter that walks on four feet. She and her family rescue them as strays (mostly her daughter Kirsten rescues them) but ‘automagically’ they arrive at Robbin’s door and she and Harry find a way...
The most important question is, “would I wear this?” St. Paul native Kjersti Campbell, an emerging knitting pattern designer with an eye for complex compositions, worked her way through high school at the local bead store where she was especially intrigued by bead...
Color and fiber work is a process of exploration and discovery for Susan Antell. She has spent a good deal of time studying the dye process for both cotton and wool fabrics. When I met Susan almost three years ago, she had recently finished a booklet containing...
by Jenny Wilder with Marie Westerman I’ll say this at the outset; Marie lives in a sacred place. When I travel to Minnesota’s North Shore and the road comes down the sweeping curve leading into Grand Marais and the big ancient shoulders of the Sawtooth Mountains...
They have so much personality that when I opened the box, they looked like they were ready to jump out! An illustrator by training and a corporate graphic designer by day, Julie Pietras enjoys making many types of fiber art. From these charming needle felted critters...
The process of self discovery is a little like packing a suitcase for a long trip. So many variables to consider that what you ‘think you might need’ is in reality no more than a mere guess. The assumptions and first thoughts are only the beginning. And I’ve read (and...
