Rose Allen is part of a collaborative group of art quilters in the Twin Cities who enjoy support, friendship and a lifelong passion for quilting. Rose started quilting many years ago but feels that she found her place when she began to design her quilts from her own...
Fiber Artist Snapshot of the Day! Vintage-inspired lace jacket. The design features a signature Crystal Woolsey medallion as well as a combination of several lace patterns. She trims the piece with ribbon and silver buttons. Crystal’s signature style reflects...
While Anita uses many types of fiber and materials to create her work, the two pieces show here are especially unique to her Finnish heritage. They are Ryijy (roo-yoo). Here’s a little history on the Ryijy. The word Ryijy means long-piled rug. For centuries Ryijy were...
A little bit about Wendie The composition of Wendie’s fiber art is understated and sophisticated, rich in color with embellishments as an accent; not the story. Wendie’s hand dyed fabrics are her canvas for creative expression. She is inspired by abstract patterns...
Between April and May, Minnesota Knitters rev up the engines and take spring by storm. Yes, this year there were quite a few snow storms in April but I think that made our knitting community even more motivated to find inspiration from all the fabulous knitting events...
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…Susan Antell begins with her own hand dyed wool for her Hubble Space Series of art quilts. Eight quilts in the group, each piece is an abstract artistic representation of photographs taken by the Hubble telescope. Susan lives...
Nancy Birger told me about her husband’s work and how they have moved nine times over the years with assignments from the Fish and Wildlife Service to different parts of the United States. I asked how that influenced her quilting. She then showed me this amazing piece...
Strolling along, taking in the ‘style et de charme’ of the Paris streets, Martha and her husband were on their way to the Louvre when out of the corner of her eye, Martha spotted a needlepoint shop. Full stop! Museum can wait! We’re going in! A delightful shop located...
In the 2013 Almanac I identified twelve artistic references. I call them references because I used a combination of the elements of art and the principles of design. Each month has a designated artistic element or an artistic principle which allows the reader to view...
I looked forward to a trip up north this past weekend. For me, each trip north is a mini-quest spent in anticipation of slipping through the pine belt into the north woods. This is where Mother Nature’s approach to landscape composition jumps to the big canvas. Even...
This is such an excellent example of a steeked cardigan sweater. The finishing, button loops, button bands and pewter buttons all come together to make it, well, a blue ribbon winner at the 2007 Minnesota State Fair. Michele Buck, who is a masterful knitter, did an...
Here’s one from me: this is the year of knitting sweaters. At least that’s my plan! I have some beautiful fiber just waiting for me to give it a purpose. My first finished object under the new plan. The pattern is top down with a lace motif across the...
Mary Holland, who has been marbling paper for almost twenty years, showed me the basics as she worked in her shared studio space in the basement of a friend’s house in St Paul. A retired teacher, Mary was especially adept at explaining the process to a greenhorn such...
Sharon’s use of multiple gauges of knitting yarn is considered highly innovative to some weavers and heresy to the legacy of weaving according to others. But whatever the opinion, the use of knitting yarn makes for a very soft and comfortable, yet dimensional fabric....
Aimee has a vertical operation. With ten sheep and one guard llama, she shears the sheep, dyes and spins the wool and then uses it for her weaving projects. She says her process is driven by the seasons where she spends spring and summer dyeing the freshly cut fleece...
New Year, New Rules! Saturday, January 12th, 2013 11 a.m. Nancy Eha is the guest speaker at the 2nd Annual Fiber Art Almanac Showcase! Nancy will present “Turning Inspiration into Art” sharing her journey with bead embroidery and quilting Saturday,...
Taking an active part in community events is important to Hudson, Wisconsin residents Cyndee Lindgren, owner of Hudson House Inn and Connie Piecarski, retired longtime elementary teacher from the local school district. A few years ago, a friend passed away from...
It’s been years since Kathy Esch has spent time relaxing during the State Fair! Over 20 years, in fact. This year we are celebrating the Great Minnesota Get together at her yarn shop in Anoka, MN! On Saturday, the 25th from 11-2 I’ll be there talking about...
Living close to woods and lakes in central Minnesota, Kathy frequently sees a blue heron standing in the shallow water at the end of the dock. When presented with a quilting challenge, “June is…” Kathy decided to use her frequent visitor as her...
Debra’s embroidery is a delight. Her work is a blend between primitive folk art style and contemporary vivid, rich hues. The combination is whimsical and fun. I think of the pillows as being the accent that makes the room come together. Using hand dyed wool,...
Today I’m heading to Grand Marais, MN to the North House Folk School where I’ll take two knitting classes. The first one is about knitting socks and the second one is designing my own ‘northern’ sweater. Each class is one full day in the...
My cream colored sweater really needed a bath. Light in color and thrown on over EVERYTHING, it was starting to look a little dingy. From the beginning, the knitted fabric had more drape than what I preferred so I thought a run through the wash cycle would brighten...
On Friday evening I went to an exhibit of textile art at the Textile Center in Minneapolis. The exhibit represented the culmination of eighteen months work in the Protégée/Mentor Program which was sponsored by the Textile Center. This is the fourth time the Textile...
‘Tis the season for bunnies. Paulette Wentzlaff, wool dyer and rug hooker, found this Beatrix Potter style pattern in an old magazine. She used the hand torn technique to make the wool strips for hooking. They are a little wider and the edges are not scissor sharp....
