Last spring, when I met Wendi Seminari to photograph some of her work for the 2014 Almanac, I was most impressed with her superb garment construction. Recalling the axiom her home ec teacher drummed in ‘it should look as good on the inside as it does on the outside’...
When, in casual conversation, I bring up the subject of macramé, those who are ‘of an age’ will smile, chuckle and recall candle wax dripping down the sides of a green wine bottle wrapped in hemp macramé or visualize an air fern hanging in a south facing window. So...
Her story is entwined with the University of Minnesota, Vesterheim Museum, the Weavers Guild of Minnesota (WGM), and countless people Lila Nelson taught and mentored over the 60 plus years she was a weaver. I met Lila through the Weavers Guild. Linda Hansen introduced...
Today I was reading the Knitting Daily blog where Kathleen is talking about knitted handbags. Knitting Daily Blog–HandbagsAfter my felting craze where I made over a dozen felted bags and gave most of them away, I knit a couple of bags that didn’t require...
Personally, as a knitter, I’m a little late jumping on the lace knitting bandwagon. I’ve always admired the technique and skill from a distance but I wondered if I’d be able to maneuver my favorite style of knitting (thick woolly sweaters) into something that’s so...
About Wildwood Press and the Fiber Art Almanac! Wildwood Press began as a way to share my enthusiasm for textile art and craft and to promote the artists who make them. I moved to Minnesota from Iowa a millennium ago (thirty years) and stayed. Both sides of my family...
Sewing a fabric bowl It’s amazingly simple and satisfying to use a length of cord and some yardage of fabric; wrap and sew them together and have a 3 dimensional object when you’re finished! Fabric bowls are useful (maybe not for oatmeal in the morning) but offer up a...
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...
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...
Caring Quilts Day by Kim Gannaway, Guest Blogger Caring Quilts came to be because of a workshop I was taking back in 1999. The assignment was to create something that you were passionate about, and you couldn’t do it by yourself – you had to create a community to...
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...
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...
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...
Time to add a little sparkle to your knitting? Diane Augustin designed this very popular Art Deco scarf and will show us the mechanics of adding beads to our knitting. She’ll demo her techniques from 10-11 a.m. on Saturday, January 12, 2013 at the Textile Center...
Isn’t this bulky confetti hand spun yarn fabulous? Kathy Anderson wove it into a purse and will have it to show (and for sale) at the Almanac Showcase coming up this weekend! She will also be on hand to show you how she wove the purse and how she creates...
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,...
New Year, New Rules! A celebration of creativity and expression with textiles and fiber! Over 25 fiber artists will exhibit their work with many art pieces, fiber and books for sale. Date: January 11-12, 2013 Time: Friday, January 11, 2013 6-9 p.m. Artists Reception...
Announcing the Fiber Art Almanac Companion Journal! All along I have wanted to create two types of Almanac books. Primarily because of all of the work that goes into developing the product from the initial conversations with the artists to the immense amounts of...
