These summer weeks are going by so quickly! In a few days, we’ll have reached the half-way point in our classes for the 2021 season. To continue to catch up with the past several classes, there will be three consecutive “Two at a time” posts to bring you up to date.
We start the week of July 19 – 26 and two classes taught by Mary Sue Fenner, “One-Of-A-Kind Jacket” and “Sew a Patchy Vest”. Learning from Mary Sue and using her mix of contemporary and classic methods brings the fabrics, patterns and students together in a special way. Her array of garments is inspiring, fun, eclectic and amazing.
Students brought fabulous fabrics for the 5-day jacket class and worked on garments of all types.
Instead of a fashion show on the boardwalk this year, the class hosted an open house on Friday evening in the Sophie Studio. Friends and family were able to see the garments in process and hear from each student about their fabric and pattern choices.
Then it was time to put away the jackets and bring out the vests for the 2-day “Sew a Patchy Vest” class! Using scraps of cotton fabric or pre-cuts, students laid out and arranged their pieces for the fronts and back.
We’ve mentioned it before and it’s worth mentioning again…Mary Sue was the first teacher Walter Schutz found when he had the idea of a weaving and fiber arts school on Washington Island. We found in our Sievers archives the initial correspondence between Mary Sue and Walter.
It’s refreshing, in these times, to remember the slower pace of handwritten letters and receiving welcome mail.
An idea, a connection, a response and a friendship led to Sievers School of Fiber Arts and a legacy. Thank you, Mary Sue!
From our first Sievers teacher to our latest Sievers crew member, we’d like to introduce you to Ellie Dunham. Ellie and her husband have lived in their Washington Island home year-round for about 1 1/2 years. Ellie’s first class at Sievers was Beginning Weaving on a Table Loom with Nancy Frantz in 2014 and she has taken several weaving classes since. Ellie also enjoys knitting and joins Kathleen Morris, Patricia Hewitt and Kirsten Foss as another friendly face in the shop. Welcome, Ellie!
It’s lovely to see photos of our wonderful week Sievers! Thank you again for the warm welcome and the chance to live in the creative atmosphere of Sievers.
All the best,
LOU
Hi Lou, Thank you for your lovely comment! It was such a great week and making it even better was seeing you again and meeting Virginia. You are both so creative! Thanks, Carolyn
Welcome Elle,
You will find working at Sievers to be a wonderful experience as staff is great and pleasure to work with. Ann Young was the best boss I have ever had, she showed me how employees should be treated. I was “summer help” doing a school internship in 2002 and had a great time.
Blessings,
Ann Margaret Fischer
How nice of you, Ann! Be well and we hope to see you again someday! Your friends at Sievers, Ann, Cindra and Carolyn
I see students are not wearing masks. Is there any record of who are vaccinated and who are not? With the new variant, I’m apprehensive.
Hi Terry, Thanks for asking about mask-wearing. The class was the week of July 19th and later, on July 30th, we received this notice from Door County (and put it on our home page) “the CDC has updated their recommendation on indoor mask-wearing. As Door County is considered to be an area of moderate transmission, it does not currently fall under the CDC recommendation of indoor mask-wearing.”
If we get any updates saying wearing a mask indoors is recommended in Door County, we’ll post it on our home page and social media. We would also post signs on the studios and shop with the same wording.
Take care,
Carolyn
I am still reeling from my wonderful time at Sievers. The Warp Dyeing class was all that I hoped it would be. The atmosphere, buildings, equipment, teacher, and fellow students made the experience one I’ll never forget – well worth the trip from Colorado! THANKS!
Hi Sandee, Thank you so much! It was wonderful to meet you and Cheryl and I hope your travels back home went smoothly. I’m working on the next post now, so expect to see it and photos of the class (including you and your scarf) soon.
Take care and thanks again,
Carolyn