As summer fades and the colors of fall start to show, new looks appear. A recent hike on Rock Island gave a glimpse into what is in store for us in the next two months. The trails went through a “forest” of ferns, past the Water Tower and steep views down the bluffs to the water below. Back on Washington Island and specifically at Sievers, there is a new look in the Sophie Studio. With just shy of 20 years on the roof, it was time to make a change, preventing any future problems with ice buildup and rain on and around the skylights. It’s time to enjoy all the new looks that await us […]
Another great week
We just finished another great week with Deb Jones and her Beginning Spinning and Rainbow Dyeing class and Judy Hasheider’s Quilter’s Gathering where students incorporated appliqué into table runners and into some of their quilt projects, made a four-corner tote bag and had time besides to work on their own quilt designs. Deb’s students spun wool on the various wheels in the studio, learned several dyeing methods, used drum carders for blending and went home with a basketful of their own yarns. Come along on a little visit to the studios, where the students can show you what they were working on in class… As far as we’re concerned, it’s always a good time […]
Yarns and needles are for knitting…and baskets
They may be different yarns and needles, but the students in Carol Anderson’s Knitting on Location class and Lynn Schuster’s Covered Coiled Basketry class made wonderful things with both in a few short days. Small, portable projects that travel worked well for Knitting on Location, including some made from Carol’s own Cottage Creations line of patterns. Tips and techniques were shared in the studio during the afternoons. Favorite locations for knitting included Sunset Resort, the Red Cup Coffee House, Fragrant Isle Lavender Farm and the fellowship hall at Trinity Lutheran Church. Richly colored and textured yarns were favorites used in the Covered Coiled baskets. These lovely baskets can be embellished with beadwork, special rims and with found objects, allowing each one to tell it’s own […]
It’s August…and awesome
Our beaders have come and gone as have the fabric printers and dyers, inkle loom weavers and now we’ve just said farewell, or “until next time”, to Daryl Lancaster’s Garment Construction Intensive class and Jo Campbell-Amsler’s Natural Fiber and Willow Basket makers. Starting with much different raw materials, each class took home lovely finished pieces. We continue our awesome August starting today with Carol Anderson (look for “Knitting on Location” photos next), Lynn Schuster’s Coiled Basketry, Judy Hasheider and her quilters and then finishing with Deb Jones teaching the essentials and more to new spinners and dyers.
Creativity has many paths
During the time Stephanie Robertson’s Making Your Mark fabric printing and dyeing class was visiting Daryl Lancaster’s Inkle Weaving class, the comment was made about the separate paths each group was taking in their creativity journeys. One was somewhat unstructured while the other had a more specific framework , but both allowed for experimentation and inventiveness. Simple screen printing, direct painting, ice dyeing, indigo dyeing and resist dyeing were just some of the techniques used in the Making Your Mark class. Fabrics for art pieces, quilts, garments and trim were singing with all the colors of the rainbow! Daryl’s students started with a basic inkle-woven band and then went on to more creative and intricate techniques including supplemental warps and wefts, pick up and name drafts. So […]
The Glass is Half-Full
It’s hard to believe, especially for us, that only half of our class schedule remains. We’ve had the pleasure of seeing many of you already and look forward to seeing many more of you through October, so we look at it as if our glass is half-full. The classes leading us into the second half of our schedule were Table Loom Weaving with Nancy Frantz, Beading “Bucket List” with Diane Fitzgerald and Making Your Mark with Stephanie Robertson. The beginning weavers spent three days learning the basics while weaving a sampler on a table loom. There were beautiful beaded creations adorning the beaders themselves as well as their workspaces in the studio. Because Stephanie Robertson’s Making Your Mark class is still […]
Lovely Landscapes
Last week, both classes focused on landscapes. For two days, Susan Hoffmann led students through Landscape “Painting” with Fabric using one of her own designs as the class project. Although the elements in each were similar, every finished landscape “painting” reflected an individual style. At the same time, for four days, Donna Kallner and her students took field trips around the Island, taking digital photos they then printed onto fabrics for wearables, jewelry and small art pieces. Starting with Island materials and inspirations, their local color landscapes incorporated eco-printing and eco-dyeing. You can’t get any more local than these two landscapes!
Weeks go by too quickly
How can seven days go by so quickly? It seems as if Mary Jo Scandin and Thom Scott’s class of batik students just arrived and now the certificates have been handed out and the fragrant beeswax is missing from the Walter Studio. Wonderful work was seen during these past days, including some of what you see here, starting with a view of one piece before, during and after. The television program Discover Wisconsin was on Washington Island this week filming at several locations including Sievers. Video was taken in the batik class as well as in Judie Yamamoto’s Polymer Clay class. They expect to air this Washington Island version on February 20 or 21. One last view […]
