As we get closer to the middle of September the first notes of fall have started to appear. Simple changes in the ways the clouds look, a few leaves turning, flowers reaching for the last bit of warm sun and more deer by the roadsides are all clues that in just a few weeks, we’ll be surrounded by glorious reds, yellows, golds and browns. Before that happens though, we plan to fully enjoy September! We’ve been “back to school” for several days with Betty Carlson’s Navajo Rug Weaving and Jo Campbell-Amsler’s Natural Fiber Baskets classes. The students are using simple elements of authentic wool yarns and gathered willow to create not-so-simple pieces. A version of this is posted in the Navajo Rug Weaving studio and we hope you […]
Weaving Patterns
There were a number of comments this past week from Rita Hagenbruch’s Overshot Odyssey class and Jeanette Biederman’s Choctaw Diagonal Basketry students how the woven patterns in each seemed to mirror each other. Starting with one plain length of reed or cotton, the intricate designs of each were built row by row. Most overshot is woven with a light-colored warp, but this blue on grey turned out splendidly! Basketry may look dangerous, but it’s not. (Until you get hooked on making them.) It’s good that digital cameras have no film…you can take as many photos as you wish of the beautiful weaving patterns in baskets and handwovens! We’re already on to our next classes with introductions held this afternoon for […]
Setting the table…Sievers style?
You could say the students set a “Sievers-style table” last week with (Dresden) plates and (Birch Bark) bowls created in class and what a lovely table it was! Let’s start with the plates as they came together, piece by piece in the Dresden Plate Inspirations class with Judy Hasheider.
Patterns, Part One
Patterns in basket designs and in Fair Isle designs have surrounded us this past week. Jeanette Biederman’s Splint-Woven Basketry: Independent Study class worked on baskets of all shapes, sizes and colors. The students in Sandy De Master and Mary Germain’s Fair Isle Techniques class had a choice of two colorways to make a teddy bear sweater, the small size allowed it to be completed in class. The little sweaters incorporated corrugated ribbing, two-color knitting, armhole and neck steeks and finishing. Many teddy bears, a sheep and a sock monkey came along to class for their “fittings”. New and continuing friendships were an important part of these past few days, a “pattern” that’s repeated in many classes at Sievers. […]
Paint drying
Whether the paint was literally drying on paper in Lorrie Grainger Abdo’s Surface Design on Paper class, or, figuratively in Rich Prange’s Chair Caning class (he likes to say that caning is like watching paint dry, grass grow or ice melt), students from both classes went home with the techniques to either repair their own chairs or to continue experimenting with gelatin printing, paste painting and numerous surface design treatments on paper. Put your own feet up and see what else they’ve done this past week! Favorite pieces from the class were made into these flag books with some pages signed by each person in the class. Next, we’ll be on the boardwalk with Mary Sue Fenner’s […]
