Velkommen til Simply Scandinavian, our last class of the 2021 season. Connie Westbrook was kind enough to offer it twice this year, in June and October, and both times focused on projects with the clean lines and simple designs of Scandinavian weaving. Like the class held in June, Connie shared her beautiful handwoven samples and ideas, offered afternoon fika (not just for Swedes, it’s time for friends to take a pause, share a cup of coffee or tea and a little something to eat), arranged for a guided tour of the Stavkirke and created a welcoming atmosphere for her students. From an array of weave structures and patterns including Halvdräll, Monk’s Belt and Scandinavian Snowflake, students wove table linens, pillow […]
Crisp, clean and simple
These were some of the adjectives Connie Westbrook used to describe the lines and designs typical of Scandinavian style weaving for her class, “Simply Scandinavian”. Connie’s handwoven samples had those qualities, although “simple” would not be one of the words that first come to mind. Students followed suit in their own work. Whether it was one, two, (or more!) projects completed in class, all reflected the spirit of Scandinavian design. One of the students in the class, Deanna S., had taken advantage of this offer when she came to the Island in February of 1987 and bought a Sievers Loom (which she still has). Ann had given her the free lesson! We found a copy of this Handwoven magazine ad […]
Simply Scandinavian
Simply Scandinavian or simply fabulous? Definitely both! Connie Westbrook’s class focused on the clean lines and simple designs found in Scandinavian weaving. A table of beautiful samples and Connie herself wearing one of the Washington Island Scandinavian Dance Festival costumes became points of inspiration for the students to weave heirloom-quality table runners, towels, scarves, shawls, pillow covers and more. Yards and yards of towels were woven and for some, then it was onto the next project. If you laid down all the weaving done in this class, end-to-end, you might not reach Scandinavia, but you would certainly reach the hearts of anyone with Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish or Icelandic heritage! Each reveal prompted oohs and […]
Simple and Natural
What an appealing combination for last week’s Sievers classes! Simple and natural in Connie Westbrook’s Handwoven Homespun Fabric class, using natural cotton/linen blend yarns in neutrals with just a splash of color and woven in simple plain weave. At the same time, simple and natural in Donna Kallner’s Natural Dye Retreat, with materials harvested from the grounds at Sievers and on Washington Island used to dye silk, wool and cotton. Projects included towels, curtains, bread cloths and totes and with plain weave, the weaving goes fast! The leaves from indigo plants produced these vibrant blues, illustrating that revealing the final results from leaves, barks and berries is part of the process and joy of natural dyeing. To see more and experience some of […]
Terrific Towels and Twills
Yes, the towels and twills were terrific, but more importantly this past week was terrific, led by instructors Connie Westbrook and Jeanette Biederman. Many of Connie’s students chose handwoven towel projects based on samples she brought to class. Students in the Twill Basketry class also had many choices for patterns and colors, inspired by Jeanette’s work. It was a week of terrific students having a terrific time making terrific towels and twill baskets!
