Using materials at hand was the focus of the weaving students in Judie Yamamoto’s “Busting the Stash” class as was building a Bent Willow Chair with Ken Workowski, our last two classes in September. Finding a new purpose for leftovers and yarns that one never seems to know what to do with, resulted in fresh discoveries. Brainstorming, yarn swaps, working with color and texture, creating new combinations and moving out of the comfort zone made everything old, new again! Re-purposing natural materials is essential in building a Bent Willow Chair. Ken and Michelle’s business, The Nature of Things, showcases their craftsmanship in using natural and sustainable materials. They diligently seek out and prepare the correct size and length willow so […]
Small packages
Don’t you think some of the best things come in small packages? “Small packages” as in Japanese Temari and Cartonnage (box making) at Sievers this past week. In the Temari Techniques class, Judith Yamamoto and assistant, Kathy Broer, introduced the art to some students new to Temari and challenged others with more experience to work with complex patterns and to create tiny, jewelry-sized Temari. In Cartonnage: The Magic Box, students focused on the Karakuri Bako, a Japanese box which contains a hidden compartment. Using bookboard, Japanese papers and a good eye for accuracy, these special double-hinged boxes came together with the guidance of instructor, Nancy Akerly. (You can see more of Nancy’s own work at Liberty Grove Paper Arts.) These […]
Summertime
For us, Batik with Mary Jo Scandin and Thom Scott together with their students means summertime! Like all of our classes, it’s one we look forward to long in advance and then while here, the time goes by too fast. So much is accomplished in those five or seven days. In some cases, clothing is brought to class, ready to wax and dye. Other projects are created from start to finish in the studio. A design challenge is part of the week, too, as is the delicious smell of beeswax and freshly ground gourmet coffee! A puzzle, perhaps, to read this in reverse, but the message is worth the effort. I think it’s fair to say the subject was found this week in the Batik studio. A mix of […]
Threads in common
A common thread from the Open Quilt Studio week through the Japanese Temari class was…thread! As usual, quite a few quilt projects were started, finished or continued and ideas shared in the studio time. Whether it was finishing an eight-year project or experimenting with a new technique, it’s always inspiring to see the one, two (or more) pieces being worked on by each person during the week. A magazine photo was the inspiration for the start of this Landscape ‘Painting’ using fabric. The fabric artist and maker, Susan Hoffmann, will be teaching this technique in a class at Sievers in July featuring a scene with birch trees and golden leaves. Quilts blocks and tops, bright and beautiful! Some of the fabrics used in the piece on the left are from Sievers […]
September at Sievers
September at Sievers features classes in four different types of weaving and one each in jewelry-making, garment construction, willow basketry and willow furniture. The month began with the study of color as it applies to weaving in Judie Yamamoto’s Weaving The Rainbow class. From color theory exercises and examples to the opportunity to weave samples for reference along with a project of their choice, Judie shared her excellent understanding and sense of color with the class. In Kay Rashka’s Metalwork Jewelry Boot Camp, although the sheets of copper, silver and brass shine, it’s really the faces of the students showing and wearing the jewelry they’ve made that shine brightest. Whether hand-etched, drilled, stamped, layered or textured (or all of the above), these one-of-a-kind pendants, earrings, bracelets and rings are as riveting as they […]
Compare and contrast
Intricate designs in Japanese Temari was the focus of Judie Yamamoto’s recent three-day class. Sorted into categories such as “Complex 8” and “Complex 10”, students learned how to create the lush swirls and precise motifs on these elegant Temari. Lines carefully measured and marked across the circumference of the ball provided the starting points for the decorative stitching. At the same time, Stephanie Robertson’s Making Your Mark: A Fabric Journey class was in session. Compare the use of color, the variety of designs and the joy of the process. In contrast, no measured and precise lines while dyeing. Instead, the wonderful gift of experimentation and surprise (generally happy surprise) with each unveiling. If the original concept for the fabric doesn’t appear, there’s always indigo for over-dyeing! […]
Sit back and relax
After a weekend making a bent willow chair with Ken Workowski or a week learning the characteristics of deflected double weave with Judith Yamamoto, each student certainly deserved to sit back and relax, perhaps even in a chair made by their own hand! The chair frames were together by the end of the afternoon, just a few hours into class. Bending and placing the arms and backs took another complete day. Students in the Deflected Double Weave class shared samples of their weaving and the accompanying drafts with each other. When class is done, why not sit back, relax and put your feet up? The fall colors on Washington Island are just starting and we’re looking forward to […]
Fiber “Candy”
We definitely had a feast for the eyes, ears and necklines this past week with Mary Hettmansperger’s Expressions in Jewelry and Judith Yamamoto’s Japanese Temari Techniques classes in session. Although the materials and methods range from copper and hammers to fine threads and needles, the end results were equally inspiring and creative. Bringing out the colors in the brass and copper sheets, embossing, layering and adding found objects opened so many avenues to create personalized jewelry. I’m sure the jewelry boxes at home were excited to see their new companions! Wrapping a ball, marking “equators” or obi’s to form a grid and using traditional embroidery stitches yields these dazzling results, with the basket shown below on the right the Temari made […]
