We’re getting close to wrapping up our 2021 season. Classes concluded last week and the shop’s daily hours will end October 31st. Starting in November, we’ll be in the office on weekdays only. (Pease know you’re always welcome to stop in!) We’ll still have yarns, books, needles, etc., available for purchase. This year (our 43rd) we had a total of 347 registered students and 75 of those were taking their first Sievers class. New students came from AZ, AR, CA, CO, FL, IL, IN, IA, KY, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NV, NM, NY, OH, SC, TX, VA, WA, WV and of course, WI. It was so good to see many of you this past season and meet our new […]
Boundweave and a pop-up shop
We’d been waiting for this for a long time! Since the class in 2020 was not able to be held, it had been five years since the last Boundweave class. It’s such a treat to see the rugs Lynn Stracka Shuster brings and the ones students plan, design and weave themselves. Sharpen your colored pencils and watch the rugs come to life on the looms! One of the students, who has taken many weaving and knitting classes here, had first come to Sievers for Lynn’s Boundweave class in 1997. She brought her rug back to show us now that it’s been 24 years off the loom. Another student used one of our table looms to weave her project. There’s a […]
From the shop (both of them)
Over the past couple months, beside building Sievers Benchwork in the other Sievers shop, Butch and Barb have been demonstrating their craftsmanship by making three blanket chests. One is made from the cherry tree that was at the edge of the deck on the back of the Sievers dormitory/barn. Another is from a Washington Island oak tree and the third, from pine. The cherry and oak chests measure 38 1/2″ long x 19 1/2″ wide x 15 1/2″ high. The pine chest has the same dimensions, except for the height, which is 16 1/2″. Each chest has a clear satin varnish on the exterior, while the interiors are unvarnished. One of their other projects was to build these three-tiered display […]
Counting the days
We’re counting the days (there are only 30) until our 43rd season begins with the Open Quilt Studio from June 2-7! The Open Studios (quilting and knitting) were some of the few opportunities last year that allowed for in-person attendance at Sievers. Working independently at separated tables, students sewed or knitted and learned from each other. We feel much better about what the Sievers experience can and will be this summer and fall, but at the same time recognize that we’re all taking part in a gradual process of readjustment. In less than 30 days, the Sievers Shop will be open daily! Over 80 artists will have their work in the shop and of course we have most of the […]
What’s happening at Sievers
Years ago, we submitted regular articles to the Washington Island Observer newspaper using this same headline. Topics ranged from Sievers enrollment, current hours, featured classes, the introduction of our new Facebook page (from a January 21, 2010 article), Sievers anniversary events as well as the notice of a new feature to our website, an online newsletter, which would be added in March 2008. Here we are, sending another blog post thirteen years later. How could the time go by so quickly? One newsworthy item that occurred on March 12 was a major upgrade to our Sievers Benchwork website by replacing the 2002 version with a entirely new look thanks to 3W Media Co. It is much more streamlined and user-friendly, […]
Anticipating, navigating and waiting
Dear Sievers Family and Friends, As spring arrives on Washington Island, we have always anticipated meeting new students, welcoming back those who are returning for class and greeting visitors in the shop. This spring, we, like you, are navigating our daily lives by placing the safety and health of those around us at the forefront. At the same time, we are all waiting to engage in the shared experiences that give us joy. Using the guidelines that are available, we feel the responsible thing to do at this time is to cancel our classes in June (Classes 1 through 7). The nature of our classes and dormitory housing, with groups of people working and living in common spaces, often using […]
An update
Hello dear Sievers friends, With the most recent “Stay at Home” order for Wisconsin extended to May 26, 2020, we want to let you know that we’ll be making a decision on our June classes (Classes 1 through 7) during the week of April 27. We’ll be posting that information here, on our social media sites and will be directly notifying any students registered for those classes via email or phone. We’ll also let you know about what’s “in store” for the Sievers Shop as we go forward. This is the time of year that we reflect back on our time spent together and at the same time anticipate seeing you come through the door. More than one student has […]
April is here
[intense_row] [intense_column size=”4″ medium_size=”hide” small_size=”hide” extra_small_size=”hide”] [/intense_column] [intense_column size=”8″ medium_size=”hide” small_size=”hide” extra_small_size=”hide”] [/intense_column] We are ready to again offer e-mail subscriptions to the Sievers Blog! Thanks to the fine folks at 3W Media, new e-mails have been added to the existing list (if you’re receiving this in your e-mail box already, you don’t have to re-subscribe) and going forward, if you change your e-mail, you will be able to enter your new address so you can continue to read the news from Sievers. The blog page layout is still somewhat “under construction”. Other changes will be forthcoming. It’s taken about a week now for the snow to melt from our spring snowstorm. While it was underfoot, it didn’t keep our feathered friends from going about their business and the snow/rain/cold […]
