From the start, it was Mary Sue Fenner. Her interest in Sievers Looms and weaving became the spark that further motivated Walter Schutz to move forward with his plans for Sievers School. Now 45 years later, with 44 of those years teaching 52 classes to hundreds of students here, Mary Sue has retired from teaching at Sievers. This is how Mary Sue’s and Walter’s correspondence began. Walter wrote, “It took no time for us to get together and immediately, Mary Sue was up here. Sitting in the middle of the mess as the building was being rebuilt, we set up the outline of the first year’s classes. Mary Sue knew other possible teachers and from this list we began the […]
Saturdays and stories
Every so often we revisit Walter Schutz’s book, It Was Fun Being Young, with remembrances of his boyhood in Milwaukee in the early 1900’s. We recently came across a letter written to Walter in 1990 from a Sievers student and mom of three “modern” kids about their experience going back in time through the stories he told in the book. Excerpts from both are presented in this post. Walter wrote, “Looking back, it seems that life was more organized and ran on a very tight, narrow schedule. Certain operations were performed on certain days, such as washing on Monday, ironing on Tuesday. Saturdays were no exception. Certain duties had to be done on that day only and were carried out […]
“Our” Grocery Store
Last year we visited Walter Schutz’s Milwaukee neighborhood of the early 1900’s with descriptions from his book It Was Fun Being Young, focusing on his memories of holidays and school days. Once again, we’ll follow Walter as a young boy, this time to the grocery store. He writes, “Our grocery store, Ellenbecker’s, was the largest place of business at the corner of Holton and North. It sold only groceries. You could not buy meat or shoestrings or toothpaste or any articles of this kind – it was groceries only. Back then, there were any number of small shops and stores that served neighborhoods. At Ellenbecker’s, a long, hardwood counter extended down the left hand side of the store. In front […]
Make it!
Whether it refers to baking, creating or otherwise, it’s the season to “make it”. That’s what we’re doing. Make it a Julekuler! This Scandinavian heart knitted bauble was made using a free pattern, but was adapted by using sport weight yarn and size 2 double pointed needles. Make it delicious! This cookie recipe was discovered in last winter’s Door County Living magazine. It’s especially suitable as a non-fussy holiday treat and yes, the dark chocolate chips are highly recommended! Apricot Ginger Oatmeal Cookies Preheat the oven to 350°. 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. ground ginger 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. baking powder Mix these ingredients into a bowl and set aside. 1 c. butter […]
Tool times
It’s not often we have two classes in session that predominately use hammers, pliers, saws, knives, drills, gouges, torches, burners and more, but it happened when both Kay Rashka’s Metalwork Jewelry Boot Camp and Woodcarving with Jerry Landwehr were here earlier in September. Where a set of carving tools can fit in a nice case or box, the many hundreds of pounds of metalwork tools, equipment and supplies need the space Kay’s entire pickup truck offers. However, this post is not just about the tools, it’s about what you can do with the tools! To create metalwork art jewelry, there’s cutting, filing, stamping, etching, piercing and soldering. Along with all the “-ing’s” you do with the various tools, there’s an […]
A good blend
From the very beginning, Walter Schutz felt Washington Island was the ideal place for learning and specifically as a place for Sievers School of Fiber Arts. He wrote in 1979, “What could be more ideal than creating in pleasant surroundings such as these?” Also, “…a positive cultural advance – the Island is ideally suited for this. I am convinced (Sievers) would not be as successful in other places…” and, from 1984, “I hope, too, that it will help you regard the Island with more reverence, help maintain its rustic, unspoiled atmosphere and above all keep it, as much as possible, the sort of place it is. It truly is ‘north of the tension line’ (and) opens the door to the […]
Two at a time-part one
These summer weeks are going by so quickly! In a few days, we’ll have reached the half-way point in our classes for the 2021 season. To continue to catch up with the past several classes, there will be three consecutive “Two at a time” posts to bring you up to date. We start the week of July 19 – 26 and two classes taught by Mary Sue Fenner, “One-Of-A-Kind Jacket” and “Sew a Patchy Vest”. Learning from Mary Sue and using her mix of contemporary and classic methods brings the fabrics, patterns and students together in a special way. Her array of garments is inspiring, fun, eclectic and amazing. Students brought fabulous fabrics for the 5-day jacket class and worked […]
The how and why at Riverside High
Walter Schutz, founder of Sievers, continues his rememberances by saying, “…high school opened the door to what I was seeking: a place where the how and why could be explored and where the teachers urged us on and on.” “Students in our district were sent to East Side High at Cass and Knapp Streets. Milwaukee found itself in a bind for high school facilities. East Side had been condemned and we expected to attend the brand new Riverside High; however, it was not finished by February of 1915, so we were sent to North Division High on 12th and Center. It was already crowded with not enough rooms, seats, teachers or lockers. When fall arrived, Riverside opened to students. It […]
