au t u m n 2010 • f ibre focus 1

Volume 53 l Number 3 l Autumn 2010

Magazine of the Ontario Handweavers & Spinners

Basket Making: Pushing the Structure

s p r i n g 2010 • f ibre focus 1

Volume 53 l Number 1 l Spring 2010

2009 MaiwaTextile Symposium

story on page 16

Magazine of the Ontario Handweavers & Spinners

s u m m e r 2010 • f ibre focus 1

Volume 53 l Number 2 l Summer 2010

Magazine of the Ontario Handweavers & Spinners

2011 Conference Sneak Preview PageS 16-21

w i n t e r 2010 • f ibre focus 1

Volume 53 l Number 4 l Winter 2010

Magazine of the Ontario Handweavers & Spinners

Passage to India

See page 12

2 f ibre focus • w i n t e r 2010

Volume 53 / number 4 / winter 2010

5 Profile: Elinor Bartlett

By Jennifer Tindale

6 Elinor Bartlett Memorial

Workshop

by Dee Burnlees

12 Experience in India

By Russ Mason

16 Interactions

by Sarah Craig and Carolyn Houlden

26 Why I Weave

by Frances Gaultieri

28 International Back-to-Back

Wool Challenge

By Julia Lee

36 New Visions: Ancient Paths

By Line Dufour

40 6 Ways to Get New Readers to

Your Blog Today!

By Belle Perez

Features

Cover 12

Join Russ Mason on a

fibre journey through

southern India.

Current Affairs

3 President’s Message

19 Scholarship Opportunities

20 Awards & Scholarships

22 Spinning Education

24 Weaving Education

25 Calendar

25 Classifieds

30 Regional & Guild News

Columns

7 The Spinning Wheel

by Gina Ritchie

Guest Columnist

8 The Loom Bench

by Jette Vandermeiden

39 Interweavings

by Pat Hood

5

28

36

Nancy Latchford, whose

baskets were featured in

the Autumn edition of

Fibre Focus, would like to

acknowledge Jan Taylor as

her photographer.

Magazine of the Ontario Handweavers & SpinnersPUBLISHED QUARTERLY

OHS Background

The Ontario Handweavers and Spinners (OHS) was organised in 1956 to promote high standards in

the fibre arts and arouse public interest in our craft. Today, the organisation has members from all parts of

Ontario, in other parts of Canada, and beyond our borders. OHS welcomes all those interested in spinning, weaving, dyeing, basketry and other

related fibre arts.

The OHS connects its members by providing networking opportunities through conferences,

seminars, workshops, its website: www.ohs.on.ca and its magazine, Fibre Focus, which is published quarterly at the end of March, June, September and December. The OHS educates through its certificate /education/

and Masters programmes, and by encouraging learning in the fibre arts. Finally, it advocates and shares

the passion for weaving and spinning, by raising the profile of handweaving, spinning and related fibre

arts throughout Ontario and beyond.

A D V E R T I S E R M E D I A K I T 2 0 1 4

16 f ibre focus • au t u m n 2010

au t u m n 2010 • f ibre focus 17

W hen self-patterning yarns arrived on the scene a

few years ago, they created a great buzz, particu-

larly among sock knitters. Variegated yarns had been on

the market for decades, but their design was more ran-

dom, producing a mottled effect. Self-patterning yarns

enable the knitter to create multi-striped designs using a

single strand of yarn. Previously, each stripe would have

required its own ball of yarn leading to tangles or to a

multitude of ends to be darned in.Dyeing your own yarn enables you to determine not

only the colours used, but also the width of the stripes

and, within reason, the number of stripes in each repeat

(see photo 1). Swatch 1 shows stripes of a fairly con-

sistent width whereas the baby sweater (see photo 2)

displays stripes of varying widths. (Incidentally, the baby

sweater was knit from two balls of yarn, one white and

the other grey. They were dyed using the same colours in

the same sequence with some stripes left undyed. This

latter design feature proved to be a blessing in disguise:

when it appeared there was not enough dyed yarn to fin-

ish so undyed stripes of white and grey were inserted to

save the day!). Some commercial self-patterning yarns

contain stripes which have alternating short lengths of

two colours. When knit, such stripes simulate a rudimen-

tary Fair Isle design. This feature can also be achieved

when you dye your own yarn.Self-patterning yarns are most often knit in stocking

stitch which results in a straightforward striped pattern.

By varying the stitch used, more complex effects can be

created. Swatch 2 is knit in Estonian fishtail stitch which

comes from Nancy Bush via Lucy Neatby. It produces a

more intriguing design but one still using a single strand

of yarn throughout.By combining the patterned yarn with a solid coloured

one, even more complex patterns can be achieved. From

Anna Zilboorg comes a Turkish design, an overall pat-

tern in a solid yarn superimposed over the striped yarn

as shown in Swatch 3 (see photo 3). Fair Isle patterns are

essentially based on stripes, with the pattern colour and

the background colour changing at different intervals.

Swatch 4 shows a simple faux Fair Isle design with a dif-

ferent stitch pattern in each stripe. The star heel sock was

knit using this technique (see photo 4). Its colour repeat

is extremely simple in that there are only two colours of

stripes, but the effect is sophisticated. The lively rain-

bow socks were knit as a sampler to demonstrate several

pattern variations (see photo 5).All the samples pictured were dyed with food colour-

ing using a simple dyeing frame which was adapted from

a design by Denise Powell. Although all were knit from

fingering weight yarn, the technique can be used with

bulkier yarn and for larger garments. Further explorations

await - perhaps the interplay between two self-patterning

yarns, plying variations for the hand- spinner or the use

of conventional warping frames by the weaver.

To learn more about dyeing self-patterning yarns,

register for Joan Gentleman’s workshop at the OHS

2011 Conference.

Joan Gentleman is a member of the Pioneer Treadlers in

Strathroy and active in the London guild. Colour is her

over-riding passion when it comes to textile design whether

in the blending of fibres on the drum carder or the combin-

ing of multi-hued yarns on her knitting needles.

Dyeing Self-Patterning YarnsBy Joan Gentleman

22 days in enchanting Peru with 9 days of workshops:

knitting, tapestry weaving, spinning, embroidery, braiding

and gourd engraving. Lima, Arequipa, the Colca Canyon,

Cusco, Machu Picchu will be visited and much more...

20ll: Peru/Bolivia/Argentina - SOLD OUTPeru Workshop Tour - September/October

2012: Peru/Bolivia/Argentina - April/May Peru Workshop Tour - September/October

textiletours@puchkaperu.cawww.puchkaperu.ca

The star heel sock was knit in a simple faux Fair Isle

design with a different stitch pattern in each stripe.

Stripes of consistent width (swatch 1) or inconsistent width (swatch 2) can be obtained by

dyeing your own self-patterning yarn.

Phot

os: J

oan

Gen

tlem

an

Stripes of varying widths in hand dyed self-patterning yarn, with undyed stripes of white and grey.(Below) Complex patterns can be achieved by combin-ing patterned yarn with a solid coloured one, as in swatch 3. Swatch 4 shows a simple faux Fair Isle design with a different stitch pattern in each stripe.

The rainbow socks were knit as a sampler to demonstrate several pattern variations.

2011 OHS Conference Preview

Rose Haven Farm StoreFibre Arts!Fabulous yarns, rovings, batts,books, embellishments and fibre artist materials,sheepskins & handmade giftsWe have further expanded our

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Linda Swaine,Rose Haven Farm Store187 Main StreetPicton, Ontario K0K 2T0Phone (613) 476-9092www.rosehavenfarm.netOpen Year round, daily June 1 - October 31.Shipping in Canada/USA,VISA, MasterCard & Debit acceptedPrice Lists Major shows.

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Fibre FocusFibre Focus has played a keyrole since the inception of OHS, first in a few mimeographed pages and later as a full-fledged magazine. A new era was ushered in at the beginning of 2010 when Fibre Focus moved to a full colour, high quality matte paper providing a rich setting for articles and advertisements alike. There have been rave reviews, not only about the appearance of the magazine, but also about the content. As a direct result, OHS has experienced an influx of new members anxious to receive their copies of Fibre Focus.

Editorial MandateFibre Focus is a vital source of information to our members, whose expertise and interests range from weaving, spinning, and dyeing through to felting, basketry, papermaking and other related fibre fields. We also provide our members with valuable information on raising fibre animals, marketing and use of their fibres. In addition to organisation news, Fibre Focus features profiles of craftspeople, how-to articles, techniques, news of interest in the fibre world, new developments in fibres and equipment, book reviews, events and competitions. Advertisements are essential to the magazine for the information they impart and the resources they offer our members. Many of them keep their magazines for several years, extending the usefulness of an advertisement.

ReadershipFibre Focus, as an in-house magazine, is distributed to both individual members and member guilds of the Ontario Handweavers & Spinners. Nearly 90% of the magazine is circulated in Ontario, with 6% mailed throughout the rest of Canada and another 5% going to the United States. Current circulation is 700. With the magazine being widely read by local guild members who are not members of OHS, estimated readership is 1500.

For the most part, Fibre Focus readers are weavers, spinners, knitters, dyers, felters and basket weavers, while some rural members also raise sheep, alpacas, and llamas for their fibre.

Reader Testimonials...Wowie Wow Wow! That was my reaction when I finally got to the mail box and pulled out Fibre Focus. I immediately started flipping the pages as I walked back to my house. I nearly ran into a couple of people as I was too busy looking at Fibre Focus rather than the sidewalk. A quick scan of the content is appealing, but the layout looks so tantalising and stimulating it is really pulling me in. Congratulations! - Sharon Gardiner

Congratulations on a job well done! The look of Fibre Focus is amazingly well put together. The images are crisp. The variety of articles show the depth of commitment that you and the ‘team’ have developed. I am impressed. - Russ Mason

I would just like to say “Congratulations”. The format is stunning, beautiful and breathtaking. I was so impressed when it arrived, I had to take a second look to make sure it truly was my Fibre Focus magazine. A job well done. This is a big step forward for OHS, to have such a classy magazine representing the organization. - Laurie Harkin-Chiasson

Sending hearty congratulations to all the workers responsible for the format of Fibre Focus magazine. It is indeed much more professional looking and very impressive. The paper quality and excellent colours are beautiful. Excellent and diverse articles. It was thoroughly enjoyed from cover to cover. - Sharon Feltham

12 f ibre focus • s u m m e r 2010

By Frances J. Folsom

Shibori is a Japanese word used for

different varieties of working and

designing with textiles in the shaping

and decorating of them. This ancient

art form dates to the eighth century in

Japan where it was originally used by

poor people who could not afford silk

or cotton and had only hemp to make

their clothes. People would reshape and

dye their clothes over and over.

One of the oldest shibori techniques

is arimatsu, brought from China into

Japan 1300 years ago. In this concept,

the artist draws a design on a piece of

fabric, then ties knots around points of

the fabric and dyes it. The dye doesn’t

infiltrate where there are knots, there-

fore, when the cloth is untied, there is a

geometrical pattern to the piece.

Shibori art means the resisting, fold-

ing, clamping, stretching, pleating,

tying and dyeing of fabric. Some of

the shibori forms are: Kanoko, where

tie-dye involves binding off sections

of the cloth and dyeing only those sec-

tions; Muira, where a hooked threaded

needle is used to bind off sections of

cloth; Kumo where closely pleated and

bound sections of cloth create a unique

design. In Nu, a wooden dowel and a

running stitch are used to tightly pull

the cloth together.

Textile artist Amy Nguyen uses

Itajame and Arashi shibori art in her

designs. Several years ago she became

fascinated with shibori art and describes

it this way. “I think of shibori as being

like origami with its many differ-

ent types of folding or of making an

eight-sided snowflake out of paper. Fan

folding, triangle folding, clamping one

area, manipulating and distorting.”

When working in the Itajame style

the cloth is placed between two f lat

objects, acrylic, Plexiglas, or wood

which are tied together with string.

Arashi is pole-wrapping shibori where

the cloth is tightly bound on a pole

using a diagonal cut then thread is used

to bind the cloth. The next step is to

tightly scrunch the cloth on the pole to

give it a pleated diagonal design.

Growing up in Goshen, New York,

Nguyen was surrounded by bolts of fab-

rics, skeins of yarn, sewing machines,

ribbons and hundreds of spools of

thread. Her mother sewed and knitted

all of her, her sister’s and her brother’s

clothing and is today an accomplished

quilter who, from time to time, offers

artistic advice to her daughter.

As a child Amy loved pouring over

her mother’s pattern books. She made

her first quilt when she was in her early

teens and has designed her own clothes

since that time.

Nguyen graduated from the College

of Charleston in South Carolina where

she earned her degree in painting and

costume development. While in school,

she developed an interest in photogra-

phy and graphic design. Little did she

know that these tools would come into

play later in her life with her interest in

shibori art. It was after collaborating

on a project with batik artist Mary Ellen

Fraser that Nguyen decided to create

her paintings on fabric and fell in love

with the effect that the material gave

her work. In the mid-1990s she decided

to study shibori art with Yoshiko Wada

and Joy Boutrup at the Penland School

of Crafts.Working out of her tiny apartment/

work space in Boston, Nguyen uses bolts

of white silk organza and silk chiffon

to make her kimonos, jackets, scarves,

and f lowing vests. Her husband is of

Vietnamese ancestry and it is from him

that she gets a love for oriental designs.

Nguyen’s pantry is her dyeing room.

Her dye box is pieces of cardboard

that she has taped together; she lines

it with wet newspaper when using it.

For clamping and manipulating the

fabric she will use vise grips, pieces of

wood, clothes pins, and anything else

she deems suitable, even salad tongs.

When she is doing something in Arashi

shibori she uses string, yarns, ribbons

or threads.Whether working in Itajame or

Arashi, Amy hand stitches the biases

on all her designs. To get a leaf pattern

she sews in microscopic stitches to cre-

ate the leaf vein in the material. Amy

believes that shibori art’s greatest asset

is the texture that stitching gives each

piece of work.

Shibori Artist Amy Nguyen

Shibori Artist Amy Nguyen

Nguyen is drawn to the shibori tech-

nique because of the way the artist has

to work the fabric with a strong per-

sonal intensity. Standing all of 5 feet

2 inches and weighing about one hun-

dred pounds, she is a formidable force

when it comes to working the cloths in

the shibori process. Amy looks at it this

way. “I don’t have to go to a gym to work

out. I get my exercise with all the pull-

ing, wrenching and twisting I do for my

art. Sometimes I have to enlist the help

of my husband Ky to help me but mostly

I’m working alone.”

The dyeing process is another form of

shibori in which Nguyen folds, clamps

the item in the design she wants and

manipulates the fabric before and after

placing it in the dye bath and, even,

over-dyeing it. She sets the dyes by

boiling the item in synthrapol, then

pressing and clamping it. If she wants

the silk to be softer, as in a kimono,

using a chemical process she removes

the sericin from the material, the glue-

like substance that the silk worm leaves

behind. If she is working with an idea

of leaving certain aspects of the design

stiffer for stitching, she clamps these off

before removing the sericin.

Nguyen feels that shibori dyeing is like

being a potter putting on glaze –you don’t

know what you’re going to get with the

finished product. For Nguyen the most

beautiful thing about the dye work is the

flow it gives in uniting the materials.

Like other shibori artists she takes

many steps in creating her designs (in

some more than thirty); planning,

pattern, cutting, clamping, the dye

process(es), opening, folding again and

again, measuring, more clamping, more

tying, and, finally, pressing. One simple

kimono takes two weeks, scarves about

five hours, and the more intricate and

elaborate designs, jackets, coats can take

several weeks.In a former life Nguyen was an

administrator in academic affairs at the

New England Institute of Art in Boston.

She was doing that work full-time days

and her shibori art full-time nights. In

2009, she took a massive leap of faith,

giving up her day job to create shibori

art full-time. That leap paid off in that

she is doing what she loves and doing

it beautifully. Amy Nguyen is an artist who is

well on her way to becoming what silk

shibori art is all about, in a way that

Catharine Ellis already is to woven

shibori.

Amy Nguyen’s work can be seen and purchased at her

website: www.amynguyentextiles.com

And also at:

society of Arts & Crafts in Boston, www.societyofcrafts.org

Art Institute of Chicago www.artinstituteshop.org

Fuller Craft museum www.fullercraft.org

Textile museum store in Washington DC

www.textilemuseum.org

Takashimaya Department store in New York City

www.takashimaya-ny.com

studio Forty at the Greenbrier Hotel www.greenbrier.com

Trunk shows:

August 13-15, 2010, American Craft Council, san Francisco,

www.craftcouncil.org

August 27-29, 2010, American Craft exposition, evanston, IL,

www.americancraftexpo.org

Nguyen shibori vest and scarf.

Nguyen shibori shawl.

s u m m e r 2010 • f ibre focus 13

A frequency discount is offered as indicated in the above chart. A prepayment discount of 10% is applicable to advertisements that are paid 45 days prior to publication. In addition, should you require assistance in the layout and design of your advertisement, we offer complete services free of charge..

At Fibre Focus, we understand the need for a business to have a visible presence to old and potentially new customers alike. Advertising in Fibre Focus means you can reach a dedicated audience: weavers, spinners, dyers, basket weavers, knitters and felters, as well as other fibre artists. We also understand it is important to be able to respond to changes in your advertising needs as they happen throughout the year. If you have an upcoming event, new product, or special sale that you would like to highlight in your ad, we will work with you in seeing that the requested changes appear in the next issue.

StaffMagazine features and columns are written by knowledgeable and well-respected fibre artists. Quality and accuracy of information is assured through the experience of our editor who is a weaver and fibre arts enthusiast. Our publisher is a retired educator, a weaver for the past 20 years, and a magazine writer. He has developed his layout and design skills under the close tutelage of a professional in the field.

Contact InformationTo advertise in Fibre Focus, please contact our Publisher, Graham McCrackene-mail: ffpublisher@bell.nettelephone: 519-443-7104mail: Graham McCracken, Publisher, 17 Robinson Rd, RR4 Waterford, ON, N0E 1Y0

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Contact the Publisher for rates on inserts, pamphlets, and bind-in cards

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6 f ibre focus • w i n t e r 2010

w i n t e r 2010 • f ibre focus 7

The Pottawatomi Guild hosted a two-day weekend workshop

in September 2010 with Susi Reinink from Yarker, Ontario,

near Kingston. Eleven participants explored fascinating

variations of plain weave in a round robin. This was the

first of a series of annual Elinor Bartlett Memorial work-

shops that will educate the guild.

Elinor Bartlett founded the Guild in 1975 and always

took an active part in its operation and expansion in Grey

and Bruce Counties. Elinor had been a high school Home

Economics teacher in Owen

Sound before moving to

Kingston where she was

involved with the Kingston

Weaving Guild as its pres-

ident for a time. She and

her husband, Ed, retired

in Owen Sound, where,

inspired and guided by

Elinor’s fine weaving and

attention to details, the Pot-

tawatomi Guild grew to 80

members.

Because Elinor was renowned

for using fine threads set

closely, it was decided that

this would be the chal-

lenge for the special Elinor

Bartlett Memorial Award

being offered at the OHS

2011 Conference in Wood-

stock. Check the criteria in

the Conference material and

challenge yourself to weave

something really fine.

elinor Bartlett Memorial workshop

at the Pottawatomi Guild

by Dee burnlees, for the elinor bartlett MeMorial

CoMMittee of the PottawatoMi sPinners anD weavers GuilD

The Elinor Bartlett Memorial Award

the family of elinor Bartlett will present a one-time

award, in her memory, for $100.00 for a Juried Show

item at the 2011 OHS Conference. this award is to

acknowledge technical excellence and finish using

fine threads; as well the entry should exhibit a sense of

whimsy. the item must have a minimum measurement

of 2000 square inches and be set at 32 epi or higher.

Elinor Bartlett Memorial

Award at OHS 2011

Conference

Donna Steinacher enjoyed weaving

this dress material with two fine

threads alternating with a bulky

one in the warp. Credit: Dee Burnlees

Workshop leader, Susi reinink,

shared explanations of her many

different projects using the samples

we worked on. Credit: Dee Burnlees

FIBERSDENWool Rovings to Exotic Fibres

Knitting and Crochet Yarns

Casein Needles, Dye Kits, Books and More

Visit our Store: Marty’s/Fibersden

13523 Hwy 118W, Unit B

Haliburton, Ontario K0M 1S0

705-457-3216 www.fibersden.com

this spinning column will focus on getting you started with new ideas,

fibres and techniques in spinning. if you have any comments or ideas you would like to see discussed,

or if you would like to write a column, please contact the editor or Beth Abbott at erabbott@sympatico.ca

My favourite use for handspun is warm and woolly socks!

Nothing beats pulling on a pair when the weather chills

in the autumn, worn with a pair of “Birkies” or the like. And

thick socks in winter boots make for warm dry toes. But we can

also knit lacy silk socks or comfy bed socks using the softest of

wools, such as merino.

I have used Romney, Coopworth, Lincoln, Corriedale and

blends with angora for socks. I like the strong wools, but I

truly believe that all wools can be used successfully in socks,

although end use of these socks may vary. And the amount of

yarn needed for each pair can be spun in a relatively short time.

Here is what I do to achieve great socks.

I usually spin about 150 to 200 grams of yarn for each pair

of socks. I would rather have some left over yarn than run out

in the middle of the last foot! Finished yarn is allowed to dry

without tension or else my socks may shrink when I wash them.

I want that yarn totally relaxed when I start knitting.

Using double pointed needles, I will cast on a tube of about

30 stitches or so, and knit a sample of about 2 inches (5 cm)

long. In this sample, I am looking for a firm fabric (firmer than

what one would knit a sweater). This helps the socks to wear

better and prevents the discomfort of walking on loose stitches.

If I don’t feel the fabric is firm enough, I will switch to a

smaller size needle. Remember, there is no wrong size nee-

dle – what works best for you (produces the best sample) is

what you will need. From this I can find what gauge my yarn

will be and can look for the appropriate pattern. (Once you’ve

knit enough socks and figure out “the formula”, you are free to

make your own patterns. But for now, stick to tried-and-true

published patterns.)

There are many generic patterns for socks out there; my

favourite is the one in The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns by

Ann Budd. This pattern gives a range of sizes from children’s

to men’s and a range of stitch counts from 5 – 9 stitches per

inch. I also like this pattern as it uses ribbing for the whole

leg and I find that really helps the socks stay up on your leg.

There is nothing worse than having your socks fall down and

work their way to the toe of your boot. Once you have knit a

couple of pair, and have become comfortable with the process,

you are free to add patterns and textures as you feel fit. The sky

becomes the limit!

Taking care of these socks is

pretty easy. You may hand

wash them as you do the

rest of your woollens,

but I choose to use my

washing machine. I

have a hand wash

cycle, but the gentle

cycle would work also.

Because I have knit them

firmly, there is little-to-no-room for stitches

to move against one another; therefore, they do not

shrink. I find that they full gently and this just helps them

become warmer. To date, I have never had a pair shrink on

me and handspun, hand knit socks are pretty much what my

husband wears in his work and rubber boots.

So give handspun socks a try! Once you’ve worn a pair, you’ll

be convinced.

references:

Ann Budd, The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns, interweave Press, 2002.

I learned to knit from my Dutch grandmother when I was about

eight years old and have been knitting ever since, especially socks!

I learned to spin on a hand spindle about 12 years ago and then

moved on to a spinning wheel. I own a small fibre business,

Gina’s Warm & Woolies, selling hand knits and handspun yarns:

http://GinasWarmandWoolies.etsy.com

Knitting Socks with

As promised in the Summer 2010 issue,

Gina ritchie provides ideas for knitting

socks from handspun yarn as a follow-up

to Beth Abbott’s column on spinning

yarn for socks.

by Guest ColuMnist:

Gina ritChie

Hand spun sock yarn and warm and woolly

handspun socks. Credit: Gina Ritchie

Handspun Yarn

au t u m n 2010 • f ibre focus 21

“When I first tried felting, my life passion opened

to me. Immediately I was caught by this process.

It is so versatile and primitive at the same time.

Its physicality and speed help me to keep a dia-

log with my fibre,” says Dagmar Kovar. Her

work is characterised by gossamer felt hangings,

translucent silk vessels and solid felt sculptures.

When encountering her work, one cannot help

to see her love for fibres. “They are my inspi-

ration, my voice, my reason for work. They

represent a historical connection to humanity

to me.” Dagmar passionately describes her relationship

to the wool and silk she uses.

Dagmar is originally from Bohemia, the very heart

of Europe. There, in Prague, she acquired a Master’s

degree in chemistry and worked in this field for a num-

ber of years. Only later on, when she moved to Canada,

did she change her focus and start her practice in art.

For 12 years, she has been working intensely with fibres.

At first she explored a number of techniques but now

she focuses on felting, shibori and stitch. Recently, she

added silk fusion to her repertoire.

Dagmar now maintains her studio in London,

Ontario, shows her work regularly and actively, and

teaches textile techniques from her studio and for vari-

ous organisations.

Dagmar’s work has been included in a variety of shows.

Four times she was invited to participate in the inter-

national textile biennale Common Thread (Oakville,

Ontario). The 2007 entry won a Best of Contemporary

award. Her large felt installation “Silence” was shown

in 2008 in McIntosh Gallery (London, Ontario) as a part

of a two person exhibition.

To learn more about Dagmar Kovar’s felting tech-

niques, register for her pre-conference workshop

“Seamless Felted Handbag” or her Saturday workshop

on Nuno Felting.

Dagmar Kovar is an Ontario based artist who has been

actively working in fibres, teaching workshops and exhib-

iting her work for over 12 years. She is passionate about

felting, but she also works in silk fusion, shibori, and stitch.

She has participated in a number of solo and group exhi-

bitions. Her website is www.dagmarkovar.com.

Passion in FeltingBy Dagmar Kovar

2011 OHS Conference Preview

Seamless felted handbag by Dagmar Kovar

Nuno felting by Dagmar Kovar

Nuno felting by Dagmar Kovar

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