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
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: [email protected]: 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
Advertising in Fibre Focus
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 [email protected]
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
Phot
os b
y D
agm
ar K
ovar