News From Sievers School

Each year on the first day of our season (generally between May 15-20) I’ve included a photo showing either the crab apple trees in bloom, the bright green leaves of the hedge in front of Jackson Studio, or like last year, a view of the barn.  You’ll note a difference in the amount of leaves on the trees this year!  No doubt, your spring season is a little behind schedule, too.

First Day 2012

First Day 2013

We’re starting today with Navajo Rug Weaving taught by Betty Glynn Carlson and at the same time, the Washington Island Art Association is renting the Walter Studio for a class in Beginning Oil Painting followed by their Open Studio week.

W.I. Art Association in Walter Studio

Continuing on in May and through June at Sievers will be Nuno Felting (Scarves) with a Twist with Carol Riedner (May 28-30)

Inkle Weaving Workshop with Christi Ehler (May 31-June 2)

Quilting: Your Own Treasure with Ellen Graf (May 31-June 2)

Open Quilt Studio (June 3-8)

Patchwork Birch Bark Basket with Karen Tembruell (June 10 – 13)

Beginning Weaving: Floor Loom with Nancy Frantz (June 10 – 15)

Beyond Beginning: Summer & Winter Weaving with Lynn Schuster (June 16-21)

Handfelted Scarf Collection (June 16-21) and Useful Handfelted Objects with Chad Alice Hagen (June 21-23)

Waffle Weave with Nancy Adams (June 23-28)

Batik with Mary Jo Scandin (June 23-28)

Japanese Temari Techniques with Judith Yamamoto (June 28-30)

It’s another great start to another great season!

Spring on the Island brings about new improvements, new business ventures and the return of birds and flowers.

Starting with news from Sievers, windows on the south side of the barn in the dormitory have been replaced.  This will allow a portable air conditioner to be used in the dorm when necessary.  At the same time, the south side of the barn is being prepared for cedar shingles.

We noticed in the Spring 2013 Shuttle, Spindle and Dyepot magazine a photo of Mary Sue Fenner’s jacket that won a 2012 Handweavers Guild of America Award at the Wisconsin Handweavers show, Loominosity. Mary Sue is also scheduled to teach a weekend “Basic Handwoven Jacket” class on May 17-18 through Wisconsin Handweavers.  Also from WHI, at their meeting tomorrow (May 11), Donna Kallner will present “Color with Willow”.

Jo Campbell-Amsler’s “Willow Gathering 2013″ at Luther College in Decorah, IA is set for June 27-July 2.  For description and information on classes and this special willow weaving event, go to Jo’s website, www.willowridgebaskets.com and click on “Willow Gathering 2013″.  Jo’s willow work is included in the Cole-Ware Collection opening in October at the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery in Washington, DC.

New on the Island and opening for a “sneak peek” today is The Lavender Shop of Fragrant Isle, LLC.  Several plots of land on the Island have been and are being prepared this spring for 10,000 lavender plants with the eventual harvest used for bath, body and culinary lavender products.

From their website, http://fragrantisle.com/ : “Visit The Lavender Shop to experience the unique essence of lavender and the magical attraction of lavender based pet, home, food and bath products.”  Located within the Historic Island Dairy at the corner of Range Line and Town Line Roads, the shop is both artfully arranged and wonderfully fragrant. (I’m happy to recommend the Earl Grey and Lavender tea that I’m sipping while writing this!)

In the last week, the Town has begun work at Gislason Beach (adjacent to the Sailor’s Pub/Shipyard Island Marina and across from the Red Barn Park).  An alternative to the deep water of Schoolhouse Beach, this shallow reclaimed sandy beach was for years the site of youth swimming lessons and offers a child-friendly place to play in the water.

At one of the Island’s oldest continuing businesses, Mann’s Store, new checkout counters with additional automated features have recently been installed.

Outdoors, the birds and flowers are back after a slow start to spring!

Sentinel on Range Line Road.

Daffodils line the path to the Stavkirke.

Trilliums start to open on a typical Island roadside.

One week from today, on May 17th, the Sievers Shop will open and at 2 pm, the first class of the 2013 season, Navajo Rug Weaving with Betty Glynn Carlson will begin in the Sophie Studio.  We’re looking forward to a new season!

On our final day as Quilts of Valor “coaches and rookies”, we met with Island QoV coordinator, Ellen Graf, to measure and sew the binding on our quilts.  In the time since the quilt tops were finished in March, they have travelled to a number of volunteer longarm quilters in Wisconsin where the top, batting and backing were stitched together with various quilting designs (stars, flags, curved lines and more) then returned for the last steps.  Today the binding was sewn on by machine and the final hand stitching will be done at home.

There were a lot of busy hands in the Sophie Studio today!

Ellen Graf, center, demonstrates how to measure before trimming the quilt.

L to R – Pat Clarke (Rookie) and Kathleen Morris (Coach) working with the binding on their quilt.

Quilt by Jennifer Munao

Deb Anderson sewing a presentation case.

Dianna Young (Rookie) finishes the binding on her quilt.

Just a few of the quilts ready for the final hand stitching.  Note the smiling faces!

L to R-Peg Nikolai (Rookie), QoV, Anne Delwiche (Coach)

L to R – Linda Henkel (Coach), QoV, Carolyn Foss (Rookie)

L to R -Connie Westbrook (Rookie), QoV, Ann Young (Coach)

Each team also made a presentation case (similar to a pillow case) for their quilt with guidance from one of the coaches,  Nancy Thiele.  Within the next several weeks, teams will be visiting the organizations that sponsored this year’s event, sharing more about their experience and showing their finished quilts.  After that, each quilt will be distributed.  Some are planned to be given locally, some regionally and some sent to the national Quilts of Valor organization.

It doesn’t end there…with the fabric remaining from our sewing days in March, the Trinity Quilters have made two quilt tops and are working on more Quilts of Valor.  In addition, there is already discussion about and some funds raised for next year’s event, planned for approximately the same time and held again in the Sievers Studio.

We’ve been cleaning and moving things around in the shop the past two weeks and are now putting out the new yarns and books for our 2013 season.  Consignment items are beginning to arrive, too, in time for our mid-May opening.

Another spring cleaning note is that we have found enough parts for THE LAST 36″ Sievers Floor Loom.

  Made of maple, it has been assembled and finished with Danish oil.  The price for this loom is $1,670.00.  If you are interested, please let us know by calling 920-847-2264 or sending an email to mail@sieversschool.com.  The loom would have to be picked up in person and would need a van to transport it to its new home.  Folded, the dimensions are approximately 23″ W x 50″ H x 46″ L.

In the weaving category…it’s only about a month away before our first scheduled class, Navajo Rug Weaving with Betty Glynn Carlson (May 17-24).  Here’s a glimpse from last year:

At the same time, we will be hosting the Washington Island Art Association for a Beginning Oils class and their Spring Open Workshop.

  The W.I. Art Association has classes from May through October.  For details, their website is: www.washingtonislandarts.com.

There are other events in the area on the weekend of May 18-19.

The 19th Annual Door County Shepherds’ Market will again be at the Woodwalk Gallery in Egg Harbor.  The market promotes products from locally raised sheep, goats and alpacas along with related fiber arts.  Door County and area vendors will offer roving, yarn, and handmade fiber arts.  For more information, go to www.dcshepherdsmarket.com.

Bleating Heart Haven in New Holstein, WI will hold their Fiber Facets: Art Fair on the Farm.  An “on the farm” experience where you can see the fiber animals, view the process from sheep to shawl, watch demonstrations as well as meet and purchase from fiber artists.  To see more, go to www.bleatinghearthaven.com.

The calendar is filling up!

Jackson Harbor is always a good spot to see some of the first returning water birds, a sure sign that spring is arriving

No birds, but the red color is a welcome change from white snow and brown grass.

Some Pileated Woodpeckers ushered in spring by feasting on this tree across the road from Sunset Resort.

More springtime visitors are the sand hill cranes.

About a half-mile before you get to Sievers is a dip in the road under which in springtime, water often flows.  Beginning in the fields below Mountain Road, what’s known to Islanders as “the creek” meanders north until it reaches Lake Michigan.

The Creek

A little more water and a little less snow and ice at the Washington Island Ferry Line Potato Dock landing!