A Fabulous Sievers Gathering
The weather was beautiful, the Friday workshops and evening program were fun, new, and interesting; the Saturday garage sale was a big hit as usual and the demonstrations that followed were engaging. Vendors brought an array of handmade baskets, jewelry and fiber art supplies. Items for the Student Fiber Art Exhibit and the Style/Quilt Show were inspiring. The dinner was delicious and the music by Cindra and Dan was the “icing on the cake”.
Each of the three workshops on Friday afternoon had 10 students. Here Jo Campbell-Amsler is teaching the Baby Melon Basket Workshop.
Those who attended Stephanie Robertson’s Instant Silk Screen, Instant Fun and Barbara Heike’s Viking Knit Bracelet workshops commented on how much fun they had in each.
Friday evening’s program, “Behind the Scenes” with Dick Purinton was a two-part program with the first half being photos from the Washington Island Ferry Line’s archives along with some “behind the scenes” looks at the Ferry Line. The second half of the program introduced The Roundheads (bendable characters purchased at the Twice-Around Shop) posed in a number of different Island locations, including the Island Clinic, Ferry Dock and Sievers. About 85 people attended Friday’s program.
Thirteen of our instructors were introduced to the audience on Friday night. They were: Jacki Bedworth, Jo Campbell-Amsler, Mary Curran, Christi Ehler, Diane Ericson, Ellen Graf, Barbara Heike, Donna Kallner, Stephanie Robertson, Lynn Schuster, Kathy Sorensen and Judie Yamamoto.
The Fiber Arts Garage Sale started early Saturday morning with items ranging from knitting needles to an antique dress form to a used 36″ Sievers Loom. Proceeds from the garage sale were over $1400 with donations being made to the Sievers Scholarship Fund, the Washington Island Preschool and the Island Memorial Medical Fund.
(Diane Ericson’s Baskets From the Heart)
The vendors opened shop in the Sophie Studio while demonstrations were ongoing in the Walter Studio. Here you can see Lynn Schuster demonstrating Coiled Basketry, Judie Yamamoto with Polymer Clay, Donna Kallner with ”Fiber Mojo”, Jeannie Shay with Needle Felting and Jacki Bedworth and Thelma Boeder in their re-enactment location near the Walter Studio:
The Style and Quilt Show featured everything from silk garments to felt hats to quilted and woven garments to queen-size bed quilts. Mary Curran and Jo Campbell-Amsler coordinated and provided commentary for the show.
The winners of our Student Fiber Art Exhibit were announced at this time with the top three votes going to: Cheryl Stewart with a landscape “confetti” quilt, Anne Landre with her Mother’s Day Project (stitched tribute to U.S. servicewomen who have died in Iraq), and to Judy Douglas for her tray basket using techniques learned in a Donna Kallner class.
Before dinner, a number of Gathering folks stopped into Fiddler’s Green for wine and conversation. At the dinner, Maren Schutz, great-granddaughter of Sievers Founder Walter Schutz, played piano as background music. The winners of the Silent Fiber Art Auction were announced at the dinner. Thank you to all the instructors who generously donated handmade items for the silent auction where close to $1000 was raised. In the past, proceeds from the Silent Auction have gone to install air conditioning in the studios as well as other equipment purchases. Four $100 Sievers class gift certificates were given as door prizes. The winners were: Muriel Hanson, Ruth Kieffer, Cheryl Stewart and Lana Roberts.
Cindra and Dan topped off the evening at the TPAC with a wide range of songs that included ”You Are The Sunshine of My Life” , “Walkin’ After Midnight” and “Monster Mash” (in full costume, I may add).
Thank you so much to everyone who helped make this Gathering the best yet! (P.S. - We already have ideas for 2010!)