For more nearly 25 years, browngrotta arts has promoted museum-quality, international, contemporary art textiles and fiber sculpture through exhibitions, at art fairs, online and in print through catalogs that we publish in-house.
Since Green Mountain Spinnery’s founding in 1981 we have been designing and producing richly colored, must-touch yarns and classic and contemporary patterns for hand knitters. To this day our goals remain unchanged: to create yarns of the highest quality, to help sustain regional sheep farming, and to develop environmentally sound ways to process natural fibers.
All the fibers we use – wool, alpaca, mohair, organic cotton, and lyocell - are grown or produced in the United States. We make every effort to purchase directly from individual growers. Unlike most commercial mills, The Green Mountain Spinnery uses no chemicals to bleach, mothproof or shrink-proof yarns.
From initial contact with the fiber grower through the final labeling and approval of each finished skein, our team attends with care to every step and detail in the yarn-making process. Each of our skilled employees brings enthusiasm and talent their work. Most of us at the Spinnery are accomplished hand-spinners, knitters or weavers; we have a heart-felt interest in producing extraordinary yarns for your use.
The yarns are created in our mill in Putney Vermont with vintage equipment. We match the dynamic capabilities of our machinery with a keen understanding of the nuances of each fiber blend. Throughout the entire process, the inherent liveliness of natural fibers is respected.
Our knitting patterns are designed to encourage knitters of every level to expand their skills and create natural fiber garments that can be worn with style and pleasure for years to come.
The Spinnery is now in its 30th year of operation. We are a worker-owned coopertive.
Location: Putney, Vermont, USA Online Shop: Green Mountain Spinnery Brick and Mortar Presence: Our mill store is located at 7 Brickyard Lane, Putney and is open every day except major holidays. Some of our yarns are also sold in fine yarn shops in the USA and Canada. See our website for a complete listing. Social Media:Ravelry Memberships:
TNNA- the National Needle Arts Association
Vermont Seep and Goat Association
Valley Alliance of Worker Coopertives Languages spoken: English
Green Mountain Spinnery, a worker-owned cooperative
I'm an Australian now living in Central Florida and I've been a textile artist in one form or another most of my life. After landing in the US in 2001 I quickly discovered and fell in love with art quilting. I then spent quite a number of years traveling throughout the US teaching creative sewing and art quilting classes and workshops, as well as exhibiting my art quilts.
These days though I prefer to stay close to home in Central Florida where I still teach locally from time to time and where I also self-publish a series of instructional dvds which are full of fabulous techniques specifically for textile and quilt artists. I also get to spend lots more time in my studio where I now work exclusively with digital art and design, as well as processes for printing on fabric, and in particular textured fabric.
I’ve also rediscovered my love of “working small” and have developed methods for preserving my digitally printed textile art so that it becomes durable and workable and suitable for using on items such as handbags, purses and accessories. My current ambition is to produce textile art that is beautiful but also practical; art that doesn’t necessarily need to hang on a wall or sit on a stand to be admired, it can also hang on your arm or be carried about with you.
Working with new technologies that intersect with artisan crafts is challenging and rewarding; new methods melding with old techniques resulting in textile art that is different, fresh and exciting.
Artist's Statement: Making art with fabric and thread is both a creative and an emotional experience for me, and I find my direction changing every so often. The older I get the more difficult it is to let go and move forward, and learning the futility of fighting the muse seems to be my life's greatest challenge. The only constant in my work seems to be the desire to encourage and inspire the creative spark that lives in each of us and ultimately I think, that is enough.
Since 1976, Folkwear has offered unique sewing patterns based on ethnic costume and vintage fashion. Each multi-size pattern includes full-size pattern pieces ready to trace or cut out; easy-sew and special construction techniques clearly explained and illustrated; historical lore that sets the garment in its own time and place; and instructions for traditional embellishment.
-Kate Matthews
Mission: We believe that ethnic and historical garments have a lot to offer in the way of inspiration, imagination, and design details, as well as aesthetic and functional beauty. When you combine historic or ethnic styles with modern materials and innovative fabrication, the resulting garments become unique expressions of the maker's vision. Folkwear is proud to contribute one element to each maker's creative process.
Location: Asheville, North Carolina, USA Online shops: Folkwear patterns can be found at www.folkwear.com. The Dealer Locations page of our web site links to the web sites of Folkwear dealers around the world. Languages spoken: English
Tags: costume, ethnic dress, historical clothing, central asian, japanese, victorian, edwardian, cultural clothing, peasant dress, fisherman's pants, clothing for men
We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) founded originally in 2003 by Anne Copeland. We seek to make good networking connections and locate more resources for physically/developmentally challenged fiber artists. We also are seeking to provide opportunities for children to have a safe and wonderful, inexpensive means to express their creativity through some of our current and ongoing venues. We have long wanted to provide this opportunity, so this year is our first challenge geared to include children. You can find the challenge on our blog site under Calls for Entry.
We have events where pieces are sold to raise money for worthwhile causes and to assist the physically/developmentally challenged artists. We also do Smilebox presentations online, and we have done online show catalogs that can be printed out to include in a portfolio or to just have to remember the events the fiber artists enter.
Mission: Our mission is to assist physically/developmentally challenged and emerging fiberartists who wish to be professional with getting good exposure for their work and teaching them professional development. Although the nonprofit is located in Southern California, we serve physically challenged fiber artists in the United States and abroad.
Founder, Anne Copeland, is an AQS certified appraiser who specializes in art quilts, wearables, art dolls and other textile items. She also appraises regular antique and traditional quilts, but specializes in the more contemporary items. Anne lectures and teaches some classes, especially her quilt restoration class, which is quite popular.
We are ‘our’ journey…
I take great joy in the process of telling visual stories through my quilt art and the transformation of fabric through surface manipulation and embellishment.
I really enjoy that in my workshops I get to help each student find their individual voice by providing possibilities. I do this by teaching fun ways to add color, texture and dimension to fabric and quilts.
My quilt art journey has taken me on twists and turns I had little expected, like appearing on Simply Quilts, or as in June 2009, I appeared on The Quilt Show, with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims. Just the other day I was filmed for an episode of Quilts Out Loud! Seeing my work and words in print on websites and blogs and on the pages of personally revered magazines like Quilting Arts, American Quilter’s Society, Quilter’s Home, and Quilter’s Newsletter magazines is really wild. But, best of all I take great pleasure in sharing my quilt art in regional, national and international exhibits, galleries and museums.
In 2009 I had two solo exhibits and a traveling exhibit, Back-Road Journeys: Quilts by Rose Hughes. My personal exhibition journey continues with a full schedule in 2010 and I have quilt art scheduled in exhibits with Studio Art Quilt Association, Quilts on the Wall: Fiber Artists and other group and solo events.
Artist's statement: My mission is to use my personal art, inspiration and teaching abilities to encourage others to enjoy the color and art of life's simple things and find time and opportunity to pursue these fearlessly.
I started quilting in 1998. At first I did some traditional quilts but very quickly got bored following directions and patterns. I started adding my own ideas to patterns until I wasn't using patterns at all, working exclusively on art quilts. I have exhibited at the International Quilt Festival in Houston and The American Quilters Society Quilt Show in Paducah among others. I was the KY/TN Regional Representative for Studio Art Quilts Associates.
In 2008 my life changed and my main focus now is web design and graphic design although I still create quilts. As a quilter and web/graphic designer, I understand the needs of fiber artists better in terms of promotion and marketing their art. I would be happy to help other textile/fiber art businesses achieve a more professional image on the web and in print.
Location: Frederick, Maryland, USA Blog: Aynex Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube Languages spoken: English, Spanish
Matera by Aynex Mercado
One of the many videos Aynex made when she lived in Paducah. This one features Caryl Bryer Fallert.
John gained a degree in Constructed Textiles at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in Scotland. He has a wide working knowledge of art and craft textiles and is now a full time writer with a great interest in both historical and contemporary textiles. Since 2008 he has been producing The Textile Blog, a daily insight into all aspects of printed, woven and knitted textiles, as well as rug, tapestry, quilting, embroidery, lace, basketry design, as well as historical decoration and ornament. Through the blog he tries to approach textiles by viewing the subject in a broad and culturally diverse manner, including contemporary and historical articles from across the globe.
Embroidery by Jessie Newbery
The Textile Blog articles deal with the equality and the complexity of all historical cultures, peoples, and mediums. Whether a piece of textile art, design or craft has been produced by amateur or professional, in Europe or the Brazilian rainforest, it will be seen as valid and having merit.
-John Hopper
Location: Foxhole, Cornwall, United Kingdom Blog: The Textile Blog Languages spoken: English
