Ruby Wings Designs, Peggy Wright

www.rubywings.com

My name is Peggy Wright. I am passionate about fibers, beads, and color in whatever form, and I love both hand and machine work. I now focus on art quilting, incorporating hand beadwork and thread embroidery, hand and machine appliqué, and machine piecing, free motion quilting, thread sketching, and thread painting. I often create dimensional work using beads, thread, and any other material that seems to fit the piece. I also have started painting on fabric, using the painted fabric as background or applique.

In my current business, I sell beading kits for jewelry. I have beaded for over 20 years and have taught nationally at conferences. Currently, I teach a beading class through the Embroiderer’s Guild of America (EGA). My shift to quilting and two-dimensional art occurred only a few years ago, and I hope to sell my art quilts in the future.

Artist statement:  Color and texture drive my art. I paint with fabric, beads, and thread to create a distinctive visual and tactile experience for the viewer.

Location:  St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

Online shops:

   Ruby Wings Designs (website)
   Ruby Wings Designs (Etsy)
Social Media:  Connectedthreadz

Memberships:

   SAQA
   Minnesota Contemporary Quilters
   Evergreen Quilters

Languages spoken:  English

Art Quilts by Ruby Wings Designs

Tags:   Art, Fiber Art, Fiberart, Art Quilt, Wall Hanging, Wall Quilt, Fabric Art, Textile Art, Bead Embroidery, Beading on Quilts

Kit Eastman

http://www.kiteastman.com/

I am a textile artist from St. Paul, Minnesota. I make both functional and art textiles, hand painted in the Japanese tradition of katazome (paste resist stencil dyeing), using a palette of natural pigments and dyes on linen, cotton, silk and sometimes paper. My work celebrates daily meetings with the wild birds, plants, and lake breezes of my local urban surroundings.

My decorative and functional works (i.e. pillows and runners) are created in small batches, and each item is a unique variation of my original design. I also create one-of-a kind katazome works for the wall. In addition, I am open to custom commission work. For example, I can work with homeowners and/or interior designers who want to decorate a home or public space with a unique, nature-inspired art textile.

Katazome techniques can be applied to any natural fiber woven fabric, from sheer silks to heavier weight wools, linens, hemps and cottons. Please contact me if you are interested in learning more about what is possible!

Artist statement:  Natural forms draw me in on daily walks around the small lake near my home. I am captivated by the patterns and cycles I observe in plants, water, birds and seasons. These familiar landscapes, as well as the interior terrain of thought, memory and imagination inspire my work.

Since January of 2009, I have focused exclusively on the materials, tools and techniques of katazome, which inspire me almost as much as my subject matter! The centuries-old technique incorporates elements of both printmaking and painting, and relies on simple non-toxic materials such as rice paste resist, natural pigments and dyes, and soymilk. It is an elegant process with relevance for the contemporary artist who strives to work with a minimum impact on the environment.

As my work enters the stream of daily life, those who use and enjoy it will be reminded of the beauty of nature. In sharing with my audience how the work was made, I hope to inspire appreciation of this inventive, robust, and earth-friendly Japanese textile tradition.

Location:  St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

Online shop:  SilverMinnow

Blog:  kiteastman

Memberships:

   Surface Design Association
   Textile Center of Minnesota
   American Crafts Council

Languages spoken:  English

Katazome textile by Kit Eastman

Tags:  natural dye, hand painted, linen, silk, katazome, Japanese, bird, plant, home decor, stencil

Obelisk Fiber Arts

www.etsy.com/shop/ObeliskFiberArts

My emphasis is working with organic, and sustainable natural fiber and natural dyes. I love the versatility of fiber, and the myriad of art and craft interpretations in woven textiles and hand spun yarn.

The natural world gives me a lifetime of inspiration and direction.

-Jan

Artist's Statement:  I strive to create high quality beautiful and useful yarns and textiles of the finest organic and natural fibers.

Location:  Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
Blog:  obeliskfiberarts

Online shops:  ObeliskFiberArts (Etsy)

Memberships:  Minnesota Weavers Guild

Languages spoken:  English

Fine weavings for the home by Obelisk Fiber Arts

Tags:  handspinning, weaving, natural dye, scarves, home interiors, runners, placemats, rugs, winter, apparel, accessories

Stephanie Forsyth

 

http://www.thefibernation.com

I am a fiber artist with a degree in graphic design from Minneapolis Business College. I have always been attracted to the tactile nature of fabrics and fibers. As a child, I would used scraps from the clothes my mother and grandmother were making in order to make clothes and tiny quilts for my Barbies.

I began learning traditional quilting in 1995, making simple square piece flannel blankets. While I was earning my degree in graphic design in 2001-2002 I began to make art quilts rather than traditional pieced quilts. I was excited to see how I could apply the design principles I was learning, into fiber form.

The vast majority of my pieces are centered around or inspired by nature. I draw from the flora and fauna I find from trips around the country, as well as in my own backyard. I prefer dyeing my fabrics to mix with batiks in order to attain the desired colors for the most impact in my quilts. Color is the biggest factor in a piece for me, and something I spend a lot of time planning and testing in a piece, as I rely a lot on color play for contrast in my pieces.

I mix contemporary and traditional methods of quilt making, from fused applique to hand quilting in order to achieve the particular look or feel to a piece I am striving to attain. I also incorporate embellishments to give my pieces more depth; needle felted roving, angelina fibers, paint, inks, or anything that will give the visual impact I am striving for. I try to apply mindfulness (complete engagement) to the design and construction of my pieces. It is my desire that the view is left with a deeper appreciation of colors in nature, as well as with a renewed sense of hope and calmness.

I do open studios in my home studio and take part in art crawls. 

Artist's Statement:  I experiment with color and contrast, applying the knowledge I gained through graphic design into my artwork. I love pulling colors from nature to use in my work, and most of my work is representational of the natural world in some way or another.

Location:  Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA

Online shops:  

   stephanieforsyth on Etsy

   StephanieForsyth on Art Fire 

   stephanieforsyth direct sales on website

Blogs:  thefibernation, stephanieforsyth

Memberships:

   Minnesota Contemporary Quilters
   SAQA
   Textile Center Minnesota

Languages spoken:  English 

 "Eden Prairie: Wetlands and Tree 9" by Stephanie Forsyth

Tags:  hand dyed, simple, elegant, nature, colorful, zen, contrasting, playful, experimental, fun 

Susan M. Hinckley

www.susanmhinckley.com

I'm a writer-turned-artist who stitches my stories full time using a needle and thread, felted wool, and a variety of mixed media embellishments.  

Artist's statement: I feel a strong connection to the domestic needlework tradition and am particularly interested in the role handwork plays in the lives of those who create it, be it practical, expressive, or therapeutic.

My pictures depict glimpses of everyday (well, sort of) people and animals, combining a love of words, folk art and fiber.  Simple shapes, bright colors and a word or two tell the story, inviting the viewer to engage in an exploration of the ordinary made extraordinary through the use of a little imagination and a lot of tiny stitches.  But my work is as much about the process as it is about product. 

My pieces are 100% hand-stitched.  I love the feel of the wool and the slow pace at which the picture is revealed.  Using repurposed and hand-dyed felted wool, I sew and embroider each layer, incorporating beads, vintage trims, found words and phrases.  I take delight in giving discards a new life.

My education is in creative writing.  Perhaps that explains my need for words to complete the picture.  Most often my words are cut from vintage magazines of the 1920's - 1950's.  Quirky colors and fonts and the hunt for just the right letter add to my enjoyment of the process and ensure that each piece is truly an original. 

Location:  Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA

Online shop: smallworksinwool

Blogs:  

   small works in wool
   the world is so full

Membership: 

   FAMM (Fiber Arts and Mixed Media)

Languages spoken: English

 "Dreamgarden" by Susan M. Hinckley

Tags:  self-taught, hand-stitched, vintage, embroidery, applique, narrative, folk art, embellishment, wool, felt  

Carolyn Manning Designs

www.freewebs.com/cmanningdesigns

Greetings!  My name is Carolyn Manning and I play with string. Oh, and fabric, buttons, beads, lace and sometimes broken color crayons.

While I experiment with many mediums I have found myself drawn in the most by needlework, fiber arts and textiles.

I have been a cross-stitch and needlework designer for the last decade.  I stitch all of my own designs as well and am always looking for ways to work in old buttons, beads and various other trinkets I have collected throughout the years.  When I package up patterns and include embellishments, rarely will you find two patterns with the same goodies inside.  I find charm in all things old and repurposed.

I like simple and uncomplicated.  Flawed is pretty to me.  A cracked button or a tarnished charm can be perfect worked into a piece.  I am currently working on a series of designs that will combine my love of needlework with vintage fabrics.  (Something else that I collect along with the buttons and broken crayons!)

My 'Illustrator' side shines through most often in my designing with my goofy-faced, whimsical characters.  I think I am known best for my snowmen but I am also influenced by my love of gardens, fantasy and fairy tales.  This next year I intend to explore designs that are  different from my usual 'cartoony' pieces so that I can satisfy all of my creative urges.

I want to create designs that encourage others to pick up a needle and exclaim, "I can do that!"

Artist's Statement: As long as you have breath, you have at hand all you need to create.


Location:  Mankato, Minnesota, USA
Online shops: Hoffmandis (Wholesale Distributor)
   C Manning Designs (My website)
   Etsy
Blog: Make Believe Places and Magical Spaces
Important Links: 
   Hoffman Distributing Company
   Kreinik Manufacturing  (TAFA member)
Languages spoken: English

Cross stitich patterns available from 

Carolyn Manning Designs

Tags: cross stitch, needlework, designing, fibers, textiles, vintage, repurpose

Paloma Textiles/Ruth Henriquez Lyon

http://www.palomatextiles.com/

I started Paloma Textiles to be a yarn source for fiber artists  who want to know the story behind the products they buy. Over many years as a weaver I grew to realize that the materials I was using had an impact on people, animals, and the earth.  When I began searching for products that are grown and processed sustainably and humanely, and made with fair labor standards, I found few candidates. I have included the best of what I found on my website, along with information about the yarns.

Each time we buy something, we're voting with our money. Our shopping practices have the power to change our world as much as our political activities. Shopping is political. My goal is to bring transparency to the yarn marketplace.

Location: Duluth, Minnesota, USA

Memberships: Paloma Textiles is certified as a Green Business by Green America.
Online store:  Website
Languages spoken: English and I speak passable Spanish.

Pakucho Color-Grown Cotton from Peru 

available at Paloma Textiles

Liberation by Ruth Henriquez Lyon of Paloma Textiles

Tags:  Hemp yarn, organic yarn, animal-friendly products, sustainable shopping, recycled silk yarn, weaving yarn, knitting yarn, macrame twine, electric cone winders.

Manitoba Gifts

 www.manitobagifts.com

I have enjoyed doing handwork for most of my life. I use hand-dyed wool for much of what I create. I then embellish my work with embroidery and crochet to achieve the look I desire. I also do applique work using silks and batiks.  

I used to own a brick and mortar shop and sold many local and regionally made handcrafted items. The name of the website comes from the name of the street my shop was on. The shop was in Wayzata, Minnesota, NOT Manitoba Canada. (Sometimes people are confused.) 

My partner does leatherwork, so you will see his work for sale on our website.  Now I am concentrating on selling my work through our website, galleries, and wholesale.

-Debra Gangelhoff

Pincushions by Debra Gangelhoff, Manitoba Gifts

Location: Long Lake, Minnesota, USA
Online Stores: Etsy and Manitoba Gifts
Blog: Manitoba Stitches

Find more photos like this on Fiber Focus

Tags: handmade, pincushions, hand dyed wool, embroidery, crochet, applique, handmade pillows, kitchen goods, handmade household items

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