Teacher - Jackie Thaysen

Our last teacher to introduce to you is Jackee Thaysen -  We are very happy to have such a wonderful Quilt teacher teaching at the Vancouver Island Fibre Fest.

An avid Quilter for nearly three decades, Jackee Thaysen is well-known and well-respected in the quilting community on the North Shore in Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast.  Her quilting journey began in 1982 when her love of quilts and desire to have some for her children, pushed her to take on the challenge of quilting.  Although quilting began as a hobby for her it soon led to full time career in the Quilting Industry.  Working in a quilt shop for several years led to a love of teaching Quilting classes for all levels of quilters.  In 1999, recognizing the need for a quilting and binding service for people who love piecing the tops of quilts but never have the time to finish, Jackee started her own Machine Quilting business called Jackee’s Quiltworks.  Quilters and non-Quilters alike have admired Jackee’s work and she is often commissioned to design and create custom quilts.  Teaching Quilting classes at various shops still keeps Jackee busy part-time.  As a member of several quilting guilds, Jackee has successfully built a business around her passion for quilting.  She has recently moved to Campbell River, and looks forward to building a rapport with the many quilters on Vancouver Island.

 She will be teaching " Nine Patch Frenzy"

It will take a beginner or intermediate quilter from a regular "nine patch" to wonky nines and curvy tens.  In other words, their first foray "out of the box".
Participants should be able to rotary cut and have basic quilting skills.
There will be a supply list available by registration
This class will be May 4 10 AM - 4 PM
Class cost $67.
Registration will begin March 4

Teacher - Shelley Mackie

We have 2 more teachers to showcase, myself (Shelley Mackie) and Jackee Thaysen - Jackee will be teaching Quilting
A bit about me. I have been a knitter for about 55 years, yes I started when I was 3. So I guess you could say I have always knit. Socks are a definate passion of mine and I always have 2 or 3 on the go at any given time. I enjoy teaching sock knitting and look forward to the moment in class when a person turns a heel for the first time. I have been teaching sock knitting for about 10 years.

I will be teaching Sock knitting.
If you can knit and purl then you can learn to knit socks. This class will be 3 hours long and during that time you will knit a small sock. The socks are knit on 4 needles from the cuff to the toe. You will learn to knit in the round, ribbing, short rowing, directional decreases and how to graft the toe.Turning the heel of a sock is quite challenging for most beginner. I will help you learn all of the steps to successfully turn a heel.. I will supply all of the information you need in a nice booklet, yarn and needles. You will leave this class knowing how to knit socks with any yarn and any needle size.



socks I knit for my Grand daughter Meika  - see the blog post here



The socks we will be knitting in class will be with plain coloured worsted weight yarn on 3.5mm needles and will fit a child about 2 years old.

There will be a $10 charge for the supplies

Beginners very welcome as long as you know how to cast on, knit and purl

The class will cost $40. and registration will begin March 4th

Teacher - Alison Irwin

We are pleased to introduce the next teacher  - Alison Irwin

Alison Irwin has a studio in Maple Bay just east of Duncan and has been teaching weaving workshops both on and off Vancouver Island for 15 years.  Her favourite expression is 'Sample! Sample! Sample!'  Alison takes great delight in introducing people of all ages to textile techniques that can be done with simple equipment.         

She will be teaching 2 classes

Kumihimo 4x4Class Description:  This basic Japanese braid is a wonderful way to play with colour and patterns.  Students will start with a simple spiral worked in four colours, and then shift the cotton threads around on the braiding card to change to another design.  Learn how to create new patterns.  All yarns plus braiding card and braiding weight are supplied ($5 per student).

Length of class:  4 hours
Maximum # of students:  12

Date of class:  Friday, May 3 1 PM - 5 PM
Cost $53.

Beginners are welcome; students do not need to have any braiding experience.

Fingerweaving

Class Description:  The word 'fingerweaving' brings to mind the colourful ceinture fléchée sashes worn by Canada's voyageurs.  If the thought of working with the traditional fine wool yarns has kept you from trying this old technique, here's an option: create a sturdy fingerwoven band from mop cotton!  All yarns are supplied ($5 per student).

Length of class:  4 hours
Maximum # of students:  12

Date of class:  Saturday, May 4 9 AM - 1PM
Cost $53.

Beginners are welcome; students do not need to have much weaving experience.

Registration for these classes will begin March 4

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Teacher - Lynette Meek

We are fortunate to have Lynette Meek as one of our teachers this year.

She will be teaching painting lace. Wow these pictures are sure amazing.



This is Lynette's design for the Vogue Competition.



Bio from Lynette

I have been teaching knitting at Mad About Ewe for about 12 years.  As a teacher I have turned many students on to knitting and its many facets.

About 2 years ago I was runner-up in a Vogue Design Competition – The Magic of Mohair.  My design was published in the Early Fall 2011 edition of Vogue Knitting.  Since then I have had several designs published in Vogue.

I love all styles of knitting.  But I especially love to knit lace.  Painting the lace, came as a result of wanting to draw attention to the lace but still maintain colour in the knits!  As I am part crow I often add beads to my knitting as well.

  

Lynettes class will be Sunday May 5 10 AM - 5 PM with a Maximum of 15 students.

Class cost $80.

Registration will begining March 4 and the class cost will be published soon.

Dyes will be provided. Materials charge for pattern and dyes – $5.00.  Each student would need a number 6 round  “hair”, not synthetic, paint brush; a cheap ice cube tray and T-pins and a long piece of Styrofoam insulation, plus the project which would have to be knit ahead of time. 

Lynette will provide the pattern for a scarf, knit with a 4-ply yarn of their choice – scarf takes approx 400 yds.  Recommended yarns include Drops Alpaca, Classic Elite Fresco, or any undyed wool 4-ply.  Handmaiden and Fleece Artist make several nice ones.

Knitters would need basic lace knitting skills.  The project is lace at each end with a solid center section.

She has many designs  - here are couple of links to Ravelry patterns.

Touchon Lace Collar

 Leaf and Point Scarf

Teacher - Val Ursulak

We are very fortunate to have Val Ursulak teaching Applique and Mola at the Vancouver Island Fibre Fest this year

Val started quilting in 1995 after she retired from teaching elementary school.  Like most quilters, she tried many different techniques but was always drawn to appliqué.  Her friends might suggest that she couldn’t sew a straight line so had to resort to curves.  Whatever the reason, she started to really focus on honing her appliqué skills, taking classes from appliqué artists Elly Sienkiewicz, Gabrielle Swain, Kathy McNeil, Sandra Leichner and Jane Townswick.  Val has taught many appliqué classes for various Vancouver Island Guilds and Quilt Shops.  In 2004, she won second prize for Countries for her appliquéd quilt, “Feathered Friends and Flowers”  in a World Quilt competition in the USA.  Another of her quilts, “Heart Parade” was featured on the cover of the Canadian Quilter’s Association magazine in 2007.  This year, Val has made an appliquéd quilt which will be the first prize at the Nanaimo Quilters’ Guild Material Magic Quilt Show which will be held at Beban Park May 24 - 26, 2013.  For the past 6  years she has been Chapter Leader of the Dimensional Divas, the Nanaimo Chapter of the Appliqué Society.  This is Val’s dream come true - teaching new and experienced appliquers and working on a continuing basis with ladies who want to learn all aspects of  the art.

Applique Sat. May 4 th 10 - 1

WOVEN  BASKET WITH IVY 

In this class, you will learn how to make a woven basket with a braided handle and base.  You can applique the ivy leaves (and optional bow) as in the pattern or you can fill your basket with flowers of your choosing.  I will show you other examples of baskets that are made with the same basic method.

As our class time is limited, I will provide a kit with the finished bias strips ready for weaving – price is $15.
Class cost is $40

Mola - Sat. May 4th 2pm - 5pm

In this class you will learn how to make a Mola that incorporates reverse applique and simple embroidery stitches. I will show you different ways to display your Mola and give a short history on mola making in the San Blas Islands. Many examples of Molas are shown.

Both classes are for  beginners and experienced appliquers. You will be using hand stitching, NO sewing machine required.

Class cost is $40

Registration begins Mar 4- Val will take 10 students in each class

Teacher - Jean Newsted

Jean Newsted is an avid spinner with a lifelong interest in the fibre arts.  She learned to spin when she moved to Canada in 1977.  After accumulating a houseful of spinning wheels, fleeces and fibres, she began giving flax workshops in 1991, hoping to foster the love of linen and the bast fibres in spinners everywhere.  In addition to teaching spinning and knitting, she has published articles in Spin-Off and elsewhere, as well as entering her work in exhibitions and juried shows.  She has raised angora rabbits, using their fur in her creations.  Jean has also lived in England and New Zealand where she acquired even more fleeces and fibres.  She moved to the Comox Valley in 2000, where she is pursuing her keen interest in growing and using plants to dye all that handspun yarn.  The fleeces and fibres continue to multiply.

 We are very fortunate to have Jean teaching and lecturing

Growing and using Japanese Indigo

    

 Jean with be lecturing about her adventures in growing and using Indigo to dye yarns and fabric. I saw a very informal demo of this at a spinning retreat once and was amazed at the wealth of knowledge Jean has on this subject. She will have many sample and slides to present. So if you are interseted in growing and usinf Indigo for dying you don't want to miss this.

Friday May 3  3-5pm
Class cost is $27.

Spinning the bast fibres:  an introduction to Flax, Hemp, and Ramie

      

           In this workshop students will learn the special techniques involved in spinning and processing of flax, hemp and ramie, as well as various bast fibre blends.  We will also talk about the cultivation, processing and uses of these fibres in both historical and ethnological contexts.

          Students should be at the advanced beginner spinning level, comfortable with the wheel, and able to control the grist of their yarn.

             Maximum number of students: 12

This workshop will be on Sunday, May 5th, from 10 A.M.to 4:30 or 5:00 P.M.  

               Jean will bring everything the students need, except their spinning wheels, and will charge a $10 dollar materials fee.

Class cost is $80.

Registration for these workshops will begin March 4. More details about registration will be coming soon.

Teacher - Sivia Harding

This week I will be introducing you to the teachers who will be offering classes at the Fibre Fest. We are so fortunate to have Sivia Harding designer extraordinare coming, she will be teaching for 3 days at our Fibre fest. I have always loved her designs and sold many of her patterns in the store. I have knit several. I am looking forward to meeting her and would love to take all of her classes.


She will be teaching Friday May 3  1:00 - 4:30pm
Harmonia’s Rings: Exploring Moebius and More!
Moebius knitting has had a special place in my heart ever since I learned the basic technique from Cat Bordhi several years ago. Now (with her blessing), I teach Cat’s cast on along with my particular enhancements of this simple yet endlessly fascinating form.

The Harmonia’s Rings family of patterns use Cat Bordhi’s Moebius cast on to achieve the mysterious spiral neck shape, and feature a stitch pattern that creates concentric rings reminiscent of ancient architecture. This cowl sits cape-like over the shoulders, and suits a wide range of body types. This class introduces many techniques: the Moebius cast on, shaping and texture within the Moebius structure, and the charming beaded picot bind off, among others. We discuss customizing the shape to fit any body type. A tunic and a sweater based on the cowl are shown. This class is 3 1/2 hours long.
Skills required: knitting in the round, knitting and purling, basic increasing in knit and purl.
Class cost $47.

Sat., May 4  10 am - 5 pm
Fill a Triangle with Lace
Access your inner designer in this gentle and supportive workshop. You will learn all the skills you need to design your own top-down triangle shawl, and acquire many tools that carry over into other areas of knitwear design.
In this class we examine the structure of the top-down triangle shawl and insert our choice of lace patterns to create an original design, with an eye to shaping, esthetics, and flow. Charting patterns, shaping lace in pattern, modulation from one pattern to another, and using borders and edgings are discussed. Students receive the benefit of Sivia’s years of experience in designing innovative lace shawls and exceptional beaded lace. This workshop is the perfect blend of lace design skills, inspiration and discovery. This class is 6  hours in length.
Skills required: basic lace stitches, basic increasing and decreasing, knitting and purling.
Classs cost $80.

and Sunday May 5 10 am - 1pm
Bead Whimsy!
Does bling make your heart sing? Learn how to put beautiful beads in an assortment of stitch patterns, and in the process learn an amazing amount about knitting with beads. While working a small sampler we will explore potential beading situations: how to bead cables, lace, texture, or just plain knitting. You will emerge with inspiration and tons of ideas. This class is 3 hours long.

Class Cost $40.

Supply lists for all of Sivia's classes will be available upon registration