education Archives – Page 3 of 3

Photo of Espanola Valley Fiber Arts Center in community of Espanola. This week’s been all about really pushing farther into my new “world,” the New Mexican community I’ve become a part of in the past year and a half since we moved to Albuquerque. Specifically, I was very fortunate to be invited to join two fine organizations: the Española Valley Fiber Arts Center and Susan’s Legacy. I said YES to both because, hey, if you don’t try something new, you’re never going to grow. Or meet new people!

The Española Valley Fiber Arts Center (EVFAC) is a unique resource for fiber artists and those who find beauty in the fiber arts. Visitors to the adobe storefront in the historic district of Española, New Mexico enter a world of looms, colorful yarns, beautiful handmade textiles, books, and supplies.

I stole that right off their website. EVFAC’s mission is to cultivate and support multi-generational participation in local, traditional and contemporary Fiber Arts. (Yep, lifted that too.) One way they do this is to provide a full educational program in many fiber arts, not just the weaving that started the whole shabang. A couple of weeks ago, they contacted me and asked if I was interested in teaching a class. Apparently, someone gave the educational coordinator my info. She liked what she saw on the website and emailed me. I was stunned because a few weeks ago, I headed up to Santa Fe with my compadre Melinda to check out EVFAC’s Fall Fiber Fiesta. Neither of us remembers me even talking about High on Hooking. We were more interested in admiring the artists’ work and, of course, buying things to bring home.

Regardless, I’m in the midst of creating my proposal. We’ll be saving the environment and using t-shirts and other donated fabrics to create our rugs. More on it all later. Because EVFAC is about 90 miles north of home, we’ll probably wait till spring when the snow stops flying up that way to run the class.

Photo of Susan's Legacy (community non-profit) logo. Amazingly enough, my involvement with Susan’s Legacy (SL) also came about because of hooking. (It does seem to have become the center of my New Mexican universe…) Anywho – every two years when Albuquerque’s Fiber Arts Fiesta is held, a local charity is picked to receive funding from “doo-da” sales. “Doo-das” are small gifts made by the various guilds. Guests donate $5 to the featured charity, then get to pick a doo-da. Apparently, it’s a very popular part of Fiesta.The Adobe Wool Arts Guild (AWAG) – my guild – will be hooking mug rugs as our doo-dahs.

Kathryn Weil, who happens to be a quilter, is the executive director of SL. Her presentation to the guild reps struck home with me. The organization is small, but mighty. We chose it as our charity for Fiesta 2017 (May 19-21).

Susan’s Legacy is a small, non-profit agency that provides intensive recovery support for women with co-occurring mental health and addictive disorders. The goal for clients is to move from surviving to thriving as self-sufficient, contributing community members. Clients must be committed to recovery and actively engage in the services provided by SL to support the goals of becoming mentally stable and substance free. …Susan’s Legacy addresses these needs by providing case management, individual mental health and addiction counseling, and psycho-educational groups. Susan’s Legacy provides services to clients free of charge. Because clients don’t pay for these services, Susan’s Legacy is dependent upon grants, donations, and fundraising to continue its work with co-occurring women.

(That was “borrowed” from the Fiber Arts Council’s December Newsletter edited by Cathy Kelly, a fellow AWAG member.

Mental illness and addiction runs in my family, so I’ve had some experience with SL’s charge. In addition, many of my food pantry clients faced these same challenges. (For those who are new to High on Hooking, one of my past lives involved running a couple of pantries.) Little did I know when I contacted SL to volunteer in some capacity – like helping with paperwork or grant-

Photo of a heart-decorated mug and accompanying hand-hooked, heart-shaped mug rug. — Hoping to sell the newest mug and its rug, but who knows? Maybe it’ll become a doo-da for Susan’s Legacy next May.

writing – that Kathryn would propose something else. This week I became a Board member. I was so impressed with the women I met at the meeting; I only hope that I can offer as half as much as they do.

Of course, Tom’s wondering how I’ll keep everything straight and have enough time. I figure that God always provides… Well, almost. 🙂 I’ve got my eye out for a part time job too. We’ll see what happens.

How have fiber arts

widened your world?

Cheryl (r) and Dagmar hold up Dag's rug for show and tell Friday. Dag's son was the original artist, but she's the one putting the life into it. She's a fearless fiber artist who incorporated al kinds of new techniques into this rug. — Cheryl Bollenbach (r) and Dagmar hold up Dag’s rug for show and tell Friday. Dag’s son was the original artist, but she’s the one putting the life into it. She’s a fearless fiber artist who incorporated all kinds of new techniques into this rug.

Hard to believe, but it’s a full week later and the open workshop with Cheryl Bollenbach has come and gone.

Fortunately, the lessons learned and the camaraderie enjoyed go on. Case in point: many of us from the Adobe Wool Arts guild are gathering Friday for another round of dyeing. Okay, personally, I’m not doing any dyeing; I don’t even have any wool to dye. I’m just going to hang out and provide the comedy.

Even though I was working with t-shirt strips last week, it didn't stop me from purchasing some of Cheryl's wools. I loved the sparkly stuff; every rug needs a little bling in it. — Even though I was working with t-shirt strips last week, it didn’t stop me from purchasing some of Cheryl’s wools. I love the sparkly stuff; every rug needs a little bling in it.

Check out the stem action on Dagmar's rug. By incorporating cording and stitching and her own hand-dyed yarn, she punched up the texture factor. — Check out the stem action on Dagmar’s rug. By incorporating cording and stitching and her own hand-dyed yarn, she punched up the texture factor.

Linda's Celtic color-planning. Oh, my! — Linda’s Celtic color-planning. Oh, my!

I’ve included a bunch of pics I took last week. Some are of rugs, some are of rugs and their people, and some are just of folks concentrating on their hooking or having fun.

Mary and her dog sat next to me. SHe was so life-like (the dog, not Mary), that I had to reach over and pet her now and again. — Mary and her dog sat next to me. She was so life-like (the dog, not Mary; Mary is full of life), that I had to reach over and pet her now and again. Again, the dog, not Mary.

How my own psychedelic Tynan (the Welsh springer spaniel) is coming. BTW, he’s made out of old t-shirts.

Cheryl helped each of us develop some new skills, learn a few tricks, and look further into what it is we’re aiming to get out of this art/craft of rug hooking. She did some “long and lovely” dying in the Fry Daddy.

The other Linda's rug included her Mom. I salute Linda for learning hoe to do a realistic face. — The other Linda’s rug included her Mom. I salute Linda for learning hoe to do a realistic face.

Mary's mountainscape is full of color. It made her absolutely giddy for the three days. — Mary’s mountainscape is full of color. It made her absolutely giddy for the three days.

Cathy spent three days hooking and then sculpting these rocks. Very cool.

Friday, Cheryl finally put the “fire” into her presentation as she’d been promising: she demonstrated how we might enjoy aiming a heat gun onto decorated Tyvek to shrivel it. “Cut it into strips and you can really hook this up,” she told us. For those not familiar with Albuquerque springs, they tend to be rather windy. Indeed, Friday, Mother Nature let it gust. The doors of our police substation venue were desperate to open and close on their own; Linda was almost blown down as she stepped outside. Maybe fire wasn’t the best idea for the day especially given our EMS facility. Nonetheless, Cheryl was up for it. Alas, the heat gun on hand wasn’t. Too hot, it blew holes into the Tyvek. They were, we noted, quite interesting-looking holes. (Sorry, the wind precluded photos being taken.) Yet I’m sure something could’ve been done with that Tyvek and some wool and a little imagination. And even the foot-long, blue twist tie Cheryl deposited on my table Wednesday afternoon. That’s how she made us feel about hooking. Anything is possible.

Some of the colors I'm using on Tynan. — Some of the colors I’m using on Tynan.

The values of those same greens. I think that one of the most valuable things I learned was how to use my phone's camera to help me be a better hooker. — The values of those same greens. I think that one of the most valuable things I learned was how my phone’s camera can make me use color better and thus improve as a hooker.

A "long and lovely" cooking. — A “long and lovely” cooking.

...and voila! Here's the piece all dyed and washed and ready to use. And it's all mine because I won it! — …and voila ! Here’s the piece all dyed and washed and ready to use. And it’s all mine because I won it!

Darlene hooking her rose with those skinny, little #3 cuts.

Denise, still new to hooking, even did some proddy work. (I've never done that...) — Denise, still new to hooking, even did some proddy work. (I’ve never done that…)

Thank you, Cheryl Bollenbach, for an an informative and plain old fun three days. Kudos to Catherine Kelly for all your organizational work and to all the other members of the Adobe Wool Arts guild for the hospitality and friendship you’ve shown me these last several months since I moved to town.

Denise working hard. So is Pat behind her, Pat who's been hooking longer than most anyone! — Denise working hard. So is Pat behind her, Pat who’s been hooking longer than most anyone!

Much as Rug Hooking Magazine has the first rug last, Liz presented her first rug and her new second rug. Bravo, Liz! — Much as **Rug Hooking Magazine** has the first rug last, Liz presented her first rug and her new second rug. Bravo, Liz!

HIGH ON HOOKING

Category: education

Becoming a real part of my New Mexican community

Open workshop with Cheryl Bollenbach gone but not forgotten