Anna Anderson
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Anna Anderson has been teaching and giving demonstrations in fiber arts, beginning in 2010. She is a fiber artist, Shepard, and owner of the Wooly Rescue for fiber animals. She and her husband live on a 40 acre farm just outside of Superior Montana, that they share with a variety of fiber and farm animals. She has recently started offering fiber art classes on the farm.
Anna is a fiber addict by heart, and enjoys all things fiber related. Hobbies include spinning, felting (both wet and needle felting), raising and rescuing fiber animals. She enjoys sharing the different techniques that she has discovered to create fun one of a kind fiber creations. Visit Anna on her website: www.calicofarmchick.etsy.com. Classes Anna will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Stop by Anna's vendor booth:
Calico Farm Fiber Art |
Michelle Andrus
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Michelle Andrus is a seasoned animal raiser, farmer, and skilled crafter based in Northeast Washington. Together with her husband, they own and operate Andrus Farms LLC, where they specialize in breeding and raising alpacas, llamas, sheep and goats for fiber production. Michelle has over four decades of experience raising & breeding animals and in the past seven years, she has incorporated Alpacas and Llamas into the farm.
Aside from fiber production, Andrus Farms also offers farm consulting, breeding, tours, workshops, and handmade items for sale. Michelle is particularly passionate about fiber spinning and loves to demonstrate and share her knowledge with others. Her workshops on basket weaving and soap making are also very popular, as they showcase different heritage arts that are wonderful examples of “remembering the past” & learning from it. Michelle's talent and love for crafting have been evident from a young age when she joined a local 4-H club and completed her first Log Cabin quilt. Her passion for curating beautiful and useful items has continued for over 40 years, and she is still thriving and learning new artistries. Michelle's personal philosophy is to live life in a way that leaves the world a better place, which she accomplishes by sharing knowledge and experiences and spreading kindness to all. Her biggest passion lies in all things "Homegrown and Handmade," which is evident in the products she creates and the experiences she shares with guests during farm tours and Festivals. Classes Michelle will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Staci AtwaterStaci has been passionate about fiber arts for over 25 years, ever since her grandmother first taught her to knit and crochet at age eight. During the pandemic, she expanded her skills by learning to spin on her grandmother-in-law’s spinning wheel—a discovery that quickly turned into a passion for processing local, raw fiber. Drawing on her professional background as the Energy Manager at Sea-Tac Airport, Staci infuses her fiber practice with a focus on sustainability and low-carbon methods. She’s particularly committed to sourcing local fibers, incorporating native plants, and minimizing waste in her work. In the classroom, Staci leverages her experience as both an engineering and sustainability instructor, emphasizing not just the “how” but the “why” behind the techniques. When she’s not at the airport or immersed in one of her many WIPs, Staci enjoys spending time with her husband and two-year-old son, tending to her garden, and writing. IG: Needle_Wheel_Loom Ravery: Stacirenue Classes Staci will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Kimberly BeattyKimberly has been spinning since 2011. While she's dipped her toes in other fiber arts, her happy place is always the process of making yarn. She began with fiber from local dyers, then moved to processing her own fleece when she started the Master Spinner program at Olds College. She loves every part of the process — from finding that perfect fleece all the way through spinning the prepared fibers — and is excited to share that love with others.
Classes Kimberly will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Jan Bittenbender
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Born in Northeast PA, Jan moved to Seattle in 1994. There she began her journey into the art world, launching a successful business as a seed-bead jewelry artist. Her jewelry was featured on Project Runway’s Fashion Week, won “Best of Show” awards in Northwest regional arts shows and sold in several art galleries and boutiques in the Seattle area.
In 2018 felting attracted her interest. Unable to find local teachers, she self-taught the techniques of felted pictures. This art form took her completely out of her comfort zone and into a more organic, free-form art style. Like she says, “I may have a very specific image in my head, but the fibers have another! That has taught me to let go and just go with it!” She has uniquely incorporated beadwork into some of her work, particularly those with Native American themes. It has been a fun, creative and evolving journey, limited only by imagination. She hopes to impassion her students along the same path. Jan now lives in McCall, ID where she enjoys hiking, biking, and paddling in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter. Classes Jan will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Stop by Jan's vendor booth:
Goldfork Galleria |
Karen Chabinsky (co-teaching with Barbara Seeler)
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Karen Chabinsky has been a weaver, spinner and dyer for over 25 years. Spinning has always been to learn as much as possible and gain a greater understanding of the different fibers and she has learned and met the challenge of various types of fibers including Flax, Silk, Wool, Mohair, Exotic Fibers and yarn including Plied, Crepe, Cabled, Art Yarns and many others. Karen has taught many different types of spinning and weaving classes over the years, sharing her knowledge of fiber, and providing insight into fiber and process. Karen is also a Certified Judge through the NorthWest Regional Spinners Association.
Karen will be co-teaching with Barbara Seeler. Classes Karen & Barbara will be co-teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Lauralee DeLuca
Lauralee learned to spin on a drop spindle in 1980, then got to take a college class on a wheel the next year. Two years later she dropped out of college to spin yarn and has been spinning and teaching ever since. She learned to felt in 1986 though she didn't really get into it until she discovered how great bubble wraps works to help felt in the early 2000's. She lived 32 years in mostly rural Alaska living off the grid in little cabins and mushing dogs, as well as spinning their fur to sell to tourists. She moved to Washington with her two teens to help with her dad 12 years ago and has been reveling in the fiber arts scene ever since.
Visit Lauralee at PhoenixxFibers.etsy.com. Classes Lauralee will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Stop by Lauralee's vendor booth:
Phoenixx Fibers |
Kandi DodrillKandi Dodrill is a farm educator and owns a 5 acre fiber farm with her husband, Mark, in South King County. They have a motley crew of fiber growing animals filled with personality on their farm. Since she is a farm educator, she gets to share different skills that she has learned over the years from crafting to soap making, fiber arts, cooking, gardening, and embroidery. She has been a Girl Scout, Boy Scout, and 4-H leader. Kandi loves teaching people to enjoy the process of art and crafts. Her current favorite craft is using fiber from her farm to make beautiful art.
Classes Kandi will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Lisa EllisLisa Ellis is a freelance knitwear designer, owner of a wholesale pattern line and traveling knitting instructor in the Pacific Northwest. Lisa has two publications with Leisure Arts and is also a contributing designer to more than a dozen other books and magazines. In addition to her designs, she has written numerous articles on “knitting techniques”. Her passion is taking knitters to the next level.
Lisa is a native of Washington state, currently living in Gig Harbor. Learn more about Lisa at LisaEllisDesigns.com. Classes Lisa will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Wendy Emo
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Wendy Emo* was immediately intrigued with the variety of fibers available to spinners when she started spinning in 1982; her first sweater from handspun included wool, camel, and dog fibers. Wendy organizes and often leads the Spinners’ Study Group (Clatsop Spinners and Weavers Guild), exhibits at Bold Art Gallery, helps out during fleece judging at fiber festivals, teaches spinning workshops, and once upon a time raised Rambouillet sheep. When she’s not experimenting with fiber, practicing piano, or pulling weeds, Wendy is playing keyboard in a surf band. *Ph.D., teacher education, University of York, England.
Classes Wendy will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Heidi Grevstad
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A McGown certified traditional rug hooking teacher, Heidi has been making hand hooked rugs since 2004 and she is the owner of Birch Bay Rug Hooking. Three of her rugs have been finalists in the international Celebrations rug hooking exhibit.
Her work has been published in Rug Hooking Magazine, Wool Works Magazine, Celebrations magazine, and Rug Hooking Magazine’s Hooking Skies book. She has exhibited at galleries and fiber art museums in the Pacific Northwest. Heidi is also the Director of the Western McGown Teacher’s Workshop (a certification and continuing education program for traditional rug hooking teachers). Heidi especially likes working with new rug hookers to get them started with good technique. Her beginner designs are approachable and fun! Start your next artistic journey with Heidi at Fiber Fusion. Kids aged 12 and up are welcome to joint the class. Visit Heidi at birchbayrughooking.com. Classes Heidi will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Stop by Heidi's vendor booth:
Birch Bay Rug Hooking |
Jennifer KaylorJennifer was first introduced to fiber arts at the age of eight by her grandmother using her Kenmore sewing machine and scraps box. The joy she felt having complete freedom to let her imagination run wild and create whatever her heart desired was immeasurable. Her grandmother modeled the passing down of knowledge from one generation to the next, this is something that she holds very dear. It was during childhood that she fell in love with making things that bring joy to others. She has been creating and striving to bring joy ever since in every field of work she enters.
Jenny Lynn Wool Creations was born from her traditional rug hooking hobby. She was introduced to rug hooking by a demonstrator at the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe, Washington. A few years later she began making wool flowers for applique in her rug projects and one thing led to another. Now, she is living a dream making gorgeous wool flowers and sharing that gift with others. She loves watching a student light up when they have created something beautiful, they previously thought they were incapable of. It is simply amazing! "I look forward to creating for you and with you!" -Jenny Lynn To learn more about wool flower making you can visit her website at www.jennylynnwoolcreations.com/ or email her at [email protected]. Classes Jennifer will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Stop by Jennifer's vendor booth:
Jenny Lynn Wool Creations |
Jamie Lomax
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Jamie Lomax (she/her) is a Seattle-based knit designer dedicated to helping knitters learn how to knit design and knit something unique. She loves colorwork knitting and considers it to be like "doodling with yarn," in that a fiber-y illustration is created, line by line, as you knit the pattern. Her background in design, standards, and technical writing has led to creating a system of patterns, where all motifs and all pattern shapes can be used interchangeably. And experience with graphic design (as well as having ADHD) has created an accessible and user-friendly experience, which eventually translated into offering multiple forms of patterns from digital to printed card decks. After designing the first Doodle pattern in 2020, she's now taken the concept into over 25 themes and 11 base pattern shapes, and hopes to add even more as she continues to expand Doodles.
Visit her website at www.pacificknitco.com. Classes Jamie will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Stop by Jamie's vendor booth:
Pacific Knit Co. |
Kasteyl LukesKasteyl Lukes (she/her) learned to knit at 12, was weaving by 15, and it’s been a downward descent into fiber arts madness from there. When she isn’t dyeing and teaching she can be found weaving on her rigid heddle looms, knitting, and spinning. Originally from California, she’s been calling Seattle home for almost 15 years.
Visit her website at SeattleSkyDyeworks.com. Classes Kasteyl will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Stop by Kasteyl's vendor booth:
Seattle Sky Dyeworks |
Kathy MartinKathy put in her time in the non-fiber related rat race and now fills her days with caretaking her Angora goats and playing with natural fibers. Kathy has wheel spun, dyed, knitted, crocheted, and woven with triangle looms since the beginning of time. Wynham Farms and gotmygoat are recognizable from her workshops, online ventures, and fiber festivals.
Kathy, with her daughter and Great Danes, lives outside Sequim, WA. Learn more about Kathy and her farm at gotmygoat.com. Classes Kathy will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Erica McCurdyErica (she/her) is a spinning and dyeing teacher at the Jansen Art Center. S he lives on a deep forested mountain in the North Cascades in a small house (handmade!) filled to the brim with family, old chairs, lazy cats, one big dog, too many looms and spinning wheels and a kitchen table overflowing with books and fiber & dye concoctions. A maker at heart, when she’s not fashioning textiles from scratch, you can find her block printing, paper cutting, reading, gardening (weeding!), foraging, preserving, fermenting, and gluten free baking.
She strives to cultivate an atmosphere in her classroom where everyone feels welcome. Classes Erica will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Marion Richards
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Exploring the wooded and river lands in search of mushrooms and plants is a constant focus in my life. I have had a passion for natural dyeing and creating art through the natural world. I currently teach plant and mushroom dyes and small basketry classes and demonstrations through our local mushroom club in Seattle and at different art schools and guilds in the region.
Classes Marion will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Charan Sachar
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Charan Sachar is an artist whose work reflects his passion for the fiber arts, like knitting, spinning, weaving, quilting and he uses it as an inspiration for his clay work. In all the fields that he works in, he loves to accept challenges and approach the making with a “what if..” attitude. Charan specializes in creating art yarns with textures, using traditional spinning techniques and pushing them an extra step to create unique yarns. As a teacher, he shares his preferences and his learnings along his journey, but also encourages his students to try techniques/materials by themselves and then decide for themselves.
Creative with Clay Federal Way, WA Tel: 253 241 2245 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.creativewithclay.com Instagram: @charansachar Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Creativewithclay Classes Charan will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Charan has chosen to teach at Fiber Fusion instead of vending this year.
Creative with Clay Take a look at his website & social media to see his unique one of a kind hand made pottery inspired by fabrics, embroidery, and knitting! |
Jennie SandersJennie has been working with fiber for over 20 years, she learned from and worked along side her mom, Linda with Sunset Fibers. In 2019, she expanded becoming Mad Hatter Fibers, continuing her love of fiber from dyeing, carding and spinning to felting, knitting, and crocheting.
Jennie has been sharing her love of fiber arts for over 15 years. Through hands on workshops, classes, and demonstrations she has provided education on drum carding, felting, spinning, and more to audiences of all ages. She currently teaches classes at her shop in Ephrata, WA. Taking a view point that there are many ways to accomplish the same goal, Jennie has a knack for adapting her teaching to meet various learning styles. Visit her at: MadHatterFibers.etsy.com Facebook.com/madhatterfibers instagram.com/madhatterfibers/ Classes Jennie will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Stop by Jennie's vendor booth:
Mad Hatter Fibers |
Jessica Schwab & Sarah Pope
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Jess began her fiber artist journey with knitting over 25 years ago, and throughout the years has grown a deeper appreciation for anything fiber related. She worked as a technical editor in the knitwear industry for over 5 years, working for independent designers and publishers. The path eventually led to starting a fiber processing mill with her business partner in 2022 after seeing the huge demand for processing and the desire to make accessing regional, breed specific wool more accessible. Jess thinks everyone should become a wool ambassador' and will talk your ear off about all things wool if you let her.
Visit Jess's website at skagitwoolen.com Sarah Pope hails from San Juan Island, WA. Her life illustrates the cautionary tale of a knitter and knitwear designer who got curious about the realm of wool beyond superwash merino yarns almost twenty years ago. She started seeking out farm yarns, learned to spin, and the next thing she knew, she was taking up stewardship of an historic sheep farm in her hometown. Sarah’s family now tends a flock of about a hundred North Country Cheviots, Finns, and crossbred sheep producing wool for her tiny company, San Juan Woolworks. Classes Jessica and Sarah will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Stop by Jessica's vendor booth:
Skagit Woolen Works |
Barbara Seeler (co-teaching with Karen Chabinsky)
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Barbara learned to knit when she was 5 years old and has a life long love affair with fiber. In the early 90’s she started spinning and quickly realized the pairing of spinning with knitting allowed the exploration of fiber, color and texture.
As a workshop “junkie”she traveled the US and Canada studying with as many different mentors as she could. Her day job as a biochemist for 30 years gave her the chemistry background to explore dyeing. She taught with the Greater Los Angeles Spinning Guild while living in Southern California, Peachtree Spinners Guild and Chattahoochee Handweavers Guild while living in Georgia and was on the board of The Handweavers Guild of America. She is currently an active member of Valley Spinners Guild in Snohomish and NWRFSA. She teaches spinning at venues in the Northwest. Classes Barbara & Karen will be co-teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Stop by Barbara's vendor booth:
BJS Fiber Creations |
Nancy Skakel
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Nancy Skakel, Soft Heart Creations, has been working with wool for many years. I have always enjoyed the tactile pleasure of the feel of fiber in my hands and the connection with people throughout history who have created useful and beautiful things out of fiber. In 2001 I discovered felting, and it immediately became my passion. I started out needle felting, charmed by creating beautiful dragons and whimsical woodland creatures. Very soon I branched into wet felting, nuno felting, and ecoprinting and natural dyes. Several of my pieces have won awards. I have also taught classes locally, at regional fiber festivals, galleries, and at Maryhill Museum. It has been a wonderful privilege and inspiration to take classes and workshops with several world renowned felters. From these master felters I have learned many techniques and different ways to develop my ideas into my creations. I have also learned so much from these gifted mentors about how to teach a hands-on class in this classic medium. The marvelous capacity of wool to take form with silk, linen, and so many other other fibers is a continual wonder for me.
Classes Nancy will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Amy Snell
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Amy Snell is a knitting instructor and designer with an eye for the unusual or unusually captivating. She enjoys teaching techniques and stitch patterns that bring color, contrast, geometry, and texture into knitting in new or interesting ways.
Whether teaching locally in the San Francisco Bay area, virtually, or in-person for knitting guilds and events nationwide, Amy loves to help other knitters explore new techniques and expand the way they think about their knitting. Her goal is to make complex concepts approachable for all knitters, while sharing tips that improve your process whether you’ve been knitting for several weeks or several decades. Amy's work has appeared in numerous books and periodicals including Cast On, Interweave Knits, Knotions, I Love Knitting and numerous pattern collections. She frequently shares tips and tricks on her website www.DeviousKnitter.com and can be found as @DeviousKnitter on social media. Classes Amy will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Hazel SpencerHazel Spencer is owner, with her husband Randy, of Hazel Rose Looms, and has been making small weaving looms since 2000. She taught art, including weaving & other fiber arts, to all grades at the local K-8 school for 17 years. She has been teaching weaving on the internet and at her booth & at fiber fairs for many years. Making clothing & other useful items for the home is her favorite use of her hand woven fabric.
Visit Hazel on hazelroselooms.com. Classes Hazel will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Stop by Hazel's vendor booth:
Hazel Rose Looms |
Judy Taylor
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Judy Taylor has been rug hooking and teaching for over 30 years. Her rug hooking books and magazines have been recognized by Foreword INDIES, Chanticleer Books, and eLit Book Awards, and she has written articles for Rug Hooking Magazine, SpinOff, and the Black Sheep Newsletter. No matter what she's hooking, her head is always full of the next idea!
Judy started with handspinning wool from her flock of Jacob Sheep, Angora Goats and Cashmeres, which led her on a quest for fun things she can do with yarn. But she didn't stop there; she also loves hooking with T-shirts, wool fabric, and even cotton strips! She is also a big advocate for repairing old hooked rugs. You can learn more at her: Website: www.littlehouserugs.com and Facebook ((20+) Facebook), Repairing Hooked Rugs, ((20+) Repairing Hooked Rugs | Facebook), and she is the administrator for Rug Hooking Daily (Rug Hooking Daily). You can find her videos on YouTube (Hooking Rugs with Yarn - YouTube) (Rug Hooking With T-Shirts!) Classes Judy will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Stop by Judy's vendor booth:
Little House Rugs |
Jean Van Effen
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Jean is the owner of Tahoma Vista Fiber Mill in Yelm, and is also a Master Sorter, Grader and Classer certified through the SGC program administered by the State University of New York (SUNY) Cobleskill. She and her husband David have owned alpacas since 1993 and currently have about 37 alpacas, both Suri and Huacaya. She enjoys hosting farm visitors, showing her alpacas and their fleeces, and finding an appropriate use for every fiber. She also works with other natural fibers.
Jean enjoys spinning, both by hand and in the mill, knitting and weaving and is a member of the Olympia Weavers Guild, serving as their newsletter editor. Music is her other passion, playing Horn in the Olympia Symphony Orchestra and the Olympia Chamber Orchestra, and studying the harp. Visit the website: www.tahomavistafibermill.com. Classes Jean will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Stop by Jean's vendor booth:
Tahoma Vista Fiber Mill La Vida Alpaca |
Teresa Waldo
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Teresa Waldo combines her passion for teaching with her passion for crafting. She is a retired elementary and special education teacher and has taught adult crafting classes for ten plus years. Teresa has been knitting since age five and has fallen down other fiber related rabbit holes (spinning, weaving, crocheting) in the last 20 years. Teresa loves sharing her excitement for anything fiber related with others and has a keen ability to break a skill down into manageable steps. She makes sure all her students are successful and leave with a new skill. Teresa has taught various knitting, spinning, little loom weaving, and crocheting classes in shops around the Pacific Northwest and at regional conferences. She resides in Auburn, Washington and is a member of NwRSA, Arachne Guild, Moonspinners’ Guild, Yarning for Community, and Covington Knitworms.
Classes Teresa will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Una Walker
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Una is a Fiber Artist from La Grande, Oregon whose fashion and artwork has been exhibited nationally to rave reviews. As a sought after fiber arts teacher, her classes range from beginning to advanced techniques in a variety of mediums.
Una grew up in her parents’ craft supply store where she gained experience in a wide range of crafts as both an artist and teacher. An example being her appearance on HGTV’s ‘That’s Clever’ in 2009, making a pair of shoes! She got started punching over a decade ago at a craft show “make and take” where she first worked with the Oxford Punch Needle. Combining unique materials is Una’s most inspiring challenge in her work; she loves “figuring it all out”. From raw wool, to sewing the finishing stitch, she is always looking ahead to new and creative approaches. Una’s latest fiber experiments include explorations in dyeing and seeing how the color and texture bring life to her designs. Una’s work has been exhibited at craft shows across the country where she also sells under her business name of Wooly Walkers. Una has completed her Advanced Oxford Punch Needle training and has been teaching punch needle for the past 10 years. She has taught at Estes Park Wool Market, Toas Wool Festival, Oregon Flock and Fiber, Black Sheep gathering, Fiber in the Forest, Stitches West and SoCal. Una teaches with both patience and an attention to detail, that combined with her easy-going sense of humor results in a fun and rewarding experience for all. Una thrives on problem solving and she loves working with beginners. Una can be reached through her website, www.woolywalkers.com or directly by email at [email protected]. Classes Una will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Stop by Una's vendor booth:
wooly walkers |
Amy Wolf
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Amy Wolf is from Snohomish, Washington where she is a curator of a fiber museum. She has raised registered, nationally awarded white and natural colored Romneys and Angora goats for over 45 years. She has been a professional sheep shearer, fiber artist, and livestock judge for over 35 years. She travels the western United States shearing, judging, teaching classes, and collecting fiber from local producers. Together with the Pines Farm, she processes over 2,000 pounds of fiber for resale to hand spinners, filters, weavers, and crafters. Her latest felting projects were featured at the “Super Bowl of Sheep Shows” in Louisville, Kentucky.
Classes Amy will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Amy is also the Fleece Show Coordinator!
Find her in the Pavilion. |
Rhonda Wreggelsworth
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Rhonda Wreggelsworth and her husband own and operate Rimini's Stilly River Ranch in Stanwood, WA. Its primary focus is fiber but has come back to its dairy goat roots this year with oberhasli dairy goats. She has been raising goats for thirty-five years. Her herd is a mix of registered white and colored angoras and oberhaslis. She also enjoys raising a small flock of shetland sheep and huacaya and suri alpacas. She enjoys mixing her three fiber types in her felting projects. Rhonda has been involved in 4-H for over 30 years. She leads Fiber, Feathers and Friends 4-H which concentrates on the fiber world and what you can produce within its realm. Classes Rhonda will be teaching at Fiber Fusion:
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Rhonda is also the
Live Fiber Animal Coordinator! Find her at the 4-H booth in the Pavilion. |