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The
Fiber Garden LLC |
Meet the Teachers!
The Fiber Garden is blessed with a staff of wonderful teachers! They are the ones that give The Fiber Garden its personality! Whatever workshop you enroll in, you can look forward to working with a teacher who will inspire and motivate you to develop your creative side!
Joanne
Ambrus.
Joanne is one of two new instructors in 2004 and I am very happy to welcome her
to the teaching staff! I met Joanne when she was a student here...she has
taken a number of spinning workshops. She began crocheting at the age of
five which led to a life-long interest in fiber arts, including embroidery,
spinning and all types of weaving. She
discovered the triangular-loom (tri-loom) five years ago.
This fascinated her so much it led her to learn everything she could
about the tri-loom. Joanne has a
collection of many of the available types of tri-looms as well as all the
written material she could find on the subject.
Joanne is currently writing an instruction book on tri-loom weaving while
living on a llama farm in Grafton, Wisconsin
Barb
Bangert.
I met
Barb when she was a beginning spinning student here in 1994. I was im
mediately impressed with her warm personality and her love of the
"simple" things in life. She's been part of the foundation of
The Fiber Garden ever since as a student, a teacher, and a great friend! Barb
teaches our herb and relaxation workshops. She is a Certified Massage
Professional and we are the lucky recipients of her nurturing personality! Those who have taken her classes come back
each year for more! Barb's enthusiasm for growing, harvesting, cooking,
and crafting with herbs is contagious! (And there's always tasty food made with
fresh herbs to enjoy at her workshops!) On the side, in addition to spinning and
weaving, Barb also makes beautiful hand knit beaded amulet pouches.
Kiyoko
Fiedler. Kiyoko
joined our "family"! In 1999, Kiyoko called me after hearing "through
the grapevine" that I was looking for a basket weaving teacher. What
a spark she has added! Basket weaving classes were an instant hit...thanks to this
woman who brings so much energy and life to the workshops! Kiyoko is highly
skilled at the art of basket weaving...yet she continues to study and weave to
further master the techniques of the many forms of weaving. She has studied with
many of the "masters", developing not only her weaving skills, but
also learning new teaching techniques. Her experience and love of basket
weaving shows in every workshop that she teaches. But be forewarned....her
lively sense of humor will keep you smiling from beginning to end of each
workshop!
Carl
Frame. Carl
is the son of our weaving instructor, Susan Frame...and an avid fiber artist!
Carl is an experienced weaver, working on both the floor loom and the inkle
loom. Susan shows some of his work as samples in the workshops she
teaches. Carl is also talented in kumihimo. Carl team teaches the Inkle
Weaving and Kumihimo Embellishments workshop with his mother. 2006 will be
his first year teaching at the Fiber Garden!
S
usan
Frame. Susan has been weaving for about 20
years, having first studied weaving in college. She joined the teaching
staff here in 1997 and gets an enthusiastic "thumbs up" from everyone
who has had the pleasure of learning from her! Susan is very skilled at
developing teaching techniques that help students make sense of some of the
complexities of weaving. Always cheerful and attentive to students needs, Susan
has a highly effective teaching style that will inspire both beginning and
experienced weavers! Several of Susan's woven items are for sale through the
Mercantile.
Francie
Ginocchio. Francie
is joining the Fiber Garden teaching staff for the first time in 2005! I
have
had the great fortune of
getting to know her as a fellow teacher at Sievers School of Fiber Arts.
She is inspiring students in her quilting studio while I enjoy my time with the
spinners. We share lunches and evenings in the teachers cottage chatting
away! Francie has a great gift for lifting your spirits through her fiber
art. She is an accomplished and recognized quilter...one of her art pieces
was my first purchase for my new log home and was used to inspire some new
colors in my decorating! Her often humorous work has been seen in quilt
magazines, and in state and national shows, including the New England Quilt
Museum's feature of her "Self Portrait With Weed Whacker". Her fun and
fanciful quilts are often adorned with her bead work, making them
one-of-a-kind! At home she works with her husband in their gallery, Trout
Creek Studios, near Iola, WI. You will love Francie's fun personality and
will soon be begging her for more workshops!
Deb
Jones. Hi! In November of 1988,
being a "city girl", I moved to Black River Falls to begin 
a new job
as the 4-H Youth Development Agent for Jackson County and discover "the
country life"! The following spring I moved into my first home, bought two
Targhee sheep from a 4-Her, and went off to learn to spin! The rest, as
they say, "is history"! Those first two sheep are no longer with
me, but I continue to maintain a small flock of sheep, angora goats, and llamas who contribute our fiber supply! In 1994, I began The Fiber Garden,
teaching classes in beginning spinning. After outgrowing my first house, in 1997 I moved to a
wonderful new
home nestled in the woods which is also home to The Fiber Garden. It
feels like a retreat every time I come home! Teaching and spinning are real passions of
mine, so the opportunity to teach new friends the wonderful, peaceful art of
handspinning is very rewarding! I have been privileged to teach at
several fiber arts conferences throughout Wisconsin and at Sievers School of
Fiber Arts on Washington Island in beautiful Door County. My goal is to
provide you with warm hospitality and an environment that inspires your creative
side!
Susan
Marino. 2005
will be Susan's first year at The Fiber Garden! For fifteen years, she was
a colleague and friend of mine in our UW-Extension careers. In her
retirement, Susan is now Director of The Etiquette Center, LLC in Richland
Center. Susan has been trained and certified by Dorothea Johnson at The
Protocol School of Washington in the programs, "Tea & Etiquette",
"Children's Etiquette", and "Corporate Etiquette and
International Protocol". You will enjoy her sense of humor and upbeat
outlook!
Dianne
Read-Jackson. In
2003, we welcomed Dianne to the teaching staff! She is an accomplished
knitter and spinner...her creations will inspire you! I am constantly amazed at
her knowledge of knitting! Dianne also teaches knitting classes at Threade
Bear in Eau Claire. She works diligently to find unique projects for both
new and more experience knitters. Professionally, she is a travel
agent. We have talked about The Fiber Garden sponsoring a spinners
cruise...anyone interested?? We are very fortunate to have Dianne!
Julianne
Schwietz. Julie
is my "forever friend" since grade school! We grew up together
in the Twin Cities and we continue to enjoy a wonderful friendship. No
matter how many months pass between visits, we are always able to pick up our
conversations where ever we left off. I am anxious for you to meet
her! Julianne is a life coach. So many people who visit The Fiber
Garden for workshops are looking for some time to nurture themselves. It is
difficult to continue that nurturing after a workshop ends. Julianne's
workshops will help us to retrain our thinking and give ourselves new
perspective to bring out the best in ourselves. You will experience the
benefits of her coaching and see why she has been such a great friend!
Janet
Sokolik. Janet joined The Fiber Garden staff
in 1996 as our first weaving teacher....and she's been here ever since!
Janet's list of weaving credentials is a long one. She has studied weaving
extensively and has a "never stop learning" attitude! She was the
teaching assistant for weaving courses at Viterbo College, has taught through Western Wisconsin Technical College,
as well as teaches out of her own home studio. To say that weaving is Janet's passion would be an
understatement! She converted a garage at her home into a wonderful
weaving studio complete with seventeen looms (at last count!). She weaves
endlessly and has many of her hand woven articles for sale through the
Mercantile including rag rugs, bookmarks, greeting cards, and stationary
pouches.
