Meet Your

2009 Winter Intensive Faculty

                               Judith Mackenzie McCuin      

Spinner, Weaver, Teacher, Author

As textile person, I think I have lived a charmed life. As a child, I grew up on the edge of two worlds. From the world of European settlers in a new landscape, I learned the beauty and discipline of good craft. From the world of the First Nations, I learned that behind any object fashioned by hand shimmered a spirit world.  

If you asked me “Why spin?” -- or weave or knit or dye or stitch,-- I’d probably say “Why not?”  And, while this might very well seem like a slick and somewhat slippery answer, I think it is probably the truest one. I spin for many reasons. I spin because it allows me to make objects that are a true reflection and extension of what I see in this world. I spin because it demystifies technology and by doing that allows me to choose what I want a machine to do or not do for me in this world. I spin because its good for me – it makes a quiet and peaceful place in this world that connects me to the past and opens a path towards the future.  But mostly I spin for the beauty of it, and for the pleasure of the process. Truly, I can’t help but think the question should be “ Why in this world not spin?” 

Judith MacKenzie McCuin has worked in textiles for many years.  She lives in Eastern Washington where she produces a line of yarns and dyes. Judith has written two books - Teach Yourself Visually: Handspinning published by Wiley Press and coming this fall The Intention Spinner published by Interweave Press. She has also been published in a variety of textile magazines. As a teacher, she has taught throughout North America and her works hang in both public and private collections.

                                   Kathryn Alexander    

Knitter, Spinner, Weaver, Designer, Horsewoman

Kathryn Alexander is an internationally known textile artist – a spinner, weaver, dyer and knitter whose work is characterized by an abundance of color, richly textured surfaces, and whimsical designs. She and her work have been featured in several magazines, including Fiberarts, Surface Design, Ornament, Spin Off and Knits, and in a number of books, including Knitting in America, Fiberarts Design Book 7, Memory on Cloth, Design!, and Knitting Memories. 

When not spinning, weaving, dyeing and knitting (or traveling the country teaching the same), Kathryn can be found working in her flower and vegetable gardens or riding her horses through the fields and woods that surround her small farm in upstate New York.

A Gallery of Kathryn's work

Takako Ueki                    

Weaver, Owner of Habu Textiles

                            Michael Cook                 

tablet weaver, silk reeler 

Michael started raising Bombyx silk worms in 2001. Through extensive research, trial and error, and lots of perseverence, he learned to
raise and care for these little caterpillars, and to turn their cocoons into glistening silken thread. Now he raises several types of
wild silk worms in addition to the domesticated type, and enjoys the beautiful huge moths. He uses the silk to brocade his insanely tiny
tablet-woven ribbons, and has been working on producing silk threads appropriate to other uses such as knitting.

Michael is thirty-eight, and lives with his partner, Christopher, in the suburbs north of Dallas with three dogs, three cats, and a seasonal flock
of tiny fiber livestock. He weaves, sews, knits, makes soap, spins, draws, dances, and cooks, in the belief that specialization is for
insects.

    Jeane deCoster                     

 knitter, weaver, spinner, designer, owner of Elemental Affects

Jeane deCoster is a life-long fiber junky who chose her undergraduate degree because sewing was the only thing she could stand doing for 8 hours at a time.   Making clothes to fit was (and is) an endlessly fascinating puzzle.  While earning her BS degree in Fashion Design, she approached a local yarn shop owner and asked about taking lessons in drafting patterns for hand-knit and crocheted sweaters.   The LYS Owner asked how long she had been knitting?  When told that she had been knitting on and off for about 15 years, the LYS owner responded:  "Well, if you haven't figured it out by now, you never will!"  Leaving the shop in an insulted huff, the answer percolated slo-o-owly through the mists and Jeane finally connected the dots -- or stitches, so to speak.  Measurements!  Patterns!  Shape!  Instead of cutting pieces of cloth to fit, you can KNIT of CROCHET those same pieces of fabric to fit! 

Years later, after opening her yarn and fiber business, Elemental Affects, Jeane continues to apply the lessons learned to design and shape garments to fit actual human bodies.  Teaching others the simple techniques for recognizing and creating well fitting clothes allows her to share these skills.  If you are going to all the time, trouble and expense to make a beautiful garment by hand . . . . why not make it fit?!!
 

        Rain Klepper                                 

spinner, beader, embellisher extrordinaire

Rain Klepper leads a double life as an artist and a naturopathic physician in Paonia, Colorado, with a beloved husband, many creatures, and an organic farm.   For many years, she sought relief from working with serious illness by gardening, painting, and exploring textile and embellished mixed media arts, including embroidery, paper making, knitting, spinning, weaving, surface design and beadwork.  Rain has taught, lectured, and exhibited both nationally and internationally for conferences, guilds, and private groups.   As an invited artist, her work has been published in textile magazines and books, and resides in private collections.  Since 2005, Rain has been working through a City and Guilds of London diploma series in Art and Design and Experimental Embroidery and Stitch.  These courses have encompassed travel to the UK, Europe and North Africa, in addition to cities of the USA, in the continuing studies of contemporary and historical textile arts.  Rain is currently exploring texture and rust, and may be found at any given moment with sketchbook and camera by old machinery, doors, fences, puddles, the compost heap or in the middle of the street, documenting future possibilities to be interpreted in stitch.  

A Gallery of Rain's work