Laurie Carlson Steger (pictured on the right in pink) is a fiber-artist. Her weavings are inspired by atmospheric phenomenon like ethereal cloud banks. Laurie began weaving at camp in the 1960’s, then studied at the Worcester Center for Crafts in the 1970’s. She earned a BFA and MFA at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. She explored weaving with fiber optic materials and was an engineering consultant in the field of smart textile applications in the 2000’s. Her recent work was shown with the exhibitions, Interpreting Change: Weavers’ Guild of Boston 1922-2022, HGA Convergence, Vistas Along the Appalachian Trail and upcoming, Transformation – A Juried Exhibit sponsored by the Chattahoochee Handweavers Guild. Her work has been seen in FiberArt Magazine, Shuttle, Spindle and Dyepot, Fiberart International, Fiber Art Now: Excellence in Fibers, and her millinery work at London Hat Week. She taught Textile Science at Boston area colleges, curated exhibitions, and led workshops/lectures at weaving guilds and textile organizations. Laurie is the current Associate Dean of the Weavers’ Guild of Boston.
Norma Smayda (pictured on the left in white) is a Master Weaver, exhibitor, teacher, juror, and author, who trained in handweaving and related fiber arts in Norway. She received an MFA in Visual Design from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. In 1974, she established and continues to run the Saunderstown Weaving School. Scandinavian design is an important focus of her work, as well as the contributions of Weaver Rose and Bertha Gray Hayes. She coauthored Weaving Designs by Bertha Gray Hayes: Miniature Overshot Patterns. More recently, she immersed herself in weaving with fan reeds, which culminated in her second book, Ondulé Textiles: Weaving with a Fan Reed. She has received numerous awards for her exhibited work, the most prestigious of which are the Handweavers’ Guild of America Award for Creativity and Craftsmanship and the New England Weavers Seminar Weaver of Distinction Award. She had two pieces in the Weavers’ Guild of Boston exhibition at the Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA and one piece in the show Along the River’s Edge, TIAC, Clayton, NY. She is Past President of the Handweavers’ Guild of America.
Pattern Play with Bertha Gray Hayes (BGH)
Steger and Smayda are exploring the ‘WHAT IF?” of well-loved miniature overshot patterns by Bertha Gray Hayes. Graphic design elements of the overshot mini-patterns provide a foundation that can be manipulated by changing the cloth structure to build new visual expressions. Norma Smayda blends the BGH overshot pattern with ondulé techniques. The fan reed creates subtle variations of fluid movement in the visual pattern. Laurie Steger emphasizes the BGH pattern as an optical graphic to achieve contouring. By redrafting as a satin weave, the pattern can be woven in various sizes across the fell using a single shuttle on the TC2 jacquard loom. The discussion includes the merits, challenges and the inspirations that drive this shared journey and exploration of favorite Bertha Gray Hayes patterns.
This is a hybrid presentation with Laurie Steger on site in Wichita and a Zoom link to Norma Smayda to facilitate her participation. It is a show and tell of the work, with samples for examination. A link to download hand-outs will be available.
Materials fee: None
Supplies: None
This seminar will be presented in person by Laurie on-site in Wichita; Norma will be joining her remotely via Zoom for in-person attendees.