Beth Ross Johnson is weaver, teacher and workshop leader living in Black Mountain, NC. She learned initially from Norman Kennedy’s students, later studying with him for many workshops. She has an MFA from Georgia State University and has had two extensive stays in Japan to study kasuri (ikat weaving and dyeing) and sakiori (rag weaving) with master weavers there. Recent studies have been in the ikat traditions of Europe and woven structures like sashiko-ori and kasuri-ori.
Nancy Arthur Hoskins, a former college weaving instructor, is the author of The Coptic Tapestry Albums; Universal Stitches; Weft-Faced Pattern Weaves; and has contributed chapters about Egyptian textiles to five other books. Nancy has researched Pharaonic, Coptic, Early Islamic, and ancient textiles in Canada, England, France, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Peru, China, Australia, and America. She has presented lectures and workshops both nationally and internationally. Hoskins’ art fabrics have been in solo, group, and invitational exhibits. In 2009 and 2010 she led The Textiles of Egypt Tours, in 2013 presented a lecture at Yale University’s Peabody Museum, and in 2015 took a Textile Tour of Peru, taught in England, and exhibited her art fabrics in Oregon. Her most recent project has been researching, weaving, and writing on a long-range “experimental archaeology” project to analyze and weave the patterned textiles that appear in Egyptian tomb paintings.
Sara learned to weave in the late 1970s while living in Germany for 20 years. Sara is largely self-taught through books, some lessons, observation of professional weavers, and extensive museum visits/connections. (Textilmuseum Neumunster/Klaus Tidow, Freilichtmuseum [Open Air Museum] Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel/Molfsee/Dr. Karl-Ingwer Johansson, and Museumsweberei Meldorf where the hand operated Jacquard looms still weave old fashioned Beiderwand pillow and throws.) She has always been interested in textile history and archaeology.
Sara founded a group (Webgruppe84) to share weaving/weaving history with the public at Freilichtmuseum Kiel (“descendants” of that group still work there).
She weaves on countermarche looms, a 16-shaft computer assisted dobby and a 50 pattern shaft drawloom with 8 ground shafts, single unit drawloom, and Jacquard looms. Her woven work centers on household linens and rugs, decorative items from the drawloom, and clothing fabrics/scarves. Sara is a member of HGA, Wisconsin Handweavers, Complex Weavers, and the European Damask Network.
Her educational experience includes drawloom weaving with Joanne Hall and three courses in Jacquard design at Eastern Michigan University, Oaxacan rug weaving with Wence Martinez, Navajo weaving techniques with Sarah Natani, Marilou Schultz and Mary Walker, and Jacquard weaving at Oriole Mill with Bethanne Knudsen.
She has taught at conferences (Convergence, CW Seminars), guilds and gives studio instruction at the Woolgatherers. Sara’s woven work has been exhibited in a variety of venues including Convergence, guild shows, conferences and galleries.
She is currently owner of the full-service fiber shop, The Woolgatherers Ltd. in Fond du Lac, WI, selling looms – from inkle and rigid heddle to countermarche floor looms and drawloom equipment – as well as supplies for weaving, spinning and felting.
A textile addict since early youth and active weaver since 2002, Alice has been a member of Complex Weavers since 2006. Nowadays she weaves on a 32-shaft Louet Megado computer dobby, still discovering the endless possibilities it gives — exploring new structures and variations, playing with colours and materials. After improving her skills in the Fine Threads Study Group, she is currently a member of the Double Weave Study Group.
She first published about Anni Albers in the CW Journal in 2014, in close cooperation with the Joseph and Anni Albers Foundation, and her interest in the topic has never left her.
Marjie Thompson enjoys being “stuck” in the pre-20th century weaving world. Her focus is the textiles produced both at home and by the professional weavers. Marjie enjoys adapting these weaves to contemporary colors and uses. She is the coordinator of the Complex Weavers “Early Weaving Books and Manuscripts” study group, the “Preserving Our Past” study group, past president of NEWS, a past Dean of the Weavers’ Guild of Boston, past president of Complex Weavers, an active guild member in the Weavers’ Guild of Boston, president of the New Hampshire Weavers’ Guild, and a member of many study groups including Cross Country Weavers.
Her woven pieces have received the HGA award, Handwoven’s Weaving for the Home Award, and Marjie is one of a handful of weavers awarded the “Weaver of Distinction” title from NEWS in both the gallery and fashion shows. She is the co-author of Forgotten Pennsylvania Textiles of the 18th and 19th Centuries, The Huck Pattern Collection, Miniature Patterns for Weaving by Josephine Estes, and the editor of The Gartner Manuscript. Her articles have appeared in Weavers, Handwoven, Complex Weavers Journal, Shuttle, Spindle, & Dyepot, and The Spinning Wheel Sleuth’s Loom Supplement.
Jannie Taylor has been a handweaver and designer for over 50 years. She teaches advanced weaving classes at the AVL Weaving School, and has taught a variety of workshops and seminars at Convergence over the years. An inspired teacher, she enjoys sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm with other weavers in a relaxed, collaborative environment.
Jannie enjoys designing and weaving one-of-a-kind items that bring together color, fiber, and structure. Jannie has twice earned the HGA award for “Outstanding Creativity and Craftsmanship in Weaving” and has also received the Complex Weavers’ Award on two occasions. Her work has appeared in several weaving magazines.
Robyn Spady was introduced to handweaving at a young age and has been weaving for over 50 years. She completed HGA’s Certificate of Excellence in Handweaving (COE-W) in 2004 with the specialized study Loom-controlled Stitched Double Cloth. Robyn is fascinated by the infinite possibilities of crossing threads and loves coming up with new ideas to create fabric and transform it into something new and exciting. She is committed to turning the weaving world on to uncommon and advanced weave structures, and passementerie techniques. Robyn is also the founder and editor of Heddlecraft® magazine.