Nadine Sanders -The Singing Weaver

Nadine Sanders the ‘Singing Weaver’ will be teaching 3 workshops for us at Northern Wefts 2011 in June. Nadine is originally a Minnesota girl, who is a gifted musician and singer. She fell in love with weaving when she interviewed a weaver in Minnesota for a class project at St Olaf’s College. Nadine has been weaving and singing ever since. She has taught many weaving workshops over the years on the West Coast and all over the country she has recently moved back to Minnesota, so we are lucky to have her at our conference.

She also has been leading tour groups to U.K. for over 12 years. She is taking two sections of 26 travelers to Scotland this spring, April 26 - May 9, 2011. She will update her blog as they travel so check out her blog at www.singingweaver/blogspot.com right now you can see pictures from the 2009 trip and you will be delighted. There are still a few seats available on the second coach, so it is not too late to sign up. The exchange rate is excellent between the U.S. dollar and the GBP right now, the best it has been since she started traveling in the U.K. in 1997. This is her 4^th year leading a tour to Scotland. Oh how I wish I could fill those seats, it is definitely on my ‘Bucket List’ hopefully in 2012.

Locharron loom

Donna weaving a blue tartan on the Locharron loom

Nadine is teaching a one day workshop MX512 ‘Warping w/paddle, Shoestrings and the Kitchen Sink’ on Friday June 24^th. Besides learning what to do with that Paddle in your collection of weaving equipment, she will teach you how to make warping your loom fun! You will learn how to reduce the amount of waste yarn and improve the tension of your warped loom with shoestrings. You can even bring along your loom if you would like to learn how to modify it. I could really use this class.

Her mini session MN605 ‘Beyond Plaids, Waulking and the Music of Scotland’ will take you on a half day trip to Scotland. Nadine will share a montage of music and images and cloth to introduce you to the artists of Scotland. This session builds up to a waulking event where waulkers (you) fueled by shortbread and music will felt a piece of cloth as a group. You will also share any Scottish inspired weaving or fiber art you want to bring to class.

The final half day session is MN705 ‘Promotion 24/7’ this workshop explores High-tech, low-tech and no- tech ways to develop your business , market or show your work, secure teaching contracts, and promote yourself as an artist or teacher. This class is designed for the new fiber business person who is determined to make a life doing what they love.

We are excited to announce that Nadine has volunteered to perform a short concert for us sometime during the conference. She will bring her fiddle, autoharp and voice and donate her performance to Northern Wefts 2011, Midwest weaver’s conference. I am imaging something like the Robert Hillestad’s Installation project at Roots in 2007. As we have an Archeology class from MTU making us a replica of an ancient upright loom, thanks to Carl Blair Professor of Archeology at MTU, to be installed on campus for our conference attendees to weave on as they desire.

Thank you, Nadine and Carl for your generous offers. We will announce the locations of both these events in the Northern Wefts’ conference schedule you will receive in your registration bag.