Durand-Hedden House, as part of Studio Tour SOMA, hosted an encore to “Connecting Fibers: Artists & Spinners” on Sunday, November 3rd, with a new twist.
Josephine Dakers-Brathwaite and Ellen Weisbord showcased their unique creations which encompassed wall hangings, scarves, animals, jewelry, and vessels utilizing needle felting, wet felting, photography, beading, and quilting. Lisa Lackey’s work, a study in contemporary views via intricate patchwork of paper and fabric, brought to life unique perspectives such as one’s feet on a lounge chair overlooking a pool.
Josie Dakers-Brathwaite with her New Felting Students
Visitors witnessed fibers being twisted into yarns on a spinning wheel and tried their hand at weaving on a portable loom. Other activities included needle felting, wet felting, weaving bookmarks on cardboard looms, finger knitting and crochet.
Hattie Parvin, Lily Meierding and Dylan Kirby, three 5th graders from Tuscan Elementary School, from a group called Grannies At Heart, showed their mastery of crochet with cute handmade pieces and animals. The girls patiently passed on the tradition of crochet to all ages, including 6-year-old Indiana, who told her mom just last week that she wanted to learn to crochet. A woman in her 60s came all the way from Bergen County with her 87-year-old mom, and was thrilled with her first crochet piece, a bracelet.
Grannies At Heart — Hattie Parvin, Dylan Kirby, and Lily Meierding
Ed Kirby, Dylan’s dad, summed up the event perfectly, “I was just appreciating this moment, how wholesome it is that we’ve got kids ranging from the age of 8 to parents and adults in their 60s crocheting in the sun on a beautiful fall afternoon. And there is not a screen in sight, and everyone is happy and very relaxed. It’s a wonderful event.”
The next venture for Grannies At Heart will be a pop-up sale at The General Store on Springfield Avenue, on Sunday, Dec. 15.
Durand-Hedden’s Gingerbread House Contest and Holiday Celebration will take place on Sunday, December 8th, 1:00 – 4:00pm. Visit www.durandhedden.org for details.
Photos by Lisa Mainardi, Jesalee Go, and Ed Kirby.
