2022 Textile & Fiber
Sarah Bierstedt | Algona
Sarah Bierstedt is a full-time maker specializing in repurposing vintage textiles and discarded wool sweaters into a variety of beautiful products for you and your home. She has been sewing for 35 years and takes pride in using her skills to create items that evoke nostalgia and happiness. Whether visiting her booth at an in-person event or shopping from her online store, you will find an array of products to choose from throughout the year including wool plush animals, knitting baskets, purses, and hair accessories as well as vintage planter pincushions, scarves, mittens, and wine carriers. You are sure to find something for everyone on your list.
Susan Cunningham | Central City
Needle felting & ink drawings. Born and raised in Iowa, I have found a wealth of inspiration close at hand for my ink drawings, and recently, needle-felted work. A love of travel all aids my subject matter. I create 2D felted paintings using barbed needles to repeatedly poke and felt bits of wool on wool or linen background fabric. Whimsical 3D pieces are made by tightly rolling wool and poking it into shapes.
Megan Hammer | Urbandale
Megan Hammer creates felted wool fiber art to embrace the textures of nature. She uses tufts of wool roving like brushstrokes of paint, combining different felting techniques to create vibrant fiber artwork that looks like paintings. Fibers transform under her fingertips during the felting process, and she shares moments of surprise and discovery in every piece. Megan combines fibrous texture with intricate details to explore the potential for collaboration and harmony between human touch and Mother Nature.
Megan shares the art of felting while encouraging an appreciation for nature by leading creative workshops paired with organizations such as Polk County Conservation, the Greater Des Moines Botanical Gardens, Reiman Gardens, the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, and local garden centers. Explore Megan's felted fine art, DIY felting kits, and workshop opportunities at meganhammer.com.
Katie Jensen | Des Moines
Katie Jensen is an interdisciplinary studio artist working in Des Moines Iowa. She graduated from Drake University with a BFA in painting. Her paintings range from ethereal landscapes to vibrant abstracts which are heavily influenced by nature and music. In addition to painting Katie also has a passion for fiber art and creating unique pieces from found objects. You can find her at Studio 404 at The Fitch Building in Des Moines.
Lisa Nelson | Janesville
Wooly Bear Works
As an artist, I take my inspiration from the woods, fields, and riverbanks near my Northeast Iowa home. My love of felting began with a hat-making class 12 years ago, and has grown from a hobby to a full-time endeavor. I find wool fiber in particular to be a versatile medium, with endless possibilities for creating 2- and 3-dimensional works. My current collection includes hats, scarves, jewelry, hanging lamps, framed works, and more. I look forward to stretching the limits of traditional wet-felting techniques to create unique pieces that add beauty to people's lives.
Rachel Sherman | Des Moines
I have been weaving and working with natural dyes off and on for 50 years, taking time off for school, commercial fishing in Alaska and raising a family. I work mostly in wool and "Warm fabrics" but have made linen towels and an organic cotton baby wrap for my daughter and grandson.
I would have blankets, throws, pillow covers and shawls available for the shows in November. Although I have been part of shows with the Rochester (NY) Folk Art Guild (where I worked from 2017-2019), I have never had had one by myself. I would need only 2 card tables and a hanging cart, which I have.
Betty Chamness Trost | Des Moines
Three Smooth Stones
FB: Three Smooth Stones
*2021 People's Choice*
Betty Chamness Trost of Three Smooth Stones is a Des Moines, Iowa artist. She is known for her hand painted stones in vibrant colors and complex designs. Her stones are stunning art objects that you can hold in your hand and caress with your fingertips.
I work with smooth stones for their weight and warmth, which inspires meditation, making them the perfect medium for exploring color and texture. Using acrylic paints and tools I layer dots to create optical illusions and textures that echo the natural mandala designs of flowers.
Kay Weishaar | Perry
Soul Garden Creations
Whimsical fiber art, needle felted sculptures.