Teachers

Anna Heywood-Jones

Biography: Anna Heywood-Jones is a settler artist and educator based on the traditional, contemporary and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ Nations, colonially known as Vancouver, BC. Through her work, Heywood-Jones explores the complex relationship between human and botanical spheres, often articulated through textile materials and processes. Additionally, her artistic practice is dedicated to exploring the slow loss of her father and the recent birth of her son.

Carolyn Mulders

Bio: I started quilting in 1997 while my husband and I were living in Cold Lake, Alberta. I have been an avid quilter ever since! Now, I have my own studio and long-arm quilting machine, and really enjoy sharing what I have learned over the years. Because we moved approximately every 3 years, I have been involved with several different communities and guilds. Along the way, I have had the good fortune to be involved in many community based teaching and group projects. I started teaching beginner quilters in 2007 when we were stationed overseas in Belgium.

Carolynn Dallaire

Over the last thirty years, it has been my pleasure to learn more and more about two of my favourite passions - book binding and calligraphy. It continues to be a delight to take boards, text paper, decorative paper and make a journal to use for a notebook, a special occasion, a trip or daily use. Exploring the many alphabets of calligraphy never ceases to amaze me. As the years have rolled by, I’ve enjoyed learning more about these two artistic fields and have had the opportunity to teach many topics in these two artistic areas.

Cynthia Minden

Cynthia Minden has been on a basket making journey since 1987. She continues to explore sculptural form, including mobiles, suspended
and stationary figures as well as installation art. She has taught at numerous venues, for weaving guilds, scholl districts as well as at Hollyhock, the Kootenay School of the Arts and Metchosin International School of the Arts. Her work has been exhibited both locally and internationally.

Doris Weiselein

Doris Weiselein grew up as part of a Cree & Metis community in Northern Manitoba, where she learned beadwork and leatherwork from her Grandma. She has lived in the Comox Valley for 62 years where she has raised 5 children and taught beadwork for the last thirty years.

Heather McLean

I have enjoyed sewing since childhood. In the 1970s I travelled Canada in my 1962 ex-Eaton’s delivery step-van with my sewing machine. I sold at craft fairs and campgrounds across the country, scraping by but free as a bird. Wherever I was when the first snow fell, that was where I stayed for the winter. My projects have involved satin, silk, felt, sheepskins, leather, canvas, wool and cotton. I have made shoes, socks, hats, bags, slippers, furniture and many types of clothing.

Isabelle Fusey

Isabelle lives and weaves on Denman Island. She belongs to the Denman Island Spinners and Weavers and holds a Master Weaver certificate from Olds College. She loves spreading the word about weaving.

Jean Cockburn

Jean Cockburn has been knitting socks for many years. In 2011 she attended the Sock Summit conference in Portland, Oregon, where the motto was “Taking Sock Knitting Almost Too Far”. Jean Cockburn is an experienced embroiderer who has shown her work in art shows at the Denman Summer Gallery and the Vancouver Island Surface Design Association. She is a member of the Denman Craft Shop and her work can be seen there any day of the week. Jean draws, paints, quilts, knits, crochets, sews her own clothes, and does all manner of hand-stitching. And a little gardening when time allows.

Linda Doerksen

Linda J. Doerksen is a textile enthusiast with an affinity for techniques of history and the haunts of museums. She is particularly delighted to talk about språng work and medieval narrow-wares. Though she inherited creative genes from her parents, Linda's interest in the fibre arts did not show up for another 40 years, and another 10 years until she discovered språng. Through her involvement with a medieval club, she received encouragement to explore the technique further.

Megan Hanna

Megan Hanna divides her time between West Vancouver and Denman Island. She’s been sewing since her early teens and has tackled a wide range of projects including ski wear, her wedding dress, fully-lined drapes and very cool Halloween costumes for her children. Megan started quilting in 2014 and is a member of Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild, Seattle Modern Quilt Guild and Denman Island Quilters.

Paddy O'Connell

learned to knit at the age of seven and as a result had some very well dressed troll dolls. She has been knitting steadily ever since, mostly her own designs using her own handspun yarn. She is very interested in advanced techniques and skills and continues to study and learn as much as possible. She has taught basic knitting classes through the Denman Island Community School.    Paddy has designed knitting patterns for sale as well as working with local Denman Island yarns and fleece produced by Sandstone Farms.

Pelka Wiltshire

Pelka is a mixed media artist with a curious nature who enjoys working spontaneously experimenting, playing, and repurposing. The notion of making something out of nothing greatly appeals to her! A pile of thread trash or fabric scraps inspires one-of-a-kind creations. Pelka is a current member of the Vancouver Island Surface Design Association and the international Surface Design Association. You can follow Pelka @tornedgesstudio (Instagram) or “Torn Edges Studio and Gallery-Pelka Wiltshire” (Facebook).

Sarah Thornton

Sarah has been knitting for over 20 years and started teaching beginner knitters while working at Wet Coast Wools yarn store in Vancouver. Since March 2020, she's been teaching via Zoom, and she's very happy to be teaching in-person again. She also teaches spinning and introductory weaving. Until recently, her day job was as a university laboratory instructor, giving her many years of experience helping adults learn how to do things with their hands. She has always emphasized the “why” along with the “how.”

Sheila Stewart

Sheila Stewart has been hooking rugs since 2002. She is originally from the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia and remembers her grandmother hooking rugs. She discovered this wonderful art form on a trip to Nova Scotia in 2002. Believing there were no rug hookers in British Columbia, she taught herself how to hook and then began attending rug schools in Nova Scotia and Oregon, USA. She became a certified instructor in Traditional Rug Hooking through the McGown Teacher's Program in the United States.

Suzanne Cannon

I’m Suzanne and I’m a calligrapher, bookbinder and designer in the craft industry. I began my artistic life as a calligrapher spending many, many hours practicing. With small children in the picture, I lacked time. Bookbinding allowed my creative spirit a much needed outlet as I could glue something together then come back a few hours later and glue up the next step! Books are such a wonderful format in which to express your creativity. You can find me online at www.quietfiredesign.ca and all the usual social media spots!

Una Keziere

Una is one of the organizers of Creative Threads and a very experienced knitter. She proposes to coach people through knitting struggles in one-on-one sessions with emphasis on heel-turning which is a special challenge in making socks by hand.

Wendy Lewington

Wendy Lewington has been creating with fabric since she was a small child. Her work has been published and exhibited internationally and she has facilitated community collaborations in public schools, galleries, community centres and other public spaces. She recently created a series of banners in collaboration with HornbyArts and the children and youth of Hornby Island. Wendy’s work describes her intimate narrative and powerful social commentary. She teaches innovative textile techniques and fosters creativity and self-expression in her students.