In the Know Archives

Here are some of our past "In the Know" announcements.

Members' Publications & Awards

Christine Miller has published a book covering the 30 years of her experience of weaving with wire on a loom. Her book teaches the process of warping and weaving on a loom with wire. Included are many examples of her work over that period of time.


In addition to the basic instruction of the process, she includes advice for using the woven metal fabric for jewelry, basketry, sculpture, as a mixed media material, and combining the woven metal with small metal work.


The book will be released August 28, 2023, but can be pre-ordered now from the publisher, Schiffer Publishing: 


https://schifferbooks.com/collections/schiffer-craft-weaving/products/weaving-with-wire

Christine Miller won two awards at the Contemporary Handweavers of Texas Conference this June for her woven-metal sculpture Rosalinda. The piece won 1st Place in the Art Concept category, as well as Best of Show of the Members' Exhibit.

Carol Kovacs recently won Best of Show at the Art Club of McKinney for her painting A Starry Night Over the Chapel at Chestnut Square.


At the Quilters Guild of Dallas Show in March 2023, two of our members won awards: Carolyn Skei won two Third Place prizes, a Judge's Choice Award, and an Honorable Mention. Lu Peters won an Honorable Mention.

Carol Kovacs, A Starry Night Over the Chapel at Chestnut Square.

Carolyn Skei, master gardener and award-winning art quilter, was featured in Neil Sperry's egardens newsletter!  Check it out at neilsperry.com/e-gardens.

Carolyn Skei
First-place Mixed Media Award: Carolyn Skei, Tommie and Ollie, 2022.

Many members' works are featured at this year's CC Young The Spirit is Ageless show, held through October 28, 2022. 

First-place Soft Crafts Award, Lu Peters, The Plague Doctor Mask, 2022.
Third-place Soft Crafts Award, Beth Swider, EC Caterpillar, 2022.
Carolyn Skei, Winter Leaf Fest art quilt, 2022.
Daphne Huffman, Sunflower Quilt, 2022.
Lu Peters, Home-icide art quilt, 2022.
Carolyn Skei, Boy with Fish, 2022

Carolyn Skei's art quilt Boy with Fish was juried into the exhibit Seeing in Color at the Texas Quilt Museum in LaGrange, Texas, from September 1 to December 17, 2022.


This will be a side-trip attraction for visitors to the Houston International Quilt Festival this fall.

Carrie Noess was presented with one of our organization's highest honors, the Outstanding Volunteer Award.


The award itself was specially designed by April Soncrant to reflect Carrie's art, and was fabricated in glass by Polly Gessell.

Carrie Noess, Outstanding Volunteer Award winner, 2022.
Noess award designed by April Soncrant, created by Polly Gessell.
Volunteer Awards Recipients for Dallas Area Fiber Artists, 2022.

In June 2022, Dallas Area Fiber Artists (DAFA) presented volunteer awards to members for their outstanding contributions to the following projects:


  • Community Service
  • Board Service
  • Staffing of the Quilters Guild of Dallas show booth
  • Participation in the Makers Connect fundraising sale


Kathi Jahnke, Serendipity, 2022.
Christine Miller, Flourishing, 2022.

Two of our artists have work on exhibit at the Plano Art Association 125 show, Kathi Jahnke with her art quilt Serendipity and Christine Miller with Flourishing, her merit-award-winning woven-metal sculpture.

Christine Miller has been juried into Fiber Art Now's show Yarn/Rope/String.  Her piece Encoded is a woven metal vessel embellished with hand-stitched symbols.

Christine Miller, Encoded, 2022
In the Garden, Brenda McKinney, 2022

Brenda McKinney won Third Place in Watercolor Media for In the Garden at the 56th Annual Richardson Civic Art Society Regional Juried Art Exhibit, which took place in April/May 2022.


Jackie Nixon-Fulton's art quilt Forever in the Meadow received the third-place award at the Quilters Guild of Dallas 2022 show!

Jackie Nixon-Fulton, Forever in the Meadow, 2022
Building a Wall of Civility, Lu Peters, 2022

Lu Peters won first place at the Quilters Guild of Dallas 2022 show with her art quilt Building a Wall of Civility: Words Matter #1.

Sari Jewels

Article by DAFA member Carolyn Skei

The Winter 2022 issue of Art Quilting Quarterly includes Carolyn Skei’s article “Sari Jewels.” The article features “Cello for Carol,” a small, canvas-mounted quilt she made for a friend who had a beloved musical instrument stolen. The article also covers the construction process Carolyn uses for the “Small World” series she has been making for years with recycled sari strips. 

Have a project to share? Tell us!

DAFA loves to hear what you have been working on. If you have a project to share, please email commsgroup@dallasfiberartists.org and include photos and a brief description.

Members' Exhibitions, Events and Sales

List of Services

Kathi Jahnke and Carolyn Skei were featured at the 2023 Colors Unraveled Show in Austin, Texas. This exhibition, subtitled Fiber Artists' Reflections on Emotional and Perceptual Impacts of Color is an engaging and thought-provoking exhibition that delves into the profound connections between color, emotion, and perception in the realm of fiber art.

List of Services

List of Services

Meeting Notes / Show and Tell

March 2024 Program Highlights:  Mark Making with Jackie Nixon-Fulton

March 2024 Mini-Workshop Highlights:  Entry Skills 101 with Kathi Jahnke and Carolyn Skei

March 2024 Show and Tell

February 2024 Meeting Highlights

February 2024 Show and Tell

January 2024 Meeting Highlights

January 2024 Show and Tell

September 2023

August 2023:  What a month! We celebrated at the closing reception for our 2023 show, FUNtastic Fiber, and members' challenge, Golden Opportunities, paying tribute to all our award winners. We also welcomed a new president, Karen Zupanic, said goodbye to our outgoing president, Lu Peters, and honored our 2023 volunteers.


2023 FUNtastic Fiber Award Winners


  • Best in Show: Lucia Miron, Herding Cats
  • First Place: Deborah Boschert, Near and Far
  • Second Place: Carolyn Skei, Buzz's Garden
  • Third Place: Christine Miller, In Full Bloom
  • Juror's Choice Award: MaryEllen Sax, Grandmother's Wallpaper
  • Viewer's Choice Award: Lucia Miron, Herding Cats
  • Best Work by a First-Time Entrant: Ruth Callahan, The Delicate Art of No
  • Best Interpretation of Theme: Reid Barnhart, As the World Shut Down, Another World Opened Up: Zoom!


2023 Golden Opportunities Award Winners


  • First Place: Loreen Smith, Waldboden (Forest Floor)
  • Second Place: Carolyn Skei, Eulogy to an Amazon Iron
  • Third Place: Carol Kovacs, Golden Slippers
  • Viewer's Choice Award: Carolyn Skei, Eulogy to an Amazon Iron


    • July 2023

    June 2023 Meeting

    May 2023 Meeting

    President Lu Peters thanked and honored the outgoing Board of Directors for their truly outstanding contributions in assuring several successful years of excellent programs, educational and community outreach, and valuable leadership.  Thank you!!

    2022-2023 Board of Directors
  • Jeanene Evans, 2023.

    • April 2023 Meeting

  • Patrick O’Halloran, 2023.

    • March 2023

    Our booth at the Quilters Guild of Dallas show (March 10-12, 2023) was a resounding success! We met many enthusiastic quilters and mixed-media fiber artists, and we reunited with many former members.


    Members generously shared their fiber art for our display, showing the diversity of techniques we employ in our work.

    Staffers at DAFA Booth, 2023 Quilters Guild of Dallas.

    March 2023, continued!

    At our March 2023 General Meeting, Patrick O’Halloran shared many fiber art pieces created by his late wife Lisa Covert. 


    Lucy Miron displayed heart angel pins that and her mother created to memorialize the extraordinary contributions that Lisa made to DAFA as president.

    • Carol Regan is making more of the Ukrainian hearts by felting, instead of gluing and fusing with WonderUnder, and these new versions have a very nice texture.


    She is going to donate them to MakersConnect for Chris to sell again for Ukrainian relief funds! This photo shows both the fused ones and small felted ones.

    Carol Regan, Ukrainian felted and fused hearts, 2023.

    At our November 2022 meeting, our Show and Tell session featured a wide range of new work, ranging from jewelry to wearable art.

    At our October 2022 meeting, our Show and Tell session featured fabulous items created for the Japanese Textile Member Challenge.  The winners of our 2022 prizes, which were voted on by members in attendance, were Susie Diver (Samurai Award for Legendary Artistry) and Carolyn Skei (Ninja Award for Supernatural Artistry).  Below are just a few of the incredible pieces that were designed and created by members of Dallas Area Fiber Artists (DAFA).

    Beth Swider exhibited three pieces:  All Ways Noteworthy (notecards covered in silk); The Bird Den of Excess, and Twisted Treasure (necklace).

    Beth Swider, All Ways Noteworthy, 2022.
    Beth Swider, The Bird Den of Excess, 2022.
    Beth Swider, Twisted Treasure, 2022.
  • Joy Holekamp, Three Crosses in My Garden, 2022.
  • Cyndi Watson, Currents of Culture, 2022.

    • Susie Diver won the Samurai Award for Legendary Artistry for her piece Texture.

    Susie Diver
    Susie Diver, Texture, 2022.

    Carolyn Skei won the Ninja Award for Supernatural Artistry for her piece Kikasaku (Geometry).

    Ninja Award for Carolyn Skei by Lu Peters, 2022.
    Carolyn Skei, Kikagaku, 2022.

    Also at October's Show and Tell, JoAnn Musso showed off her cards from Stamp-It-Up.

    JoAnn Musso, October 2022.
    Lila Warman at the 2022 DAFA Purge

    Our annual Purge at the September 2022 meeting was a great success!  Many thanks to Carol Kovacs for organizing this event, which allowed members to share their unwanted art supplies with others!

    Carol Kovacs at the 2022 DAFA Purge
    Lucy Miron at the 2022 DAFA Purge
    Beth Swider and guest at the 2022 DAFA Purge

    The September meeting also featured updates from many members on their latest projects, a few of which are shown here.

    Various DAFA Artists, Artist Trading Cards, 2022.

    At our August meeting, we exchanged Artist Trading Cards (ATCs).


    Artist trading cards (ATCs) were originally created by Swiss artist M. Vänçi Stirnemann in 1997. He called it a "Collaborative Cultural Performance." Artist trading cards are 2.5 by 3.5 inches in size, the same format as modern trading cards. They are self-made unique works or small series, signed and dated on the reverse by the artist/producer, exchanged and collected by the people who participate in the collaboration.   Learn more at Wikipedia >>

    Susie Randolph, Artist Trading Cards, 2022.
    Cyndi Watson, Artist Trading Cards, 2022.
    Daphne Huffman, Artist Trading Cards, 2022.
    Sharon Zigrossi, Hubcap Fiber Art, 2022.
    Reid Barnhart, Art Quilt, 2022.
    Thelma Victor, Painted Jacket, 2022.

    In June, our members showed off the projects they created after attending Bryant Holsenbeck's Wild Things workshop. 

    Various Artists, Wild Things projects, 2022.
    Carol Kovacs, Armadillo, 2022.
    Beth Swider, EC Caterpillar, 2022.
    Cyndi Watson, Carmen the Cayman, 2022.
    Lu Peters, Corona, 2022.
    Carol Kovacs, Octopus, 2022.
    Kathi Jahnke, Sari Silk Bird, 2022.

    Multiple members showed off their latest creations at our June meeting.

    Carol Kovacs, redwork quilt for a new granddaughter, 2022.
    Ruth Anderson, art quilt, 2022.
    Chuck Baber, origami paper jewelry, 2022.
    Daphne Huffman, chemo caps for Baylor Cancer Center patients, 2022.
    Julia Carpenter, custom silk lampshade, 2022.
    JoAnn Musso, couture lace and quilted jackets, 2022.
    Reid Barnhart, collaged computer bag, 2022.

    Deborah Boschert's Waking Up and Turning In were juried into the Harmony Exhibit at the Broadway Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia. 

    Deborah Boschert, Waking Up, 2022
    Deborah Boschert, Turning In, 2022
    The Creative Hand, Carolyn Skei, 2022

    Carolyn Skei's piece The Creative Hand was recently juried into the Sacred Threads exhibit.

    Deborah Boschert's Treelines was juried into the Connecting Our Natural World SAQA exhibit.

    Deborah Boschert, Treelines, 2022
    Through and Through, Deborah Boschert, 2022

    Deborah Boschert's Through and Through was juried into the Ebb and Flow SAQA exhibit.

    Jeanene Evans, 2022

    Jeanene Evans created leather bookbindings. The button is clay she made with Lisa Covert last year.

    Jeanene Evans, 2022

    Another binding created by Jeanene Evans.  Here again, the thread is Sue Spargo #3 perle cotton that she waxed to help keep it moving through the leather.

    Jeanene Evans, 2022

    Jeanene Evans attended a conference at SMU where she did paper cutting with an accordion binding.  When closed, the binding fits into the specially-made slip box.


    The fold-out design reveals a multicolored succulent garden.

    Joy Holekamp, 2022
    Joy Holekamp, 2022

    Joy Holekamp created this hand- and machine-applique for a family reunion raffle quilt.  Tricia Ribbs designed the 3D roses.


    She also made an improvised four-patch baby quilt/play mat for a cousin's baby shower.

    Many DAFA members contributed to the Violet Protest project, a massive nationwide initiative that collected 13,500 fiber art squares and sent them to the U.S. President, Vice-President, and every legislator of the 117th Congress.


    DAFA contributors:

    • Mary Masal
    • Dee Merrell
    • Christine Miller
    • Sara Miller
    • Lu Peters
    Violet Protest, 2022

    Dee Merrell contributed this photo of the Ukrainian Prayer Wall installation, created by members of the Midway Hill Christian Church.

    Midway Hill Christian Church, Ukrainian Prayer Wall, 2022

    In memoriam

    Lisa Covert

    It is with great sadness that we learned that our much-loved member and president, Lisa Covert, passed away on February 1st. She was in hospice care and passed restfully and at peace at The T. Boone Pickens Hospice Care Center in Dallas. 


    Lisa's immense contributions to the Dallas Area Fiber Artists are immeasurable and long lasting. She brought an extraordinary level of professionalism, built fine relationships, and elevated our organization for the members and the community at large. Lisa's visions and planning abilities were unequaled, and our organization thrives as a direct result of her volunteerism and dedication. 


    Her family has asked that no flowers be sent. In lieu of these, donations may be made in Lisa’s memory to either Dallas Area Fiber Artists or to the American Cancer Society for pancreatic cancer research. The DAFA Board will use any funds raised to create a fitting tribute to Lisa. 


    Donations:
    Specify “In Memory of Lisa Covert” with check

    Dallas Area Fiber Artists

    P.O. Box 38077

    Dallas, TX 75238-0077

    

    View Obituary
    Lisa Covert
    Lu Peters, 2022

    Gelli print and machine stitching done by Lu Peters of Japanese maple leaves from Carolyn Skei’s garden.

    Gelli print done by Carolyn Skei, machine and hand-stitched by Lu Peters.

    Carolyn Skei/Lu Peters

    Dee Merrell made these book marks and pulpit panel as projects for her church, Midway Hills Christian Church.
    New Paragraph

    Dee Merrill
    Dee Merrill
    Carol Kovaks

    Carol Kovaks made this adorable quilt for her newest great-grandbaby.

    Art created by DAFA members at the Natalya Khorover "Plastic Nature" Workshop

    Carolyn Skei and her quilt Imperiled Pollinator won First Place AND Viewers’ Choice Awards at Heard-Craig Center for the Arts' Magic of Monarchs Quilt Show.

    Jeanene Evans has been taking online workshops and finishing long-deferred projects.


    




    Kathi Jahnke's entry into the Heard-Craig Center for the Arts' Magic of Monarchs Quilt Show.

    Lu Peters gave us an update on the Violet Protest. All squares created so far are in an installation of the Violet Protest at the Phoenix Art Museum. www.violetprotest.com

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    Lucy Miron made a needle case for her Mom from leather and other fabrics.

    During lockdown this past year, Kim Beebe Wells took a couple of online weaving classes.

    Katina Hronas Joined a Mixed Media Scavenger Hunt for 2021. She was given 100 prompts and has completed the entire Hunt. These are some of her favorites.

    Denise Spillane created two digital images based on Kathi Jahnke's Digital Image Manipulation Tutorial at January's Mixed Media Mania.

    Debbie Snider used one strand of a three strand ‘exercise’ rope for this basket. It was definitely more of a challenge than she expected.



    Beth Swider created a purse based on JoAnn Musso's Denim Purse Tutorial at January's Mixed Media Mania.

    Jeanene Evans has been busy with several projects.

    She makes boxes that can be bought at the Gallery at The Craft Guild.

    She took an online Stitch-a-Long with a French company through Brooklyn Haberdashery resulting in a Noel star. If you are interested: www.brooklynhaberdashery.com/

    She learned some slow stitching with a kit from an Australian company called wattle & loop. If you are interested: wattleandloop.com/

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    Mary Masal made a cunning clothes pin holder from an old shirt.



    Kathi Jahnke created an art quilt for the SAQA auction titled Refined Roses. She altered one of her photos of roses, printed on TAP paper, applied to fabric and quilted the border.

    In memoriam

    Lisa Covert

    It is with great sadness that we learned that our much-loved member and president, Lisa Covert, passed away on February 1st. She was in hospice care and passed restfully and at peace at The T. Boone Pickens Hospice Care Center in Dallas. 


    Lisa's immense contributions to the Dallas Area Fiber Artists are immeasurable and long lasting. She brought an extraordinary level of professionalism, built fine relationships, and elevated our organization for the members and the community at large. Lisa's visions and planning abilities were unequaled, and our organization thrives as a direct result of her volunteerism and dedication. 


    Her family has asked that no flowers be sent. In lieu of these, donations may be made in Lisa’s memory to either Dallas Area Fiber Artists or to the American Cancer Society for pancreatic cancer research. The DAFA Board will use any funds raised to create a fitting tribute to Lisa. 


    Donations:
    Specify “In Memory of Lisa Covert” with check

    Dallas Area Fiber Artists

    P.O. Box 38077

    Dallas, TX 75238-0077


    View Obituary
    Lisa Covert

    Christine and Keith Miller have an in person and online exhibition at the ArtCentre of Plano.

    Natalie Friedman's Work

    Bits and Pieces
     Inspired by Korean "bojagi" design. Angelina fibers fused to cotton, hand-stitching with metallic thread (8" x 8").

    Take A Number
     A reflection on depersonalization by numbers: Social Security numbers, insurance ID numbers, zip codes, account numbers, PINs, Holocaust tattoos, etc. Art quilt with fused raw-edge applique, machine stitching, stamping, and stenciling with acrylic paint (30.75" x 24.75").

    Window to the Soul
    Inspired by Korean "bojagi" design. Embroidery with silk floss and stenciling with acrylic paint on cotton. Center rectangle: machine stitching on water-soluble stabilizer with scraps of fabric, tulle, ribbon, and silk floss (28.75" x 29.75).

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    Some of Reid Barnhart’s finished komebukuro. She still has ten in waiting to embellish and construct into actual bags.

    Enjoy a virtual tour of Chuck Baber’s Pinball Repair and Play Studio featuring his mascot, Nippy.

    Carol Kovacs sews cancer pillows, creates collages and paints water colors.

    Six heart cancer pillow cases

    One paper collage of a garden

    2 watercolor paintings

    After seeing a photo on Instagram from WabiSabi Designs, Reid Barnhart ordered a kit so she could be involved in a 2 hour Zoom sewalong. Her kit was mailed from Australia and is still not here but she participated in the Zoom event. Reid constructed her own material from the leftover mask-making scraps that surrounded her in her sewing room.  She finished up her charmer that week. Meanwhile she has been driven to make more … photo 2 is of 9 strips for future bags. 

    Here is what JoAnn Musso has been working on while being at home all the time. This beautiful jacket is made from a baby blanket. It’s a wonderful lightweight texture. The sleeves have not been perfected yet but you get the idea. The lace was meant for a wedding gown and it was beaded so she had to cut all the beads off!  JoAnn will wear it to the next DAFA meeting.

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    25 Million Stitches Project

    These beautiful panels are entries from members Carolyn Skei , Kathi Jahnke , Connie Akers , and Lu Peters for the 25 Million Stitches project, to raise awareness about the 25 million refugees on earth.

    Among Carol Kovacs' many projects:

     She made 8 masks and ran out of elastic then found Traci Hutton’s heart pillow pattern and cut out 6 of those.




    Carol is finishing an embroidery piece to go on a BoHo shoulder bag with lots of beads and fringe.

    After starting a vegetable garden, Carol decorated it with 9 glass plate flowers - no weeds, no watering?

    She rescued a bird house by painting it so it would last a little longer.

    Carol’s bargain fabric is now finished and on the newly spray painted rusty table and chairs.

     Her biggest project is cleaning the studio but she’s not motivated to do that YET.

    Daphne Huffman has been working on some exercises for the Modern Quilt Club using the Elizabeth Hartman book "Modern Patch Work".

    25 Million Stitches Project completed by returning member Katina Hronas , a full time working woman! She created this in 10 days and has 12,600 stitches in the work. The project is to raise awareness about the 25 Million refugees on earth. It will be shown in California and then travel to other states.

    Two of Lu Peters' entries for The Violet Protest project.

    Debbie Snider is working on multiple woven pieces to combine into a large-scale artwork.

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