Dallas Area Fiber Artists

2022 Program Archives

Calendar of Events

Monday, November 28, 2022

(In person at CC Young Retirement Community, The Point, and on Zoom)


5:30 p.m.:  Mini-workshop, Creating a Weighted Scissor Fob with Cyndi Watson

  • 6:45 p.m.:  General meeting begins  (ZOOM begins)
  • Tina Hilton:  Malaysian Batiks
  • Malaysian Batiks were available for purchase.


Malaysian Batiks with Tina Hilton, artist and curator of Turtle Hand Batik


Not all batik is created equally. In November's program, we learned about Malaysia and its outstanding batik textiles: how they are made, who makes it and why it’s important. The program featured amazing quilts, runners, wall, and art quilts designed with Turtle Hand Batik. Tina Hilton also exhibited sample pieces that delighted our senses and inspired us on our fiber art journeys.


Everyone who attended in-person received a special Malaysian gift.  Tina also generously awarded door prizes of luscious Malaysian fabric to lucky winners Christine Miller and Linda Bonner!


Tina Hilton

From 1997 -2000 Tina lived in Malaysia and was smitten with the traditional batik and collected a vast quantity of textiles. At that time, Tina did not sew or quilt. Once back in the US, she embarked on a series of weekly quilt classes spanning over three years. A match made in heaven - batik and quilting!

Serendipity relocated Tina back to Malaysia in 2010 and the passion was intensified.


Determined to seek out the best and most unique batik to share with fellow quilters and sewists, Turtle Hand Batik was born. She has been sharing the beauty of Malaysian small-batch batik ever since.

Mini-workshop:  Creating a Weighted Scissor Fob with Cyndi Watson

In this free mini-workshop, Cyndi Watson showed us a clever way to protect, decorate, and identify our scissors! We created small weighted fobs, embroidered and embellished in the individual's own style.


All basic supplies were provided free-of-charge. Participants also brought their own To-Go sewing kits (see below), with needles and small scissors for cutting felt and threads, plus any buttons, beads, and ribbon desired to customize the item.

Monday, October 24, 2022

(In person at CC Young Retirement Community, The Point, and on Zoom)

  • 5:30 p.m.:  Papel Picado mini workshop with Beth Swider 
  • 6:15 p.m.:  Japanese Treasures member challenge contest sign-in
  • Note:  This took the place of our usual show and tell
  • 6:45 p.m.:  General meeting
  • A Conversation with Artist Andrea Tosten
  • Awards given for Japanese Treasures challenge


A Conversation with Artist Andrea Tosten

Dallas artist, calligrapher, and bookbinder Andrea Tosten gave a wonderful artist’s talk to DAFA on October 24, 2022, in which she described how she explores ideas through multiple media, including paper, stitch, and script.

Andrea Tosten, detail of paper quilt, 2022.
Andrea Tosten at DAFA Meeting, October 2022.

Artist statement: I want to be active and present, a part of my community from my perspective as a black woman. I am often engaged in an open exploration of social constructs, how they affect me, and how I can shift and change them. As a maker, I’m very into technique and live to indulge in perfection. Even as I work toward perfection in a very technical way, the materials are going to do what they are going to do. Visual conversations between me, community, gender, race and the material form the identity of my work.

Andrea Tosten

Andrea Tosten is a Dallas-based artist whose work explores social constructs, binary thinking, and the nature of existence. She uses letterforms, paper, and sewing to recontextualize and conceptualize her Catholic upbringing, background, and place in history.

 

Andrea is a calligrapher and a bookbinder. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science from Texas A&M University and a Master of Liberal Arts in Museum Studies from the University of Oklahoma. Andrea’s work has been shown in multiple exhibitions in North Texas.

Papel Picado mini-workshop with member artist Beth Swider


For our October 2022 mini-workshop--and in honor of the Day of the Dead--member Beth Swider introduced us to the rich history of paper cut-out banners, known as Papel Picado, and then helped us make our own individual patterns.

Beth Swider

In honor of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), we will explore the traditional Mexican paper art of PAPEL PICADO with our guide, Beth Swider. There is no fee, but please bring your own paper scissors (large and small sizes recommended) and a willingness to enjoy learning about how other cultures celebrate life and death.

Japanese Textile Treasures:  Members' Challenge

Our Japanese Textile Treasures Challenge participants delighted us with many creative and innovative entries! Members used silk and Yukata fabrics that were generously donated to DAFA by Carol and Jerry Saber, of Japanese Textiles and Tours. We raised $1000 from the sale and will use this money to fund our programs and community projects.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS:   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).

    Carolyn Skei, Kikagaku, 2022.
    DAFA Ninja Award by Lu Peters, 2022.
    DAFA Samurai Award by Lu Peters, 2022.

    Monday, September 26, 2022, 5:30 p.m.

    (In person at CC Young Retirement Community, The Point, and on Zoom)

    • 5:30 p.m.:  The Purge
    • Each year, DAFA members bring their unused treasures to The Purge, allowing others to acquire new materials and supplies.  It's $5 per half table, with all proceeds going to DAFA.
    • 6:45 p.m.:  General meeting
    • Kiki Baughman:  New Life for Old Books
    • Member Show and Tell


    New Life for Old Books with artist Kiki Baughman


    The life of a book does not have to end at the recycle bin. Artist Kiki Baughman will talk about the process of taking a book from trash to artwork.

     

    “I love all things book related. So it is only proper that I should choose old books and ephemera to create my pieces of art. The books and ephemera I use have all been recused from recycling bins, dumpsters, flea markets and a variety of other places to live new lives as works of art.”--Kiki Baughman

     

    A good book will live on forever.

    Kiki Baughman

    Kiki Baughman graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh with a degree in Visual Communications and worked as a graphic designer for many years. Taking a break from the graphic design world, Kiki started working for the Half Price Books flagship store in Dallas. It didn’t take long before art was part of this job, too. Kiki found her niche as the Display Specialist, creating custom displays for events, holidays, author events, and large scale installations for multiple stores. When she saw books and other items headed for the recycling bin, she got the idea to repurpose the books into her displays.

     

    Kiki’s artwork goes beyond her day-to-day work at Half Price Books. She creates book sculptures for a variety of clients, including a dress she recently made for the Louisiana Fashion Prize fashion show. Her work can be found at KikiDiditDesign.com.

    Monday, August 29, 2022, 5:30 p.m. (NOTE SPECIAL DATE)

    (In person at CC Young Retirement Community, The Point, and on Zoom)

    • 5:30 p.m.:  2022 Artist Trading Card (ATC) Exchange
    • Each year, DAFA members create and exchange artist trading cards, measuring 2-1/2 by 3-1/2 inches. These can be mixed-media or illustrative of a single technique--your imagination is the limit!
    • 6:45 p.m.:  General meeting
    • Fiber Artist Leo Ransom:  Journey of an Art Quilter
    • Member Show and Tell


    Journey of an Art Quilter, a conversation with master art quilter Leo Ransom


    Join us for an inspiring conversation with award-winning quilter Leo Ransom, whose work has garnered national acclaim.  A specialist in portraiture, Leo will share his incredible lifelong journey that has taken him from traditional quilting to cutting-edge and new techniques that bring art quilting to new audiences. He regularly teaches throughout the North Texas area and his deeply personal Double the Hipster recently won first place in the Appliqué category at Quiltcon 2022.


    We are thrilled to have him back!

    Leo Ransom

    Leo Ransom
    Master Art Quilter

    Double the Hipster (shown right) by Leo Ransom won First Place in the Appliqué category at Quiltcon 2022.


    This quilt was created using two identical portraits, but in different color tones layering one upon the others. It represents Ransom's cousin's style of dress and his personality. Ransom spliced the two portraits in the same placement and then spliced the pieces back together creating double the amount to view.


    Additional information available at thequiltshow.com >>

    Double the Hipster by Leo Ransom, 2022
    Double the Hipster by Leo Ransom, 2022

    2022 Artist Trading Card (ATC) Exchange


    Each year, DAFA members exchange artist trading cards measuring 2-1/2 by 3-1/2 inches.   These can be mixed-media or illustrative of a single technique--your imagination is the limit!

    Monday, July 25, 2022, 5:30 p.m.

    (In person at CC Young Retirement Community, The Point, and on Zoom)

    • 5:30 p.m.:  Japanese Treasures Sale 
    • 6:45 p.m.:  General meeting
    • Organic Flow Landscape with mixed-media artist Brenda McKinney
    • Member Show and Tell

    Organic Flow Landscape with mixed media artist Brenda McKinney


    Brenda will demonstrate how to have fun with markers and isopropyl alcohol on a smooth surface and manipulate the inks to get an abstract image. There is no right or wrong . . . just an expression of you through mark-making!

    Brenda McKinney

    Brenda McKinney was born in Wisconsin, USA and raised in Dallas, Texas. She is a painter and mixed media artist living in Carrollton, Texas.

     

    McKinney earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of North Texas in fashion design and her Masters of Fine Art from Texas Woman's University in painting.


    Her works include multi media from oil painting, ink drawing, recycled papers to fiber and small sculptural artworks. McKinney’s curiosity to different mediums and processes are what keep her inspired. Process to her is the excitement that drives the action.


    McKinney's work has been exhibited in National and International exhibitions in the US and aboard including the Freya Frahm Haus, Laboe, Germany, the Richmond Art Gallery Richmond, BC, Canada, the Dozsa Gyorgy Cultural Centre, Mill Gallery Nyiracsad, Hungary and was included in a traveling group exhibition to Spain, Sweden, Lithuania, Romania, and in Sicily, Italy.

     

    She has won awards for her artwork that are included in permanent collections: Texas Woman’s University, Institute of Health Sciences in Houston, Texas, Texas Woman’s University, Institute of Health Sciences in Dallas, Texas, Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Oncology Center, UT Southwestern in Dallas, Texas, and Parker Wellness Center in Plano, Texas.


    McKinney is an active advocate for the arts in the Dallas area. She has served as the past President of the Dallas Area Fiber Arts and the Texas Visual Arts Association and curator to the Discovery Gallery at the Texas Discovery Garden in Fair Park.

    Japanese Treasures Fundraising Sale


    We will have a sale of beautiful Japanese Kimono silk scraps and Cotton Yukata samples generously donated by Carol & Jerry Saber, retired owners of Japanese Textiles & Tours. This is a rare opportunity to obtain exquisite fabrics at bargain prices, and it all goes toward DAFA's future programs and community service projects!


    Members' Challenge in October:  Members are challenged to show their creations made from these fine fabrics at the October meeting.

    Monday, June 27, 2022, 5:30 p.m.

    (In person at CC Young Retirement Community, The Point, and on Zoom)

    • 5:30 p.m.:  Mini-Workshop on Cutting Shapes on Paper and Fabric, presented by Lila Warman, April Soncrant, and Carol Regan
    • 6:45 p.m.:  General Meeting
    • Walking Near Water with Sue Benner
    • Show & Share of members' artwork created as part of Bryant Holsenbeck's April 2022 Wild Things workshop

    Walking Near Water
    with Sue Benner


    Renowned Dallas fiber artist Sue Benner, recently produced a beautiful photography book:  Walking Near Water - An Artist's View of White Rock Lake. Sue will talk about her book and how her walks around White Rock Lake have inspired her as an artist. She will sign copies of her book for those who have purchased in advance.


    The 8x8 inch, 176-page book, includes 150 color photographs and a foreword by SMU art professor emerita Debora Hunter.


    For each book sold, a contribution is made to two non-profit lake organizations: For the Love of the Lake and White Rock Lake Foundation.


    Book price: $40. You can purchase Walking Near Water at these great Dallas retailers:


    1. Interabang Books, on Lovers Lane near the Dallas North Tollroad
    2. Walton's Garden Center, across from the Dallas Arboretum
    3. The T Shop, in Lakewood Shopping Center
    4. The Texas Discovery Gardens Gift Shop, in Fair Park
    5. St. Michael's Woman's Exchange, in Highland Park Village


    You can also contact the publisher at www.herringpress.com for purchase and shipping.

    Walking Near Water by Sue Benner

    Sue Benner

    While pursuing a degree in molecular biology and master’s in biomedical communications, Sue Benner transformed her vision of the microscopic  universe into batiked quilts, soft sculpture, and paintings.


    These early efforts drew her to a new path, and by 1980 Sue was working full time as a studio artist in Dallas, Texas, primarily in the medium which later became known as the Art Quilt.


    Sue is a recognized innovator in her field, having developed new techniques in fused quilt construction to further the expression of her ideas. She creates her richly layered quilt canvases by collaging her dye-painted and printed silks with found fabrics that she rescues from the obscurity of attics and thrift
    stores.


    Sue is also well known as an educator; lecturing and teaching workshops internationally in the areas of surface design, textile collage, fused quilt construction, and artistic inspiration. Exhibiting widely for thirty years, her work has been juried into Quilt National eight times and she has served as both a juror and curator for several exhibitions. Sue has been commissioned by private collectors to create artwork for their spaces. Her artworks are in many corporate and institutional collections including the International Quilt Study Center, the Museum of Geometric and MADI Art, the Neville Public Museum, and the National Quilt Museum.


    “The act of creating is a fascinating process of choice and discovery. The work has taught me to respect intuition, persistence, and the happy accident."

    Creative Cut-Ups


    • Carol Regan will demonstrate the use of Low-Tech Sizzix Big Shot Die Cut Machine on fabric
    • April Soncrant will show how to execute intricate cuts on paper using an electric die-cutting machine
    • Lila Warman will present paper art techniques that use larger die-cuts and teach attendees how to solve specific die-cutting problems

    May 23, 2022, 6-8 p.m. on Zoom

    The Journey of Persephone:  A presentation by Holly Wong


    Holly will be discussing her installation and assemblage-based work and how she first began to work with fiber. She will also provide an overview of her background, influences and technique as well as the role of personal mythology and self-realization through art making. 

    Holly Wong

    Holly Wong

    Holly Wong is an artist who lives and works in San Francisco, California. She was educated at the San Francisco Art Institute where she graduated with a Master of Fine Arts with a concentration in New Genres. She has been awarded visual arts grants from the Integrity: Arts and Culture Association, Barbara Deming Memorial fund, the George Sugarman Foundation and the Puffin Foundation. She is a Presidential Scholar in the Arts and has had over 70 group exhibitions and 10 solo exhibitions. Holly is represented by SLATE Contemporary Gallery in Oakland, CA, and is a member of A.I.R. Gallery in Brooklyn, New York.


    Saturday, April 30, 2022 (10 a.m. to 12 noon)

    WILD THINGS: Upcycled Fiber & Found Object workshop with Bryant Holsenbeck


    In this workshop, Bryant will teach us how to create a textile sculpture by wrapping cloth scraps, including old socks, with yarn and thread. Found objects can be added to complete your “wild thing”! 


    Download the materials list here:  Wild Things Material List  (PDF, 67K)


    April 25, 2022, 6-8 p.m. on Zoom

    Hunting and Gathering: A conversation with environmental artist Bryant Holsenbeck


    Bryant Holsenbeck is an environmental artist inspired by the natural world. She began her arts career as a basket maker. Since that time, she has evolved into an artist who makes large-scale installations that document the waste stream in our society. She has shown her work and taught throughout the United States and Australia. She has been the recipient of 2 North Carolina Arts Council Fellowships, a Project Grant and an NEA Arts and Learning Grant that she worked on in collaboration with the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission. In 2010, Bryant lived a full year without using single-use plastic. She continually uses what she learned in that year to make a smaller footprint on the environment. Her book,     The Last Straw: A Continuing Quest for Life without Disposable Plastic, was published in the fall of 2018 and is available for purchase. Bryant is also an independent studio artist who makes textile bird and animal sculptures out of recycled material.

    March 28, 2022

    New Directions in Fiber Art:  Studio Art Quilt Association (SAQA) and Surface Design Association (SDA)


    SAQA president Deborah Boschert shared artwork of SAQA members from all over the world; introduced the organization's virtual exhibitions and archives; and shared stories of connecting with artists in unique ways.  Studio Art Quilt Associates is dedicated to promoting the art quilt through exhibition programs, educational resources, and networking opportunities.


    Christine Miller, incoming chair of the SDA Education Committee, highlighted emerging and innovative fiber artists and fiber art trends from the Surface Design Association's online exhibits.  SDA's mission since 1977 is to promote awareness and appreciation of textile-inspired art and design through member-supported benefits, including publications, exhibitions, and conferences. 

    Download SDA presentation (Large PDF, 45MB)
    Deborah Boschert

    Deborah Boschert

    Deborah Boschert is an artist, author and teacher. She creates art quilts with layers of fabric, paint and stitching. Her award-winning art quilts have been exhibited in quilt shows and art galleries throughout the United States and internationally. She has appeared on Quilting Arts TV and The Quilt Show. She is the author of Art Quilt Collage: A Creative Journey in Fabric, Paint and Stitch. Deborah also serves on the board of Studio Art Quilt Associates.

    Christine Miller

    Christine Miller is a life long fiber artist with experience in weaving, sewing, basketry, embroidery, felting, dyeing, knitting, crochet, and fiber sculpture. She is a former visual arts educator with local and national arts education recognition. She continues teaching in K - 12 programs through her Visiting Artist presentation about Fibers in the 21st c. with STEAM applications. Christine conducts fiber related classes and workshops and is available for art commissions. You may contact her via email at explorefiber@gmail.com

    February 28, 2022, 6 p.m. on Zoom

    The Odd Couple:  Paper & Fabric in Quilts (Margarita Korioth)


    This lecture demonstrates the integration of paper with quilting. Lots of tips will be given on how to incorporate mixed media into your art!


    Margarita Korioth is a fiber artist and quilt instructor who resides in Tennessee and offers online classes. She likes to work with a combination of paper and fabric or fabric alone. Her passion is one of experimentation and discovery of new ways to convert cloth into art. Her recent work emphasizes surface design such as dyeing, stamping, silk screening and stitching with a focus of lettering on fabric. Margarita has published extensively in national and international quilting magazines. She has also appeared on several “Quilting Arts TV” shows.


    Her acclaimed work has also been exposed at major international quilting shows and has won her several awards. Among these, she won the “2012 Quilt Alliance Grand Prize Winner’, and, the “Lynn Goodwin Borgman Award for Surface Design” at 2019 Quilt National.


    You can find more about her: margascrafts.blogspot.com or on Instagram: @margarita_korioth

    January 24, 2022: Mixed Media Mania: A Scrap-Happy Jamboree 


    This special Zoom presentation featured three speakers from our membership:  Linda Bonner, Christine Miller, and Carolyn Skei. 


    • Linda Bonner presented slides that walk you through the steps to create a cute fabric catch-all dish and fabric bookmarks. Both are sure to help dwindle down that pile of scrap fabric. They’re easy and fun and are perfect for gift giving. 
    • Christine Miller demonstrated "A Stitched Felt Book." She showed how you can transform simple materials like craft felt and embroidery floss into a beautiful, personal work of art.
      Download Christine's PDF presentation! (18 MB) >>
    • Carolyn Skei delivered a “stash-busting” demo — challenging us to make lively new designs from those brightly patterned fabrics or patterned scrapbook papers lingering on our shelves. 
      Download video of Carolyn's presentation! (19 MB, must be unzipped and played as .MOV) >>
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