May 24-28, 2012 "Woven Tapestry And Needle Felted Doll"

I am the Program Coordinator for the "Southern Nevada Weavers and Spinner's Guild, Inc" also called "Las Vegas Fiber Arts Guild". Members of the "N.W. Weavers Study Group of Las Vegas", which is a sub group of the main guild, usually meet at my home once a month. We had been learning how to do card weaving on an inkle loom.

INGE DAM is a famous Master Weaver and Textile Designer who lives in Canada. Her website is: http://ingedam.net. Her specialty is combining card weaving with loom weaving. We decided that we wanted to learn her wonderful technique and bring her to Las Vegas to teach a three day class. My husband Al and I met her at the airport on Thursday, May 24 and she stayed at my home until Monday evening, May 28, 2012.

As soon as she entered my home she saw all of the dolls that I made. She immediately fell in love with my "Woven Tapestry and Needle Felted Dolls". I asked her if she would like to make one. Her answer was "YES". 

For three days she taught her wonderful class to 14 members of our Fiber Arts Guild. During the mornings before class and the evenings after class she sat in my studio and worked on her doll. By the time Sunday evening came she had finished the body of her doll and all that was left to do was needle felt its head and put it all together. I had told her that it takes an entire day to complete a needle felted head. She showed me a picture of her beautiful 4 year old granddaughter, Claire. I suggested that she name her doll after her.  

It was fun being her student for three days and her being my student in-between. I have her permission to quote an email she sent to me. "My daughter saw the picture of Claire on my Facebook page and she is in awe over her. I am going to take her to Ottawa next weekend to show her to them but I have decided to keep her myself. I can't part with her. I have already found a spot to hang her in my living room. She is doing fine."