Monthly Archives: May 2015

The Ancient Japanese Craft of Temari Inspires Fiber Artist Becky Margenau

temari balls by Becky Margenau

Intricate geometric designs stitched by Becky Margenau draw customers to her temari balls at Trimble Court Artisans in Fort Collins

Stitching has been a lifelong passion of Fort Collins artisan Becky Margenau. Fifteen years ago, after finishing hundreds of quilts by hand, Becky ran across a book with instructions on temari, a fiber craft that started developing 1400 years ago in Asia and now draws worldwide interest.

Becky soon discovered that stitching the colorful, intricate designs which are the hallmark of temari provided her with the same level of relaxation and pleasure that she had enjoyed in hand quilting. Just as temari evolved in Japan from a soft toy ball for children to a treasured gift for adults, temari in Becky’s studio has taken on new shapes and new functions over the years since she made her first temari ball. Continue reading

Facebooktwitterredditpinterest

Art Show and Festival Season Springs to Life along the Front Range

A new post appears on the blog every other Wednesday. Next post: May 20.

"Birches in the Snow" -- wool tapestry by Elizabeth Shoeman of Longmont, Colorado

“Birches in the Snow” by Elizabeth Shoeman of Longmont is on display through June 6 at Union Colony Civic Center in Greeley. This handwoven tapestry is one of 50 pieces of fiber art in Fiber Celebration 2015.

This year’s art festival season along the Front Range burst open last weekend. Four special events unfolded in addition to the usual First Friday art walks in Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, and Fort Collins. Before May is over, at least ten more will entice art lovers to venues from Colorado Springs to Fort Collins and west to Estes Park.

There are several ways to make sure that you don’t miss out on the pleasure of seeing artisans’ work in person. First, check out the 2015 Calendar of Art Shows and Festivals here on the blog. If you looked at it a couple of months ago when it first came out, you may want to scan through it again. Twelve more events along the Front Range from May through August have been added since then. All events have links to websites with more information. Continue reading

Facebooktwitterredditpinterest