Teachers for 2007


Sandi Cirillo is a fiber artist from Corning. She has been teaching felt-making classes for over 15 years. Sandi sells her work through her website Especially-for-Ewe, and markets the many workshops she teaches. Sandi enjoys introducing adults and children to the joys of fiber art.

Betty Todd has owned and operated the business "Mohair in Motion" for many years. She and her husband have raised angora goats for more than 25 years. A self-taught artisan, she spins, weaves, knits, crochets, and produces beautiful hand dyed yarns. She enjoyed teaching students how to microwave dye at the festival for a quite a few years, and this year will be offering a new workshop on hand-painting yarns.

Carol Wood and Debbie MacCrea: Combined, Debbie and Carol have almost 50 years hands-on experience with natural dyeing. They have taught dye workshops for Enchanted Mountain Weaver's Guild, the Allegany Arts Association, the Alfred University Trustee Spouse Program, and the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (Santa Maria, CA), among others. Debbie is a weaver, knitter and gardener- she cultivates many of the dye plants used in the workshops and brings a breadth of experience in historical costuming to the dye process. Carol's knitwear designs make extensive use of hand-dyed yarns and she teaches knitting design and techniques. Their hand-dyed yarns are sold through Edgewood Farms Alpacas and the Alfred Knitting Studio.

Erin Kosich has been teaching clever, creative (and always a bit silly) knitting classes for six years now as the owner of the Embraceable Ewe yarn shop in Hamburg, NY. She is delighted to be returning again to the Hemlock Fiber Festival, where she just loves all the wonderful folks (and the wonderful waffle booth!)

Eileen Easterly has a love of weaving and fiber arts. Her goal is to make the fiber arts fun and accessible to everyone. She has a master's degree in education and 15 years experience teaching hands-on classes. Eileen works with her husband, Mike, in their fiber arts-tools business, Millpoint Emporium. Her home is in Amsterdam, NY.

Sandy Moore Formerly the owner of "Back to Basics", Sandy has been interested in the fiber arts for over 30 years. She has taught classes for many years, and brings a wealth of knowledge to the festival's drop spindle class.

Freda Peisley has been weaving since the age of 8 and majored in textiles at RIT, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Tennesee, and Handerbetts Vanner in Sweden. She teaches classes at the Genesee Country Village and Museum and gives private lessons as well all year.

Alanna Rothschild Wilcox's fascination with thread and yarn began at an early age when her mother taught her how to do needlepoint. From there it led to crocheting, knitting, embroidery, crazy quilting, felting, and then spinning. She currently works as a high school art teacher for the Rochester City Schools and teaches at the Weaving and Fiber Arts Center during the summer.

Tamara Kelley originally learned to crochet when she was in fifth grade. Tamara has enjoyed designing with fiber for more than 25 years. She has been knitting continental style since 1996, and relishes exploring the use of color and texture in fiber arts. She enjoys actively teaching and sharing her love of knitting and crocheting. She is also a hand spinner.

Jill Formella has enjoyed fiber arts for many years, and takes tremendous pleasure in sharing these crafts with others. She is always eager to learn and share in the newest trend in fiber arts.

Jen Adams has enjoyed crocheting and knitting for many years. She started spinning a few years ago and now, with her husband and six children, is breeding Shetland sheep and has a fiber flock/herd that includes Lincoln Longwools, llamas, alpacas, and English angora rabbits. She is a 4-H leader and has taught many fiber and sewing skills to adults and children. She loves to see people of all ages gain the ability to create with their own hands.

Debbie Santolla has been spinning since 1984. She has studied with many fiber artists and is always willing to pass on the craft. Debbie has taught privately and also at the Weaving and Fiber Arts Center in the Village Gate Square in Rochester. She also knits, weaves tapestries and has received awards for her fiber creations.

Christine Haag has been giving demonstrations and teaching classes in the fiber related field at local shows and organizations for many years. She and her husband tend a small flock of sheep and an alpaca. They also design and building vertical weaving looms from wood harvested from their own land.

Deborah Hartmann is a 3D fiber artist from Hilton, New York. She began sculpting while still in grade school, and in recent years made the transition from clay to fiber after becoming fascinated with needle felting. Her figurative sculptures have won awards in the US and Canada, and her needle felted Art Dolls have been published in a variety of related magazines. She has degrees in Art and Zoology, and has recently begun teaching needle felting classes.

Carolyn Rivello has been spinning since 1999 when she saw a notice for the monthly meeting of the GVHG in a local paper and showed up, knowing nothing about spinning, but wanting to see what it was all about. A few kind members lent her a drop spindle and got her started. She joined the guild that day and has been spinning ever since. In 2005, she began the Ontario (Canada) Handweavers and Spinners Guild's six-year spinning certificate program. She's just back from Level III and is very excited about teaching spinning this year at the festival.
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Last updated: July 22, 2007