Instructor Bios

Suzie Liles

Owner and Instructor

Suzie Liles has taught weaving for 23 years. Suzie is very enthusiastic and loves to share her knowledge. She has taught workshops and seminars for adults and children in the United States and Canada. Suzie has a MFA in Fibers from the University of Oregon. She is a member of the Handweavers Guild of America, Surface Design Association, and Spinning and Weaving Association. She is very active in the fiber arts community; she was the chair of the 2001 Northwest Weaving conference assistant chair for the 2007 Surface design conference, Coordinator for the joint symposium Studio Arts Quilt Associates and Surface Design Association April 2008. She is now chairing the 2011 Northwest Weavers Conference. In March of 2008 Suzie Liles and Marilyn Robert opened the Eugene Textile Center in Eugene, Oregon.

Marilyn Robert

Instructor

Marilyn Robert has worked in the field of fiber art for the past twenty years. Her work is exhibited internationally. She has a Master of Fine Arts in Fibers, and has been the recipient of study grants and awards, including a Japan Foundation Grant for research on traditional indigo-dyed textiles and contemporary fiber art. She has taught at the University of Oregon and Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon, and travels to teach workshops. In 2001, she organized a textile tour to Turkey. She teaches both surface design techniques, such as dyeing, printing, felting, mechanical and chemical manipulations of cloth, as well as handweaving.

Janis Thompson

Instructor

A whirlwind of artistic energy ... Janis is always learning and sharing various media ... mostly fibers, spinning, dyeing, knitting, felting, wire twisting, bead craft and RAKU. Janis is the owner of dyelots fiber studio in Eugene, an instructor at the Eugene Textile Center and the Educational Talks and Demonstrations chairperson for the BSG. She teaches, demonstrates and vends at many shows around the Northwest.

Debbie Hebert

Instructor

Debbie is relatively new to the fiber world. Five years ago, while searching out alpaca poo for her garden she found what she was looking for at a local farm that also offered her the opportunity to help with the shearing. That was it ! She was given a bag a wool and that was the beginning of a love affair with all things fiber. Debbie immediately began taking classes at the UofO crafts center, weaving at ETC and attending workshops at the Blacksheep Gathering and Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival. In 2011 at the BSG she demonstrated blending fibers using a hackle to prepare roving for spinning all types of art yarns. She searches out fibers from local Oregon farms then cleans and hand-dyes. Debbie is a member of the Northwest Regional Spinners Association and Eugene Weavers Guild.

Mary Hettmansperge

Instructor

Biography:….
Mary Hettmansperger is a fiber and jewelry artist who teaches in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and Singapore internationally. Across the US and at Arrowmont, Penland, Bead and Button, Convergence, National and Regional Fiber conferences, Art and Craft Schools, and private Guilds. Mary has authored and illustrated 3 books Fabulous Woven jewelry, Wrap, Stitch, fold and Rivet, and Mixed metal Jewelry workshop all published by Lark/Sterling. Currently Mary is working on two more books, a new jewelry book - Spring 2012 release and an Art Quilt book - Fall 2012 release, titles to be announced soon. Other books include, Jewelry Design Challenge, 500 Baskets, Fiber Arts Design Book 7, the Gourd Book, Creative Scarecrows, Pushing the envelope, Fabulous Found object jewelry, Teapots - makers and collectors, Beading with Crystals, and Creative Beading Volume 2. Mary has had work exhibited at SOFA – through the Katie Gingrass Gallery. She does segments for the PBS programming - Beads Baubles and jewels and Quilting Art and has had her work published in many magazines, including, Quilting Arts, Art jewelry, Bead and Button, Beadwork, Shuttle Spindle and dye pot, and Crafts Report.

Marika Banyacski

Instructor

I have been working with fiber for most of my adult life. I began experimenting with natural dyeing about six years ago. I refined the process and began to dye large lots of yarn and fiber when I began teaching handwork at the Eugene Waldorf School. I plant dyed all the yarn my students worked with throughout the year for the four years I taught there. I learned quite a bit about dyeing large quantities of material. It was also around this time that I began my business Artisan Plant Dyed Fiber. I dyed mainly silk and silk rayon scarves as well as wool and mohair wool blend yarns with plant dyes.
Two years ago I began to work with mushrooms as a dye stuff and got hooked. Shortly after, I attended the International Mushroom Dyeing Symposium in Mendocino CA as Dorothy Beebee's dye assistant. I feel so grateful for the opportunity I was given to learn from mushroom dyers from all over the world for an incredible week long intensive. I love looking for mushrooms as much as dyeing with them. I find the dyeing process all the more magical beginning it first in the forest wildcrafting my dyestuff. As well, I have come to appreciate the beautiful, subtle and complex hues the mushrooms offer and the unpredictability of them sparks my creativity. I have been moving my business slowly away from the plant dyes and will be working mainly with only mushroom dyes from now on. Come check out my booth at the Mt. Pisgah Mushroom Festival this October 25th from 10-5. It's a fantastic festival for anyone interested in mushrooms.
I have been teaching fiber art and dyeing classes to adults in the greater Eugene area for the past five years. I really enjoy the sharing and learning atmosphere of a group of people interested in fiber. I teach mainly felting, knitting, doll making, embroidery/needlework and natural dyeing.