Instructors

The instructors listed below are members of the Potomac Fiber Arts Guild who are also available to teach classes in their area of expertise. The Potomac Fiber Arts Guild does not certify or train instructors. They are listed here as a benefit of membership, and as a resource to the public.

If you are a Guild member and want to be listed here as an instructor, please fill the online form here  or download and submit our instructors form:

Potomac Fiber Arts Guild Instructor-Expertise Form 2018

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3D Fiber

Maria Simonsson
Description: 5 hour workshop-participants make a bird sculpture; 5 hour workshop-participants make a simple fiber vessel
Location: metro DC and beyond
Contact: Maria Simonsson
Website: Simonsson Art

Beading

Joanne Strehle Bast
Description: Off-loom beadwork stitching of jewelry & non-jewelry items
Location: Anywhere
Contact: Joanne Strehle Bast
Website: JBast

Marilyn Harrington
Description: Beginning on and off loom bead weaving
Location:  Ashburn, VA 20147
Contact: Weaving Ivory

Crochet

Soozie Brendler
Description: Bead Crochet Jewelry, Crochet – beginner – advanced – finishing
Location: Instructor or student home or another mutually agreeable location.
Contact: Soozie Brendler

Anja Caldwell
Description: Classes for kids and adults at all levels
Location: Live online instruction
Contact: Anja Caldwell
Website: www.fiberart.studio

Stacy Cantrell
Description:
1. All forms of crochet (beginning to very advanced).  Teach all ages, individual and/or large groups.
2. Sculptural crochet, yarn-bombing curation, mixed-media crochet, large community art projects.
Location: Laurel, Maryland or mutually agreed upon locations
Contact:  Stacy Cantrell
Website: polymathcrafts.org

Marilyn Harrington
Description: Beginning to advanced
Location:  Ashburn, VA 20147
Contact: Weaving Ivory

Nimi Rao
Description: Private or group classes in beginning to advance levels
Location: Rockville or mutually agreeable location
Contact: Nimi Rao

Doll-making

Julie B. Booth
Description: Adult-child classes.  Dolls and animals using fabric-wrapping techniques
Location: Rockville, MD
Contact:  Julie B. Booth
Website: Thread Born

Dyeing

Candace Edgerley
Description: Immersion, low-water immersion
Contact: Candace Edgerley

Marilyn Harrington
Location:  Art League School, Alexandria VA or Home Studio, Leesburg VA
Contact: Weaving Ivory

Shirley T. Waxman
Description: Hand painting on silk, abstract and defined
Location: Potomac, MD
Contact: Shirley T. Waxman
Website: www.shirleywaxman.com

Embroidery

Soozie Brendler
Description: Embroidery/Crewel
Location: Instructor or student home or another mutually agreeable location.
Contact: Soozie Brendler

Heather Kerley
Description: Embroidery: Basic and advanced techniques
Location: DC Area
Contact: Heather Kerley
Website: heathermccawkerley.com

Shirley T. Waxman
Description: Yemenite embroidery: meaning, history, folklore
Location: Potomac, MD
Contact: Shirley T. Waxman
Website: www.shirleywaxman.com

Felting

Soozie Brendler
Location: Instructor or student home or another mutually agreeable location.
Contact: Soozie Brendler

Irina Smirnoff
Description: Nuno felting classes to any age. Monday through Saturday. Class is usually 4 hours long with a tea break. Ages 12 and up.
Location: Vienna, VA
Contact: Irina Smirnoff

Fiber Sculpture

Stacy Cantrell
Location: Laurel, Maryland or mutually agreed upon locations
Contact:  Stacy Cantrell
Website: polymathcrafts.org

Maria Simonsson
Description: One day or multiday workshops in 3-D fiber construction
Location: Anywhere
Contact:  Maria Simonsson
Website: www.simonssonart.com

Hand Stitching and Applique

Julie B. Booth
Description: Exploring hand stitches. Using hand stitching and applique to create stories (all levels)
Location: Alexandria, VA
Contact: Julie B. Booth
Website: www.threadborn.com

Jewelry

Marla Rudnick
Description: Woven or knitted metal
Location: Instructor or student home
Contact: Marla Rudnick

Knitting

Jeanne Bohlen
Description: Knitting
Location: Bethesda, MD
Contact: Jeanne Bohlen

Janet Bowen
Description:
Beginner to advanced knitting, with specialty in colorwork, sweaters that fit, and techniques to streamline and perfect your knitting
Location: Silver Spring, Maryland agreeable location.
Contact: Janet Bowen

Soozie Brendler
Description: Knitting – beginner – advanced – finishing
Location: Instructor or student home or another mutually agreeable location.
Contact: Soozie Brendler

Anja Caldwell
Description: Classes for kids and adults at all levels
Location: Live online instruction
Contact: Anja Caldwell
Website: www.fiberart.studio

Marilyn Harrington
Description: Beginning to advanced
Location: Ashburn, VA 20147
Contact: Marilyn Harrington

Nimi Rao
Description: Private or group classes in beginning to advance levels
Location: Rockville or mutually agreeable location
Contact: Nimi Rao

Laritza M. Rodriguez
Description:  Beginner, intermediate, and advanced techniques. Individual instruction and groups of 2-10. All classes are a minimum of three hours. Students must provide the materials and a place to meet. Many years of experience teaching groups with success.
Locations: Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia
Contact: Laritza M. Rodriguez

Marla Rudnick
Description: Metal knitting: learn how to make stunning metal jewelry using fiber technique
Location: Instructor or student home
Contact: Marla Rudnick

Metal Work

Marla Rudnick
Description: Learn how to make stunning metal jewelry using fiber techniques
Location: Instructor or student home
Contact: Marla Rudnick

Needlepoint
Soozie Brendler
Description: Needlepoint/Embroidery/Crewel: instruction and finishing (washing and blocking)
Location: Instructor or student home or another mutually agreeable location.
Contact: Soozie Brendler
“Tree of Life” project – Needlepointer in Residence
Quilting

Cindy Grisdela
Description: Quilting, beginner to advanced, particularly improvisational techniques and free motion quilting
Contact: Cindy Grisdela
Location: Reston, VA
Website: https://cindygrisdela.com

Heather Kerley
Description: Quilting: Variety of adult classes through Smithsonian Associates program.
Location: DC Area
Contact: Heather Kerley
Website: heathermccawkerley.com

Lynda Poole Prioleau
Description: Art quilting, machine, embellishment, fiber structures
Location: Northern VA, DC, and MD
Contact: Lynda Poole Prioleau

Sewing

Shirley T. Waxman
Description: Prayer shawl, laws, construction, embroidery
Location: Home, Potomac, MD
Contact: Shirley T. Waxman
Website: www.shirleywaxman.com

Silk Painting

Clara Graves
Description: Abstract and representational painting on silk using either dye or silk paint, all skill levels
Location: Silver Spring
Contact: Clara Graves
Website: www.claragraves.com

Spinning: Supported Spindle

Laritza M. Rodriguez
Description: Spinning with supported spindles. Individual instruction and groups of 2-10. All classes are a minimum of three hours. Students must provide the materials and a place to meet. Many years of experience teaching groups with success.
Locations: Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia
Contact: Laritza M. Rodriguez

Spinning: Wheels and eSpinners

Elaine Thompson
Description: Beginning and intermediate spinning. Private or small groups, evenings/weekends. Groups must provide a place to meet.
Locations: Wheaton-Glenmont MD or mutually agreed on location
Contact: Elaine Thompson

Storycloth-making

Lisa Raye Garlock
Description: History and creation of narrative textiles for adults, with healing and human rights focus.
Website: storyclothdatabase.org
Locations: Takoma Park, MD
Contact: Lisa Raye Garlock

Surface Design

Julie B. Booth
Description: Fabric painting/printing techniques (all levels)
Location: Alexandria, VA; Rockville, MD
Contact: Julie B. Booth
Website: www.threadborn.com

Candace Edgerley
Description: Blockprinting on fabric; fabric painting techniques
Contact: Candace Edgerley

Clara Graves
Description: Many techniques for painting on silk, beginner to intermediate
Location: Silver Spring
Contact: Clara Graves
Website: www.claragraves.com

Heather Kerley
Description: Surface Design:  Mixed media fiber art, color theory, and design for fiber artists
Location: DC Area
Contact: Heather Kerley
Website: heathermccawkerley.com

Tapestry Weaving

Tea Okropiridze
Description: Beginning, intermediate and advanced Tapestry weaving .
Beginning Rigid Heddle Loom weaving
Location:
Alexandria, VA (Art League School)
Washington DC (Smithsonian Associates)
Manassas, VA (Artists Studio)
Contact: Tea Okropiridze
Website: http://www.teaokro.com/

Textile Conservation

Cathleen M Zaret
Description: Textile conservation, and mounting for display.
Locations: Potomac, MD
Contact: Cathleen M Zaret

Weaving

Janet Bowen
Description:
Weaving on rigid heddle, tapestry, multi-shaft looms
Location: Silver Spring, Maryland agreeable location.
Contact: Janet Bowen

Marilyn Harrington
Description:
Beginning to advanced floor loom weaving in person and on-line
Understanding Fiberworks-PCW (weaving software)
Warp painting
Beginning and advanced Triaxial weaving (off-loom weaving using 1 warp and 2 weft elements.
Location:  Art League School, Alexandria VA
Contact:  Marilyn Harrington 

Tea Okropiridze
Description:
Beginning, intermediate and advanced Tapestry weaving .
Beginning Rigid Heddle Loom weaving
Circular loom weaving for adults
Location:
Alexandria, VA (Art League School)
Washington DC (Smithsonian Associates)
Manassas, VA (Artists Studio)
Contact:  Tea Okropiridze
Website:  http://www.teaokro.com/

Mary J Pflueger
Description: Weaving, beginning to advanced
Location: The WGGB Weaving School, Catonsville, MD
Contact:  Mary J Pflueger
Website:  wggb.org

Anne Sanderoff-Walker
Description: Beginning weaving on a shaft loom
Location: Gaithersburg, Rockville, Montgomery County
Contact:  Anne Sanderoff-Walker
Website:  www.annesanderoff-walker.com

Wearable Art

Stacy Cantrell
Description: Crochet
Location: Laurel, Maryland or mutually agreed upon locations
Contact:  Stacy Cantrell
Website: polymathcrafts.org

Nimi Rao
Description: Knitting, crochet
Location: Rockville or mutually agreeable location
Contact: Nimi Rao