advertisement

Learn how to 'echo weave' at Fine Line

Fiber and textiles have been a passion of Beth Duncan's since she made her first sweater at age 10, and then knitted a jute hammock for her father, when just 12 years old. While in high school, she learned to weave, and after many intervening years, she is now the newest weaving instructor at Fine Line Creative Arts Center in St. Charles.

Mostly self-taught, Duncan attended community college then the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, before moving to Ohio with her husband. Duncan's family relocated to Crystal Lake 30 years ago, where she eventually dusted off her dormant desire to weave.

"In 2009, I brought my 8-harness Leclerc loom out of storage, and have been weaving steadily since, while taking oodles of classes and workshops," Duncan said. "I was a partner in a retail shop for 17 years. It was wonderful, but it was not my passion. I was lucky to fall back into weaving and realize that this is what I love. I will never run out of things to learn or experiment with."

With a lifetime creating fiber art under her belt, Duncan is well prepared to teach. Her next class, "Echo Weave, A Starting Point," will focus on several ways to achieve echo. It will be from 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturdays, April 4 and 18, at The Fine Line in St. Charles.

"Learning to weave can seem daunting at the start; there is a lot of prep work before the actual weaving begins. As with all things worth learning, take your time and practice. Put on new warps as soon as you can; that is how we retain the how-tos. With each piece that you weave, you will learn something and realize how much more there is to weaving. That's not supposed to be overwhelming, it is an opportunity to find your own direction and learn what you want to," she said.

Duncan joined Fine Line's faculty in 2014. Prior to becoming an official faculty member, she assisted with Fine Line's annual "Weaving for the Visually Impaired" workshop for the past four years. Since becoming a faculty member, she has taught a Crackle Weave class, and has more planned for later this year, including "Overshot," in which students will use color in an unexpected ways.

This weaving instructor is also a perpetual student. "My weaving is mostly for myself, as I enjoy learning and understanding weaving structures, fibers and working with color," Duncan said. "My favorite pieces are presently coming off my Megado loom (a 32-shaft computerized loom). I have learned damask, and lace and echo, which I have enjoyed. I'm looking forward to learning more structures and how they can be designed with a multi shaft loom."

Fine Line Creative Arts Center includes studio classrooms where fine art classes for adults are taught, and where workshops are presented by visiting guest artists from around the globe. The Kavanagh Gallery houses local, national and international art shows throughout the year, and the Dempsey Gallery overs a rotating exhibit of members' works of art. Both galleries are open and free to the public Mondays through Saturdays.

Fine Line Creative Arts Center is located at 37W570 Bolcum Road in St. Charles Stop in and see all that Fine Line Creative Arts Center has to offer! For more information, visit www.fineline.org, or call (630) 584-9443.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.