February and our new Non-Profit status!

It's been another busy month here at MSW ….even though it's winter…and we had three new students,  our usual complement of Vt. Folklife Grantee's and our trusty regulars. We started off with new student, fellow Vermonter, Katie Dembinski, who came to weave a throw and some towels and then Melissa Goetz from upstate NY and Jolie Lerner from Brooklyn. Melissa and Jolie both wove a Scottish wedding throw and some dishtowels in their five day stay. Emily and Ada continued on their Folklife Grant projects and Ada finished a beautiful piece of 16/2 cotton clothing fabric. Emily has finished her spinning and is now getting ready to weave her full sized wool blanket. Jerusha Fox also finished a piece of fabric using rayon/linen and Jen Eger cut off a warp of beautiful rugs.

 The biggest news of the month is that the school has now become a non-profit organization again. We have an incredible group of dedicated Board members who are working hard to deal with all of the IRS paperwork and to shift the school from Kate's personal business to a non-profit educational entity. There is much to sort out but we are meeting every two weeks to get things completed before our busy summer season begins. The new Board consists of Sue Carpenter - local dairy farmer and Eaton Hill trim weaver - as President, Bruce Wescott - husband of Ellie Blachly our Eaton Hill upholstery colleague - as Treasurer, Linda Gabrielson - former dean of VT Community College and one of our local weavers - as Secretary, Gregory Sanford - former archivist for the State of Vt and Dosia's dad - as member, Justin Squizzero - master weaver and embosser for Eaton Hill -as member, and yours truly - Director of MSW and owner of Eaton Hill Textile Works - as member. Our greatest hope is to establish a scholarship fund, find more grants to fund students and to get the word out to the weaving world that we are alive and well!

Emily Falta - Folklife Grantee - making a warp for
her blanket using her own handspun weft.

Katie Dembinski weaving her Scottish wedding throw.

Dosia's latest warp painted fabric.

Jen Eger's multi strand wool rug.

Jen's finished weft faced rugs.

Jerusha Fox's rayon linen fabric.

Ada Schenk - Folklife Grantee - cotton clothing fabric.

Melissa Goetz - chocolate in hand - weaving cotton toweling.

Jolie Lerner's - also chocolate in hand - weaving cotton toweling.

Melissa's finished towels.

The new MSW Board of Director's hard at work.

Sue Carpenter - Board President.

Justin Squizzero - member.

Gregory Sanford - member.

Bruce Westcott - Board Treasurer.

Linda Gabrielson - Board Secretary.

Rosie Bee - Official Mascot