Nancy Sullivan

Born and raised in South Louisiana, I remember being very interested in the palmettos and thinking that they would be useful for-braiding, baskets, etc. I remember my school bus passing by a small farm with sheep and thinking of the wool and how it could be used; seeing the cotton in the fields and wanting to get my hands on the cotton bowls to see what I could do with them. Following my Mother's tradition of knitting, I was very excited to receive my first pair of knitting needles and a whole skein of yarn of my very own at Christmas at about age 7. In my first job after finishing high school, I was enthralled by the floor covering in the office where I worked. It was made of squares of braided hemp or bamboo fiber (or maybe even palmetto fiber) all sewn together to make a very sturdy floor covering.

As an adult, I loved sewing, knitting and crocheting, but continued to harbor a lively interest in spinning and weaving. I purchased a spinning wheel in the mid-eighties and found what a mesmerizing experience that was. I was able to create yarn from wool, cotton and flax-even grew cotton, flax and bamboo in my garden at various times. And, like many other spinners, I had to try out many, many fibers such as angora, alpaca, Alaskan husky and even the wool from a mountain goat.

When I moved to New Mexico, I knew the time was right for me to begin weaving. I took wonderful classes at the Fiber Arts Center that were taught by superb weavers including Trish Spillman, Lee Lanning, Lisa Trujillo, Jennifer Moore and Jason Collingwood. I also completed a wonderful class at the renowned Tierra Wools in Tierra Amarilla. In the relatively short time I have been weaving, my creations include scarves, vests, jackets, ruanas, rugs, blankets, mug rugs (coasters), wall hangings and even a Scottish tartan.

I am so excited to have the opportunity to weave at Tierra Wools! It is personally satisfying to create from natures' bounty. I continue to be excited and challenged by the many possibilities weaving offers.