Handweavers Guild of America (HGA) Textiles & Tea
Textiles & Tea takes place online every Tuesday, 4:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Full
information and registration are at https://weavespindye.org/textiles-and-tea/. All episodes of Textiles & Tea are recorded and are available to be watched on HGA’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. Upcoming Speakers:
Tuesday, September 3rd: Deb Essen lives, weaves, and runs her business dje handwovens in the Bitterroot Valley, nestled in the Rocky Mountains of western Montana.
In 2004, Deb achieved the Certificate of Excellence in Handweaving – Level 1 through the
Handweaver’s Guild of America. In 2011, she was inducted to the Montana Circle of American Masters in Folk and Traditional Art. Her book, Easy Weaving with Supplemental Warps, was published originally by Interweave Press in 2016. In 2022, the book was re-released as an expanded revised edition, with more projects and weave structures, by Schiffer Publishing.
She has recorded five weaving videos, available through Long Thread Media, ranging from
supplemental warps to profile drafting. She has written multiple feature articles for Handwoven and Little Looms magazines. Deb is passionate about teaching about the wonders of weaving and teaches at shops, guilds, regional and national conferences and festivals.
Tuesday, September 10th: Caroline Hicks Sawyer spent most of her work life
an electrical engineer. Weaving, which she has done for over 20 years, was her
creative outlet. Her main focus is fiber art, specifically art to wear, and many of
her hand-dyed, handwoven scarves, jackets, and coats have appeared in fashion
shows and elite shops from coast to coast.
Intrigued by a weaving structure developed by Peter Collingwood called
Macrogauze, Caroline designed and built a new loom. This has given her the
ability to make Macrogauze — or as she calls it, “Floating Warps” — her new
passion. She has been selected to exhibit at several prestigious art shows and was
awarded the Jurors Award at the Regional Juried Spring Open of the Wayne Art
Center.
Since retiring from AT&T, she works from her custom-designed studio near Philadelphia
with the assistance of her husband and their two Saint Bernards. She is a member of the Hudson Mohawk and Jockey Hollow Weavers Guilds and of the Philadelphia Guild of Hand Weavers.
Tuesday, September 17th: Sydney Sogol is a professional weaver and dyer dedicated to
creating bold color and pattern interactions through her original designs. She specializes in one of-a-kind and limited-edition pieces, drawing inspiration from her extensive studies in art, ornithology, and marine biology. Each piece is handwoven using sustainably sourced plant yarns. Sogol also hand-dyes and hand-paints the yarns to capture the natural beauty and unique stories of the creatures that inspire her work.
Sogol operates a sustainability-focused business, Syd’s Threads. Our mission is to weave
stories of nature into each creation. We emphasize sustainability, craftsmanship, and mindful living. By harmoniously blending the beauty of nature with the elegance of artisanal techniques, we strive to cultivate a deeper connection between individuals and the planet.
Tuesday, September 24th: Andrea Alexander is a passionate creator with a love for science,
textiles, and sharing her creative adventures. Growing up in a city known for its aquarium,
Andrea was enchanted by ocean life, which inspired her to earn a BS in Marine Biology and
pursue a career in exotic animal care and science education. Eventually, she felt an irresistible pull toward a more creative career and transitioned to the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Textile and Surface Design program.
At FIT, she honed her skills in weaving, screen printing, painting, dyeing, and computer
aided design, blending her scientific knowledge with a whimsical, artistic flair to create bold and sophisticated designs inspired by the natural wonders that have always fascinated her. She also documented her entire educational journey on YouTube, aiming to share and spread her joy for textiles with others.