This class will be taught IN PERSON, in the classroom at the Red Cross building. The current American Red Cross pandemic protocols limit the enrollment for this class. A waitlist is available.
Enrollment for this class is limited to 9 attendees.
Have you ever wondered HOW Rumpelstiltskin spun straw into gold? WHAT exactly is the spindle in The Sleeping Beauty? WHY did those Three Aunts have “unusually large” feet, arms, and teeth? CAN you really poison someone through clothing, as in the Greek myths? WHERE did such ideas come from? The answers to these questions and more will be revealed as we take a look at the textile images and metaphors that make up the fabric of folktales and myths from around the world. Over the centuries these stories were shaped by and told to women who were primary makers of cloth. For 20,000 years the tools and often magical-looking processes needed to make cloth have been part of women’s lives. These tools and processes became part of the stories they told each other as they worked throughout the year to clothe their families and communities. Joining Barbara Schutzgruber in lecture and demonstration, you will enjoy the opportunity to try your hand at spinning, weaving, and dyeing, and in examining the skill, time, and even the strength, necessary to create cloth.
Barbara Schutzgruber is an award-winning recording artist, author, and fiber artist who shares folktales, ballads, and personal stories of resilience. She holds a master’s degree in children’s literature from Eastern Michigan University and has collected a serious body of folktales and ballads featuring weaving, spinning, and stitching. An accomplished fiber artist, Barbara uses a wide range of materials to create wall hangings, yardage for garments, rugs, vessels, hats, scarves, and shawls. Since 1987 she has presented national and international workshops, showcases, and performances.