Love to Learn - 2025 TEACHER LINE UP
Leslie Amick
Melanie Sanford
Melanie Sanford
Leslie Amick is a needle felting artist specializing in animal sculptures. Having practiced needle felting for a little over 5 years, Leslie has developed a naturalistic style with a touch of whimsy in all her work. Leslie also seeks to recycle existing natural fibers through reusing them in new ways.
A mostly self-taught needle felting artist, Leslie has studied Sara Renzulli’s videos https://www.sarafinafiberart.com; and taken classes with Phoebe Cappelle: https://lavenderandlark.com; and Gladys Paulus: https://www.gladyspaulus.com/.
Her sculptures have been featured in juried fiber art shows and she recently won an award for one of her entries.
Leslie has a background in Architecture and holds a BA in Fine Arts. She is a lifelong lover of textiles and all sorts of handcrafted needle arts. She has experience in a wide variety of textile manipulation. She also has a professional background in adult teaching.
Website: www.Leslieamick.com.
Instagram: Leslie.amick
Melanie Sanford
Melanie Sanford
Melanie Sanford
Melanie D. Sanford, principal with Conserving Threads, is a boutique firm in Dallas, Texas specializing in the comprehensive consultation, conservation and installation services of historic textiles and related objects for private clients, historic societies and museums. Conserving Threads is also a e-commerce platform providing plant-based fibers and yarns to hand-spinners, knitters and fiber enthusiasts. Ms. Sanford has over thirty years studying textiles and fashions. She is a promoter of second-hand fashion, fashion flipping, and likes to look and re-image.
Website: https://www.conservingthreads.com
Instagram: @conservingthreads
Darlene Curlee
Melanie Sanford
Darlene Curlee
Darlene stumbled upon the joy of weaving when she found a loom and natural yarn at an estate sale. Teaching herself to weave, it quickly turned into a passion. Creating unique wall hangings, she loves working with natural fibers including cotton cord which she also uses in macrame leaves. Her weavings are all one of a kind, created organically, with texture created from the various techniques and the variety of fiber thicknesses used. Darlene wants to share with you her love of weaving and fiber, to help you create your own piece of art and to discover for yourself the love of fiber art.
Website: WoveforEwe.com
Instagram: @wovenforewe
Karen Davis
Karen Davis
Darlene Curlee
Karen Davis has been a fiber enthusiast since 2000 and fiber artist since 2004. She specializes in spinning, weaving, wet-felting and needle-felting with fiber from her own animals including alpacas, angora rabbits and llamas. In addition, in homage to her Danish heritage, she creates one-of-a-kind Viking weave necklaces and bracelets with wire-wrapped semi-precious stones. Her love of animals and nature led her to a career teaching high school biology, specifically AP Biology. She is happy to discuss animals and/or biology with you!!
Jenn Kulick
Karen Davis
Jenn Kulick
Jenn Kulick is the visionary behind the Bandera Fiber Arts Week. She has been offering up entry level to innovative fiber arts classes to get people having hands-on experiences with all things wool.
Julie Drogsvold
Julie Drogsvold
Julie Drogsvold
Julie has been raising fiber animals since middle school. Her college studies focused on Secondary Education and costume design. Raising fiber animals naturally led to spinning and weaving and then into teaching. Julie has taught throughout the United States, including Wisconsin Sheep & Wool festival and Oregon Flock & Fiber. Julie’s ranch, Tangled Yarn Farms, nestled in the Sky Islands of southern Arizona, specializes in Navajo heritage Angora goats, Angora rabbits and heirloom cottons. Her teaching style reflects her love of natural luxury fibers and joy in learning.
Taryn Kail
Julie Drogsvold
Julie Drogsvold
My name is Taryn Kail and I'm a rug maker, rug hooking pattern creator and a Certified Oxford Instructor for the art of Punch Needle Rug Hooking. I also have more than 30 years of digital art and development experience that serves me now in my pattern creation.
Much of my work is made with the Oxford punch needle on monk's cloth or primitive linen. My favorite yarn to work with is a 3-ply or 4-ply hand-dyed 100% wool rug yarn sourced from fellow punch needle or rug hooking artists and businesses.
Each piece and pattern are my own original work inspired by the flora and fauna of the Texas Hill Country.
I am a Certified Oxford Instructor and I
am proud to have the opportunity to share this craft locally. Check my website
and Instagram for information about
future classes and workshops.
Marti Swanson
Julie Drogsvold
Marti Swanson
Marti Swanson is an award-winning artisan who has worked in a variety of tactile mediums. The discovery of felting and fiber arts brings together a melding of Marti’s passions from sculpting, playing with color and the tactile art of creating with fiber. She has always been curious and finds the path of learning and experimenting to be a continual source of creative inspiration. Her approach to teaching is to explore and discover while having fun. Her reward is seeing the excitement in students as they challenge themselves and succeed.
Julie Leksell
Julie Leksell
Marti Swanson
Born and raised in the vibrant region between Arizona and New Mexico, Julia has been immersed in the world of crafting since the tender age of three. Her journey began with learning to crochet at nine, and by twenty-three, she had expanded her expertise to weaving exquisite garments and textiles. Julia is the proud owner of a small fiber farm in Southern Arizona, where she raises Navajo and Texas Angora goats, along with French and Satin Angora rabbits. This unique environment not only fuels her passion for fiber arts but also allows her to teach individuals of all ages the joy and beauty of these creative pursuits. With a deep love for challenges and continuous learning, Julia has spent the past seven years honing her skills in spinning, weaving, crocheting, dyeing fiber, and animal husbandry. Her diverse experience and enthusiasm make her an inspiring instructor, dedicated to sharing her knowledge and fostering a love for fiber arts in her students. Join Julia in her classes to explore the transformative power of creativity and craftsmanship!
Instagram: @littleleksellblossoms