Dijanne Cevaal, International fiber artist, curator, and author

Dijanne Cevaal is an internationally exhibiting fiber artist, curator, and author who shares her work on her blog. International travels, history, and environmental concerns figure heavily in her work. She is the international curator of the following traveling exhibitions:
2000 Australian Bounty (traveled to France, England, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia)
2001 Under the Southern Cross (traveled to the Netherlands, England, New Zealand, Australia)
2002 Twisted: Interpretations of the Natural Environment (traveled to England, the Netherlands and Australia)
2004 Organic (traveled to the Netherlands, Australia)
2005 Oceania (traveled to France)
2006 Across Australia (traveled to the Netherlands, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Israel, The Palestinian Territory, Australia)
2007 Sense of Place (traveled to Syria, France, Australia)
2008 My Place ( Australian coordinator)- an exhibition organized by New Zealand, South Africa

Below: Additional comments by Susan Lenz regarding Dijanne Cevaal's selection for CYBER FYBER.

Dijanne Cevaal's blog was the first fiber art blog I started reading. I was immediately in awe of her talents and abilities to infuse her work with strong concepts and imagery from her travels. Though I read regularly, I never commented. When starting CYBER FYBER, I put Dijanne Cevaal's name on my "wish list" but never thought she'd accept the invitation....but below is what happened on January 24, 2008:

"For the past few evenings I've written private, personal messages to a few of the artist's on my 'Wish List' for the invitational art portion of CYBER FYBER. Happily, acceptances followed. I thought that if I gathered a few artists, I might be able to persuade someone of Dijanne's reputation to join the group. I figured that the earliest I'd dare write to her would be in about a month.

Last night I checked CYBER FYBER's email. There was a message in my In Box...from Dijanne Cevaal...a comment was left on this very post...DIJANNE CEVAAL ACCEPTED MY INVITATION...I hadn't even written! If this isn't an absolutely stunning example of the power of communication through blogging and the Internet, I don't know what is! I feel utter elated and fully armed to write great art grant proposals and to solicit corporate sponsorship for this exhibition.

Thank you Dijanne! You are amazing!"

Veleta Staffney, Beaded Journal Pages

(Above: Wetlands by Veleta Staffney. 6" x 6". Hand beading. Click on image to enlarge.)

Veleta Staffney's beading is inspiration, whimsical, and wonderful. She generously shares her work on her blog, Sammy's Stuff. She has participated in a monthly beaded journal challenge and agreed to send three of these works for inclusion in CYBER FYBER. Veleta's blog is listed on several bead blogrings as well as other textile groups.



(Above: Mother Earth by Veleta Staffney. 6" x 6". Hand beading. Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: Midnight Lace by Veleta Staffney. 6" x 6". Hand beading. Click on image to enlarge.)

Jill Rumoshosky Werner, conceptual and 3D art quilter

Transformed by Jill Rumoshosky Werner. Click on image to enlarge. (This image might be replaced later....after the lighting has been set for the exhibition. I'm terrible with this aspect and have more experience help coming later in the week!)

CYBER FYBER's physical exhibition was installed on Thurday and Friday, January 1 and 2, 2009. Until this time, Transformed waited....neatly in its own beautiful fabric case. Then, quietly, with instructions in hand, I began to to assemble it.

Jill Rumoshosky Werner is a CONCEPTUAL 3-D art quilter. "Concept" includes attention to all the details....right down to perfectly fitted fleece wrappers for the individual components of the piece...complete with pretty, white ribbon closure ties....and enormous Ziploc bags for protection....and clearly written assemblage instructions....and pillowcases for the rollers and quilt. What I had feared might be a difficult task was obviously going to take but a few minutes...even preceding slowly and carefully!

The first few steps were easy enough!

The rollers went into place. The provided hanging device slipped into the fabric sleeve on the reverse of the quilt. The instruction said to mount it 72" up on the wall. I measured, set the two nails at 20 3/4" apart, and hung the quilt. That was it....up and looking BEAUTIFUL!

Not only is the artwork a perfect example of "transformed" but my already high opinion of Jill's work was "transformed" to any even more lofty place of admiration. This piece not only looks great....it is great on every conceivable level. It's execution went beyond the sewing machine, beyond an idealized vision of completion but to a point of perfection that allowed me to recreate this vision within minutes. I am in awe! Jill is simply brilliant!




Above is one of Jill's 3D art quilts, Discombobulated. The quilt is 2" wide by 10 yards long. As shown, it is 15" x 15" x 9". Made in 2001, this piece has been shown in a number of top notch exhibitions across the USA and was included in Popular Patchwork, a British publication in 2003. This is not the quilt that Jill sent for CYBER FYBER...but it was part of this blog post for most of 2008, the time in which CYBER FYBER was being put together. I love it. I just can't seem to delete it! So, even though it isn't really part of CYBER FYBER's physical exhibition...it is staying on this post....as inspiration, as another example of Jill's fanastic quality, conceptual approach, and creativity!

Reason for inclusion: Jill Rumoshosky Werner is an exceptional fiber artist whose approach to art quilts is outstandingly conceptual. She shares her humor, artistic journey, and new work on her blog. Following Jill's work was the result of a now defunct Yahoo Group.
--Susan Lenz

Updated: January 25, 2007
So, it has happened again. Before I ever wrote with my request to join CYBER FYBER in the invitational portion of the exhibition, an artist found the site and left a comment! JILL RUMOSHOSKY WERNER has accepted the invitation. I am thrilled...stunned!

Lynda Monk, experimental fiber artist

Lynda Monk has graciously accepted her invitation to display work at CYBER FYBER

Reason for inclusion: Lynda is a serious, fiber artist who documents many experiments and finished pieces on her blog but also generously shares well written tutorials on these techniques, free of charge on her website.
--Susan Lenz

(Updated January 27, 2008)

Nikki Wheeler's Inchies and Fabric Paper

(Above: Multifariam by Nikki Wheeler. Click on image to enlarge.)
Nikki Wheeler is a talented young fiber artist working in Seattle, Washington. Her work with fabric paper and inchies is inspirational. Her blog shares instructions on creating and using fabric paper. Nikki also uses the Internet to sell her work on Etsy and blogs about her miniature creation available through Art-O-Mats across the nation. She generously includes excellent photos of her work.



(Above: Transcendentalism by Nikki Wheeler. Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: Interaction by Nikki Wheeler. Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above and below: Nikki Wheeler's Inchies. Click on images to enlarge.)

Susan Sorrell, artist and Internet instructor

Susan Sorrell is not only a fiber artist and blogger but uses Internet access for teaching. Many of her course and found on her blog and many of her students share their resulting fiber work on their own blogs.

Arlee Barr's Exquisite, Corpse Round Robin

Above: Cache. Detail. Click on image to enlarge.

Above: Cache. Click on image to enlarge. Scroll down for statement.

Above: Shifting Gears. Click on image to enlarge. Scroll down for statement.


Besides being one of the most prolific fiber artists regularly blogging, Arlee Barr has time for trading ATCs, postcards, and challenges, many of which are projects of her own design and organization. The exquisite corpse round robin (ECRR) is one such project on her blog. For a number of years, Arlee Barr lived on a remote island in British Columbia. The only fiber arts community available was on-line. Arlee did not only communicate with other fiber arts in all areas of the world but through her group projects was able to create art with others. Since the inception of CYBER FYBER, Arlee has moved to Calgary but has maintained her cyber community.



Below: Arlee Barr's Statement for Cache
“Cache” is a composite of techniques and ideas, many of which I was exposed to or shared on line, with my “Cyber friends”. The piece initially started as the middle section, a depiction of neurons, the artist’s brain working and assimilating knowledge. A cache was originally defined as a treasure trove or repository of gold and precious items; in our current lexicon, it applies to computers and is a collection of data duplicating original values stored elsewhere or computed earlier, or a temporary storage area where frequently accessed data can be stored for rapid access.

How apt then, that my Cache is both the old and the new, as I incorporate handwork and technology aided machine work.

With cyber connections that potentially develop into real friendships and sharing, there’s still that element of reaching into the dark and not knowing what you will find, or what will touch you. I used dark purple, turquoise and beads to symbolize the image of millions of single bodies sitting in the dark with a lit screen in their faces. Thin, hand dyed fabrics infer old textiles, worn and fragile but still beautiful and useful. Red is for the passion that pours from fingers into text and image. I used see through areas: online, we reveal bits of ourself---skin and feelings, secrets and jealousies, pride and confidence. Metal sparks in the light, little doors and windows, lit by candles in the dark, shared flashes of consciousness, bytes of information. I also incorporated gifts that had been sent: silk paper from Jackie Cardy, angelina fiber and roving from Emmy Schoonbeek, buttons from MaryAnne Richardson, hand dyed fabric from Deb Lacativa, and used rubber, computer parts, hoarded crystals and artificial leaves, fabrics done a decade or more ago in a college setting, and recycled scraps. untying of common threads. I have learned so much on line, made valuable personal and professional connections and been exposed to many different viewpoints. It’s not all harmonious, but it is endlessly fascinating and fulfilling.

Below: Arlee Barr's Statement for Shifting Gears and explanation of the Exquisite Corpse Project.

The Exquisite Corpse, or Le Cadavre Exquis, originated in 1925, first as a word game and then as a graphic exercise by the Surrealists. I decided to incorporate textile techniques and pass it to other players to add their portion to. The first round was a more traditional format that was not successful in every attempt, but still resulted in some wonderful work. Each square after being worked, was covered with only a border left open as a hint to the next player, who had to create imagery that integrated with the lines/colours/shapes evident in that border.

“Shifting Gears” is my 2^nd round piece completed by myself and 5 other participants. My first disappeared into Postal Purgatory, an evil anticipated but hoped against by all of us! A different format was used in the 2^nd round also, with a design drawn by the “owner”, and then each section interpreted by subsequent players. Clockwise from the top left, the players were Susan Sawatzky, Julie Zaccone Stiller, Reta Brunner, Elizabeth O’Donnell and Donna Royer. My “square” was the central portion.With 2 rounds completed now, we have 36 original “Exquisite Corpses” done in a plethora of techniques from artists with novice, intermediate and advanced skill levels, and who have shared and explored new methods and materials, though remaining true to the textile format. As it has all been about online communication, the handling of each piece by each “player” has for the most part been a mystery until the owner gets the whole back. Our players are from around the world, including Canada, the US, the UK, Netherlands, and France.A third round is in the signup stage and will go back to a more formal exercise, again with players from around the world.

Dale Rollerson, contemporary embroiderer and needlework supplier

Dale Rollerson, with her wonderful husband Ian, are co-owners of The Thread Studio in Perth, Australia, a major supplier for contemporary fiber arts. Dale also shares her personal artistry, textile experiments, and product recommendations on her blog. Dale's fiber arts were selected for CYBER FYBER in order to highlight the products and materials available to today's contemporary stitchers. The supplies and products can be found at www.thethreadstudio.com. Dale also teaches on-line classes and has written an internationally acclaimed book on using the Embellisher, a needle felting machine.

Maggie Grey, artist, author, teacher

Maggie Grey is a well loved, published writer of influential fiber arts books who also shares new ideas, techniques, and instruction through her blog. Some of Maggie Grey's books were co-written by Valerie Campbell-Harding (who probably would have been a great blogger as she loved and promoted incorporation of technology in her work). Currently, Maggie is editor of Workshop on the Web, an internet-based magazine. She teaches embroidery and computer textile design internationally. Maggie is a founding member of the influential Computer Textile Design Group. Her publications include Textile Translations: Mixed Media (purchase includes a free on-line class!), From Image to Stitch, Embellish and Stitch (with Valerie Campbell-Harding); Stitch, Dissolve, Distort (with Valerie Campbell-Harding); Paper, Metal, Stitch (with Jane Wild); and Raising the Surface with Machine Embroidery.

Maggie Grey has created two pieces just for CYBER FYBER. She enlisted the help of other, Internet connected fiber artists through her blog post of July 4, 2008. Requesting text about blogging, she has incorporated words into the works of art. Maggie's blog post about this concept is found here.