NEW HOURS!

Tuesday - Friday: Noon to 6pm

Saturday: Noon - 4pm

Closed Sunday, Monday and holidays.

If I am in the studio at other times, the sign will be out. Also I still have a standing appointment mid-afternoon on Wednesdays

Located in the Lathrop Artist Studios in the golden heart of downtown Fairbanks, The Spinning Room is a working studio and shop. Often called the best kept secret in town, visitors and families from all over the world love to see the beads and beadwork, buttons, lace, spinning, metal clay (pmc), and all that is happening here!

VISITORS always like to know that the Fairbanks Weavers and Spinners Guild is just down the hall from The Spinning Room. We teach all the adult weaving classes for the University of Alaska Fairbanks Art Department, hold lots of special events and teach an extensive set of classes for children all summer. We start them with and Intro to Fiber Arts for 6-7 year olds.

For those of you from far away, welcome!

Thanks to all our regular customers who have been with us for 33 years now, who have gone through all the fluctuations, and who have been patient with us over the last four years of our illness. We appreciate your patience, friendship, and encouragement and most certainly your patronage.

 

 

 

HAPPY LATE SUMMER!

The Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival has come and gone and was as usual extremely valuable.

Naturally, the weather is cooling off since the Fair has started. Yes it may be depressing but I just received the following comment in an email:

"Hi, thanks for spending so much time and sharing your love of the fiber arts. I'm uplifted and enlightened!! You made this trip for me! It's been artfully empty and you helped to fill my canvas and art spiritual needs!"

VISITORS ARE EXPECIALLY WELCOME

We have had so many visitors, again from around the world and the guest book is as fascinating as ever. Lots of Australians this year, and England, Canada, Germany, Spain, Scotland, Denmark, , New Zealand and just about every state in the US.

BAMBOO IS AWSOME!

Marnie has been busy weaving with the most wonderful bamboo yarn. You simply have to see and feel this earth friendly fiber to appreciate its drape and softness. The colors are exciting and it just is great to be weaving after several years away from the looms. Marnie has actually been weaving samples for the yarn producer so they would have samples to take to trade shows. An exciting project! More details and pictures in a new page soon...

QIVIUT, THE MOST WONDERFUL FIBER IN THE WORLD.

Marnie has been working with qiviut (muskox) fiber since first arriving in Fairbanks in 1971. Collecting, spinning, blending, dying, knitting, crocheting, lacemaking, weaving, designing, teaching and consulting, are among the many facets of this fiber experience. More details coming soon on a new page. Please stop in or email for more information about what is available.

BEADS BEADS BEADS

The Spinning Room has a great variety of beads, many of which are made expressly for us. We emphasize things that are different and unusual colors in the more common items. We have locally made beads and specialize in sterling and gold findings. We love color and quality!

DEMONSTRATIONS

One of the favorite things about The Spinning Room, is the variety of arts one can see being done. Diversity has been the key to the excitment in Marnie's life and it shows up in the studio. One can see spinning and weaving, bobbin lace and shirret, understand glass bead making and precious metal clay, and share in the joy of glass, pearl, stone, crystal, antique and trade beads and their wonderful design potential! Do drop in and if you are far away, we plan to include all of this on our web site soon! Stay tuned - site development is a high priority now!

You might notice some rather dramatic changes in the studio. Some think it is bigger, some think smaller, but the difference has been fun. Marnie has been weaving in the bead room and beading in the weaving room. She just finished seven weeks of teaching children a variety of beading classes! What energy!

More and more beads are being processed every day. There are wonderful semiprecious stones, (found a bunch with large wholes for you hemp necklace artists) cabochons and vintage glass beads. The bugles and 15°'s have filled in again and we are working on the 11°s now. Crystals are another story. it seems just as fast as they come in, they are gone! There are some beautiful new colors available too.

The pearl collection has its own wonderful eclectic nature! We have a great connection in New York City who calls when new shapes, and colors arrive and sends them to us before they hit the market! Aren't we lucky!

The Spinning Room carries Schacht Spindle Co. spinning wheels and looms. schachtspindle.com