Donna Kallner is known for the ways she tells timeless stories using ancient techniques like looping. Older than weaving, knitting and crochet, looping is a living legacy from the Stone Age that contemporary fiber artists give their own spin. In this show, Donna collaborates with her friend and neighbor Sue Koleczek, who originally learned looping from Donna and has evolved a style that is uniquely her own.

In looping, a single thread travels a path that moves in and out at the edge of the work and passes over itself. As each stitch is made, the entire length of the thread follows that path. Since you draw the entire length through each stitch, looping is worked with relatively short threads. Looping produces a fabric so stable it cannot unravel.

Looping can be structural or elaborative. In other words, you can use it to build things or to embellish them. For this show, Donna wanted to illustrate looping’s versatility. This collection contains five paired pieces. Each pairing explores a theme with one piece worked in two dimensions and a second piece worked in 3D.

Donna teaches workshops throughout the United States and is the author of two books, New Age Looping and Altered Images: A Handbook For Fiber Artists. Her work appears in Fiberarts Design Book 7 and Baskets Now: USA. For more information about looping, about workshops Donna teaches, and about the stories that inspire her work, visit www.donnakallner.com. Donna’s New Age Looping podcast series is available at her blog, Two Red Threads. Find it at www.donnakallner.blogspot.com. 

Looping: a 40,00 year old and honored construction technique....
I'm a fan of "old" and "honored" since I just turned 70 myself.... However, looping gives a person a free hand to design, construct and embellish. I like that especially since I can't follow pattern directions although I'm a fair knitter. Remember knitting is an off-spring of looping, don't you know.
Looping with waxed irish linen thread from Belfast can be a bit like drawing with a pencil. The design might be in your imagination or perhaps  serendipitous
but... it can de 'drawn' on fabric, with fabric or over birch or willow twigs. That has become my medium -  twigs and thread....
A friend once said to me, "For your funeral we'll just send beautiful sticks."   
So you see, others have recognized my favourite medium, too.

www.209main.com - Textiles - current and past exhibits at The Dining Room at 209 Main

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Annual sale at Knitter's Treat yarn shop - April 8-11, 2010.