Katherine Buenger is a weaver and teacher known for her wide-ranging fiber talents. She can tame a 15-shaft computerized loom, but also loves weaving on rigid heddle looms, simple portable frame looms. She mastered spinning of “regular” fibers like wool and silk, and then moved on to create yarn from the Yellow Pages, coffee filters, computer tapes and other non-traditional materials. She learned to make Sami-inspired jewelry using tin thread, and has now taught the technique to hundreds of students. She’s a fun teacher; she is not afraid to break the rules and try something new, and encourages others to do the same.
Last summer Katherine dipped into yet another technique, and warped her small rigid heddle loom to weave some small birds in tapestry. It wasn’t going well; she was stymied by a red cardinal. Just then the Call for Art was published for the Baldishol exhibit. Katherine wrote,
I was intrigued. I cut off the sad little bird and decided to use the remaining warp to weave a rya piece for the exhibit. This decision was made knowing that I had never woven a whole piece in rya. I focused on colors and the clusters surrounding the horseman. Using a variety of yarns from my stash of wools, silk blends and cotton I went to work.
Perhaps that’s a starry night behind the horseman? Katherine titled her piece “Pleiades” (Seven Sisters).
Katherine has a degree in studio art from Macalester College and has been contributing her talents to the Weavers Guild of Minnesota for two decades, serving on the board of directors and importantly, on the Education Committee.
After finishing her Baldishol rya, Katherine went back to work on her complex Dobby computerized loom. There is no doubt that when she decides to go back to a tapestry cardinal, she’ll master that too.
Check out more of Katherine’s work at buengerstudios.com.