Invited Artists

Daryl Lancaster received her BA cum laude degree in Fine Arts in 1977 from Montclair State College, Montclair, NJ and has been actively working since then as a weaver/fiber artist. Comfortable with the sewing machine for more than fifty years, she spent 10 years as a production craftswoman, selling her handwoven clothing in craft markets and galleries throughout the United States. She teaches garment construction and related topics to weavers and other fiber enthusiasts across North America. In addition, Daryl exhibits her artwork in galleries across the country. She was the Contributing Features Editor for six years, for Handwoven Magazine from Interweave Press and wrote the “Fashion and Color Forecast” Column. She continues to write for various weaving and sewing publications and is a regular contributor to Threads Magazine. A breast cancer survivor, she uses her work as a vehicle to express who she is and the path that she has traveled. Daryl lives in northern New Jersey (Morris County).

Dianne Totten has always enjoyed working with fiber. She learned to sew at a young age and enjoyed making most of her wardrobe. She often thought, “if only I could make my own fabric.” The reality of that thought materialized many years later when her husband surprised her with a loom one Christmas. Handwoven clothing has been Dianne’s main focus in her 40 years of weaving. Her creations start with a “vision.” Selecting the yarns and the weave structure to best carry out that vision can take a few days to several weeks. Sampling a variety of options leads to a final choice for the fabric. When the fabric is off the loom and the finishing process is complete, she makes the pattern to enhance the design features of the cloth. Her current emphasis is on garments using Crimp Cloth, the name she gave the technique she developed and teaches nationally/internationally for guilds and conferences, as well as at Convergence. She has been published in many weaving publications, has authored 2 Crimp Cloth DVDs, and has won numerous awards for her work. One of those awards was given by Vävmagasinet for her crimp jacket at the Swedish National Convention Fashion Show. She was Co-Chair of Convergence 1998 Runway Fashion Show when it was held in Atlanta.

Judi Gaston recalls growing up …Her mom would buy her paper dolls, but she would design the clothes for the paper dolls herself. She carries on that thread of childhood, still to this day. She is a fiber artist living in Tennessee, designing and weaving clothes which reflect her artistic concepts. Judi’s designs are available in various gallery and museum shops and higher end Boutiques like the Gazebo Boutique. She is a member of the Tennessee Crafts Association, The Southern Highlands Guild, and the Piedmont Crafts Guild and has received many awards for her work. In 2011 she was inducted into the Tennessee State Museum Fashion and Textile Institute in Nashville. Through her love of travel, her designs exhibit the concepts of a patchwork of influences from various cultures and a lot of…..dreaming a dream of cast offs…..reinvented….for the present. She loves making wearables that have lived previous lives and often incorporates vintage and other found pieces in her work. As she feels that life is somewhat chaotic, she likes to interject a lot of the odd or confusing, finding this more interesting than perfection.