Textiles & Tea
Each week the Handweavers Guild of America, Inc. (HGA) hosts Textiles & Tea, a conversation with some of the most respected fiber artists in the field today. In our 45-minute discussion we focus on their artwork and their creative journey. We allow 15 minutes at the end of our conversation for questions from the audience. Textiles & Tea will take place every Tuesday at 4:00 PM (ET) and is broadcast via Zoom and Facebook Live. These broadcasts are free to view and open to all.
Schedule
Textiles & Tea takes place online every Tuesday, 4:00 - 5:00 PM ET. This program is supported through generous sponsorships and donations.
Click on the date for more information and to register.
Zoom allows up to 500 guests to view the program on the platform at any given time. The first 500 to log in will be able to access the program; registrants over that amount (uncommon) will still receive a link to watch the recording. This program is also shared Live on HGA's Facebook page. A link will be provided in the registration confirmation email.
July 1, 2025: Laicee Blackwell
generously sponsored by Lisa Schweitzer
Laicee Blackwell is a visual artist from Evansville Indiana. Using processes of weaving, printmaking, sculpture, and photography as well as mined queer histories, they create work which explore their placement within queerness. They hold a Bachelor of Science in Studio Art with an emphasis in Sculpture from the University of Southern Indiana and a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture and Expanded Media from Kent State University. Currently they teach Art History coursed at the University of Evansville. Laicee’s work has been shown in exhibitions around the country. They were invited to show their work in Praxis & Practice: Digital Weaving Exhibition 2023 with the first International Praxis & Practice: Digital Weaving Conference in Kent & Cleveland, OH, and the Mighty Real Queer Detroit Biennial Exhibition in June 2024. They have upcoming solo exhibitions at the Indianapolis Art Center and Massillon Museum.
July 8, 2025: Bonnie Inouye
generously sponsored by Halcyon Yarn
Bonnie Inouye built a loom in 1967 because she wanted to understand the power and limitations of loom-controlled patterns. In the 1970s-1980s she taught beginning weaving at the University of Maryland and sold her work at craft shows and galleries. Long warps are practical but can be boring, so she learned to create a new draft for each piece on a warp. She bought weaving software at Convergence in 1984 and a 16-shaft mechanical dobby loom in 1987, adding a compu-dobby and Fiberworks in 1990. She enjoys teaching weavers how to use weaving software to make exciting new drafts. She now weaves on a 24-shaft AVL loom. She has taught in nine countries, written many articles and a book, Exploring Multishaft Design , now available in a second edition with new chapters.
July 15, 2025: Nicole Yi Messier
generously sponsored by Blaine Fleece and Fiber
Nicole Yi Messier is a creative technologist, designer, and artist whose work centers on storytelling, community, and installation. She creates expressive, soft, and tangible technological interfaces through digital media and experimental craft techniques. With a practice that spans both commercial and cultural sectors, she focuses on constructing beautifully orchestrated objects and experiences at the intersection of technology and materiality. Nicole has contributed to large-scale, multi-year interactive installations and has exhibited her work internationally. She is the co-founder of Craftwork, a multidisciplinary design and art studio exploring the nature of textiles and technology through installations, storytelling, and material-based research. Messier teaches creative coding and electronic textiles at Parsons School of Design and New York University, and is a founding organizer of Electronic Textile Camp. Her work has been exhibited most recently at the National Communication Museum in Australia, Second Street Gallery, New Inc's Demo Festival, and the Clive Davis Gallery. She has been awarded notable fellowships and residencies, including New Inc, CultureHub NYC, Praxis Digital Weaving Residency, Directangle, and Pocoapoco.
July 22, 2025: Laura Fry
generously sponsored by Debbie Hoover
Laura Fry chose weaving as a career in 1975 and took weaving classes at Banff School of Fine Arts in Alberta and Varpapuu Summer Weaving School in Finland. She started her business in 1977, and since 1980 has worked full-time as a professional handweaver. Laura’s business focus has evolved over the years from table textiles to weaving yardage on contract for a fashion designer. In addition, Laura teaches throughout Canada and the United States, writes for a variety of textile publications, and wins awards for her clothing fabrics. After years of work and study, Laura earned certification in 1997 as one of Canada’s Master Weavers, the 27th to achieve the honor. Laura’s meticulous approach to weaving quality fabrics is characterized by her attention to wet finishing, a procedure often neglected and little understood by most handweavers. Her guidelines make professional-quality finishing achievable by every handweaver, hobbyist, and professional alike. By examining her actual fabrics, both before and after wet finishing, you will understand why Laura says, "It isn’t finished until it’s wet finished."
July 29, 2025: Nikyle Begay
generously sponsored by Dewey & JJ Watt McCormick
Nikyle Begay (they/them) is a Diné shepherd, fiber artist, teacher, storyteller, and photographer based in Ganado, Arizona on the Navajo Nation. Nikyle was the Executive Director of Rainbow Fiber Co-Op, a Co-Op that began in 2020 to improve the financial sustainability and equitable market outcomes for the remaining flocks of Navajo-Churro sheep on the Navajo Nation. Nikyle has experience working in technology and the nonprofit sector, as well as an extensive background in sheep flock management, wool production, traditional to modern wool processing, and the weaving arts.
Sponsorships are available! Connect with new audiences directly, promote the fiber arts, and support the artists!
August 5, 2025: Jacey Boggs Faulkner
generously sponsored by Central Oregon Spinners and Weavers Guild
Jacey Boggs Faulkner loves fiber. Growing up in a non-crafty household, she didn’t start knitting until she was 27 but within a year she was spinning hundreds of yards of yarn every day. Ten years, 96 workshops, numerous articles, and one book later, she started PLY Magazine. Ten years after that she found another true love – weaving. Now she runs PLY and WEFT magazine, the PLY Spinners Guild, and is working on her third book. She lives with her family in Bend, OR where she knits, spins, weaves, and rock climbs.
August 12, 2025: Anastasia Azure
generously sponsored by Halcyon Yarn
Anastasia Azure transforms industrial fishing line and enameled wire into luminous wall sculptures for public spaces. Using the double-weave technique, she explores geometry, science, and spirituality through her art. Anastasia began making jewelry as a child outside Boston. At California College of the Arts, studying Jewelry Metal Arts, she took Lia Cook's handweaving class and discovered how to doubleweave wire and nylon monofilament into jewelry, sparking a two-decade exploration. During a three-year residency at Appalachian Center for Craft, she scaled her jewelry forms into expansive sculptures inspired by water and geometry. After earning her MFA in Textiles from Rhode Island School of Design, Azure established her studio in a historic Rhode Island textile mill. Her sculptures are installed worldwide. When not weaving, she practices qigong, painting, and forest bathing.
August 19, 2025: Brecia Kralovic-Logan
generously sponsored by Gail Trotter
Brecia Kralovic-Logan is a nationally recognized fiber artist and a champion for women’s voices. For the past 8 years she has been promoting creativity, community, and compassion through the Women’s Woven Voices project- an international, collaborative, fiber art project that supports women through writing, weaving and sharing their stories. She has been teaching fiber art for over 30 years and has been a speaker at international art conferences such as the Handweavers Guild of America, Silk Painters International, and Quilts Inc. She is a member of California Fibers. Her artwork has been exhibited nationally and is in the collections of museums and private collectors. She is the author of The Spiral of Creativity- Mastering the Art of a Spirited Life, a guidebook for personal creative growth.
August 26, 2025: Karen Selk
generously sponsored by Melodie Usher and Pam Bisson
All things silk has provided textile artist, Karen Selk, a thread that binds together travel, research, writing, artwork, educating and managing a successful silk business. She has won awards for her textile arts and a video production, Silk Fusion. Karen has shared her love for silk worldwide through videos, workshops, lectures and many published articles in textile magazines. For decades, her passion led her throughout Asia researching the heritage of silk traditions, gathering stories from dedicated artisans. The culmination is her book, In Search of Wild Silk: Exploring a Village Industry in the Jungles of India. Karen has shifted her artistic focus from weaving to using silk, plants, photography and stitching to express the importance of connection with the natural world. She lives in the Salish Sea on Salt Spring Island, Canada.
Sponsorships are available! Connect with new audiences directly, promote the fiber arts, and support the artists!
September 2, 2025: Nancy Middlebrook
generously sponsored by Weave a Real Peace
Nancy Middlebrook creates handwoven panels that use color and structure to express movement and depth. She is primarily a self-taught studio artist who discovered weaving nearly twenty years after earning a BA in sociology. Long experienced in knitting and sewing, she learned to love the process of dyeing and designing double-weave fabric. She exhibits nationally at both invitational and juried exhibitions, among them the Art of the State: Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show and HGA’s Small Expressions. She’s won multiple awards, including a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts fellowship. Her work is published in several books and magazines like Textiles: The Art of Mankind and Surface Design Journal. Her woven panels are in many private and public collections.
September 9, 2025: TBA
generously sponsored by Halcyon Yarn
September 16, 2025: Joyce Robards
generously sponsored by Students of Joyce Robards, Weaving and Fiber Arts Center, Rochester, NY
September 23, 2025: Ahree Lee
generously sponsored by Southern California Handweavers' Guild
September 30, 2025: Arianna Funk
generously sponsored by Grace Tully
Sponsorships are available! Connect with new audiences directly, promote the fiber arts, and support the artists!
October 7, 2025: Deborah Zeitler
generously sponsored by Buenger Studios
October 14, 2025: TBD
generously sponsored by Halcyon Yarn
October 21, 2025: Polly Barton
generously sponsored by Molly and Sam Elkind
October 28, 2025: Rosalie Neilson
generously sponsored by LoftyFiber
Sponsorships are available! Connect with new audiences directly, promote the fiber arts, and support the artists!
November 4, 2025: TBA
November 11, 2025: Laura Thomas
generously sponsored by Halcyon Yarn
November 18, 2025: TBD
November 25, 2025: TBD
Sponsorships are available! Connect with new audiences directly, promote the fiber arts, and support the artists!
December 2, 2025: Rebecca Smith
generously sponsored by Elizabeth Michel
December 9, 2025: TBA
generously sponsored by Halcyon Yarn
December 16, 2025: TBA
December 23, 2025: TBA
December 30, 2025: TBD
Sponsorships are available! Connect with new audiences directly, promote the fiber arts, and support the artists!
Be a Sponsor & Support Textiles & Tea
-
Emails sent to HGA’s mailing list of approximately 10,000 promoting the event with you listed as a sponsor and a link to your website
-
Identified as event sponsor on HGA's website and the event listing on the HGA Fiber Art Calendar
Guest Recommendations for Textiles & Tea
The Handweavers Guild of America, Inc. (HGA) seeks emerging and established fiber artists with a focus on weaving for our weekly interview series, Textiles & Tea. Artists are required to have an online presence and should be able to produce a headshot and a brief bio for marketing purposes. In advance of the interview, accepted artists will attend one planning meeting (approximately 30 minutes). Interviews take place on Tuesdays at 4:00 PM Eastern Time and last for one hour. All interviews take place on Zoom and as such participating artists are required to participate from a location that has stable internet, good lighting, clear microphone, and no disruptions.
HGA is always looking for new artists for our program. If you have a recommendation, please click here to complete our form.
Previous Episodes
All episodes of Textiles & Tea are recorded and are available to be watched on HGA's Facebook page and YouTube channel. Search alphabetically by last name for more information on previous guests and links to their Textiles & Tea episodes.
Chris Acton (January 3, 2023)
Gasali Adeyemo (August 23, 2022)
Dawn Ahlert (July 25, 2023)
Andrea Alexander with guest host Katy P. Clements (September 24, 2024)
Liz Alpert Fay (September 19, 2023)
Corey Alston (September 26, 2023)
Cathryn Amidei (February 15, 2022)
Klaus Anselm (April 29, 2025)
Venancio Aragon (October 4, 2022)
Tabitha Arnold (November 1, 2022)
Elizabeth Ashdown (February 27, 2024)
Becky Ashenden (January 30, 2024)
Kevin Aspaas (May 20, 2025)
Karen Baker (June 13, 2023)
Suzi Ballenger (March 12, 2024)
Loren Batt (October 19, 2021)
Paula Becker (May 21, 2024)
Marcelyn Bennett-Carpenter (January 2, 2024)
Joan Berner (August 31, 2021)
Mary Berry (May 31, 2022)
Bryana Bibbs (January 23, 2024)
Boisali Biswas (September 28, 2021)
Cally Booker (May 9, 2023)
Natalie Boyett (November 26, 2024)
Heavenly Bresser (March 9, 2021)
Edwina Bringle (December 13, 2022)
Allan Brown (March 4, 2025)
Elizabeth Buckley (February 20, 2024)
Abraham Buddish (May 17, 2022)
Mary Burgess (February 28, 2023)
Florencia Campos Correa (February 4, 2025)
Al Canner with guest host Daryl Lancaster (March 21, 2023)
Jacqui Carey (May 28, 2024)
Deborah Chandler (October 18, 2022)
Cael Chappell (August 15, 2023)
Tien Chiu (March 30, 2021)
Karen Clancy (September 20, 2022)
Majeda Clarke (June 8, 2021)
Lucienne Coifman (February 16, 2021)
Kristin Crane (October 1, 2024)
Betty Davenport (July 23, 2024)
Lynne Dees (May 13, 2025)
Nick DeFord (July 11, 2023)
Cassie Dickson (May 18, 2021)
Sean Dougall & Andrew Paulson (August 3, 2021)
Allie Dudley (August 9, 2022)
Line Dufour (February 25, 2025)
Emily Dvorin (April 11, 2023)
Dawn Edwards (October 26, 2021)
Molly Elkind (January 21, 2025)
Catharine Ellis (September 6, 2022)
Melissa English Campbell (August 24, 2021)
Evee Erb (July 20, 2021)
Deb Essen (September 3, 2024)
Leslie Fesperman (September 5, 2023)
Donna Foley Brush (November 8, 2022)
Geri Forkner (June 3, 2025)
Alex Friedman (November 12, 2024; Episode #200)
Eric Frisino (July 26, 2022)
Tegan Frisino (July 5, 2022)
Sally Garner (December 20, 2022)
Adrienne Gaskell (June 14, 2022)
Patrice George (November 19, 2025)
Murray Gibson (January 25, 2022)
Liz Gipson (April 16, 2024)
Sam Goates (June 25, 2024)
Sara Goodman (January 7, 2025)
Rabbit Goody (May 10, 2022)
Sarah Gotowka (June 27, 2023)
Crystal Gregory (February 18, 2025)
Rhiannon Griego (October 8, 2024)
Karen Hampton (May 30, 2023)
Peggy Hart with Guest Host Dianne Totten (April 4, 2023)
Linda Hartshorn (June 15, 2021)
Sarah Haskell (January 4, 2022)
Jennie Hawkey (March 19, 2024)
Irene Heckel-Volpe (February 21, 2023)
Ana Lisa Hedstrom (February 6, 2024)
Helena Hernmarck (July 13, 2021)
David Heustess (May 24, 2022)
Sheila Hicks (November 29, 2022)
Heather Hietala (April 19, 2022)
Pat Hilts with Guest Host Melvenea Hodges (March 14, 2023)
Melvenea Hodges (January 10, 2023)
Neal Howard (August 20, 2024)
Pam Howard (December 6, 2022)
Kira Dominguez Hultgren (September 7, 2021)
Rebecca Hutton (March 11, 2025)
Giovanna Imperia (January 9, 2024)
Carol Irving (February 22, 2022)
Susan Iverson (June 18, 2024)
Vandana Jain (October 15, 2024)
Carol James (May 25, 2021)
Jacqueline James (April 20, 2021)
Deborah Jarchow (September 21, 2021)
Tracy Kaestner (December 3, 2024)
Robin Kang (February 11, 2025)
Marlowe Katoney (July 16, 2024)
Christine Keller (December 27, 2022)
Lisa Klakulak (August 8, 2023)
Tom Knisely (November 28, 2023)
Gerhardt Knodel (June 1, 2021)
Lena Kolb (April 15, 2025)
Julie Kornblum (July 27, 2021)
Denise Kovnat (March 2, 2021)
Annetta Kraayeveld (February 13, 2024)
Penny Lacroix (March 5, 2024)
Robbie LaFleur (February 23, 2021)
Daryl Lancaster (March 22, 2022)
Jean Pierre Larochette (May 27, 2025)
Sarah Lasswell (March 28, 2023)
Máximo Laura (January 17, 2023)
Demetrio Bautista Lazo (April 22, 2024)
Louise Lemieux Bérubé (October 24, 2023)
Janice Lessman Moss (September 27, 2022)
Suzie Liles (October 22, 2024)
Connie Lippert (May 2, 2023)
Felicia Lo (October 31, 2023)
Anita Luvera Mayer (June 21, 2022)
Annie MacHale (November 15, 2022)
Valeria Maldonado (June 24, 2025)
Pat Maley (August 22, 2023)
Victoria Manganiello (June 10, 2025)
Lilly Marsh (April 27, 2021)
John Marshall (October 25, 2022)
Kelly Marshall (April 13, 2021)
Susan Martin Maffei (February 1, 2022)
Michaela McIntosh (December 5, 2023)
Molly McLaughlin (December 21, 2021)
Nazanin Amiri Meers (May 11, 2021)
Rebecca Mezoff (January 26, 2021)
Nathalie Miebach (February 9, 2021)
Jane Milburn (October 10, 2023)
Christine K. Miller (April 2, 2024)
Kathy Monaghan (April 30, 2024)
Jennifer Moore (December 7, 2021)
Elizabeth Morisette (August 17, 2021)
Ann Morton (December 10, 2024)
John Mullarkey (August 10, 2021)
TahNibaa Naataanii (June 11, 2024)
Nithikul Nimkulrat (May 23, 2023)
Elin Noble (October 12, 2021)
Char Norman (November 30, 2021)
Johanna Norry (June 17, 2025)
Melanie Olde (December 28, 2021)
Alan Oliver (December 19, 2023)
Brenda Osborn (April 18, 2023)
Angie Parker (March 8, 2022)
Sean Dougall & Andrew Paulson (August 3, 2021)
Peyton Pearson (April 1, 2025)
Verónica A. Pèrez (April 8, 2025)
Marcy Petrini (March 1, 2022)
Janet Phillips (January 19, 2021)
Jessica Pinsky (June 29, 2021)
Dr. Anika T. Prather (August 13, 2024)
Amy Putansu (September 13, 2022)
Lin Qiqing (January 14, 2025)
Ann Richards (July 19, 2022)
Rowland Ricketts (September 12, 2023)
Jon Eric Riis (March 18, 2025)
Margaret Roach Wheeler (November 21, 2023)
Deborah Robson (March 23, 2021)
Michael Rohde (October 5, 2021)
Kathie Roig (August 30, 2022)
Joan Ruane (July 6, 2021)
Deann Rubin (November 9, 2021)
Nadine Sanders (June 4, 2024)
Arturo Alonzo Sandoval (March 25, 2025)
Omar Chávez Santiago (January 31, 2023)
Sarah Saulson (June 28, 2022)
Caroline Sawyer with guest host Tegan Frisino (September 10, 2024)
Tommye Scanlin (April 12, 2022)
Alice Schlein (March 29, 2022)
Jenny Schu (January 18, 2022)
Margo Selby (December 14, 2021)
Aneri Shah (October 29, 2024)
Gene Shepherd (April 6, 2021)
Micala Sidore (May 3, 2022)
Maria Sigma (April 25, 2023)
Deborah Silver (October 11, 2022)
Janney Simpson (January 16, 2024)
Jeanne Sisson (December 17, 2024)
Norma Smayda (March 15, 2022)
Meagan Smith (August 6, 2024)
Sydney Sogol with guest host Katy P. Clements (September 17, 2024)
Joanne Soroka (May 6, 2025)
Robyn Spady (April 5, 2022)
Liz Spear (March 7, 2023)
Jane Stafford (February 7, 2023)
Laurie Carlson Steger (July 30, 2024)
Carl Stewart (February 14, 2023)
Lauren Stichweh (May 16, 2023)
Laura Strand (January 11, 2022)
Margaret Stump (March 26, 2024)
John Sturtevant (May 7, 2024)
Justin Squizzero (June 22, 2021)
William Storms (September 14, 2021)
Bonnie Tarses (July 12, 2022)
Astrid Tauber (July 18, 2023)
Cameron Taylor-Brown (March 16, 2021)
Concepcion Poou Coy Tharin (August 2, 2022)
Matt Tommey (November 5, 2024)
Anie Toole (November 22, 2022)
Dianne Totten (April 26, 2022)
Emily Trujillo (August 29, 2023)
Walter Turpening (January 24, 2023)
David van Buskirk (February 8, 2022)
Madelyn van der Hoogt (November 7, 2023)
Carol Ventura (August 1, 2023)
Paula Vester (December 12, 2023)
Laura Viada (February 2, 2021)
Vickie Vipperman (November 14, 2023)
Jeane Vogel (August 27, 2024)
Yoshiko Iwamoto Wada (July 9, 2024)
Kelly Walsh (July 2, 2024)
Barbara J. Walker (October 3, 2023)
Hope Wang (January 28, 2025)
Melissa Weaver Dunning (October 17, 2023)
Kathrin Weber (June 20, 2023)
Sue Weil (May 4, 2021)
Marcia Weiss (May 14, 2024)
Peggy Wiedemann (January 12, 2021)
Alanna Wilcox (November 16, 2021)
Jennifer Williams (April 22, 2025)
Kim Winter (November 23, 2021)
Rebecca Winter (August 16, 2022)
Myra Wood (June 7, 2022)
Nolan Wright with Guest Host Chris Acton (June 6, 2023)
Patsy Zawistoski (April 9, 2024)
Mary Zicafoose (January 5, 2021)
Bhakti Ziek (November 2, 2021)