generously sponsored by Yarn Barn of Kansas
Joan Berner started working with her hands at a young age, primarily sewing and knitting. As with many fiber artists, other crafts skills were added but they still were fundamentally dependent on sewing. It wasn’t until her husband decided she needed to learn to weave that she fully began to realize the vast creative opportunities in the fiber world. Upon retiring, she later moved from western New York to the Asheville area for constant inspiration and a great climate. She felts, weaves, stitches shibori, spins and dyes, and now turns most of her cloth into garments. Joan has taught at regional conferences, John C. Campbell Folk School, Convergence® and currently teaches the Sewing for Handwovens course at Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts: Fiber program. One of her happiest experiences was placing first and third in the 2018 Convergence® Fashion Show in Reno. Joan will be teaching at HGA’s Convergence® conference taking place July 2022 in Knoxville.