Weaving a Connection between Fiber and Jewelry

Joy Raskin's wire cuff is made by knitting with metal wire. Even the term cuff is used in both garment and jewelry industries.

At BCC, we have separate studios for ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal and woodturning, but the actions that take place in these studios are often interconnected. Pati Segar recently taught a sold out weekend workshop at BCC in kumihimo, the Japanese art of braiding. Especially when combined with beadwork, these ornate braids straddle the line between fiber and jewelry. This overlap in media is inevitable when constructing works of art to cover and adorn the body.

Joy Raskin‘s art practice can primarily be labeled as jewelry, but her work in wire begins at the neck and migrates down the body as garments. Her weekend workshop Knitting, Weaving and More with Wire January 14-15, 2012 applies traditional fiber and yarnworking techniques to fine metals. Joy encourages her metal students to experiment. “Wire is not just confined to jewelry,” she states, “but can be used to make vessels, baskets, lampshades and other wonderful home accessories. Even sculpture can be created with wire.”

When connecting textiles and jewelry, we must not forget the button! BCC instructor Rachel Morris will be teaching a workshop in sculpting wax models for casting in metal, and this includes buttons. Buttons, Buckles, Bangles, Oh, My!: Waxworking for Cast Objects runs Sunday March 4 and Sunday March 25, 2012. This two-part workshop will teach waxworking to prepare for casting, sending the model to a foundry for casting in silver, gold, brass or other metals, then finishing and polishing the cast pieces in the studio. The waxworking techniques learned in the workshop will apply to artists making work for a spectrum of applications. Metal sculpture, tableware and even some glass casting can begin with wax models. Ever dream of crafting your own unique belt buckle? This bridge between fiber and jewelry is your chance.