Textiles Faculty
HEATHER WINSLOW; Department Chair – Weaving, Spinning, Knitting
Heather is a fiber artist specializing in nature-inspired, classical hand-woven clothing. She also enjoys knitting, hand dyeing, and spinning and teaches locally, nationally and internationally. Heather is the author of MORE ON MOORMAN: Theo Moorman Inlay Adapted to Clothing, and many articles in fibre magazines.
CONNIE BLIESZNER; Frame, Machine and Hand Knitting, Chainmaille, Viking Knitting
Connie has worked with fibers most of her life, concentrating on expanding her technical knitting skills. She has taught college-level textile courses and been a guest lecturer for guilds. After a career as a chemical engineer in the energy industry, Connie joined Fine Line following studies in fashion design. Her one-of-a-kind wearable artwork is inspired by the countries on the Silk Road, incorporating their garment shapes and textile designs.
CYNTHIA BOUDREAU; Felting (Private Instruction Only)
Cynthia Boudreau is a fiber enthusiast who particularly loves creating beautiful fabric using the shibori dying and nuno felting techniques. Her work includes one of a kind clothing sewn from her own designs and created fabrics along with two and three dimensional art pieces created by felting. She holds degrees from Northern Illinois University, the University of Wisconsin and Loyola University. Her work has been shown in several local galleries, including the Midwest Fiber Show and the Uncommon Threads Fashion Show.
HEAVENLY BRESSER - Dyeing, Knitting, Crochet, Spinning
Heavenly Bresser is an award-winning handspinner, author, and the proud owner of Heavenly Knitchet. Heavenly has successfully completed Level One in the TKGA Master Knitter program. Her love for knitting and crocheting eventually became a gateway for trying her hand at spinning. Heavenly was determined to learn something new every day from spinning wheel to spindle. Taking a project from raw fleece to finished product is one her favorite things. She teaches, and has written articles for major publications including Spin Off as well as tiny Studio Creative Life. She has also led two out-of-state sheep to shawl teams. When not teaching, vending, or playing with fibers and yarn, Heavenly repairs and restores antique spinning wheels and tends her own herd of more than 30. Her husband is her greatest enabler, and her two sons enjoy her handspun yarn.
CARA BUONO, Sewing, Pattern Making
I completed my undergraduate and graduate degrees at Northern Illinois University in Textile and Apparel Design. I have held positions as the Costume Designer, Coordinator and Supervisor for many Chicago-area theaters. As an independent clothing designer, I have established an extensive clientele through personal contacts and referrals and have designed and produced women’s bridal, formal, sports and liturgical wear. As a patternmaker, I have worked with several Chicago-area designers of clothing and accessories. For 6 years I held a faculty position at The Illinois Institute of Art Chicago teaching patternmaking, costume design, clothing construction and design specialties.
LYNN CALDWELL; Kumihimo, Ply-Split Braiding
A Northern Illinois native, Lynn earned a degree in Textiles and Clothing with a minor in Art (weaving). She began her own business a few years out of school creating her own line of handwoven apparel and accessories. Her work has been shown in art shows and galleries nationally. She began teaching at The Fine Line in 2003 specializing in kumihimo (Japanese braiding).
BETH DUNCAN; Weaving, Sewing
Beth began weaving at age 17, on a home-made loom constructed of 2×4’s by her then boyfriend. Self-taught, she wove through high school and college, including one year at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Looms and yarns were stored away during a long period of raising children and full-time employment. But the loom came out of storage in January of 2009 and the weaving has been abundant ever since. She has experimented with many woven structures, fine tuned her color-eye and realized her passion – weaving. Beth is anxious to share what she has learned with others. Since she was self-taught, she is aware of the many benefits of a class situation. She also enjoys spending time with that old loom building boyfriend, who she has been married to for 35 years.
SUSAN INFANTE; Surface Design, Thermofax, Sewing
Susan Infante, Fiber artist and surface designer enjoys working with natural textiles and recycling vintage kimono silks. She received a BA in French Education with a minor in Fine Arts from the University of Illinois. She gains inspiration for her work from frequent travel to France and Asia. Her one of a kind artwear has won awards and been published in Threads Magazine and Simplicity Pattern Company.
DAGMAR KLOS; Dyeing, Weaving
Dagmar is a dye master, fiber artist, and teacher. Since 1995, she has served as copublisher and coeditor of the Turkey Red Journal, a newsletter dedicated to natural dyes. In 2002, she received the Handweavers Guild of America’s Certificate of Excellence in Dyeing.
MARY KREBSBACH; Felting
I grew up in Wisconsin and raised my family there. Then moved to Elgin Illinois in the early 1990s where I worked as a stain glass artist restoring damaged windows throughout historic Elgin. I started working with wool fiber around 2010. Fell in love with the process of felting wool so much that I continue to this day.
VICKI KWARCIANY; Weaving
Vicki began weaving in 2014, inspired when she attended her first Uncommon Threads fashion show and purchased a handwoven scarf from one of Fine Line’s accomplished weavers. A lifelong learner, Vicki comes to Fine Line from a career of consulting for corporations and not-for-profit organizations, and finds great fulfillment in the art of weaving. Her teaching approach is rooted in her passion for building others’ skills and understanding through practical, hands-on experiences.
ELLEN PHILLIPS; Baskets
Ellen has been weaving baskets since 1984. Making that first basket sparked a lifelong interest in hand work. It has always been Ellen’s desire to share the knowledge of what she has learned with others and to keep learning more about this ancient art. Ellen brings humor and a “can do” attitude to the classes she teaches.
LAURA WASILOWSKI; Hand Stitching
Laura Wasilowski is a textile artist working with hand-dyed fabrics and threads. She creates pictorial art quilts that are hand-embroidered or machine-quilted.
In Laura’s latest endeavor, free-form hand embroideries share a similar style with her narrative quilts. Improvised and whimsical, they both express her joy and love of creating art.
Laura’s art is collected and exhibited internationally and has appeared in multiple publications since her career began in 1992. She is also the author of 5 books on creating textile art and an online instructor with Creative Spark.
Living in Elgin, Illinois, she tends her garden and creates small ceramic sculptures when not stitching her colorful fabrics.
