Hello There! I’m Donna Wynn

I wanted to take the time this morning to introduce myself and let you know I am so excited to be a part of the Social Market Team for 2016.  I was beyond giddy to be one of those chosen to be on this team.  I am totally in love with Mirrix Looms and I feel as though I was there from the beginning!  Let me tell you my story with Mirrix Looms and how I found myself here at this very moment:

I live in beautiful Virginia Beach, VA and attend the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival just about every year; this year they celebrated their 43rd Festival!  I began attending over 25 years ago.  I am a knitter, spinner and weaver.  Everyone on the East Coast knows about this amazing festival. I remember meeting Claudia Chase there when Mirrix Looms had just begun!  It has now been close to twenty years since that first meeting and purchasing my very first Mirrix Loom!  I still to this day remember watching Claudia demonstrate on this beautiful copper loom; her colors and techniques were amazing.  I stopped by the booth more times than I probably should have that day.  I was just trying to get one more peek.  I purchased a 16″ and my tapestry weaving began again . . .

My story goes back even further, exactly 35 years ago, I began Tapestry weaving with a teacher close to my home.  I took a six week class, purchased a frame loom and stand and learned how to weave Tapestry.  After awhile I realized I wanted to weave other things and left Tapestry behind, I went on to harness weaving.  Weaving on a frame loom was difficult and I began to lose interest. Years went by and I realized I truly wanted to weave Tapestry again.  I felt as though I was being called back to it.  So that was why I was so excited to have met Claudia that busy Saturday afternoon, in West Friendship, MD and start a new adventure about twenty years ago.  I now know Mirrix is celebrating their anniversary, so I got in on the beginning of the Mirrix adventure!

I went on to raise children, work as an Optician (still am!), pursue watercolor painting and other artistic pursuits. Life happens and I put the loom aside, loaned it to friends and eventually sold that loom to a fellow weaver.  I know she still has that loom and still weaves on it (so I know there are two Mirrix weavers right here in Virginia Beach!)

About two years ago, I began to search Tapestry Weaving on the Internet and the first thing that popped up was Mirrix Looms, again I re-connected with a familiar friend.  I had signed up for an online course by Rebecca Mezoff and needed to purchase a loom.  She highly recommended Mirrix Looms.  I called my friend, who owned my original Mirrix to see if she wanted to sell it back to me, the answer was a definite “NO” because she loved it and was using it!

So I purchased me a 22″ in Zach, signed up for all three of the online courses with the amazing Rebecca and I have once again fallen in love with this patient and most beautiful art form. (To let you know just how serious I am about this … I sold my 8Harness Leclerc to a young weaver friend of mine … never looking back!).  Here is my first class sample woven on my Zach loom:

Claudia and Elena are so good at instructing and inspiring others to jump in and weave, to start and most importantly to continue on their weaving journey. I love my loom and Tapestry Weaving is now a daily part of my life; not every now and then.  How can one expect to get good at something if you only put a little time into it?  I realize now that Tapestry Weaving is a continual learning art form.  It teaches me to slow down, enjoy the process, brainstorm and ask “What if I do this?” I feel I have come full circle in my own weaving life and I am so happy to have returned to where I began.  Thank you Mirrix for being a strong part of my own journey.

I recently signed up for my first Weave-a-Long with Mirrix.  It was an Eccentric Weave Eyeglass Case.  Of course, the Optician in me just had to do this!  So as I completed my first section of lessons with Rebecca, decided to work on this eyeglass case before beginning another part of my online education.  It was fun, rewarding, took me longer than most I am sure.  I loved every row of color and was sad to see the project end.  I would take my loom outdoors and weave with the birds serenading me, it was magical I must say.  So here is a picture of my completed work!

I am excited to be a part of this Mirrix Team because I love the products they offer, I admire the creators and I also love that Claudia and Elena, (a mother daughter team) work so closely together to spread the word about Tapestry Weaving in such a beautiful and giving way.  You will be hearing from me off and on and I am truly happy to be sharing my weaving journey with you! Wishing you a week full of fiber, creating and of course Tapestry Weaving!

Donna