Rags, Susan and Nancy

Ragnhildur (Rags) Jónsdóttir I am from Iceland and live with my husband and three children and on grandchild, one dog and five cats, in a small community of people but huge amount of birds. I studied painting but have changed my oil- and watercolor-paintings into “painting”� with fabric and threads. Since my body does not allow me to work outside the home or go to the places I would like to, I have more time to do needlework. I met my new and dear friends through this common interest on the internet. And this connection has turned into the idea about a Friendship Tapestry, that has no boundaries. We share our love for making things with our hands and we share friendship.
Nordic Needle Newsletter interview here

Susan Glatz Mikesell I live in California, ill and frustrated by my body's lack of cooperation and my inability to go to so many places.  BUT, because of my love for needlework, and my small talent, I've been able to create things that are lovely  and give my family and friends a sense of how valuable they are to me.  Because of the needlework, and Roz Watnemo at Nordic Needle in North Dakota, I've been able to meet (on the internet) people in many countries who are as devoted to needlework as I .  We share our needlework stories and learn a lot about each other.  Suddenly, we aren't women in strange countries, but sisters in a family of artists and artisans who love to make the world a little more beautiful.  We share our work, our thoughts, our hopes, our fears, our pains and grumbles, and our joys and victories.  We are strangers no more. 
Nordic Needle Newsletter interview here

Nancy Claiborne   I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and recently moved to Powell,Tennessee when my husband retired from public school teaching. I taught myself  to embroider when I was pregnant, in 1969, and I have not been without a needle and thread very often since that time.  I have incorporated mixed media items into my work until there is less embroidery and more lace, buttons, painted fabric, beads, tiny stones, and handmade paper there. I look (constantly) for new ways to explore fiber, and am rewarded by meeting some of the most creative people in the world! I teach at the John C. Campbell Folk School (Brasstown, NC) where I encourage stitchers to forget every rule they ever learned about stitching and to try new ideas. When I am not stitching, I am reading about stitching, and I collect books on fiber art, both old and new publications.. Nordic Needle Newsletter interview here