OUR TEAM

Shelly McSweyn

My name is Shelly McSweyn - I was born in Washington State and am very happy to still be living in this wonderful part of our country. Since I was a small child I always loved to be creative and spent years knitting, crocheting, sewing, weaving, and much more. I retired on the Washington coast 5 years ago and was pleased to find a community of like minded people who also have a deep love for handwork. 

For me there is such satisfaction in working with my hands and creating things. It has always been a pleasure to share my finished projects with others but also my knowledge and love of handwork. Our world is small and I feel it is important to connect with others and share our gifts to support creating community. Small acts are not small, they actually make up who we are.  

Diane Seifert

Hello, my name is Diane Seifert, I'm Co-VP and Secretary of Columbia Pacific Fiber Association and I'm a retired elementary school teacher. We moved to Long Beach 8 years ago. I was looking for some type of fiber arts group to meet with and that led me to Tapestry Rose Yarn Shop in Ocean Park. Here I was able to restart my love of crochet.

I'm not faint hearted when it comes to crocheting. A project that tests my abilities to read and understand patterns and charts is what I truly enjoy . I have entered several of my projects in the local fair and I've won many ribbons. This past fair I won Grand Champion for one of my blankets. 

I have also taught several crochet classes, including a beginning mosaic crochet class at our 2019 fiber festival. It's so rewarding to see these students get excited about the "new" ----not just granny squares-- crochet. in addition they pick up a life long skill that can become heirlooms to pass down within their families and friends.