OUR TEAM
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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.
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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.