Welcome to Teshmi Eclectic Fiber Arts in the beautiful north Georgia mountains!
I’m Sheila, and I play with raw fibers and fleece to design one of a kind creations. Eclectic says the most about my approach to design work.
My adventure started as a child when all critters were my friends, much to the dismay of my family. My mother insisted that I learn to sew, so by the time I was ten years old, I could make my own clothes. However, the outdoors continued to call to me. So many bugs and lizards and cats and dogs! I started drawing each of my animal friends. Maybe, I could be an artist? Reality set in, and I became a microbiologist, but the animal lover and artist was still there.
After our sons grew up and left home, my husband and I bought a farm and bred Suri alpacas. We added peacocks, chickens, rheas, ducks, geese, cows and pigs. That little girl who still dreamed of critters was in heaven.
Alpacas are fiber animals that produce luxury fleece. After a few years, we had not sold all of our fiber, so then a question: What do we do with all of this fleece? The answer was found at our first major fiber event. Weaving! It appealed to my call to order, so I bought a 72” Cranbrook Countermarche loom. Go BIG or go home! Next came two more looms and three spinning wheels. Spinning is such meditative joy. Then I learned to felt, and my creativity soared.
My weaving tends to the whimsical and less patterned. Spinning feeds my weaving and felting addiction with wild created batts. Felting is more physical and opens a wide world of dimension. I love wearable art and slow stitch, but especially, the blending of art forms. There is something magic about taking a whimsy cloth off a loom and approaching a mannequin to create a new piece to wear.
So the little girl found a way to join her love of animals and art. I hope you enjoy my designs.