Special Sections

2 • Exploring the Arts • News Graphic & Daily News • April 2, 2020 By Joe VanDeLaarschot jvan@conleynet.com 262-306-5054 HARTFORD – Sheeping Beauty Fibre Arts, which has existed in several diff erent locations over many years, is one again serving its customers from a barn, this time at a Hartford address. Business owner, master spinner, weaver and fi ber artist Luci Williams has owned and operated her fi ber art retail stores/schools at several Wisconsin locations and has been spinning for more than 35 years. Her love of fi bers was born after her experience as a costume guide at Old World Wisconsin. There she taught herself to spin and continued educating herself on her farm, fi rst in Richfi eld, with her many sheep and fi ve children. She has taught for years at the Wisconsin Spin-In, at many guilds throughout the state and at her own retail stores/schools in Diensville, Germantown, Cedarburg, Hartford, Barton and West Bend. She also operated the business for a short time out of a northern Wisconsin location. She has also appeared on several cable television shows, including Outdoor Wisconsin, and in many magazine and newspaper articles. "I had teachers coming all the way from Russia to teach workshops," Williams said. Williams has moved her store about 12 times over the years for a number of reasons. The business now is on a small farm along Highway 33 about six miles west of West Bend, but it has a Hartford address. "The barn now has even more yarns and products to off er," Williams said. "People can learn to spin, weave, knit and crochet in the fi ber art school. Felting, rug hooking and basketry are also a possibility. We're here to guide and help people with their fi ber art questions. We don't have any sheep here now." Williams said they restarted the business about a year ago after moving to the Phelps area where they thought they would retire, but still operate the business on a smaller scale, but the person who was then on their farm had some issues and they moved back about a year ago and restarted the business there again. "The shop is still here and I teach all of the classes in our barn," Williams said. "We sold all of our shetland sheep before we moved up north about a year ago so there are no sheep here now on our return." Williams now teaches all forms of spinning on a spinning wheel including raising fl ax in a garden all the way to processing to linen. "I teach beginning to intermediate in weaving as well as knitting and crochet classes. I do all that myself," Williams said. "Occasionally I get other teachers in to help out. I do everything that is associated with wool. I sell the main line yarns as well as spinning and weaving supplies from New Zealand. I also sell dyes, books and knitting needles and many more other things." Sheeping Beauty Fibre Arts returns to serving region Area business undergoes another reincarnation Submitted photo Sheeping Beauty Fibre Arts, on Highway 33 about six miles west of West Bend, recently reopened for business and is offering lessons and products for sale out of a family farm. Luci Williams has owned and operated her fi ber art retail stores/schools at several different Wisconsin locations and has been spinning for 35 years. From the farm Williams sells main line yarns as well as spinning and weaving supplies from New Zealand. She also sells dyes, books and knitting needles among the many products. Submitted photo Business owner, master spinner, weaver and fi ber artist Luci Williams is shown recently gathering some fl ax on the farm which can be eventually turned into linen.

• Cover