From the time she learned “corking” in kindergarten, Ann Berman was ‘hooked’ on fabric art.
“When I was six or seven, a neighbour taught me how to knit, and I would knit clothes for my Barbies,” Berman said.
Before she was eight, her mother taught her how to use a sewing machine. “I remember making a blouse for myself, out of a pillow case that she could spare,” she said.
As a teenager, she knit bikinis to sell in a downtown boutique and learned leatherwork while in high school.
At the age of 17, while hitch-hiking to the East Coast with a friend, Berman was taken in by a local family and met a crafter who used a walking wheel to spin wool — “and I was fascinated!”
Learning to spin led to learning to use natural dyes and to weaving on a loom. She learned felting, mirrorwork, embroidery, smocking and macramé.
“In there was some rug-braiding out of old jeans,” Berman said.
In fact, reusing fabric — old doilies and lace, denim from old jeans — has become an integral part of her work.
“That gives me great satisfaction, to up-cycle stuff,” Berman said. “Both my mom and dad were great examples of reusing things. My dad could fix anything. My mom would cut her clothes down to make clothes for me.”
And some of the textile artists that she studies from around the world, like the Mayan women of Guatemala also “upcycle” — the women using portions of their worn-out embroidered blouses to make handbags and cushion covers.
A big part of Berman’s knowledge of textile arts and techniques has come through her travels. Wherever she goes, she has made a point of seeking out and studying local textiles — “and some of the travel has been because of the textiles,” she said.
Berman, who was an elementary school teacher for 30 years, has made 20 visits to Guatemala, mostly as a volunteer working with kids and local teachers. Each time, she has also connected with local Indigenous women, purchasing examples of their beautifully woven and embroidered blouses and other work.
Two years ago, she organized a textile tour of Guatemala. “I wanted to do more with the women of Guatemala. They are the backbone of their families,” Berman said.
The tour brought eight women, “all interested in textiles, to varying degrees” — weavers, quilters, a spinner interested in natural dyes — on an eight-day adventure that included workshops with the Women’s Textile Co-operative.
“They were so proud to show us their work,” Berman said of the co-op. “It was just the most wonderful experience. I want to do more of that.”
Her home in Bond Head, which she operates as a B&B, is filled with colourful fabrics brought back from her travels, as well as her own work — like the soft felted piece, decorated with coiled metal shavings known as “swarf” that she found on a beach in Owen Sound.
“That’s the first felting thing I made,” Berman said. “The softness of the background is in sharp contrast to the metal. I had a lot of fun doing it.”
Contrast, innovation, re-purposing and fun — all help keep her interested, and exploring fabric art.
“Colour is certainly a very important part — colour and texture and the infinite number of ways you can interweave. It’s endless,” Berman said. “As I’m making something, I’m already thinking, Oh, I could do this.”
She has tried other media. When she was at York University, Berman “dabbled” in pottery. “I discovered it’s not for me. It’s cold, whereas fabric feels wonderful!”
Berman’s textile art will be on display at the BWG Public Library during the PASSION MADE artisans’ tour Sept. 21-22.
She plans to bring a wide variety of her work to the show. “It’s going to be a real mishmash,” she said. “It’s partly because it’s what I do, and partly because I’m interested to see what interests people.”
As for what the future holds, Berman said, “I definitely want to travel more, and explore textiles in other countries.”
For more information on the upcoming PASSION MADE tour, click here.
