| This webpage is dedicated to all the wonderful women who have established guidelines for us to follow in the realm of fiber arts. They have forged our communities here in Billings; brought us knowledge and friendships. Their counsel and wisdom shall forever echo within the generations of spinners to come |
Jay Sire was born in Great Falls , Montana and lived just a couple of blocks from the Ursuline Center school
for girls. She graduated from college in Bozeman with a degree in Home Economics and taught for a short while
before devoting herself full time to her husband and four sons. Jay was always more interested in the fiber arts
than in the cooking aspect of Home Economics. Early on she was recruited by the Yellowstone Country to help set
up the Home Economics Pavilion for the County Fair. Jay was the person who designed the program for all the
different categories. Canning, baking, and especially the fiber arts including knitting, all sorts of needlework,
spinning, machine knitting, and weaving. She literally wrote the book! In the beginning, she took in entries,
judged all categories, and set up all the displays. All this was done on hot August afternoons in a barn that also
housed the livestock for the Fair! This was a far cry from the facilities and categories that have mushroomed into
existence at today’s County Fair, the Yellowstone Exhibition.
Jay was an excellent machine knitter, and a master seamstress, which came in very handy for sewing together her
tailored suits and coats made of material she wove herself. Jay enjoyed spinning, teaching interested friends how
to spin.
Upon retirement from homemaking she devoted herself to taking all workshops offered by the weaving and
spinning Guilds and usually excelled at the different techniques she learned. Her Friendship Coverlet was the first
one finished after the squares were exchanged and she encouraged the rest of us that it wasn’t so difficult to put it
together.
Not one to extol her own virtues, Jay was always willing to share her expertise with Guild members with demos and
encouragement. She was awarded the Living Treasures Award in 1998. She will live on in all of us when we pull
out her samples or study how she did put that coverlet together. Weavers like Jay.
By Jo Anne Setzer
for girls. She graduated from college in Bozeman with a degree in Home Economics and taught for a short while
before devoting herself full time to her husband and four sons. Jay was always more interested in the fiber arts
than in the cooking aspect of Home Economics. Early on she was recruited by the Yellowstone Country to help set
up the Home Economics Pavilion for the County Fair. Jay was the person who designed the program for all the
different categories. Canning, baking, and especially the fiber arts including knitting, all sorts of needlework,
spinning, machine knitting, and weaving. She literally wrote the book! In the beginning, she took in entries,
judged all categories, and set up all the displays. All this was done on hot August afternoons in a barn that also
housed the livestock for the Fair! This was a far cry from the facilities and categories that have mushroomed into
existence at today’s County Fair, the Yellowstone Exhibition.
Jay was an excellent machine knitter, and a master seamstress, which came in very handy for sewing together her
tailored suits and coats made of material she wove herself. Jay enjoyed spinning, teaching interested friends how
to spin.
Upon retirement from homemaking she devoted herself to taking all workshops offered by the weaving and
spinning Guilds and usually excelled at the different techniques she learned. Her Friendship Coverlet was the first
one finished after the squares were exchanged and she encouraged the rest of us that it wasn’t so difficult to put it
together.
Not one to extol her own virtues, Jay was always willing to share her expertise with Guild members with demos and
encouragement. She was awarded the Living Treasures Award in 1998. She will live on in all of us when we pull
out her samples or study how she did put that coverlet together. Weavers like Jay.
By Jo Anne Setzer
In October 2007 year old Em Kolstad died leaving a hole in the Billings fiber community. Em, born in Belgium
moved to Montana as an infant. The Ellis Island National Historical Archive group chose Em to be one of four
Montanans whose voice and recollection of travel through Ellis Island as an immigrant is recorded as a forever
exhibit to be listened to by those who visit the Historic Monument
Em learned to spin and tat at her mother’s knee and developed into an expert in all forms of knitting, weaving,
bobbin lace, and other fiber art. She followed the tradition of her mother who helped support the family during
WWI with bobbin lace. An early member of the Billings Weavers Guild , she arranged workshops and gave
lessons.
Em spent many years working the Needle Shop in Billings helping innumerable knitters get their sweaters put
together! In the 1930’s she purchased her first big loom, a 4 harness Weavers Delight from Newcomb Looms.
Later her husband built her a table loom. Her love affair with a loom really began with her 45 inch, 8 shaft
MacComber. She wove yardage for suits and coats, made drapery material and wove a double weave snowball
coverlet to name just a few projects as well as commissioned tapestries. Em taught and became an authority on
all methods of weaving, having correspondence with and a mentor in Mary Atwater.
For over 50 years, Em mentored weavers and spinners in Yellowstone County. Most spinners in this area learned
to spin from Em or from people she taught. Em traveled to smaller communities to give workshops and support to
fledging weavers and spinners. She corresponded with many spinners and weavers from antique wheel collectors
to monks in monasteries.
MAWS awarded the Living Treasure Award in 1998. Her legacy includes an openness for trying new ways with
fibers. When the results were surprising, that is, other than expected, she advised be happy! When asked how
she was able to always accept the situation as it was: tangled warps, gobbed up rolags, all students mistakes that
she kept fixing, and not get frustrated. She replied, “Don’t sweat the small stuff”. Em left a circle of weaving and
spinning friends. Undoubtedly Em was right, if we don’t get hung up on our small human imperfections, we can
excel too, just as she did.
By Jo Anne Setzer and Linda Shelhamer
moved to Montana as an infant. The Ellis Island National Historical Archive group chose Em to be one of four
Montanans whose voice and recollection of travel through Ellis Island as an immigrant is recorded as a forever
exhibit to be listened to by those who visit the Historic Monument
Em learned to spin and tat at her mother’s knee and developed into an expert in all forms of knitting, weaving,
bobbin lace, and other fiber art. She followed the tradition of her mother who helped support the family during
WWI with bobbin lace. An early member of the Billings Weavers Guild , she arranged workshops and gave
lessons.
Em spent many years working the Needle Shop in Billings helping innumerable knitters get their sweaters put
together! In the 1930’s she purchased her first big loom, a 4 harness Weavers Delight from Newcomb Looms.
Later her husband built her a table loom. Her love affair with a loom really began with her 45 inch, 8 shaft
MacComber. She wove yardage for suits and coats, made drapery material and wove a double weave snowball
coverlet to name just a few projects as well as commissioned tapestries. Em taught and became an authority on
all methods of weaving, having correspondence with and a mentor in Mary Atwater.
For over 50 years, Em mentored weavers and spinners in Yellowstone County. Most spinners in this area learned
to spin from Em or from people she taught. Em traveled to smaller communities to give workshops and support to
fledging weavers and spinners. She corresponded with many spinners and weavers from antique wheel collectors
to monks in monasteries.
MAWS awarded the Living Treasure Award in 1998. Her legacy includes an openness for trying new ways with
fibers. When the results were surprising, that is, other than expected, she advised be happy! When asked how
she was able to always accept the situation as it was: tangled warps, gobbed up rolags, all students mistakes that
she kept fixing, and not get frustrated. She replied, “Don’t sweat the small stuff”. Em left a circle of weaving and
spinning friends. Undoubtedly Em was right, if we don’t get hung up on our small human imperfections, we can
excel too, just as she did.
By Jo Anne Setzer and Linda Shelhamer
Top Left: Kitty, Ellen, Berta, Betsy, Jo Anne, __Audrey
Bottom Left: Em, Sandy, Linda
Bottom Left: Em, Sandy, Linda
 |  |  |
Berta Morrison, founding member of the Prairie Handspinners died unexpectedly June 6, 2007. Berta
received the MAWS Living Treasure award in 1998. A fantastic spinner and knitter. Berta excelled at colorful fair
isle knitting with her handdyed handspun. Spinning exquisite fine yarns on her Ashford Traveler, she was a great
resource for all guild members on any level of knitting project.
Berta became interested in spinning when her husband Bob inherited an antique wheel that been sent to his
grandmother from Sweden in the 1890’s. Finally her wish came true when in 1979 she signed up for an adult
education class taught by Pegee Haman. Berta found it difficult to spin on the antique wheel because of its high
ratio and speed. She ordered an Ashford Traditional wheel for $45 and continued taking lessons.
An avid knitter, Berta’s goal was to spin wonderfully warm wool to knits sweaters, socks, mittens for herself and
children and grandchildren. Berta was intrigued by the history of spinning and knitting. She knitted all the
traditional patterns including Aran, Fair Isle, Latvian, Norwegian, Scottish, Bohus and many more. Many of Berta’
s projects were colorful stranded knitting which she knit in the round using traditional techniques including
steeking and cutting. Although Berta enjoyed all fibers, she found wool to be the most useful and versatile. She
especially enjoyed Cynthia Coe’s Border Leicester because of the sheen when she dyed it. Truly a prolific knitter
and spinners, Berta completed many projects each year. Berta credits spinning every day with the quantity of
yarn she produced saying she sat down to spin each day when waiting for things. Berta raised natural dye plants
in her garden, but mostly used chemical dyes to achieve the marvelous colors for her knitted items.
Berta participated in almost every activity the guild ever held during her 28 year membership. In addition to her
fiber arts interest she pursued strong interests in natural history, archaeology, geology, children's literature, the
care and treatment of dogs, and botany, especially the growing of orchids. She was a founding member of the
Big Sky Orchid Society, Prairie Handspinners, the local Audubon Society, the Montana Wilderness Society and
Friends of the Library. She was an active volunteer for many organizations, helping with book sales for Friends of
the Library, doing greenhouse work for Special K Ranch and organizing exhibits for the Western Heritage Center,
among others. She was also a Master Gardener and worked closely with the Yellowstone County Extension
Service to foster programs for cultivation of flowers and food plants. Eighty year old Berta received the Friends of
Library Volunteer Appreciation award in 2006.
By Linda Shelhamer
received the MAWS Living Treasure award in 1998. A fantastic spinner and knitter. Berta excelled at colorful fair
isle knitting with her handdyed handspun. Spinning exquisite fine yarns on her Ashford Traveler, she was a great
resource for all guild members on any level of knitting project.
Berta became interested in spinning when her husband Bob inherited an antique wheel that been sent to his
grandmother from Sweden in the 1890’s. Finally her wish came true when in 1979 she signed up for an adult
education class taught by Pegee Haman. Berta found it difficult to spin on the antique wheel because of its high
ratio and speed. She ordered an Ashford Traditional wheel for $45 and continued taking lessons.
An avid knitter, Berta’s goal was to spin wonderfully warm wool to knits sweaters, socks, mittens for herself and
children and grandchildren. Berta was intrigued by the history of spinning and knitting. She knitted all the
traditional patterns including Aran, Fair Isle, Latvian, Norwegian, Scottish, Bohus and many more. Many of Berta’
s projects were colorful stranded knitting which she knit in the round using traditional techniques including
steeking and cutting. Although Berta enjoyed all fibers, she found wool to be the most useful and versatile. She
especially enjoyed Cynthia Coe’s Border Leicester because of the sheen when she dyed it. Truly a prolific knitter
and spinners, Berta completed many projects each year. Berta credits spinning every day with the quantity of
yarn she produced saying she sat down to spin each day when waiting for things. Berta raised natural dye plants
in her garden, but mostly used chemical dyes to achieve the marvelous colors for her knitted items.
Berta participated in almost every activity the guild ever held during her 28 year membership. In addition to her
fiber arts interest she pursued strong interests in natural history, archaeology, geology, children's literature, the
care and treatment of dogs, and botany, especially the growing of orchids. She was a founding member of the
Big Sky Orchid Society, Prairie Handspinners, the local Audubon Society, the Montana Wilderness Society and
Friends of the Library. She was an active volunteer for many organizations, helping with book sales for Friends of
the Library, doing greenhouse work for Special K Ranch and organizing exhibits for the Western Heritage Center,
among others. She was also a Master Gardener and worked closely with the Yellowstone County Extension
Service to foster programs for cultivation of flowers and food plants. Eighty year old Berta received the Friends of
Library Volunteer Appreciation award in 2006.
By Linda Shelhamer
