Fiber Art

Incorporating wool, silk and cotton, Alanna’s art quilts capture landscapes and the zeitgeist of her time.

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Boston Women's March E Pluribus Unum detail

Alanna Nelson

welcomes you to her fiber art, knits and brand building stories.

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Knits

Tips, trends and discoveries in knitting and yarn. Follow Alanna’s knitting adventures.

Stitch snippets

Alanna's Knitting Year in Review January 2019: Open the closet door, gaze at my yarn stash and the knitting priority was obvious: Finish those WIPs (works in progress)! Thus began a humbling yet joyous year. Scarf OrnamentMy riff on HanabiraCrochet chain...

Freedom and constraints: 12″x12″ art work

Jul 12, 2019

Perhaps it's habit. Perhaps someone drilled the golden ratio into my psyche. Until Instagram forced me to frame everything in a square, rectangles and circles were my thing. However, little square works are a popular choice for fundraisers, so last year I challenged...

Unravel: Voices of E Pluribus Unum

May 17, 2019

" I resolve to make a difference." Boston Women's March: Voices of E Pluribus Unum The Arlington Center for the Arts includes this quilt for Unravel - a fiber art exhibit that sheds light on the contemporary political scene. Difficult to photograph, this quilt...

Finestre Migranti at Verona Tessile

May 6, 2019

The debut of the Finestre Migranti exhibit at Verona Tessile included Alanna’s felt and cotton interpretation on “Immigration Windows.” Here are some of her takeaways.

“Outside the Ordinary” in Lawrence

Apr 8, 2019

Surround yourself with those who share your passion. My fiber art critique group, Joined by Stitch is a perfect example of that adage. Eight spirits work through different stages of their artistic journeys, creating beautiful examples of technique, message and visual...

Distilling Fiber Thoughts

Feb 28, 2019

Last summer, I felt certain my Finestre Migranti Immigration Windows quilt would be complete by October. In October, my expectation was surely complete it by the end of 2018. Ha! As winter 2019 begins to thaw, I'm still feverishly felting and stitching. Background...

A New England December Yarn Bombing

Jan 9, 2019

With apologies to Thomas Oliphant and John Thomas... "Deck the street with knit & crochetFa la la la la la la la laThey do mark "Clues from the Quilt "Fa la la la la la la la laYarn and banners at seven placesFa la la la la la la la laTis the yarn storm now in...

An afternoon of Nuno felting

Dec 6, 2018

An Afternoon of Nuno Felting March 9, 2019 1 to 4 pm in Melrose, MA $65 includes materials Play with wool, soap and water to create fabric that is sturdy, beautiful and useful. We'll talk about several ways to create felt and see examples. Learn how your wool choice...

Melrose Snowflake Block Pattern

Aug 30, 2018

You've heard about the Melrose History Quilt project... What? Didn't I talk about this on the blog yet? I guess that was a few months ago. So, let's catch up! In May, the Melrose Historic Commission were very supportive of the project! Catch me at their booth at the...

My Windows on Immigration Quilt

Jun 29, 2018

Annamaria Brenti reached out in May 2017 with details of her Finestre Migranti/Immigration Windows Quilt project. Did I want to participate? "Of course!" I immediately responded. As I write, I realize it is twenty years that I've known Annamaria. Our paths first...