Many thanks to Dalis Davidson who graciously showed us around her Dancing Leaf Farm and invited us into her fiber studio to observe her vertically integrated business that we playfully titled “Sheep to Shawl”. Dalis raises her own wool sheep, and explained the process of harvesting the wool, from sheering, carding, washing, spinning it into skeins, dying, and using the yarn in shawls, scarves, mittens, and other wearable art. She also demonstrated the Numo felting process where the ‘roving’ wool fibers become imbedded in another fabric such as silk. Dalis creates all manner of fiber art inspired by the surrounding nature including pieces with bee imagery that springs from the hives on the farm.
The Dancing Leaf Studio is a treasure trove of colorful fiber arts kits and wearable art. Dalis donated one of her fabulous Numo felted pieces to our Poolesville Seniors 2022 Heart ‘n Soul Auction. Dalis is a member of Countryside Artisans, a group of artists who open their studios 3 times a year. Be sure to visit her farm and studio during one of the remaining 2022 tours on October 7th – 9th, and December 2th – 4th.
We also want to thank our commentator and videographer Bill McDonald. You can view the recorded event on our YouTube channel.