Fiber Arts Crew

Every student at Warren Wilson College works.
What work crew will you choose?

Through organized production goals that focus on quality, design and sustainability, students develop an understanding of the material while making products that can be enjoyed by the community. There are opportunities on the Crew to learn other fiber skills such as spinning, felting, sewing, dyeing, and basketry. All of these learned skills can be applied to other areas of academic study as well as community engagement.

The Fiber Arts Crew uses wool from the sheep on the farm to spin their own yarn and cultivates a dye garden to dye the yarn. Additionally, Crew members learn about the intersection between art and work by selling their crafts.

“My time on Fiber Arts not only taught me how to weave, sew, spin, and dye, but it also taught me the importance of intention and tradition. I cherish my work here because I work with my hands and create cloth and feel connected to the history of weavers in Appalachia and at Warren Wilson College. When my classes and life feel hectic, I love sitting at the loom and taking time to make something in a slow, intentional, and often unappreciated way. I also love working with a community of weavers both on the crew and outside of the College. There’s something really remarkable about coming into the studio in the morning and hearing the beat of several looms and the hum of sewing machines. The Work Program – and the Fiber Arts Crew in particular – is the most special part of Warren Wilson.”

Ella Conder

Why Work Crews?

Part of your work experience is reflection, helping ensure that you achieve both your own educational goals as well as our Common Learning Outcomes. These distinguish our Work Program, giving it focus and relevancy that set it apart from a federal work-study or your average part-time job. Each crew in the Work Program identifies crew-specific goals as well. These outline skills and abilities your supervisor will teach you during the semester.

Our Common Learning Outcomes

Professionalism & Work Ethic: accountability, effective work habits, punctuality, dependability, time management, integrity, and commitment to the well-being of the community.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: working with available resources to creatively address issues and solve problems, and gaining confidence to make decisions.
Communication: the ability to convey and receive information effectively with intentionality, honesty, and confidence in both speech and writing.
Collaboration & Teamwork: actively collaborate with peers to achieve common goals, Distribute labor fairly, and hold each other accountable as committed members of a group.
Civic Identity: understanding your active influence within the community and how your decisions directly impact the work around you.

Fiber Arts Crew Learning Goals

Weaving: Floor loom weaving, patterning, tapestry weaving, and basketry
Fiber Qualities & Processing: wool from farm, flax to linen, spinning, felting
Natural Dyeing: growing and working with plants, science collaboration
Sewing & Sustainable Clothing Industry: machine and hand sewing skills, learning about clothing industry impacts and regenerative bioregional fiber systems