Biography

Patsy Sue Zawistoski, master handspinner and teacher, enjoys achieving full design potential in her handspun work by creating yarns for use in knitting, weaving, and crochet. As a fourth grader, she began her textile journey by sewing a shirt for her father. She recieved her bachelors degree in teaching as a new bride and began weaving then added spinning after her second child was born. She has been spinning ever since. Patsy earned her COE Certificate of Excellence in Handspinning from the Handweavers Guild of America (1985), plus a Master's Certificate (1987) for her study "Spinning Novelty Yarns for Use as Warp." Continually exploring and refining her spinning and teaching techniques for the past 30 years, she is a relaxed but thorough teacher nicknamed the "Spinning Guru."

A widely-traveled international lecturer and teacher, Patsy accepts up to two workshops a month. She has taught classes and presented programs for various guilds, shops, community arts programs, and conferences with many inviting her back multiple years. Patsy presented at the national events SOAR '88, '95, '97, and '08 and Convergence '90, '92, '96, '00, '02,'06, and '10. In 2004 she taught in New Zealand, and in 2011 will return to Canada where she previously taught in '92, '02 and '05.

Patsy is the featured instuctor in three spinning workshop DVDs produced by Victorian Video Productions. These have recieved excellent reviews and are a terrific way to learn to spin or review your spinning techniques.

Fiber magazines often feature her articles. The most recent were in Spin-Off:Spring 2010 "Fiber Basics: Ramie" with a necklace and earring project using an inkle loom and Irish crochet; and Summer 2010 has her pattern "Summer Scarf-Very easy lace." A New Zealand magazine Creative Fibre, published her "Top Ten Questions on Twist: Understanding Twist Forward and Backward."

Her column "Ask Ms Spinster," in Spin-Off ran in the late 80s and Patsy continues to answer questions on her website. The "Teaching Circuit," a series of five articles about improving teaching techniques was published in HGA'sShuttle, Spindle and Dyepot in the late 90s.

An accomplished textile artist and seamstress, Patsy also creates unique liturgical weavings and appliqués for use in churches across the nation. Her work is recognized for its use of color through a wide variety of styles.

In 2002, Patsy, her husband Rich, Mother-in-law Edith, and the cats moved to Elk Grove Village, just west of O'Hare Airport, Chicago, Illinois. The new area provides easy access to the airport, new guilds, and the opportunity to "appreciate" the wind.

Many of her family events were celebrated with textiles. As mother of the bride in 2000 she designed and created her daughter Ann's silk shantung dress and handspun cashmere/silk shawl. Seven years later silks and saris were her focus when her son Carl was married in a celebratory Hindu-Lutheran wedding. There she presented Roopa, her new daughter-in-law, with a bridal sari and wore two different saris herself. Her family now includes two granddaughters - Zoe born in 2006 and Hazel fall 2010.