Flowering of Franklin Avenue

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Vi DeMars , one of many exceptional Phillips matriarchal leaders of her generation has died

By Crystal Trautnau Winschitl and Harvey Winje

Viola (Vi) Mary DeMars passed away at the age of 91 years on April 29th, 2014. This is a huge loss for the Phillips West Neighborhood. Vi was a 20+ year resident of 2615 Park Avenue Building and a very active member of the Greater Phillips Neighborhood for decades. Vi and her family lived north of Franklin Avenue for decades in the portion of the Community now called Ventura Village during which time she was an very active member of Phillips Neighborhood Improvement Association. Vi has been active in Phillips West since its inception up until February 2011 when a stroke prompted her to move to the MN Masonic Nursing Home in Bloomington for special care.

Vi was a ”˜fixture”' at Phillips West Neighborhood Community Meetings. Many neighbors know her because she staffed the sign in table at all neighborhood meetings. She was very active in the mid 1980”'s effort to save the Phillips Community Center swimming pool and supported similar efforts starting in 2005. She also held campaign fundraisers and worked to get a lot of our current and former officials elected. Vi will be greatly missed by the Phillips West Neighborhood Organization Board and by many members of the entire Community.… Read the rest “Vi DeMars , one of many exceptional Phillips matriarchal leaders of her generation has died”

NÃ¥lbinding ”“ An ancient needlework technique thriving at Ingebretsen”'s

By Carstens Smith

“NÃ¥lbinding is one of the oldest needlework techniques known,” explains Renata Fossett. “It”'s a technique for creating fabric from a strand of yarn, using a single needle, with which you weave the yarn back on itself. The simplest nÃ¥lbinding stitch is similar in construction to chain maille.” This technique is ancient ”“ the earliest example was found in an Israeli cave and dates from 6500 B.C. ”“ and is found all over the world. People in areas as disparate as Taiwan, northern Mexico, and Greenland used nÃ¥lbinding to create durable fabric. But the part of the world where nÃ¥lbinding took hold and is still used to make cozy hats, mittens, and slippers is in the Scandinavian countries.

Renata learned to nÃ¥lbind nine years ago when she was in California. A member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Renata was researching Viking age customs around 900 A.D. Shortly after learning, she began to demonstrate the craft at Viking re-enactments. “It”'s an unusual craft and people were interested in watching and learning about it. It”'s also a craft better suited to an area where it”'s cool enough to wear what you make,” says Renata. Now a resident of Minnesota, she got to test out her nÃ¥lbound garments thoroughly this past winter.… Read the rest “NÃ¥lbinding ”“ An ancient needlework technique thriving at Ingebretsen”'s”