By Carolyn Oliver Haushalter

Rocking Braids and Bands, the sixth international braiding conference was held at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), Cleveland, Ohio from Sunday June 15 to Saturday, June 21, 2025, co – sponsored by The American Kumihimo Society and the Braid Society. One hundred twenty participants, including world renowned braiders, weavers and fiber artists gathered from around the globe to share their skills in braiding, ply-splitting, band weaving, passementerie and tassel making.

Daily keynote presentations centered on many aspects of braiding and weaving in the world. The talks were Building Community Through Textile Art by Jessica Pinksy; Narrow, But Not Limited by Annie McHale; Braids and Bands: Gems from the 18th to the 20th Century from Northern Europe by Mari Voipio; and Kumihimo Restoration Techniques by Makiko Tada. These fun and informative presentations were recorded and will be for sale on the AKS website at a date to be announced.

A special part of this year’s conference was an exhibit of work from the conference instructors at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. Being at the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the theme of “Rocking Braids and Bands” with a botanical twist, was chosen for the teachers to interpret as they wished. This resulted in some very impressive work, including a sprang purse, ply-split peppers, organic jewelry pieces, a takadai braid with a poem braided into it, a marudai braid tree, and an arcade video game screen made of tablet weaving. Taking in the display and the gardens was a nice way to spend the evening after the conference classes were done.

Classes are a special highlight of any conference, and that was very much the case at Braids 2025. Students came ready to learn, and teachers were full of new ideas and approaches to share. As the conference was held on a college campus, many of the attendees were staying in a dormitory. Throughout the evenings there would be people working on their day’s classes in the common rooms at the dorm, with other people chatting about the things they learned. It was a great experience, sharing techniques, color combinations, new materials, and interlacing the world of braids, bands, and narrow wares in unexpected ways.

Marketplaces were held on Monday and Thursday. These were an impressive sight of all the amazing tools, books, and materials for the various arts done in our community. In addition to the vast array of items for sale, the marketplace allowed people to   connect with teachers and students from other conferences to learn about what they have been doing since they were last together in person.

The conference wrapped up with a farewell banquet on Friday night. This event included not only a delicious meal, but an exhibition of attendees work that was breathtaking in its scope and quality. Once you took in that display, there was a wonderful display of the work of the late Susan Basch, who was a great supporter of the American Kumihimo Society. A silent auction of fibers, equipment, and books raised $2700 for AKS and The Braid Society.

A lifetime achievement award was given to the amazing Jacqui Carey, who has spent a lifetime inspiring and teaching braiders around the globe, and is still pushing the possibilities of braids with her impressive display of collars at the Botanical Garden.

All in all Braids 2025 was a wonderful experience.