Education Archives - American Kumihimo Society

Tokyo, Japan Makiko Tada of Japan is a master craftsperson with over 45 years experience as an internationally recognized Kumihimo teacher. She is a braider, designer, researcher and lecturer at Kyoto Institute of Technology. She is the author of Comprehensive Treatise of Braids 1 to 7, along with other books and publications. Her research into […]

Maureen Shankey

St. Petersburg, Florida, USA Maureen Shankey is an award-winning jewelry artist and educator and holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Jewelry & Metalwork. She was born in Charlotte, NC but many moves meant she called no place home until recently following a move to St. Petersburg, FL. Shankey creates jewelry and vessels in […]

Carolyn Oliver-Haushalter

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Carolyn has been a jewelry artist for nearly twenty years and has studied braiding for over a dozen years. She has taught braiding and bead weaving in the Western Pennsylvania area for over a decade. She has lead online classes and braid-abouts for AKS and had a project published in the 2016 Kumihimo Fiber […]

Rosalie Nielson

Oregon, USA Rosalie Neilson is the author of three design books for kumihimo structures, The Thirty-Seven Interlacements of Hira Kara Gumi, The Twenty-Four Interlacements of Edo Yatsu Gumi, and Kongō Gumi: A Cacophony of Spots – Coils – Zags – Lines, documenting two-color designs for 16-elements. She taught Marudai courses at Convergence 2014 Providence, Braid […]

Diana Miglionico-Shiraishi

El Dorado Hills, California, USA Diana Miglionico-Shiraishi began her creative life as a floral designer for her mother’s flower shop. Just as in floral design Diana uses balance, movement, proportion, contrast, unity, texture and harmony in her kumihimo designs. Diana’s life has given her an awareness of the contentment creativity can bring and enjoys learning […]

Giovanna Imperia

Houston, Texas, USA Giovanna Imperia is the author of Kumihimo Wire Jewelry and many articles on braiding and weaving. Her work has been exhibited and is included in private and museum collections throughout the United States and internationally. Giovanna’s work focuses on the exploration of tactile and organic nature of fiber while pushing the boundaries […]

Adrienne Gaskell

St. Petersburg, Florida, USA Adrienne Gaskell’s innovations explore the ancient Japanese art of kumihimo. Her jewelry incorporates gemstones, pearls, and beads and has been featured in “Showcase 500 Art Necklaces” by Lark Books, Bead&Button’s BeadDreams competition, and the Toho Design Challenge. She exhibits at juried art shows and galleries across the county. Her teaching resume […]

Bob Galivan

Miami, Florida, USA Bob discovered kumihimo in early 2012 in a beaded braid class with Adrienne Gaskell. Out of that class grew an interest in fiber braids, which led to a course of study with instructors Makiko Tada, Roderick Owen and Jacqui Carey. Bob works on the marudai and karakumidai, as well as the square […]