Entertainment - Entertainment News

POSTED: Monday, Jun. 29, 2009

Artist profile: Lynda Bylsma

Seattle-born Lynda Bylsma says she always dreamed of living on a farm. After several life changes, she now co-owns and lives at Lost River Alpacas near Nooksack with her husband Alan, who grew up on the dairy farm he inherited.

City folk can get up-close-and-personal with the gentle alpacas and learn about how their fiber is processed, from the shearing to the finished garment, at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 28, at Everson's McBeath Library, 104 Kirsch Drive. She'll also demonstrate spinning and carding, and show examples of needle felting and other items fashioned from yarn.

For more on her farm, visit lostriveralpacas.com; or go to fiberfabrications.blogspot.com for more on her activities.

Question: How did you first become interested in raising alpacas and in textile arts?

Answer: Sewing was my passion, and I attended Washington State University to obtain a degree in clothing and textiles. There I met Alan, my "country boy" from Nooksack, who was studying to become an architect. We lived in the Seattle area for 30 years while working and raising a family. Life's little challenges got in the way of my pursuing a career in the clothing industry, and I spent nearly 30 years in title insurance, the last 18 as vice-president of a company in Everett.

In 1996, we inherited the family farm in Nooksack. We wanted to be able to retire here before we were in our 60s, and started looking for something to raise that would support us. Having been a dairy farmer growing up, my husband did not want to raise any cows. I came upon a short article about alpacas one day in a magazine, and I was intrigued. I'd never seen anything so cute in my life! We started doing research and visiting alpaca breeders. In 1998 we purchased our first six alpacas. I had no idea how this adorable critter would open my world to a passion for fiber, design and creativity. After 30 years, I was finally living my dream.

Q: What activities do you offer at your farm?

A: Our farm is an historical site with an interesting story. We welcome visitors and give tours, including the story of these 40 acres, beginning with its homestead by a single woman. Her original house is still standing and used by us for storage and a workshop. Guests are taken into the fields and pens where they can get "kissed" by an alpaca and feel the soft luxury of their fleece.

Q: Can people buy any products at the farm?

A: We have a small store stocked with items made of alpaca. We carry some commercial items, such as socks and gloves. We send a big portion of our fiber to spinning mills to be spun into yarn. These yarns are available in the store. I also dye and spin yarns. I love to felt and create wall hangings and sculptures with the fiber. In addition to the alpaca products in the store, I like to repurpose clothing, making aprons out of old jeans and overalls, hats, bracelets and journal covers out of old sweaters, and I quilt.

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My yarns can be found at Beach Basket Yarns in Birch Bay. Some of my creations can be found at The Glass Slipper in Ferndale. Breckenridge Farm Dairy Best will be opening a store in Sumas this week. In addition to their fresh dairy products, they will be featuring the works of local artisans, mine included.

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Q: What's it like working with alpacas?

A: The alpacas are such a joy to be with. Getting to know their funny little personalities and spending time in the fields with them is my form of relaxation. As a city girl, I learned very fast how to birth babies and give shots and shovel poop.

Creating is a gift in itself. I rarely use a pattern. I like to let the fibers speak for themselves, using texture and color as opposed to pattern. I find inspiration all around me; in nature or in a drawer full of junk.

Q: Do you have time for other leisure activities?

A: I am one of those people who don't like to just sit, unless I'm knitting! In addition to my arts, I love to garden and spend a good amount of time maintaining the grounds of the farm. I love exploring Whatcom County with my friends. We have two sons who live in Seattle, and we spend as much time with them as we can, and vacation together each year.

My house might not be very clean, but my barn and yard are immaculate.

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Q: The Bellingham Herald did a story in March on an 80-year-old quilt of unknown origins that you came upon; any updates on its history?

A: This is what I believe to be the story behind the vintage quilt.

Etta Aldrich lived in Minnesota and had 11 children. When the third of these died, she decided the water must be bad there and they needed to move. The family moved to Montana, where she gave birth to her 12th child, Doris. In 1917, the family attended a church camp in Nooksack and fell in love with the beauty of this area. In 1918 they packed up their things and moved west and settled in Damtown, which is the area where the Badger and Telegraph roads intersect. It is believed her family attended the church affiliated with the Nooksack Bible camp.

In 1931, Etta had to move to Port Angeles to live with her youngest daughter, Doris. The members of the church made this friendship quilt for her at that time.

When Etta died, her daughter, Doris, gave the quilt to her own daughter, Lenora, of Nooksack. When she died, her son, Glen MacQuire, gave the quilt to the City of Nooksack. I was shown the quilt by one of the employees there last year, and have been intrigued with it ever since. I suspect I have another year of research to do on it to get a really accurate story. I have been contacted by at least 20 people since that first article in the paper, and have compiled many stories. The quilt was made of feed sack material. During the depression, when you bought flour, sugar and livestock feed, it was packaged in fabric bags. One man told me how his sisters would go with their father to the feed store to tell him which bags of feed to buy so they could have that pattern of fabric for a dress, shirt, or quilt. End cut

Reach Margaret Bikman at margaret.bikman@bellinghamherald.com or 715-2273.