Not 2 Square's Tribute to Dee Jones

The Not 2 Square Weavers lost one of their founding members this past week.  The slide show tells a little of Dee Jones'  story.  The tributes from our members (below) tell more about the woman.  The ending photo in the slide show is of Dee when she worked as a fire lookout on Pegleg lookout in Lassen National Forest with her husband, Pat.  He spotted the fires - she called in the coordinates!
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Every time I was with Dee i thought of what an extraordinary person she was. She never spoke ill of people, even when they hurt her. Dee was very giving with her time, knowledge, and expertise - whether that be with individuals new to the craft (weaving, spinning, knitting, sewing) or experienced; always time for a quick question or to provide specific help. She was fun, serious, and easy going. Dee enjoyed life, appreciated those that became her friend, always had a compliment for whatever project in progress or finished. I will miss her at my table and among my circle of friends, remember her with love, and drink a bubbly toast to a very gracious lady. - Marjorie McConnell

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Her kindness, humor and interest in others captivated me from when I first met her at one of the Virginia City retreats, and I was lucky to spend a couple of retreats with her. One morning a group of us were all knitting Falling Leaf samples for Sara Lamb's SpinOff article and chatting like monkeys. Sara noted that her sample seemed to be growing and held it up for us to see, to which Dee asked with that famous twinkle in her eye, "Might this be a good time to count your stitches?" I marveled at how kindly she corrected the teacher.

I know she read my blog and periodically she'd email me. I visited her several weeks before her death, and she wanted to know all about what I was doing, how I was going and was so happy to see me. She was so excited about my upcoming Handwoven article and wanted to see the pictures on my cell phone. When we arrived she was reading the latest Handwoven issue. I hope I can pay it forward what Dee paid to me. - Sharon Campbell

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We are so going to miss Dee. She was an adventurous and inspiring weaver and I want to share the last thing she said to me, when I visited her 6 weeks ago.

"Yes, [weaving] is an adventure. But it’s a bit like learning computer. Just try it, push a button. The computer is not going to break; although you may not be able to retrace your steps with the computer. One thing is different with weaving, there is always a string to hold on to to find your way back."

I hope there are some angels with big strings pulling Dee into her new adventure.
-Wendy-Marie Teichert

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We share the loss of Dee with her family and many friends. We will miss her extensive weaving and fiber knowledge; her willingness to share and help anyone with a question as well as her sense of humor and kindness. She had a grace and graciousness that are so rare. Dee was also just really fun to be with. I hope that I will carry just a little of her goodness with me to share with others.
- Ingrid Knox

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In my 36 years of knowing Dee, she never failed to be upbeat, helpful, appreciative, and kind. However, she did not suffer fools and her insight was sharp as a tack.

Her vast knowledge not only covered many areas of fiber arts but also the world. Her appreciation of humor, both bawdy and not, was a delight. She had many wonderful stories to tell of her life : as a child living in a caravan pulled by horses while her father worked on building roads in Wyoming and her mother was the cook for the road crew, to living on the French Riviera, to being a fire lookout near Susanville, to living full time in Nevada City. She was a great conversationalist. I treasure the car rides to events when just the two of us were together and would talk of many things. She personified the way life should be led, including how to die gracefully. I loved her and will miss her always. I hope to live my life in such a positive way. - Lindsey Cleveland

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The last few days it has been very hard to accept the fact that we now live in a world without Dee Jones. I first saw Dee at a CNCH Liaison meeting - maybe 1997? She was decked out in a big straw hat, wearing bright colored clothing (probably handwoven) and enthusiastically talking to all of us about the reasons we should get our guild members to come to the conference in Grass Valley. A couple of years later, when Igor and I moved to Nevada City, we met her officially and started a friendship that lasted until she moved on to her next big adventure this past week.

Dee was everything that has been posted here - a talented, fascinating woman who put a positive spin on almost everything. She had the rare talent of making you feel good about yourself. She was a critic, but always a very gentle one who could  find something good to say about your weaving or knitting disaster or at least get you to laugh about it. Dee was also a talented story teller who loved to talk about her rich life experiences and ended most stories with a great punch line.

I will never possess the rare qualities that made Dee so special. But the time I spent with Dee, taught me what it is to live life to the fullest and then accept death with grace and courage.  I will miss you Dee.
- Beryl Moody

Dee's daughter, Jill, has written a wonderful remembrance of her mother that appears in the Union Newspaper.
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Celebrating the Life of Carol Phillips

Carol demonstrating weaving at the Nevada County Fair 2011.

I first met Carol 13 years ago when I moved to Nevada City. The Carol of those days was always on the run. She had a full career as an obstetrics nurse, but found time to attend weaving classes on Widbey Island with Madelyn van der Hoogt, traveled to and fro helping  her elderly parents and their problems and all the while, spinning, weaving, quilting and knitting up a storm of textiles. Over the years, Carol was always in the forefront and often the leader in making quilts for children’s causes and those left homeless by disaster and fire. When most of us turned up our noses at the prospect of spinning up bags of dog hair combings, Carol was the soft touch for people who wanted something made to remember a beloved pet. She would have it blended with a small amount of wool, spin and weave a lap blanket for them. She and her family always had a Samoyed dog and I’m sure she knew the comfort her efforts gave a pet owner.

The legacy that Carol leaves to us are her lessons in giving. She gave to her family, her friends, to those she never met and always, without expectation of anything in return. She leaves a hole in our weaving group and in our hearts, but her spirit will forever be with us.
Beryl Moody

Carol will long remain in my memory as one of the very best people I've known. Her generousity was boundless, she was a tireless organizer and it was all done with zest and "let's get 'er done" attitude. She knew life wasn't fair and accepted that fact. Nonetheless, DAMN IT! -- Dee Jones

 

Carol was the kindest, most giving woman I have known. She was always ready and willing to help anyone or any project. Our loss is Heaven's gain. - Gus Young

Carol was one of the most generous weavers, and women, I know. She was the first to offer the loan of a loom or her help. The Not 2 Squares were welcomed at her church several times for yarn swap/sales and a weaving class - all through her initiative and help.

She was funny and creative as well. Her Kool-Aid dye challenge turned out to be a crowd pleaser at the Nevada County Fair this summer. She was frequently finding new ways to use sock yarn or those one or two leftover skeins of yarn.

Most of all Carol was a positive, upbeat and a fun person to be with. We will all miss her very much.

Ingrid Knox

This quote from an unidentified source was posted by her daughter-in-law, Monika, on  Carol's Face Book page.

"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal"

I don't have any pictures of Carol's quilts, but know that they were numerous and treasured items for many friends and relatives.  What follows is a slide show of some of Carol's weaving, spinning and knitting work.  For more stories behind the pictures, click on Carol's name in the sidebar.  Here is Carol's obituary from The Union