Weaving Life of Marina O’Connor
Marina O’Connor was born on July 12, 1934, in Kaunas, Lithuania. Her birth name was Daiva Nagrodskis Nauragis. She passed away on November 13, 2021, in East Greenwich, Rhode Island.
She survived World War II as a young girl and emigrated with her parents as a displaced person via Bremerhaven, Germany in 1949 on board the USS General Sturgis. She settled in Newton, Massachusetts with her parents where she attended Newton College of the Sacred Heart and graduated from Emanuel College in Boston in 1961. She served as a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur. She became a naturalized citizen in 1955.
She married and moved to Rhode Island. She was employed for many years by the University of Rhode Island as an editor in the Publications Department in Kingston, Rhode Island.
Her husband gave her her first floor loom and she became an avid weaver. She also loved inkle and band weaving, often incorporating European designs. She was a knitter and a spinner. She was a beloved member of the Moonlight Weavers’ Guild and the Weavers’ Guild of Rhode Island. She produced the NEWS Brochure and Resource Guide for NEWS for many years. She frequently entered her weaving in the NEWS Gallery and Fashion Shows. She earned 15 points in the Gallery Shows and 16 points in the Fashion Shows at NEWS towards Weaver of Distinction.
She wrote ten articles for Handwoven Magazine between 1992 and 1999. She wrote the “Origami top” article in Handwoven in March/April 1995 based on a design from a very good friend and fellow weaver from Japan, Setsuko Kotsuji. Marina did not enjoy teaching, but her friend, Sharon Northby, taught the techniques for the Origami top at weaving guilds around New England.
Marina sold her weaving at gift shops and craft fairs in Rhode Island.
Marina was a wonderful weaver, friend, and mentor. She was kind, fun loving, generous and she baked delicious cookies!
Handwoven Articles:
Experiments in Copper Penny Dyeing SO92: pp 68-69
Batch of Baby Bibs MJ93: pp 68, 90-91
Fleece-Edged Hat JF94: pp 70, 98-99
Six-squares Origami Tops MA 95: pp34-36
Aegean Sunset Jacket: JF96 pp58, 88-91
Origami Update MA96: pp 35-39
Nordic Mittens with Inlay ND96: pp 19-20
Chenille Shadows Scarves SO98: pp 39, 66-67
Foxfibre Nightgown MA99: pp 61, 75; errata JF00: p 17
Thousand Flowers Towels MJ98: pp 35, 98
Marina won the following awards and honors for her weaving, knitting and spinning:
Eastern States Exposition 1990 First Place in Knitting with Handspun for a child’s vest
Eastern States Exposition 1990 Special Award Best Knit in Natural Fibers
Eastern States Exposition 1991 Second Place in Handspun – Handkerchief
Eastern States Exposition 1991 Best use of Exotic Fibers
Eastern States Exposition 1991 Second Place in Weaving for white jacket
Eastern States Exposition 1992 First Place in Special Theme: Saluting the Columbus Quincentennial
Eastern States Exposition 1992 Second Place Handweaving – Apparel from Yardage Aqua dress
Eastern States Exposition 1993 First Place in Weaving for a Scarf
Eastern States Exposition 1993 HGA Award for Outstanding Creativity and Craftsmanship
Eastern States Exposition date unknown First Place in Handspun, Handwoven
Eastern States Exposition date unknown Best of Show
Eastern States Exposition 1993 Third Place in Handknitting
Eastern States Exposition 1994 Second Place in Handweaving –
Apparel from Yardage for network draft tunic
Eastern States Exposition 1994 First Place Handweaving – Accessories – painted silk scarf
NEWS Fashion Show 1995 First Place in Unstructured Clothing
NEWS Gallery Show 1997 First Place in Table Runners
NEWS Fashion Show 1997 Second Place in Accessories for a scarf
Handweavers Guild of Connecticut Show 1997 Third Place in Fashion Accessories for a scarf
Handweavers Guild of Connecticut Show 1997 First Place in Fashion Accessories for Mittens
Handweavers Guild of Connecticut Show 1997 Gloria Nevins Award – Best Overshot
Rhode Island Weaver’s Guild 1998 “Weaving is Like a Box of Chocolates” HGA Award for Outstanding Creativity and Craftsmanship for a scarf
NEWS Gallery Show 1999 First Place in Table Runners
NEWS Gallery Show 1999 Handwoven’s Weaving for the Home Award of Excellence
NEWS Fashion Show 1999 Second Place in Unstructured Clothing for her nightgown
Handweavers’ Guild of Connecticut Show 1999 Third Place in Table Accessories.
Handweavers’ Guild of Connecticut Show 1999 Third Place in Miscellaneous Category for inkle bookmarks
Weavers’ Guild of Rhode Island 2003 Second Place Award
Weavers’ Guild of Rhode Island “Woven Expressions” 2004 First Place
NEWS 2005 Special award: New Hampshire Weavers guild – In Memory of Ernesta Lacey
NEWS 2005 First Place Scarves