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May 2023 Newsletter

“We often forget that WE ARE NATURE. Nature is not something separate from us. So when we say that we have lost our connection to nature, we have lost our connection with ourselves.” - Andy Goldsworth
Out in the garden at last! Thanks to a friend who tends a colorful “Messy Garden,” I’m learning to love, not judge my own messy garden. The dandelion crop has thrived in the cold, wet northwest spring weather. Tulips and daffodils have lasted much longer than expected. The hollyhocks, which cannot be stopped from growing out of the cracks in the patio, are carrying on as usual. And now the sun is out! (Or is out as I write – as we know, it could be pouring by the time you read…) In the sun, the weld that self-seeded last year has grown a full 12 inches in two days. It isn’t called “Dyer’s Rocket” for nothing. Foxglove that self-seeded summer before last is growing at least a dozen healthy plants (randomly arranged), that promise to shoot up tall stalks of purple bell-shaped flowers later in the summer. There are blossoms on the two dwarf apple trees, and my little dwarf golden plum in the backyard has blossoms for the first time since it was planted, 4 years ago. We even watched a Rufous Hummingbird dipping his beak into the blueberry blossoms. Such a gift.

We have had temporary custody and care of a small dog for the past month. Some of you have met Mr. Shackleton on Zoom. In addition to practicing new skills like weaving or typing while he rests his head on my arm, I’m seeing more of my own neighborhood due to the non-negotiable two and sometimes three walks a day. A curiously bored hole in an old tree down the street has proved to be the new home of a pair of Flickers. The spreading sawdust on the ground shows just how deeply they are excavating into the cavity for their nest.

DH (Dear Husband) has been taking advantage of the nice weather to replace our front porch steps with a true landing and stairs with handrails on both sides. The “temporary steps” installed 30 years ago proved surprisingly resistant to demolition. Visitors to the studio and the Guild Library should be well pleased with the improvement. These should hold up for at least another 40 years, though it’s possible that the Guild Library will move to a new home before that time. (In 40 years, I will be 106, if I’m still around.) I hope to be reading, weaving, learning, and welcoming new weavers, spinners, knitters, felters, dyers… and gardeners too, for years to come.

Hope you all enjoy your spring activities, indoors or out!


​
​Warmly,
​
Carol Berry
2022-2023 President, Whatcom Weavers Guild 
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Ikat cloth. Bali
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Inkle band made by Mae Bash
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Bandweavers group.weaving.hardware.cookies.fun
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Shackleton learns about weaving
“The spiritual force in naturally dyed cloth is amazing. Sometimes people feel as if the cloth has a soul as if it is alive. To become a weaver, you must have great patience. You also have to be wholehearted in your work. If we weave cloth half-heartedly, the cloth will have no meaning for anyone looking at it. If we weave wholeheartedly, our cloth has soul and charisma.” -Madi Diavi, dyer and weaver in Bali, from the Touching the Ground documentary, 2021
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Announcements

Summertime and Wednesday afternoons

The weekly driveway parties at my home will begin on Wednesday, May 17th.  If the weather is uncooperative on any given day, we will meet inside with Masks Optional.

Location: Sharon Allen’s house, Bellingham. Call her at (360) 305-0111 for the address and directions
Time:  Noon to 3:00 p.m.

Bring a project to work on, a chair, some chairs will be provided, and a small snack to share.  Only bring a snack if it is easy for you--there is always enough.

Sharon Allen (she/hers)
360-305-0111
2023 Quilt and Fiber Arts Show 

September 15-16, 2023 -- Ferndale Event Center 
The Evergreen Quilters holds an annual show and this year they expanded to include all fiber arts. WWG will be participating and hosting a booth. The theme is “Celebration of Creativity” and it will take place at the Ferndale Event Center on September 15 & 16.

Our guild booth will feature displays of our work, demonstrations, and handmade items for sale. It will be a great opportunity for outreach, to let more people know about our group and the resources we share. It’s also a great chance for members to sell their work, and maybe pay for some of the yarn you’ve been buying. Guild members will be able to sell their work, with a percentage of sales going to the guild; members can work shifts in the booth in exchange for a lower commission rate. The Steering Committee is working on details of submissions and participation. Items will not be juried but will need to meet a set of craftship standards that the committee is developing. 

The Steering Committee met last month to begin the planning process, noting that the Fair will take place in September after our summer break, and we need to get organized now. We will need more help from guild members, both now during the planning process and again during the setup and operation of the booth. 

The Steering Committee, made up of LeslieAnn Bestor, Susan Torntore, Mary Oates, and Molly Gerhard, is working on the financial logistics, i.e., how to sell things, sales tax, commissions, etc., as well as member sales, so that is being handled. What we need now are three other committees to handle other parts of this endeavor.  
​
  • Operations Committee to plan and implement logistics - set-up and take-down, inventory and tracking inventory, display, information management, publicity, etc. This committee includes the Volunteer Coordinator who will manage staffing, including scheduling and coverage for all demonstrations, cashiers (whether vendor or not), and other operations. 
  • Design Committee to do a floor plan and plan and implement display. We will be fresh off doing the ANWG display so it should be easy. 
  • Fundraising Committee, led by Mary Oates, will produce sale items to raise money for the guild. We may also do some raffle baskets. 

We are excited about the chance to exhibit our work to a regional audience and to provide an opportunity for our members to make some money from their creative work. In addition to all the visitors flowing through the event we’ll be surrounded by textile artisans of all kinds; I think the creative energy is going to be vibrant and inspirational. 
Please consider joining one of the sub-committees and being part of the planning process – we need folks to participate now and when the event happens. Join in the adventure of introducing our guild to the wider world. Contact LeslieAnn labestor@hotmail.com or speak up at the meeting in May. ​
Calling all Guild members:  Give us your weaving scraps!

With your help, the Guild will be selling 2 small items at September’s Quilt and Fiber Arts Show.  We would like to make small pin cushions and cards using handwoven material.  We will also be having work parties to make the items.  If you are unable to join a work party, please donate your scraps.  Help us to continue to offer good programs and help our study groups.  You can drop off items or sign up for a work party by contacting Mary Oates @meooates.com
Sarah Jackson’s Color Confidence Workshop

September 21, 22, and 23
10 a.m. to about 4:00 p.m.
Location is still to be determined

Students will explore color compositions, learn how weave structures impact color interaction and discover fresh ideas for developing color studies. This workshop is a combination of presentation, discussion, and weaving; it is not a round-robin workshop. Students will complete the workshop with a greater understanding of how colors interact in woven cloth. They will know how to sample effectively and how to evaluate ideas for cloth using their sample color combinations. They will leave the workshop with woven samples and confidence in their own creativity and ability to work successfully with color. 

$50 Materials fee: Includes a pre-wound warp (mailed 1 month prior to the workshop), a selection of over 100 colors of 8/2 cotton for weft, handouts, etc.
$200.00 + a $50.00 supply fee

Send your deposit check, payable to WWG, to Sharon Allen; please call me at (360) 305-0111.

If we have fifteen or more people signed up by June 1st then this will be a GO!  And the most fun you'll have for two days! The weave structures are Plain Weave and Summer and Winter.

Table looms and Floor looms work equally well.  The equipment library has a loom for you if you need one. If you need help getting warped for this entry-level workshop, we will make it happen.

Don't miss this awesome opportunity.

Sharon Allen (she/hers)
360-305-0111

​​News from Committees and Interest Groups

The Tapestry Focus Group

​The TFG has been a busy group and has now completed their contributions for the ANWG booth display.  They all look fabulous.

Our next meeting will be Tuesday, May 9th, at the Ferndale Public Library from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. We will be watching a Textiles and Tea segment featuring Tommye Scanlin.  She is a real inspiration for designing tapestry.  Sheila is also bringing our Tapestry Display, which will be going to Bend, OR for our Guild's ANWG booth display.
​

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Wedge Weave Tapestry by Mary Oates
We will also discuss what we will be doing over the summer and what we would like to do when meetings reconvene in September. During the summer there will be a couple of informal meetings planned at Sheila's home (Backyard, Garage, or Studio) depending on the weather. Dates to be determined.  Summer activities will be focused on practice, practice, practice,;sharing hints and tips; learning from others; or just talking tapestry.

We still have a couple of openings for members.  For inquiries or questions contact:
Sheila Atwater - sheilag1948@comcast.net or call/text 360-201-0818
The Rigid Heddle Loom Study Group

​RHSG is a hands-on, skill-building, and project-oriented exploration of rigid heddle weaving, open to any weaver, beginner to more advanced; mentoring and one-on-one assistance are available. We meet on the third Thursday of every month, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., at the Ferndale Library unless specified otherwise . The upcoming meeting is scheduled for May 18th.

For more information, please contact coordinator Susan Torntore at sjtorntore@gmail.com.

​Wednesday Weavers (a.k.a. “The Loomatics”)
​
​Our monthly informal gatherings meet on the first Wednesday of each month, at the home of LeslieAnn Bestor in colder weather, and in Sharon Allen’s driveway in warmer weather. Bring your small projects, handwork or just hang out and visit. Here is information on the next meeting:

Wednesday June 7, 10 am - 1 pm, Home of LeslieAnn Bestor
Please contact Sharon or LeslieAnn for location and directions.
Sharon Allen, 360-305-0111, LeslieAnn Bestor, 413-387-3205; call either of us if you get lost!

Community Outreach

Skill Share Space/Small Looms Group at the Bellingham Public Library
​

​It seems that this group has grabbed the attention of a lot of people. In April, we had nearly 50 people pass through. Some stay longer and some just look, and that is OK.

We held a small work party in March to make more of the little cardboard looms that we give away to interested people. We also wound more butterflies of colorful yarns. The bright colors appeal to the younger crowd.  So we are well supplied for quite a while now. By the time you read this newsletter, we would have had a Small Looms event on Saturday, May 6, from Noon to 3:00 p.m. The next event is on Saturday, June 3.

After June we will take a break for all those wonderful summer activities that everyone looks forward to each year.  The Small Looms Group will start again on Saturday, October 7, in the Work Share Space at the Bellingham Public Library, Noon to 3:00 p.m. Please put us on your radar and plan to help teach the public what weaving on a small budget and a small loom looks like.  We have gained a few new members this way.
​

For questions or comments, please contact Sheila Atwater at:  info@whatcomweaversguild.org
Hospice Washcloth Project

​Thank you to all who have woven cloths to donate. A simple thing can mean so much to many. Keep them coming.
Sheila Atwater
For information about how to participate in the project, please contact me at 360-201-0818 (call or text), or email me at sheilag1948@comcast.net

​From our Member at Large / Association of Northwest Weavers Guild
(ANWG) Representative

All submissions have been received by the Booth Planning Committee. A very special thanks to all who are pulling this together for us! A lot of work has gone into planning our booth, making sure everything gets transported to/from the ANWG conference, and setting it up.

Thanks also to all who are sharing their wonderful contributions. We are lucky to have such a diverse and creative group of guild members.

​Upcoming meetings

A Very Special Program with Robyn Spady

Date: Saturday, May 20, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. followed by the guild meeting and Show-and-Tell
Location: Jansen Center, Lynden

In Robyn's own words

“For many of us, weaving is a type of circle of life. The loom my great-grandmother used to weave my baby blanket on over 50 years ago is in use on a daily basis helping me transfer my inspirations into new fabrics and inspiring new generations of weavers.
Weaving has always been a part of my life. It started with my baby blanket handwoven by my great-grandmother. While growing up, it helped instill in me a sense of creativity and confidence at a time when my self-esteem was developing. During my years while working, in what I like to call "Corporate America", weaving helped give me sanity and feel a sense of productivity, which was very important while working on long-term projects when day-to-day progress was not evident.
For many of us, weaving is a type of circle of life. The loom my great-grandmother used to weave my baby blanket on over 50 years ago is in use on a daily basis helping me transfer my inspirations into new fabrics and inspiring new generations of weavers.”

​Four Shafts Aren’t Complex?  Au Contraire!
Who says weaving on four-shaft looms can’t be complex?  Too many people!  In fact, four-shaft looms are capable of much more than many weavers realize.  Tapping into the potential of four shafts helps weavers learn how to maximize undervalued looms and better understand how to exploit the capabilities of looms with more shafts.  From turned swivel to integrated double weaves to finding the “fashionable” ways to weave a warp, this is an opportunity for participants to see just how amazing a four-shaft loom can be.

​​​​Whatcom Weavers Guild Library

WWG Equipment Library

The Guild has equipment for short-term loan to members. Just a few of the items are a yardage counter, bobbin winder, shuttles, reeds in commonly used sizes, shaft table looms and Rigid Heddle Looms. The complete list and the equipment reside with Sharon Allen. Contact Sharon.newchapter@gmail.com for info or loan arrangements.

​
WWG Library


​To access the Whatcom Weavers Guild Library’s catalog click on this link. A password is not needed. This gives you a list of all the books and magazines in the Library. It doesn't sort by topic and doesn't say if the book is checked out or not. To find out if a book is available for check out, contact Carol Berry.

From the Jansen

Classes and Dye Days at the J

​The J’s spring quarter classes will soon be open for registration! Check out the wonderful new offerings at the Jansen Art Center Textile Studio! For members of the J, early registrations enjoy a 10% discount.
The Textile Studio’s schedule of remaining classes for the spring quarter:
​

Weaving on Harness Looms:
  • Beginning Weaving with Sheri Ward, May 16 - June 6
  • Extreme Warp Make-over with Robyn Spady, May 17 - 19
Inkle
  • Inkle Weaving with Leslie Ann Bestor, May 9
Dye Days: ​
  • Block Printing with Dyes, June 1
For any of these classes or workshops, check the J's website for details. ​
Crackle Weave Study Group photo 1
Crackle Weave Study Group photo 2
DoubleWeave gamp

Classified Ads

For Sale
​

Please keep ads clear and concise, with title of item for sale, asking price, an accurate description, and your name, contact information, and general location. Photos must be in jpeg format, and emailed as attachments, rather than embedded in your email.
Dee Dee O'Connor has decided to give up weaving.  She has some fabulous equipment and wants to sell it all.
The following pieces are available:
Louet Spring 8-shaft countermarche loom $3500
Reeds (6, 8, 10, 12) w/ custom made holder $225
Custom Made Rotating Loom Bench $400
Cone Tree (holds 82 cones) $100
Custom made Warping Board $75
Custom made Floor Inkle Loom  $100
Kromski Mistral Spinning Wheel w/ 6 bobbins $800

EVERYTHING IS IN PERFECT, LIKE-NEW CONDITION. 
BUY THE ENTIRE LOT FOR $5000
Call Dee Dee: 360-305-7300
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​ Louet Spring Loom
​Reeds & Reed Holder
​Cone Tree
Warping Board
 Loom Bench
​Custom made Floor Inkle Loom  
​Kromski Mistral SpinningWheel

​8 Harness Colonial Loom, Jack Type, $500
, in Ft. Langley, BC
​

8 harness/10 treadles, Colonial loom, Jack type, however 4 harnesses can be counter balanced.
Includes 6 reeds, 3 lease sticks, and raddle

Contact Laurie Knull bwknull@telus.net
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Colonial Loom

In Search Of (ISO)
​
Looking for Old Cashmere Sweaters
I am in need of old cashmere sweaters in any condition. I have a local resource that will turn them into Chemo Caps.  Sharon Allen sharon.newchapter@gmail.com, 360-305-0111

​Calendar of events of interest to Guild members!

Please contribute details of upcoming events of interest to WWG members to info@whatcomweaversguild.orgr.
​Katazome Today: Migrations of a Japanese Art

At the Whatcom Museum of History and Art, in Bellingham, Katazome Today: Migrations of a Japanese Art, February 11 – June 11, 2023, in the Lightcatcher Building, 250 Flora St., Bellingham. For more information click on the link to the Museum website. Katazome Today: Migrations of a Japanese Art - The Whatcom Museum.


Traditionally used for kimono dyeing, katazome involves the application of a rice-paste resist using special stencil papers with complex designs.
A Contemporary Approach to Traditional Embroidery
The Skagit Valley Weavers’ Guild is proud to present A Contemporary Approach to Traditional Embroidery, a workshop by Anita Mayer
Dates: May 17-18, 2023
Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Place: Peterson Road Fire Station, 16220 Peterson Road, Burlington, WA

Learn traditional embroidery stitches and explore contemporary ways to use them on clothing and accessories. Each student will complete a reference notebook of samples including creative stitchery, mirrors, innovative beading, couching, wrapped rings, and the faggoting join techniques. The instructor's garments and textiles featuring these embellishments will be on display.

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Materials fee:  $35.00 to be paid to Anita at start of class
Includes:  fabric, thread, needles, mirrors, rings for wrapping, beads, beading thread, folder of handouts. See detailed workshop information for list of things students should bring.

The maximum class size is 20 people. If we have a full class, total tuition will be about $50/person. If the class is smaller, the tuition will be higher.
For additional information and link to registration form, please email Molly Gerhard, mollygerhard@gmail.com
Discovering the World of Natural Fibers

Fiber Fusion Northwest takes place on June 3-4 in Monroe WA at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds. It is two days of fiber, education, and fun! Whether you are new to the world of natural fibers or are an experienced fiber person - Fiber Fusion has something for you!  There will be fabulous fleeces - alpaca, wool, mohair, llama, and angora - at the fleece shows and sales, as well as free demonstrations throughout the weekend, a wide variety of classes, over 75 fiber-related vendors, a live fiber animal exhibit, a fiber arts show, a spin-in and much more!

For more information, go to https://www.fiberfusion.net/ and e-mail to info@fiberfusion.net
  • More volunteers are still needed for a successful event; go to the website and click on “Support Fiber Fusion” for more information and to sign up.
  • There are still spaces in some of the classes.
  • Go to the website to see the list of 2023 Vendors.
  • And, there’s plenty of time to enter an item in the Fiber Arts Show!

The Facebook event page and Fiber Fusion Northwest's Ravelry page will be updated as new information is available.  Have you attended before? Please share with friends and others about this wonderful event!  Planning to attend for the first time? Wonderful, you’re in for a fantastic fiber experience.  Fiber Fusion Northwest is an outreach event of the North Sound Alpaca Association.

For questions about Fiber Fusion Northwest, please reach out to Marion Scichilone and Heidi Lucey.

​Our Monthly Show & Tell

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Submitting content for the newsletter

The deadline for submitting content for the newsletter is 5:00 p.m. on the last Sunday of the preceeding month, unless otherwise specified. The newsletter will be on the WWG website around the first Sunday night of each month or in the first few days of the following week. The goal is for members to be reading the newsletter about mid-way between Guild meetings and programs, which are on the third Saturday of each month.
​
​Please send content for the next newsletter to info@whatcomweaversguild.org, with “newsletter” included in the subject line.
For photos and images, please send individual JPEG files (please no .tif, .png, .gif etcetera), as attachments only! Do not embed them in the body of your email. Text can be typed into the body of an e-mail or be sent as a Word document that is saved as a doc or docx but not as a PDF. Contact Wendy at wendy_biz@yahoo.com if you have questions.
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  • Gallery
    • Ode To Joy: Our Story
    • Linda Rees
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