December 2018 Newsletter

​“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” -Winston Churchill
“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.” Oprah Winfrey.
OK, this month I’m exploring what it’s like to have a vision for the outcome of my fiber work and have the work come up short. Not because I’m not sampling, but because I’m pushing the envelope, and maybe not sampling enough. The first sample of Skagit Valley wool from Harmony Fields is now off the big Glimakra loom and has been wet-finshed. (Review: twill blocks, two colors of gray plus natural white.) It’s gorgeous, and too heavy and dense for a blanket. I sampled for block length and color arrangement, but not for sett. I assumed that 10 ends per inch would be perfect, and it did beat square very easily. Now I wish I had cut off a section and re-sleyed at 8 epi for a second sample. Live and Learn. Refer to quotes above. Of course, we especially dislike “trying again” this time of year, when it seems the rush is on to knit, weave, crochet, sew the perfect gift for everyone on our list. I’m telling myself to enjoy the process! And make up little gift DIY kits with yarn and needles for my crafty friends and relations. My experiments with Icelandic yarn from Lydia’s Flock are progressing also – while I learn how to fix weaving problems that result from trying yarns I wouldn’t have dared consider a year ago.
Weaving at the Lummi Tribal Center is progressing, making gifts for the Annual Salish Sea Canoe Journey. The Whatcom Weavers guild has been invited to sponsor gifts for the 60-plus native canoe groups that will land at Lummi in July 2019. An idea was launched at the November meeting for small woven items, inspired by the historic Barber and Lummi handwoven designs of the 1950’s and ‘60’s. A draft and samples are being developed, and will be shared in January. 
Volunteers and friends of the Jansen Center Textile Studio finished Weaver Jo Morgan’s last Krokbrogd rug/wall piece yesterday! The piece, formerly titled “Unfinished Business” was displayed at the NW WA Fair Wool Show last August, in just the state that Jo had taken it off the loom, in 2009. Jo’s daughter Pamela, commissioned the finishing, and joined the group for part of the afternoon, telling a bit of her Mom’s life and career as a weaver, making our effort even more fulfilling. 
I hope your fiber work is fun and fulfilling this month and in the year ahead. It isn’t always necessary to push the envelope. Knitting a hat from a tried and true pattern, in a yarn I know and love, makes me feel like a queen, whether I have to un-knit and re-do, or not! May you all have just enough fiber and color in 2019.

Carol Berry,
2018-2019 WWG President

Upcoming Programs ​​

December 15  -  ​Holiday Potluck
​The December 15 meeting is our annual Holiday Potluck. The program is a hands-on make & take felting project, designed and led by our own awesome felters, Donna Hunter and JP MacConnell, and supported by Kelley Dragon’s soft lovely Pacific Northwest Wool roving. The business meeting agenda includes discussion of the WWG budget and activities for 2019, service projects such as the Hat & Scarf Project, Canoe Journey Gift sponsorship activities, and inspiring show and tell! Potluck lunch will include vegetarian chili, vegan curry, and all the savory and sweet delights you bring. Be sure to bring a bowl and/or plate, mug and utensils. You might bring an apron for the felting program. Cheers!
See whatcomweaversguild.org/events for further program information or contact as at [email protected].

Program Notes

Looking Back, November Meeting
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Diana Sanderson, owner of the Silk Weaving Studio on Granville Island, Vancouver, BC, presented a history and an amazing show and tell of NUNO Japanese textiles from the Ann Sutton Collection.
Nuno is the Japanese word for ‘cloth’ or ‘fabric.’ Nuno textiles are at the forefront of contemporary textile design. They represent a convergence of centuries-old traditions with advanced technologies ultimately transforming how we think about textiles today. Junichi Arai started NUNO in 1984. Ann Sutton is a weaver, prolific writer and active educator who has specialized in the use of computerized looms for decades. Ann began collecting Junichi Arai’s work in the early 1980’s and went on to produce textile collections with him in the late 1980’s. In 2013, Diana Sanderson acquired the Ann Sutton collection of Junichi Arai and Nuno works with the promise that it would be made available for viewing to anyone interested. https://www.silkweavingstudio.com/ann-sutton-collection.html
It was a rare and inspiring treat to examine and learn about these innovative and beautiful textiles.

Thanks!
Carol Berry, Program Chair

Trailer for Interlacements: Threads & Lives, Stories About Relationship Through Cloth
​This new film had its first screening on November 18, at the Seattle Weavers guild meeting. SWG supported the production with a grant. The film is now available for private screenings, by weavers’ guilds and education institutions. One of the stories features a community of weavers of long-standing in Whatcom County. Watch the Trailer and check out the website for more information.

Jansen Winter Textile Classes, from Sheri Ward

  • Summer & Winter Weaving, Tuesdays & Fridays, Jan. 8-18, 1-4 pm with Sheri Ward; $145 plus $10 materials fee
  • Beginning Spinning, Tuesdays, Jan. 22 – Feb. 12, 1-4 pm with Chris Paul; $150  
  • Felted Nuno Scarf, Saturday, Jan. 26, 11 am – 3 pm with Donna Hunter; $45 plus $12 materials fee
  • Tapestry Explorations, Thursdays, Feb. 21 – March 7, 1-3:30 pm, with Joyce A. Noordmans; $90 plus $15 materials fee
  • Sewing with Handwovens, Tuesdays, March 12-26, 1-3 pm with Sheri Ward & Susan Clueit; $80
  • Beginning Weaving, Saturdays, March 16 – April 6, 1-4 pm with Marcia Ford; $120 plus $10 materials fee
  • SpiNit nights, 1st & 3rd Thursdays of the month, 6-8 pm; $8 drop-in, $40 for an 8-session punch card

​To see details and to register, visit https://www.jansenartcenter.org/textiles-studio

Two New Group Projects at the Jansen Textiles Studio

 Block Twill Tea Towel
The window pane warp from the “18 Towels” book is being planned, for the smaller Glimakra loom. Cost will be $10 loom use fee per person, and $5.00 per towel for warp materials.  Provide your own weft. Suitable wefts are 22/2 cottolin, 16/2 linen, 8/2 and 5/2 cotton, or similar weights in cotton or linen. The length of the warp will depend on the number of people who want to weave.
This warp offers many pattern variations! Contact Carol Berry with questions. [email protected]
 
Wide Wool Blanket Project
Plans are being made for weaving wool blankets in 2-block twill, on the 60” wide Glimakra Loom. Cost will be $20 loom use fee per person, and each person will purchase their own warp and weft materials. “Tuna” Swedish wool blanket yarns from Glimakra is recommended. The threading will be 10 EPI, (600 ends) and the warp for each blanket can be 3 or 4 yards long. We will measure each warp separately and tie on to a dummy warp for each blanket. Each weaver will be able to choose their own colors, from the 100+ colors available. A group meeting will be scheduled to discuss the project, decide on a threading pattern, and plan a group order for the yarns.
If you are interested, Contact Carol Berry with questions. [email protected]

From other guilds and Study Groups

Spindrifters Meetings: 
Spindrifters meet the 2nd Saturday of the month and share with Skagit County. To be added to their e-mail list contact Tina [email protected]. There you have it: You are always welcome at the "J" on Thursdays which is open studio from 11-7. Happy Spinning!! Chris Paul. [email protected].
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Workshops in Fibers and other interesting stuff: 
Dyeing, soaps, lotions, felting, spinning, weaving, botanicals… Please check my website as my schedule is always changing and usually current.
Liz Moncrief, www.aweaversway.com, 970-692-3949
From the Whidbey Weavers Guild: 
Meetings are on the first Thursday of the month and run from 10:00 to 2:30, bring your brown bag lunch and cup. Meeting place: 15 NW Birch Street, Coupeville WA 98239, www.whidbeyweaversguild.org.

Small Looms Group, from Sharon Allen 
First Saturday of every month at Bellingham Library for the active Small Looms Group. Join in on the fun with your Inkle, tapestry, tablet weaving, rigid heddle or any loom small enough to bring to the library!
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Announcements

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Snow Cap Project 2018 (from Kathy Hutchinson)
In 2018, our community service efforts to the Snow Cap Project, saw 94 hats and scarves lovingly created and donated by Guild members to help keep our neighbors in need stay warm this winter. Items will be donated to the Opportunity Council and the Bellingham School District Clothes Closet.
Thank you to Barbara Snow for her commitment and inspiration, and to members who wove, crocheted and knitted these be cozy items.
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Warmest wishes for the Holidays!
Confluences 2019 Prince George, BC (from Kathy Hutchinson)
The Prince George Fibre Arts Guild invites you to join us for the 2019 ANWG Conference:
The Prince George Fibre Arts Guild is excited to welcome all fibre enthusiasts to join us in our lovely city (the largest city in Northern BC) for Confluences: ANWG 2019 Conference, coming June 11-16th, 2019. Our guild members were inspired by how weaving, spinning, knitting and felting merge together to create unique and beautiful textiles, and want the conference to explore the confluences of these crafts, and celebrate our diversity of skills and knowledge. The theme also reflects the nature of our city, which is located at the confluence of the Fraser River and the Nechako River, is where Highway 97 crosses with Highway 16, and embraces the gathering of many cultures and traditions.
Visit the website for the 2019 ANWG Conference at www.anwgconference2019.com. To view the website, use Edge, Chrome, Foxfire or Safari (Internet Explorer is not supported).
To keep up to date with what is happening, join the mailing list by contacting [email protected].
Presentation given at the AMM 2018 meeting on the ANWG 2019 conference: PDF | PPT
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The blog for the 2019 ANWG Conference in Prince George is now up and running!  Please check it out for the latest information on the conference.  Here is the link: http://confluences2019.blogspot.com/2018/10/a-passion-for.html
The first blog post went live on Saturday and the blog will be updated each Saturday so you will want to keep coming back.

MAIWA 2019 Spring Workshop schedule (from Barbara Young)
MAIWA School of Textiles has announced the 2019 Spring Workshop schedule.  Registration begins at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, December 10.  You can register by mail, by phone, in person at the store, or through the online secure pages (schooloftextiles.com).  They DO NOT take registrations by fax or e-mail.  Check out the offerings at schooloftextiles.com and get ready to register on December 10 — classes fill up quickly!
Tempestry Project (from Carol Berry)
Climate Change made visible https://www.tempestryproject.com/
One of the ongoing problems inherent in discussions about climate change is the vast scale of the conversation. The goal of the Tempestry Project, is to transform climate data into something that is accurate, tangible, relatable, and beautiful, by providing data, yarns and instruction for creating a temperature record of a place and year. The Tempestry Project blends fiber art with temperature data to create a bridge between global climate and our own personal experiences through knitted or crocheted temperature tapestries, or “Tempestries.” Each Tempestry represents the daily high temperature for a given year and location. A collection of Tempestries showing different years for a single location creates a powerful visual representation of changing temperatures over time.
Norwegian Textile Letter (from Sharon Allen)
​The Norwegian Textile Letter (NTL) is a quarterly publication for fans of Norwegian (and other Scandinavian) fiber activities, published since 1994. Scholarly or informational articles aim to raise the level of knowledge about historical and contemporary weaving and other textile techniques in Scandinavian countries, and highlight related activities in the United States.

For Sale

Nilus Leclerc 4 harness, 6 treadle 36" beautifully cared for loom. 
This is Jo Morgan's loom for sale, submitted by Sharon Allen.
I am asking $300.00. Phone 360 305 0111.   ​
From Nancy Bjerke:
I’m downsizing, and after much consideration, I’ve decided to SELL my Babywolf 8 Harness Loom. Here are the details:
8 shaft Baby Wolf with STROLLER and HIGH Castle TRAY: $1,500.00 comes with 2 reeds.
Schacht Weaving Bench, Maple with 2 side bags: $250.00
All in excellent condition, like new. Great workshop loom because of the WHEELS attached! Fits in the back of SUV’s easily (my Subaru forester, for example).
Please contact me at the following:
Phone and text: 360-201-5141
Email: [email protected] or [email protected].

Wanted

Hello Weavers! I am looking for a 24" Rigid Heddle loom to buy. Dana Zia, [email protected].

Sharon Allen is  in search of a used 8 shaft baby wolf,  360-305-0111.