February 2018 Newsletter

Hello Fiber Friends:
The seed catalogs are here, and some of the early bulbs are starting to poke out of the ground. Rainy days are great for working indoors with wool! It’s time to sort out my yarns, try new color wraps, look at weaving drafts, maybe knit a new hat or some fingerless mitts. (The office is a bit chilly) Speaking of seeds, Indigo seeds should be planted 6 weeks before the last frost. The weld and madder plants in my garden are coming back. Who else is looking forward to more plant dying this summer!
Best,
Carol Berry, Program Chair

Upcoming Programs
Feb 17 - Towel Exchange, and “Walk the Dog” Challenge.
March 17 – Saturday meeting & program
Meetings held at: St James Church (lower level), 910, 14th St., Bellingham. Third Saturday of each month, 10am-2pm. Meeting start—10am.
10-noon—business meeting, show and tell and lunch 2-4pm—program.

See whatcomweaversguild.org/events for further program information or contact as at [email protected].

2018 Dues Reminder
It’s time to renew your Whatcom Weavers Guild membership. Membership is annual from January through December. The cost remains the same at $25 per single membership or $35 for a family membership. Along with your check please add any updated information for the roster. Printed rosters are available at the meetings.
See you then and thank you, Cathy Thompson, Treasurer.

Program Notes

Looking Back January Meeting & Program

Hue, Value, Weight: Color was the program theme for the January meeting, featuring chapters from video workshops by Laura Bryant and Deb Essen, followed by a hands-on creation of a harmonious river of color, from our own random and varied yarns.

Highlights of member Show & Tell at the January meeting included Sharon Allen’s braided twill clasped-weft table runner, a felted double weave scarf by Sheri Ward, Quiviut and Silk overshot scarf by Barbara Young, illustrations of Needlework around the world, circa 1920’s, as scrap-booked from popular magazines by Mary Oates’ Aunt, in the 1930’s, and examples from the recent tray dying and Ice-dying interest group workshops at the Jansen Center. Digital Jacquard tea towels woven in the Textile Lab at the TextielMuseum in Tilberg, the Netherlands www.textielmuseum.nl were a reminder of a past WWG filed trip to the Surrey Museum Hooser Textile Studio and Gallery.

Looking Forward
Get ready for the February program by digging out one or two projects you would just as soon not deal with. Rainy day closet cleaning, with no regrets! Bring one or more fiber UFOs (Un-Finished Objects) and see who has an eye for bringing out its best features. We’ll trade, and bring them back for Show & Tell at the June meeting. I’m bringing in a cotton and linen table runner, in M’s and O’s, that turned out to be too close to Seahawks colors for my fancy. Never hemmed, surely it has potential that someone else can take advantage of…

February Program Bonus Feature: What Do the Judges Look for? Susan Clueit has graciously agreed to show and talk us through how fiber arts judges evaluate finished work for fairs, shows and juried sales. Bring your work, and be able to ask questions, well in advance of entering work in the Wool Show (August) and the Fibers & Beyond sale (October).

And, while you are going through your supplies & UFOs, and ideas for new projects, keep in mind the Annual WWG Stash sale in June.

Thanks!
Carol Berry, Program Chair

Jansen Winter Textile Classes, from Sheri Ward

TAPESTRY WEAVING EXPLORATIONS with Joyce A Noordmans, 4 Weeks: Thursday, Feb. 1 – 22, 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM, Adults & Teens 16+, CLASS FEE: $125, MATERIALS: $15
DYEING: COLOR WAYS FOR COTTON FABRICS with Susan Torntore, 2 Weeks: Saturday, Feb. 3 & 10, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Adults & Teens 16+, CLASS FEE: $140, MATERIALS: $25
HEART OF RED – DYEING TO MAKE VALENTINES with Susan Torntore, 1 Day Workshop: Friday, Feb. 9, 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM, Adults & Teens 13+, CLASS FEE: $30, MATERIALS: $7
BEYOND THE BASICS: SPINNING with Chris Paul, 1 Day Workshop: Tuesday, Feb. 13, 1:00 PM -4:00 PM, Adults & Teens 13+, CLASS FEE: $35
FELTED NUNO SCARF with Donna Hunter, 1 Day Workshop: Thursday, Feb. 15, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Adults & Kids 16+, CLASS FEE: $50, MATERIALS: $10
DYEING: COLOR WAYS FOR WOOL AND SILK with Susan Torntore, 2 Weeks: Saturday, March. 3 & 10, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Adults & Teens 16+, CLASS FEE: $140, MATERIALS: $25
BEGINNING WEAVING with Marcia Ford, 4 weeks, Wednesdays, March 7-28, 1:00 - 4:00 PM, Adults & Teens 13+, CLASS FEE: $145, MATERIALS: $10
DYEING INTEREST GROUPS
Feb. 1: Resist ice dyeing; Vin will have a photographer in the center that day, and this makes a good photo op
Feb. 21: Wool immersion dyeing; dip or total immersion; could be used by people who need to dye their yarn for the Summer & Winter rugs
March 13: “Stamps and Clamps” resist cotton dyeing
March 27: Wool felt or roving dyeing
April 10: Cotton tray dyeing
April 24: Wool variegated dyeing
May 8: Cotton dyeing, TBA, but with an emphasis on a technique interesting to quilters
May 22: Wool dyeing; same as Feb. 21
Summer: Natural dyeing, eco dyeing, dyeing for quilters
Fall: 8-color value garment (Hippari Jacket in Hands On Dyeing book), Across the color wheel scarves (also in the Hands on Dyeing book), These could or could not be some part of Fibers and Beyond

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

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].

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—February 3, from Sharon Allen
Saturday, February 3, 12-3pm 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!

Madelyn Van der Hoogt Class Opportunity, from Sharon Allen
I will be attending Weaving II (2) with Madelyn Van der Hoogt in August of 2018. I am excited to attend and would be even more excited if I got to share the experience with one of my fellow Guild members. Let me know if this is something that you are interested in. Sharon Allen 360-305-0111.

Regional Renewable Fiber Resources Network, from Carol Berry
The Pacific Northwest Fiber Web has been meeting since 2013 for the purpose of building a community of fiber producers and fiber artists on the Olympic Peninsula and around the Pacific Northwest. In 2016 they concluded that the best way to achieve this goal is to create a full-service fiber-processing mill that they are calling Twisted Strait Fibers, a nod to our proximity to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Some of our Whatcom county sheep growers are members of the cooperative.
For more about this network of farmer/fiber producers and fiber artists, and a wonderful informational video about wool, renewal resources, and sustainability in Western Washington, go to their website: https://www.twistedstraitfibers.com/

As Knitters, Weavers, Felters, Spinners, Farmers, Teachers, we are part of the Northwest Fibershed network!

Announcements

Save the date, start planning! HGA Convergence! Submitted by Marcia Ford.
Time to announce the 2018 Handweavers Guild of America conference Convergence 2018! It will be held next year at Peppermill Resort and Casino in Reno Nevada. Dates are July 6-12, 2018. I have attended a number of Convergences over the years and always have found them inspiring with exhibits, workshops, and opportunity to see first hand what is happening in our fiber community on a wider scale. Last year, few attended from WWG at Convergence 2017 in Milwaukee. However, it’s a great opportunity to learn lots, meet many, and have the opportunity to share rooms, transportation, memories. I hope our members will consider a Convergence experience.

ANWG Thoughts, from Liz Moncrief
Many thanks to all Whatcom Guild members for the Guild's membership in the Association of Northwest Weavers Guilds. If you don't know about ANWG, please ask Liz Moncrief, your Guild Representative. Being a member of the Whatcom Weavers Guild automatically entitles you to the benefits of ANWG, which include member registration to weavers conferences, held every two years. Our 2017 conference held in Victoria, BC was a huge success and may allow the ANWG board to issue financial grants again to the member guilds.

Master Spinning Class, from Sheri Ward
We are excited that Olds College will be offering a Master Spinner Class, Level 1, at the Jansen Art Center, May 18-22. Olds College, based near Calgary, Alberta, is one of the few colleges offering textile classes: master spinning and master weaving classes among them. They offer only a few off-site classes, and none on the west coast of the US, so this is a great opportunity for spinners in our area.
Participants can register online at https://oldscollegece.augusoft.net/ by searching (by menu or search option) for the Master Spinner Level 1 - Lynden, WA offering. Or they can do so by phone, by calling Olds College Continuing Education toll free: 1-800-661-6537, ext 2
You might note that the course doesn't appear on the Olds College website (oldscollege.ca) currently. That's only a temporary delay - this month they’ve been transitioning to a new website for the whole college, so changes to the old website are temporarily halted. Everything should appear there normally in February. That won't impact participants' ability to register, as the online registration system is a separate website, and the phone number leads to someone who has all the course information.
This is a 5-day intensive class, and the fee is $940. If you plan to stay in Lynden during this class, the Inn at Lynden will have special room rates available for participants. Please call the Inn at 360-746-8597 for reservations and let them know you are part of this class. More information about the Inn can be found at www.innatlynden.com.
For information about master spinner certificates please click here.

From Barbara Young:
We have a great outreach opportunity coming up in March at the Everson Library. We will be there from 1:00 to 4:00 on Saturday, March 10, with demonstrations and hands-on activities for all ages and all skill levels. There will be a variety of inexpensive looms — pin looms, cardboard looms, etc. — that the public will be able to use for “make and take” projects, as well as demonstrations and other hands-on experiences. You can bring your own table looms or rigid heddle looms to demonstrate, or help the public make and take projects of their own. Join us as we introduce potential new weavers to the joys of weaving! For more information, contact Barbara Young ([email protected]).

Visit the Whatcom Museum for a dazzling array of baskets in three exhibitions!

ROOTED, REVIVED, REINVENTED: BASKETRY IN AMERICA
FEBRUARY 3 – MAY 6, 2018
LIGHTCATCHER BUILDING | 250 FLORA STREET
This exhibition showcases 93 objects, from historical baskets rooted in local landscapes and shaped by cultural traditions, to contemporary baskets featuring non-traditional designs, materials, and techniques. Rooted, Revived, Reinvented is generously sponsored in part by the National Basketry Organization, the University of Missouri, the Windgate Charitable Foundation, the Center for Craft, Creativity, and Design, and numerous private donors. Additional support is provided by the Northwest Basket Weavers Vi Phillips Guild, the City of Bellingham, the Whatcom Museum Advocates, and the Whatcom Museum Foundation.

GATHERED TOGETHER: A SHOW OF WORK CELEBRATING MEMBERS OF THE NORTHWEST BASKET WEAVERS GUILD
FEBRUARY 3 – MAY 6, 2018
OLD CITY HALL | 121 PROSPECT STREET
View a selection of artwork at Old City Hall by members of the Northwest Basket Weavers Guild in an exhibition juried by Lisa Telford and Katherine Lewis, artists featured in Rooted, Revived, Reinvented.

HIDDEN IN THE BUNDLE: A LOOK INSIDE THE WHATCOM MUSEUM’S BASKETRY COLLECTION
FEBRUARY 3 – MAY 6, 2018
OLD CITY HALL | 121 PROSPECT STREET
Curated by Rebecca Hutchins, Curator of Collections, Hidden in the Bundle features a selection of baskets from the Museum’s extensive Native American and First Nations collection. Representing different eras and cultures, the baskets showcase unique, innovative, and even playful elements of design or decoration.

Image credits from left: Kate Anderson, Lichtenstein Teapot/Girl with Ribbon, 2005; Waxed linen, stainless steel, 9 x 10.5 x 2 in. Lent by David and Jacqueline Charak. Courtesy of the University of Missouri. Carrying basket, Salish. Gift of the Estate of Carl Cary. Whatcom Museum #1992.7.24. Jane Sauer; At Last, 1999. Waxed linen, 21 x 13 x 8 in. Courtesy of the University of Missouri. Joanne Segal Brandford, Shoulder, c.1986. Bamboo, paint, 10.5 x 16 x 9 in. Courtesy of the University of Missouri. Lois Russell, Magic Bus, 2012; Waxed linen, 9.25 x 11.5 x 10.5 in. Courtesy of the University of Missouri.

Join us for a variety of related programs highlighting the art of basketry.
Visit whatcommuseum.org/events for more details.

MEMBER PREVIEW RECEPTION FOR ROOTED, REVIVED, REINVENTED: BASKETRY IN AMERICA
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 5 – 7 PM; LIGHTCATCHER
FOR MEMBERS ONLY
Meet a few participating artists while enjoying light appetizers, wine, and live music. Opening simultaneously is Jeweled Objects of Desire: From Ordinary to Extraordinary traveling from the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

DOCENT TOURS OF ROOTED, REVIVED, REINVENTED: BASKETRY IN AMERICA
THURSDAYS, SATURDAYS, AND SUNDAYS, 1:30 PM,
BEGINNING FEBRUARY 10; LIGHTCATCHER; INCLUDED WITH ADMISSION/MEMBERS FREE
Take a docent-led tour of two combined exhibitions, Rooted, Revived, Reinvented and Jeweled Objects of Desire. Tours last one hour and begin in the lobby of the Lightcatcher.

DOCENT TOURS OF GATHERED TOGETHER BY NORTHWEST BASKET WEAVERS GUILD
SUNDAYS, FEBRUARY 11, MARCH 11, AND APRIL 8, 1:30 PM; OLD CITY HALL
INCLUDED WITH ADMISSION/MEMBERS FREE
Members of the Northwest Basket Weavers Guild will lead tours of the juried exhibition, Gathered Together, to discuss some of the techniques, designs, and materials used.

NATURALLY SPEAKING: A PANEL OF NW ARTISTS DISCUSS FINE ART BASKETRY
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2 – 3 PM; OLD CITY HALL
INCLUDED WITH ADMISSION/MEMBERS FREE
Northwest Designer Craftsmen presents a moderated panel of internationally recognized Northwest fine art basketry artists. Panelists will respond to questions about their use of techniques, materials, and influences from moderator Layne Goldsmith, Fiber Arts Professor Emeritus, University of Washington. A reception will follow the event.

MUSEUM ADVOCATES: TWO BASKET ARTISTS DISCUSS THEIR ARTWORK
THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 11:30 AM COFFEE, NOON PROGRAM; OLD CITY HALL; FREE
Basket makers Lisa Telford and Lanny Bergner, whose artworks are included in Rooted, Revived, Reinvented, will discuss their techniques, materials, and inspiration.

WHATCOM MUSEUM BASKET DAY WORKSHOPS
SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 10 AM – 3:30 PM; LIGHTCATCHER
$65 WORKSHOP FEE (MATERIALS INCLUDED)
Skilled basket makers from the Northwest Basket Weavers Guild will lead four unique basketry workshops: birch bark basket, banded bowl basket, diamond embellished market basket, or translucent twine and paper basket. Instructors will share their knowledge and talents in natural basket weaving techniques. Students will take home their finished woven basket. Registration is limited to 10 participants per workshop. For more information and to register visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3233038.

ROOTED, REVIVED, REINVENTED CURATORS SHARE AN INTIMATE VIEW
SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 1 PM CURATORS’ LECTURE; 2:30 PM CURATORS’ GALLERY TOUR; OLD CITY HALL & LIGHTCATCHER
INCLUDED WITH ADMISSION/MEMBERS FREE
Enjoy a lively discussion in Old City Hall with Kristin Schwain entitled “Canastromania: Or How Basket Fever Transformed American Basketry from 1890 to 1940,” followed by an informative gallery tour at the Lightcatcher with Jo Stealey.

COMMUNITY ART MUSEUM DAY: THINKING OUTSIDE THE BASKET
SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 10 AM – 4 PM; LIGHTCATCHER
$3 GENERAL ADMISSION/MEMBERS FREE
Visit the Museum today and celebrate the innovation and reinvention of basket art. Experience basketry demonstrations, participate in hands-on activities, and meet with basket artists to learn about their work.

Image credits from left: Lois Russell, Magic Bus, 2012; Waxed linen, 9.25 x 11.5 x 10.5 in. Courtesy of the University of Missouri. Lisa Telford, Evening Out, 2007. Red and yellow cedar bark, 5.5 x 3.125 x 8 in. Courtesy of the University of Missouri. Joanne Segal Brandford, Shoulder, c.1986. Bamboo, paint, 10.5 x 16 x 9 in. Courtesy of the University of Missouri.

For Sale

Nilus Leclerc maple jack loom- 4 harness —$700.00 Great Condition!
56” W x 36” D x 44” H — Folds to 29” W 46” weaving width
Includes: Two 46” reeds - 8 and 12 dent
Wire heddles, with many extras
Ratchet brake
Swedish Bobbin Winder ($100 Value)
Boat shuttles and Bobbins
Please contact Jane Coombs 360 398-1637 or [email protected]

Arthur Allen 30" counterblance loom, $200.
4- shaft, 6 pedals. 12-dent reed.
No bench or other hardware.
Cloth aprons front and back, with new lashing to apron bars.
Loom folds for easy storage or transport.
Fits in the back of a Prius.
Kelley Dragon. Text 321-506-5985, or email [email protected]

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 $500.00. Phone 360 305 0111.