January 2022 Newsletter

Finished! And beginning again…

Finished. Towels, napkins, scarves, and even a vest for my husband, out of my own handwoven yardage! Wrapped, given, unwrapped. Ok, the vest turned out a little too big, and has to be altered. And a pair of pajamas was a little late getting hemmed, but those are now done too. The last chocolate truffle in our house has been consumed. Soup is simmering on the stove. The plan for this afternoon is to spend some time with the 2022 Big Seed catalog and finish off the stollen. After all, somebody has to do it. In between these important tasks, I’ve cleaned ice off the inside of the windows! Not going anywhere until it thaws a bit.

The last week of December and the first week of January are traditionally when I look back, assess the year’s accomplishments and think about the year to come. 2021 was a year of learning, through online workshops. My first and overall goal for 2022 is to review and put what I have learned into practice, dyeing and weaving. The second – to move past the considering stage and get going on my piece for the annual Guild Challenge! Another annual goal, ever since I can remember, has been to get organized. I reach an age this year, where I probably need to re-think that goal, and accept what is. It is just possible that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing, in the way I am meant to be doing it. This may be as good as it gets. And, looking around, I see friends, color and fiber. It’s a good life! Thanks so much to all of you for being a part of it.

According to the Almanac, Winter ends on March 20, 2022. From January 1, that’s just 79 days until Spring begins on March 20! Outside, though it’s frosty frozen right now, according to the ten-day forecast, the snow will be gone by the time you read this. I hope you are all comfy, cozy and content.

All the Best,

​
Carol Berry, President

Retablo November 2021

Deflected Double Weave Study Group project

A view from my Loom

Upcoming Guild Programs

January 15, 2022    -    Kennita Tully  –  Soumak

Learn more about Kennita on her website called My Tapestry Journeys.

Kennita is a tapestry artist, author, and teacher living in Pottawatomie County, Kansas. She recently returned to tapestry in late 2017 after a 30-year career as a knitwear designer. Intrigued by the interconnections of life, she attempts to discover the world around her and return those discoveries back through tapestry.

It was this pursuit that led her to explore special techniques to better communicate her message. This led to a long period of research into what she calls “The Many Faces of Soumak.” She now teaches a comprehensive online course on the subject.

Kennita has a BFA in textiles and photography from Murray State University in Murray, KY and an MA from University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her work has been published in numerous magazines and she teaches workshops nationally and internationally on a regular basis as well as online classes through her website. She recently began to exhibit her tapestries in the fall of 2019.
 
She is a current member of several fiber organizations, including the American Tapestry Alliance, British Tapestry Group, and Handweavers Guild of America.

She will be presenting Soumak to our guild.

February 19, 2022   –   Ruby Leslie   –   Color and Design

Ruby Leslie is a full-time weaver and studio artist in northern Vermont, designing handwovens as Ruby Charuby Weavings. Using off the shelf commercial yarn, Ruby has developed design techniques for creating stunning textiles that appear custom-dyed or hand-painted. Her experience designing swatches for Handwoven magazine’s ‘Color Forecast’ series, and her deep-rooted enthusiasm for sampling and experimenting led to the development of her classes. Ruby has taught above the Arctic Circle in northern Norway and Greenland, at Convergences, regional conferences and guilds throughout the United States. She was one of three weaver/designer teams invited by the Handweavers Guild of America to create a collaborative runway ensemble for the second Design Fashion Challenge at Convergence 2010 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The rhythms of her looms inspired her children to produce a rap music video “Getya Loom Goin” for their “Ma, theWeava” which you can find here on youtube.

March 19, 2022   –   Anastasia Azure   –   Handweaving as Expressive Art

Anastasia Azure hand weaves sculptural art for interiors to evoke serenity and well-being by exploring the elegance of geometry. Interlacing hand-dyed nylon with wire, her billowing forms are sought internationally for residential, hospitality, wellness and public spaces. Sculptures are made to order, customizable in size and color.

Anastasia Azure shares the development story of her sculptural woven art and jewelry. By transforming the double-weave technique, she incorporates contemporary materials and traditional metalsmithing to create fiber art. Elegant geometry, complex science, and spirituality inspire her.
 
This interactive virtual presentation shows the cross-cultural, symbolic nature of mandalas and elemental shapes. Anastasia insightfully shares why she makes artwork and what she brings to the world. As a guide towards higher creativity, she explains her design approach to create artistically expressive handwoven cloth.

All information and images taken from her website.

Here’s a reminder about the current plan for meetings. Our Guild meetings begin at 10:00 a.m. with a business meeting. By about 11:00 a.m. there is usually a short break, followed by the program. A Zoom link is sent to members about a day prior to the meeting and program. While online, please keep yourself muted unless you are the speaker. During a program, it usually works best for most to have their device cameras clicked off though presenters sometimes ask for cameras to be on to gauge about questions.

Announcements

WWG Members!

Membership renewals are due this month.  In order to update our files, we are asking everyone to fully complete a 2022 Membership Form.  (Click Here for Membership Form)  Please mail your check and form to the address at the bottom of the form. Also, please fill out the entire form. Writing “same” or “no changes” is not enough. We may need to refer back to a form to make sure our information is accurate. Also, for updating

our directory we want to know if your interests have changed from last year's form. Thanks for supporting your Guild!

from Jan Burton, Membership chair

Seattle Weavers’ Guild workshops

Click to the Workshops page for more information.

Color, Design, and Weave on an Inkle loom
Friday, March 25

Baltic Pickup
Saturday, March 26

Color Pickup
Sunday, March 27

Red Alder Fiber Arts Retreat

February 17-20, 2022
Hotel Murano, Tacoma, WA

Click to the website for information on Events, Marketplace, Classes, Blog, mailing list and more. Please email fellow WWG members or post on the WWG closed Facebook page if interested in carpooling to Tacoma on any day to visit and shop at the Marketplace.

Here are the weaving related classes:

Class with Jennifer Williams
Sat Feb 19, all day: Telar Mapuche: Band Weaving on a Frame Loom

Classes with Rebecca Mezoff, teacher. All are closed or full:

Thu Feb 17, all day: Beginning tapestry weaving: how to get started in one day
Sat Feb 19, morning: Troubleshooting common problems in tapestry
Sat Feb 19, afternoon: Finishing your tapestry: techniques to finish and mount your tapestries
Sun Feb 20, all day: Special effects in tapestry: transparency

​​The Stehekin Spinning Rendezvous

​Hosted by Stehekin Valley Ranch
June 3-6, 2022
For more information, click here, call 509-682-4677, or email to [email protected].

Jane Stafford Online Guild

If you are a member of the Jane Stafford Online Guild aka JST School of Weaving Please email Sharon Allen at  [email protected].  She is looking for members to invite to the monthly Zoom meetings.  There is no obligation to participate in group projects, but she doesn't want you to miss out on the fun!

From members

From Sharon Allen

For everyone that has gifted a kitchen towel only to be told, "Oh, that's just too pretty to use" you might like to check this item out from Target.  It is item #76546149.  I chose black, but it is available in other finishes.

From Jan Smiley

Bronson Lace towels. Warp was 8/2 cotolin, weft was mostly 8/2 cotton. These kitchen towels are the first project I wove on my new to me oak Fireside loom. I’m hoping to begin my first 8-shaft warp soon!

From Sigrid Schumacher

Workshop for Lunatic Fringe 5/2 Jewel Tones kit. This was only the second workshop I've taken and my first on zoom.  This workshop had been highly recommended to me by an individual from a different guild at the time I purchased her 4-shaft floor loom. I thought the course was great as it covered so many different topics (color, block design and double weave).  I have a good deal of new respect for plain weave!  I really enjoyed being able to not only learn new weave structures and theory but also weave practical items including a holiday scarf, purse insert, and rug mugs with matching trivet.  Plus, two projects (purse and trivet) allow me to incorporate rainbow woven straps and trim created in my inkle study group. Although the block design required an 8-shaft loom it was still very interesting to me as she did a wonderful job of explaining a complex concept.  I am looking forward to doing another rainbow warp on an 8-shaft loom and creating a beautiful runner.  I think this is a great indicator of a workshop's success.

Book Reviews by a happy Guild member!

Spin To Weave: The Weaver’s Guide to Making Yarn by Sara Lamb

First of all, this is not a how-to-spin book. Rather, it is a resource for those who already know the basics of hand spinning techniques and terminology and are enticed by the idea of customizing their handspun yarns to suit their weaving projects. To quote author Sara Lamb, “I am a spinner who weaves, which gives me great freedom in my cloth...”

Sara Lamb primarily concerns herself with the fiber content and construction of yarns designed ultimately for wearables or household items, although the concepts can certainly be applied for tapestry or other projects. In Chapter 1: Samples & Fabric, beautiful color photographs of samples and woven fabrics illustrate her discussions of how fiber type, s or z spin, etcetera will affect the finished fabrics, and how best to decide on weaving sett., structure and finishing methods. In the section on “Adding Color”, she also discusses various approaches to dyeing and color blending at length, then designing your fabrics with windings and sampling.

In Chapter 2: Use That Yarn! Stories of Fabrics, patterns for several very attractive projects are given, with ample information and photographs illustrating her own version of each item, with the caveat of course that you will not expect your own version to be identical. This is about the joy of customizing to suit yourself.

Finally, Chapter 3: Gallery of Handspun Fabrics showcases the work of several other designers/artists for inspiration. ​

Woven to Wear: 17 Thoughtful Designs with Simple Shapes by Marilyn Murphy

The author presents simple ethnic-inspired designs, with full instructions for yarn choices, planning your handwoven fabric designs, finishing the completed fabrics, cutting, sewing and finishing. A glossary of the yarns used follows at the end of the book.

She also gives tips for designing your own garments with handy ideas like using knitting schematics for your shapes, and ideas for embellishing the completed garments. Practical instructions with photos are given for finishing techniques.

This book is recommended as a good starting point for those who are new to weaving and creating handwoven clothing. Those of you who are more experienced will recognize virtually all of her basic shapes: Ponchos and ruanas, tabards, shrugs, etc. However all of you may enjoy perusing the lovely full color photos of clothing designed by 9 professionals, including Anita Mayer, that are supplied for inspiration.

From the Jansen

Northwest Yarns, 10% Discount for Guild Members

​Northwest Yarns in downtown Bellingham is now offering a 10% discount to Whatcom Weavers Guild members, a good incentive to shop locally. They have the Jaggerspun Heather line on hand, Lunatic Fringe cotton, along with other weaving yarns, and a great array of rovings, tools, and knitting yarns.

Classes and Dye Days at the J

The Textile Studio has a new schedule of classes for winter quarter:

Weaving Classes

• Beginning Weaving with Marcia Ford, Wednesdays, Feb. 2-23
• Exploring Overshot with Sheri Ward, Tuesdays, March 15-April 5
• Beginning Tapestry with Val O’Conner, Saturdays, March 5-26

Felting classes

• Felted Hat with Donna Hunter, Saturday, Feb. 5

Dye Days

• The first Thursday of the month
• Wool Immersion & Indigo Dyeing, Thursday, Jan. 6
• Stamp ’n Clamp Dyeing, Thursday, Feb. 3

• Custom-Dyed Napkins, Thursday, March 3

For the spring quarter, we’ll be offering the following, and listings for these will be on the J’s website by March 1, perhaps earlier.

Weaving Classes:

• Beginning Weaving with Sheri Ward, Tuesdays & Fridays, April 26-May 6
• Extreme Warp Make-Over with Robyn Spady, Wednesday-Friday, May 18-20
• Summer & Winter Weaving with Sheri Ward, Tuesdays-Fridays, June 7-17
  

Felting class:

• Felted Bowls with Donna Hunter, Saturday, April 9
  

Spinning class:

• Beginning Spinning with Chris Paul, Tuesday & Saturday, April 26 & 30
  

Dye Days:

• The first Thursday of the month
• Wool Immersion & Indigo Dyeing, Thursday, April 7
  
• Block Printing with Dyes, Thursday, May 5
  
• Dyeing for a Quilt Project, Thursday, June 2

Robyn Spady’s workshop, Extreme Warp Make-Over

The Jansen Textile Studio is excited to offer a workshop by Robyn Spady, well-known weaver and wonderful teacher. Be sure to check your calendar and make time for this great workshop. Here’s Robyn’s description of this workshop:

Hate to warp, but love to weave? Want more versatility from a single warp? Then this is a workshop for you! In this workshop, participants will warp their loom with their choice of one of three four-shaft threadings and perform an extreme makeover and weave it many different ways . . . from twill, lace, and overshot to swivel, corduroy, deflected weft, and double-faced. At the same time, participants are presented with the basics of different structures and how to adapt a single threading to weave a number of different weaves, including concepts such as star vs. rose fashion, weaving on opposites, and echo treadling. Four-shaft loom required.  (Note:  This is not a round-robin workshop.)

Registration for this workshop is expected to open March 1.

For any of these classes or workshops, check the J's website for details, www.jansenartcenter.org. ​

Classified Ads

4 Harness Rasmussen table loom for sale. (Attachable stand with foot treadle option.) 
12 dent reed, extra heddles available. $150. Contact Lee Ingram ([email protected])

Nilus II 8 Shaft Jack Loom with Back Hinge Treadles with a 45-inch weaving width. The Nilus II loom has been designed with a stabilizer foot for better stability. Heddles were updated to 12 ½” inserted eyes for additional ease of use. Includes two reeds (6 and 12 dents) and original owners manual. The loom is in excellent condition. 
 
Asking $800
Contact Sigrid at [email protected] or 360-913-3656. 

Schacht Standard 4 Shaft Floor Loom, 42" weaving width, 2 reeds. This is a very nice sturdy loom in good condition, great for rug weaving and much more!  However, it desperately needs a new home asap. I no longer have space for it. $300 OBO.
Contact: [email protected]

From Member Gail Coleman:

Click to this flyer for information on a discounted WWG members price for a Kairos Inkle Loom with a fingers free shedding device, offered by member Gail Coleman and her husband.  There was a demo at Show and Tell during the July 2021 meeting at the Fairhaven Park's Upper Picnic Shelter.