June 2022 Newsletter

This is my second spring in Bellingham, and I think I was too immersed in settling in last year to really notice the colors around me. I think I was absorbing the meta scapes, the mountains and rivers, the lakes, and the ocean. This year, however, the newness has worn off and I'm seeing the movement of the seasons through the landscape.

What I'm seeing is a riot of color. I walk my neighborhood regularly with my dogs and the last month has been an explosion - so many shades of pink and purple! And then the greens as the leaves stretched out. I've been astonished at the variety and number of rhododendrons in this area, sometimes I take different routes just to see what other neighborhoods look like. Of course, certain color combinations make me wonder how I could weave them.

The pups and I also hike quite a bit up in the woods and have come across beautiful displays of color. I find great delight in noticing new colors unfold and I've been taking lots of pictures for inspiration. I came upon this particular patch of blooms on a hillside and immediately recognized that I already had been drawn to that color combo before and had some beautiful 2/18 merino in those exact shades. I'm now contemplating how I will weave it; my original impulse is to weave a shawl with these colors as a woven-in tablet band a la Inge Dam. I've never tried this before, so it would be a stretch, but I do love a challenge! Where it falls in the long queue remains to be seen, perhaps some time for research and marination.

The other thing that I am noticing with wider eyes this year is just how amazing our guild is. The strength, vitality, and longevity of a guild lie in the active participation of members, and I really saw that in our elections last month. Many guilds struggle as the same few people do all the work, and we have a large guild with many hands needed to keep thriving. But what I noticed is that several board members were ready to be done with their position and instead of leaving the board, they chose to take on a new role. Brava to them and those who are continuing in their board positions. Thank you to those who stepped up for the first time, we value your input and know that you have a great support system as you learn your new role.

A big shout out to Jan Burton and Mary Oates who are retiring after many years of service to the board and the guild. Thank you both for all you have put into the guild, your contributions have enriched and strengthened the foundation of our guild. Many thanks, too, for Carol Berry and her willingness to continue to lead our guild, ensuring a strong and smooth transition to the future. I'm grateful for the way she warmly welcomes people into the guild and enthusiastically encourages and supports people to be active weavers.

Yup, we've got a pretty great group here. Enthusiasm and support, a riot of colors. What more could we ask for? I hope to see many of you at our June meeting which will be held by Zoom, I'm especially looking forward to seeing what you did for your guild challenge. (For those feeling impossibly behind on this, just know that I'm right there with you - still haven't wound the warp but I'm sure I'll have it done in time!)

LeslieAnn, Vice President

News from Committees and Interest Groups

Skill Share Space at the Bellingham Public Library

As part of the Education and Outreach Committee we have in past years presented a Small Looms group in the Skill Share Space at the Bellingham Public Library, located at 210 Central Avenue. It is designed to introduce, and hopefully spark interest in, the craft of weaving to the public. We are focused on the use of small looms to show that it doesn’t have to be an expensive or space-consuming activity. We show frame looms, pin looms, tapestry looms, rigid heddle looms, tiny beginner looms, and cardboard looms you can make yourself. We answer a LOT of questions, recommend resources for information and supplies and even let people try it out themselves.

After a two-year break for Covid, we are starting this program again, in a larger newly remodeled space with an upgraded ventilation system. Now we are asking for a few volunteers to come to chat with people and demonstrate what they do on a small loom. We don’t need many and you don’t have to commit to every session. We would like to have 3-4 minimum at each session. We are scheduled for the first Saturday of each month from Noon to 3:00 p.m. If you could come and promote the Guild on an occasional Saturday and meet some really wonderful people please contact: Mary Oates at 360-961-0686, [email protected], or Sheila Atwater at 360-201 0818, [email protected] and let us know.

P.S. We also visit a lot and get to know each other quite well. There is a lot of giggling and storytelling going on as well.

From Diane Banks, Member at Large / ANWG Representative

In case you missed the quarterly edition of the ANWG (Association of Northwest Weavers Guilds) newsletter here is the link.
Members from all 56 guilds were invited to join via Zoom at the ANWG Annual Membership Meeting on Saturday, June 11, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. One of the highlights of the event was a PowerPoint Show and Share. Our photo for this event was the word cloud created by Nancy Ridenour with your many words that expressed your joy of fiber.

News on the ANWG Conference in Bend, Oregon, June 11-18, 2023:

We have a booth reserved! So far, we have the design team, set-up, and a tracker in place along with a growing list of volunteers. If you are interested in being a volunteer or a lead for transportation (going to, or returning from), booth take down, or documentation of the event, please email me at [email protected] and I will happily add you to the list. Many hands make light work.

And finally something to consider over the next few months . . .

The theme for ANWG’s Fiber Connections reads: “Fiber Connections celebrates all the connections that are made as a result of the coming together of fibers and people”. One way that you can show your connections with fiber is by entering the Open Show and Juried Show Exhibits.

The non-juried show is designed to encourage all weavers, spinners, and fiber artists to take the big step of putting their work out on display. This show is also ideal for anyone who has not entered work in prior shows.
Guidelines and entry forms for the Open Show can be found at the Conference website. There is no fee to enter.

The Juried Show has an entry fee per item is $15 US and must accompany the online entry available January 15, 2023 at Juried Show – ANWG 2023 Conference (anwgconference2023.com).

Upcoming Guild Programs

Whatcom Weavers Guild’s General Meeting, June 18, 2022 – Zoom only

The June 18 meeting will be Zoom only. The efforts to set up a Zoom and in-person meeting for June 18 were not successful. We just don't have the technology fine-tuned at this point. Additionally, between vacation travel, other obligations, and COVID-19 safety concerns, only a few members RSVP'd that they would attend an in-person meeting on June 18. We will meet via zoom, social time starting at 9:30 a.m., business meeting at 10:00 a.m., followed by Show and Tell, and a special slide presentation of our Guild Challenge projects!
Send your photos to Susan Torntore at [email protected] - all “hot off the loom/needles” items and Guild Challenge pieces.

from Carol Berry
President, Whatcom Weavers Guild

Upcoming meetings

July 16 and August 20, 2022: Look for forthcoming information about these meetings via email and in the July and August newsletters.

September 17: TBD
October 15: Flóra Carlile-Kovács
November 19: Judy Zugish on Basketry
December 17: Jane Stafford on a Weaving Trip to Ethiopia
January 21, 2023: --Our own Donna Hunter and Lisa Nakama presenting Felting

February 18: Amanda Gilvin.
Everyone who loves textiles knows about kente cloth from Ghana, but there are many other beautiful weaving styles from West Africa. Dr. Amanda Gilvin, an art historian who has done research in West Africa since 1999, is available to give a Zoom presentation on three types of weaving done in the West African country of Niger--the téra-tera, the sakala, and the kounta. In her talk “A Bird’s Eye View of Textiles from Niger,” Dr. Gilvin will talk about the people who make the textiles and the techniques that they use. The talk also includes an introduction to the DIMA School in Niamey, Niger, where instructor Abdoulwahid Goumer is teaching a new generation of artists the weaving skills that he has perfected during his decades working at the Musée National Boubou Hama du Niger.

March 18: Kelly Marshall with Weaving by Design.
A broad spectrum talk on design, rep weave, and the development of a weaving business.

April 18: Linda Hartshorn presenting a Textile Tour of Guatemala.
Guatemala is a beautiful country of highland lakes, towering volcanoes, and amazing handwoven textiles. The modern-day Maya, whose ancestors built pyramids and studied the stars, continue their traditional weaving of complex fabrics on simple backstrap looms. Take a virtual tour of this fascinating country from a weaver's perspective. View vivid images on PowerPoint, examine many wonderful textiles, and hear fascinating stories from the auspicious time of December 2012, the end of the calendar, and the beginning of a new era in Mayan Cosmology.

How to submit Show and Tell for monthly meetings

Whatcom Weavers Guild Library

WWG Equipment Library

The Guild has equipment for short-term loan to members. J ust 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 [email protected] 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.

Library Spotlight #8 by a happy Guild member!
Two Very Different Books for Weaving Tapestries

#1 Tapestry Weaving by Kirsten Glasbrook

This lovely book takes you through the entire process of tapestry weaving. While perfect for beginners, intermediate weavers may also find a lot of helpful information and colorful inspiration. To quote the cover notes, “Many of Kirsten’s designs have a mystical, mythological or meditative theme, and some are inspired by the written word.”

The author first takes you through the process of selecting the appropriate materials and looms for your projects, the equipment you will need, and mounting and framing considerations. Then she gives a lot of very well-photographed information on techniques, from warping the loom and preparing weft yarns, to soumak, pick- &-pick, hatching, diagonal shapes and curves, vertical slits, distorted weft, and other ways to complete your design. Then she gives all sorts of ideas for finishing the ends, vs. mounting and framing.

And it doesn’t end there. She has many projects included, and several of them illustrate further techniques, such as curved and irregular edges.

The danger for me with writing these Library Spotlights is that my personal library is increasing, as I fall in love with some books that go on my must-have list. This book is one of them!

#2 Tapestry Design: Basics and Beyond by Tommye McClure Scanlin

While there is a brief Appendix collection of tapestry weaving basics at the end of the book, this one is definitely not for beginners! Rather it is a spiral-bound comprehensive design workbook for the weaver who is ready to expand repertoire and push limits of artistic considerations.

A list of the chapter titles will give you some idea of what to expect:
Design Fundamentals (e.g., Line, Shape, Color, etc; Balance, Proportion, etc.; The Rule of Thirds, Contrast, etc.)
Design Exploration (Examining the Design Space, Elements, Principles, etc)
Discover Your Ideas and Expand Them
Look What You’ve Designed - and Move Ahead (Critiques, Cartoons, Presentation, etc.)
Conclusion: Looking Ahead - What Comes Next?

The author, a university-level professor with over 45 years of experience, is clearly a very accomplished artist, and she has included many, many full-color photographs of her own and other artists’ tapestries to illustrate her ideas and plans. Treat yourself to a college-level course in your own home with this amazing book!

Announcements

Dear Whatcom Weavers,

The Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum is once again presenting its annual International Quilt & Fiber Arts Festival, October 7-9, 2022, at the Edward D. Hansen Conference Center in Everett, WA. Click here for more information, including details of the Call for Entries. Please help us ensure the success of this Festival by passing this information along to your Guild members and encouraging them to enter. We know the Pacific Northwest is home to many talented quilt and fiber art artists and we would love to be able to include them all in our exhibit!

This is a juried and judged exhibit, with three cash prizes being offered. $500 for Best in Show (must be a judged piece), $500 for People’s Choice – Quilts, and $500 for People’s Choice – Fiber Art & Wearables. Visit this page for more information or contact the Museum at (360) 466-4288.

Thank you for your assistance in supporting the Museum.

Sandy Hatfield
Member, Board of Directors

Amy Green
Executive Director
(360) 466-4288 ext 103
www.qfamuseum.org

From the Jansen

Judy Zugish -- Basketry Exhibit & Classes Coming in the Fall

Coming this fall, the J will host two one-day basketry workshops by Judy Zugish, a wonderful basketry artist based in Marysville. Along with the workshops, there will be an exhibit of basketry, including Judy’s work, but also open to entries from our guild members.

The workshops will be:
Nov. 5 & 18: Bark Weaving a Pouch, and Petrichor (willow bark weaving)

These workshops are both appropriate for beginning basketry makers.
Judy will also be presenting the guild program on Nov. 19. We will be making her presentation and that of Flora Carlisle Kovács (in October) accessible remotely as well as in person.

If you would like to have your baskets included in the exhibit, some dates to keep in mind:
Submissions by Sept. 19
Delivery of artwork: by Oct. 15
Exhibit on display: Oct. 20 - Jan. 6

Flora Carlisle Kovács Felting Workshops and Exhibit

We are delighted that Flora Carlisle Kovács will be returning to the J this fall to teach a couple of workshops and to present the guild program on Oct. 15. There will also be an exhibit of Flora’s felting work, and that of felters from our own guild.

Her workshops will be:
Oct. 13 & 14: Mosaic Scarf & Felted Jewelry

If you would like to have your felting included in the exhibit, some dates to remember:
Submissions by June 20 - coming soon!
Delivery of artwork: by July 9
Exhibit on display: July 14- Oct. 15

Textile Studio Move-in at the J

As many of you know, the Textile Studio has been in the process of a move from the back studio to what was once the dance studio. We are now nearly settled, and the arrival of some new shelving will definitely help.

Over the winter, we were the recipients of a generous donation from Graham Humphrey. Graham is a healthy and hale 95-year-old who has been weaving since age 20. He finally decided he just didn’t want to weave any more. He donated a 56” Macomber 8-harness loom, along with several tools, and a whole wall-full of yarn that was in his garage.

We’ve decided to sell the yarn by the ounce on the honor system, for about half retail. Wool will be $1.50 per ounce, cotton and other cellulose $1.00 per ounce.

Next Jane Stafford Study Group at the J

We are now ready to start another Jane Stafford Study group at the J. We’re considering Season 5, Episode 8, “Blended Lace.” You’d be weaving a lovely scarf with a cotton warp and silk weft. Interested? Please contact Sheri Ward, [email protected].

Classes and Dye Days at the J

The Textile Studio has a new schedule of classes for spring and summer quarters:

Weaving Classes

Summer & Winter Weaving with Sheri Ward, Tuesdays-Fridays, June 7-17
Introduction to Rigid Heddle Weaving with Leslie Ann Bestor, July 12 & 13
Beginning Weaving with Marcia Ford, Aug. 10-31
Introduction to Rigid Heddle Weaving with Leslie Ann Bestor, Aug. 13

Kids’ classes

Fiber Fun, ages 6-9, with Leslie Ann Bestor, July 19-22
Kids’ Rigid Heddle, ages 10-14, with Leslie Ann Bestor, July 26-29
Fiber Sampler, ages 10-14, with Leslie Ann Bestor, Aug. 16-19

Inkle Looms, ages 6-9, with Leslie Ann Bestor, Aug. 23-26

Felting classes

Felted Picture with Donna Hunter, Thursday, July 21

Dye Days: generally the first Thursday of the month

Indigo Dyeing, Thursday, July 7
Ice Dyeing, Thursday, Aug. 4
J Anniversary Event: Indigo Dip, Saturday, Aug. 6
Eco-Dyeing, fourth Saturday of the month: July 23 & Aug. 27

Knit and crochet group

Third Tuesdays of the month: June 21; off during summer.

For any of these classes or workshops, check the J's website for details. Events for the summer quarter will appear on the website in early June.

Robyn Spady’s workshop, Extreme Warp Make-Over

The Spady workshop planned for May 2022 has been rescheduled for May 2023. Stay tuned for details as the time draws closer!

Studio Showcase Exhibit

The Studio Showcase Exhibit at the Jansen Art Center is now on display and will be there until July 8. Be sure to stop by and have a look!

Classified Ads

No classifieds were received for this month’s newsletter.

In Search Of (ISO)

This newsletter section was added in our monthly February newsletter. Just another resource for us and our pocketbooks!

Each month look for In Search Of next to the Classifieds. It can be asking for a cone of 8/2, a partial cone of 3/2, or accessories that you don't want to pay top dollar for. You get the idea! So that means it’s appropriate to ask for Free items in addition to things you are willing to pay for.

Calendar of events of interest to Guild members!

Please contribute details of upcoming events of interest to WWG members to [email protected] !

Slow Yarn Crawl PNW
May 27 – September 5, 2022
http://www.slowcrawl.com/

Convergence 2022 – Handweavers Guild of America (HGA)
July 15-22, 2022
Knoxville, TN
https://weavespindye.org/convergence/

Members’ Retreat by American Tapestry Alliance at Convergence 2022
July 19-21, 2022
Knoxville, TN
https://americantapestryalliance.org/tapestry-education/convergence/

Northwest Washington Fair
August 11-20, 2022
NW Fairgrounds and Event Center, Lynden, WA
https://www.nwwafair.com/

2023 ANWG Conference (Association of Northwest Weavers’ Guilds)
June 11-18, 2023
Riverhouse Convention Center, Bend, OR
https://northwestweavers.org/conferences/fiber-connections-2023-salem-or/

Submitting content for the newsletter

The deadline for submitting content for the newsletter is 5:00 p.m. on the last Sunday of the month. 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 newsletter content to Marion via her e-mail address in the Membership list or to [email protected]. For photos and images, please send individual JPEG files. 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 her if you have questions.