June 2024 Newsletter

Hello Fiber Friends,

June has arrived, marking the return of summer and the call of the outdoors. Our Guild takes a break over the summer months, with no scheduled meetings during July and August, though there will be plenty of opportunities to gather together (keep your eye out for announcements from Sharon Allen!).

As this year closes out and I prepare to leave both the presidency and the area (*see note below), I've been reflecting on all the ways and places we have gathered as a group this year. We started off the year by hosting a booth at the Evergreen Quilt and Fiber Arts Show in Ferndale. A steering committee and many volunteers came together to create a space that allowed us to showcase both our Outreach programs and the talents of our members. It was a rousing success on both levels and raised money for the guild as well as the members who sold their work and met (exceeded!) our goal of exposing more people to the fiber arts and engaging them with our outreach projects. We are looking forward to participating again in September 2025 and encourage you all to think about weaving/creating work to sell in our booth.

January ushered in the new year and a host of gatherings that brought guild members together to think about what is important to us about the guild and how we can nourish and continue to support the growth of our group. The first was at our monthly meeting in January; bad weather kept the meeting Zoom-only and canceled our speaker at the last minute which lead to a delightful and very touching discussion amongst ourselves about the value each of us gets as a guild member. The stories that were shared all spoke to the same thing - the best thing we get from this group is community.

We were fortunate to have the opportunity the following weekend to attend an online retreat put on by the Handweavers Guild of America. A group of us met at Sharon Allen's to watch a series of panel discussions about challenges facing guilds and ways to strengthen and grow our guilds into the future given all the changes of the last few years. We had some exciting and visionary conversations after the presentations were done and it led to the creation of some committees to address specific aspects of this.

Those committees continue to meet, and we will hear from them at our upcoming meeting; I'm looking forward to hearing their ideas for keeping our guild active and vibrant. On a more informal level, now that the weather has warmed a bit, Wednesday Weavers (aka Driveway Weavers) has resumed, and we've been coming together with our various small projects and show-and-tell pieces to enjoy good conversation, camaraderie, and inspiration. It is also a great way to stay connected through the summer when there are no monthly meetings.

The location for our monthly meetings has been inconsistent this year and the board recognizes this is a problem. We hope to present some ideas and ask for input (and volunteers for a committee!) at our June meeting. Having a consistent location will increase our visibility and make it easier for people to find us.

Leading us forward in that location next year will be our new President, Meg Spaulding. She has stepped forward with enthusiasm, experience with other guilds and some great ideas for handling the many facets of guild-building and sustainability. I think 2024-25 will be an exciting year and I'm looking forward to it!

LeslieAnn Bestor
WWG President 2023-24

*in case you haven't heard - I am moving over the mountains to Tonasket at the beginning of July. I have friends there from back in the day and a small town means everything is close at hand for a non-driver; daughter nearby is the icing on the cake! I will miss this group and the many and deep friendships I have made here. I'm grateful for the web that has been woven during my time here and know those connections will keep me coming back.

Introducing our new WWG President for the upcoming year

As your new Whatcom Weavers President, I wanted to take a few minutes to introduce myself. I started weaving in upstate New York at about 8 years old when my mom brought home a giant floor loom from an antique sale. She wove beautiful pieces of overshot for all kinds of projects around the house and clothing. My sister and I would get to weave when she was at the end of a project. Our attempts weren’t as pretty, but they were usually very colorful. I also had a small rigid heddle loom that I would create scarves and doll blankets with. We moved to Seattle when I was ten, and the loom came too, but It was never set up again. My sister took it back to Virginia about 20 years ago, but never set it up, and eventually sold it.

I started weaving classes about 15 years ago, after dabbling in knitting, sewing, quilting and being a single parent. I loved my little 4 shaft Rasmussen table loom and eventually added an 8 shaft Montana Dundas table loom that looks almost identical. For the guild challenge I decided I really needed a rigid heddle loom, so yup, I have one of those now too. Not sure what the next loom will be……. but maybe a floor loom??

I married my awesome husband, Dan, nine years ago, after a long time of being single. We were both widowed, so we can totally relate to each other. I have one great son, Tom, who is married to a fantastic gal, Claire. They live over in Cheney WA, so I don’t see them as much as I’d like.
I work full-time in the wound clinic at Providence Hospital in Everett. It’s an interesting job, and I like the people. My hobbies include all things fiber, cooking, gardening, watching birds, playing with my cats and weaving.

I’m looking forward to serving as your President and helping to guide Whatcom Weavers into the coming year.

Meg Spaulding
WWG President 2024-2025

2023-2024 Guild Challenge

Please email your challenge photographs and information to me before June 11th: [email protected]

In the subject line write "Show and Tell Challenge."
All photos should be a jpg or jpeg image.
My email can only handle up to 25 MBs in one email; make sure additional emails, if needed, have the same subject line.
Information with each piece should include: warp/weft yarns info; sett; weave structure; finished size; your; any design/pattern/kit credit.
Don't forget to include your Poker Card hand!
Be ready to provide a brief discussion of your piece when each slide is shown.

Looking forward to seeing everyone's work...

News from Committees and Interest Groups

For more descriptions and information about each of the WWG Study Groups, please see our web page for Education.

The Tapestry Focus Group

The Tapestry Focus Group will be on summer hiatus until October. Please see the September 2024 WWG Newsletter for updates. Also watch your emails for any potential summer meet-ups!
[email protected]

The Rigid Heddle Weaving Study Group

The group will meet monthly on zoom at a to be determined day/time, and once a quarter in person for show and tell.
For more questions contact Meg Spaulding at [email protected].

Ikat Study Group

The Ikat Study Group met May 29, for discussion of our latest projects, using primarily natural dyes. Group meetings are on hiatus for the summer. We will meet again in September. The group's final Show and Tell of the year was glorious!
A small selection of photos show a cotton Ikat tote bag in plain weave and a silk scarf in crackle weave by Erica McCurdy; silk Ikat by Cindy Harris, cotton Ikat Scarf by Jan Smiley.
For more information, please contact Carol Berry, [email protected]

Erica McCurdy - Ikat Tote Bag

Erica Crackle Ikat

Cindy Harris Silk Ikat

Ikat Scarf-Jan Smiley

Group Ikat Show and Tell 5-28-2024

Band Weaving Group

The Band Weavers Study Group continues to meet monthly to share our projects learn, and be inspired by one another’s work.
For more information, please contact Cindy Harris, [email protected].

Online Workshop Opportunities

Although we do not currently have a Workshop chairperson, please see our Study Groups page for a list of recommended online courses and other learning opportunities.

Driveway parties (a.k.a The Loomatics) are BACK!

May 1st through September 25th we will be meeting each Wednesday from 12pm to 3pm at the home of Sharon Allen. This is a rain or shine mid-week event for us to get together, bring a project to work on, a small snack to share if you'd like, and join other members of the guild in community and friendship.

There will be a loom to work on soon with the Guilds ANWG name tag project as well as access to the guild equipment library to check out items that you may be curious about how they may be useful in your "Fiber Pursuits."

Bring:

Project to work on
Chair (Sharon has several, but just in case)
Snack to share (only if it's easy...we always have enough)
Reminder, this is a Rain or Shine event. Until it warms up a bit, we will be inside Sharons home so no need for multiple layers of clothing!

Sharon is asking for people to sign up for one of the months we will be meeting to help with setup, hosting and cleanup. Arrive at 11:45 and set up chairs, and stay until 3:30 to help with clean-up. This way we can meet even if Sharon finds a way to get out of town!

June - Nancy and Jan
July -
August -
September -

Hope to see you all on as many Wednesdays as you can make it! Please contact me for location information.

Sharon Allen, 360-305-0111

Community Outreach

Whatcom Weavers Guild sponsors several Community Outreach programs. For more information about these projects, please access the Community Outreach page on our website:

Small Looms at the Bellingham Library Skill Share Space
Hospice Washcloth Project
The Sno-Cap Project

Teach the Teacher Program: Community Outreach Projects

The Whatcom Weavers Guild is always happy to assist other community groups with their own fiber related projects. Public and private school groups, clubs and organizations have asked our assistance with many fiber related projects. Since our goals are education and community service, we eagerly welcome inquiries for this kind of assistance. We do not, however, take on projects that contradict that idea. Such as a fundraising projects or entertainment.

We can assist you by:

Consulting with your representative to determine if the project idea falls into our definition of education or community service.
Outlining and defining expected outcomes of the proposed project.
Helping to select age-appropriate activities.
Providing a list of required materials.
Setting up proper equipment, if necessary. In some cases, this may even be a loom to loan out.
Holding an in-person instruction session, for all teachers and volunteers that are conducting the workshop, prior to the workshop date.
A limited presence at the workshop for consulting and advice.
Requests for this service must be made well in advance, 4-6 weeks, of the planned event.

For information please contact: [email protected] with your request.
We look forward to assisting others in spreading exposure to the fiber arts.

Small Looms at the Library

Hope to see all of you faithful volunteers back for more fun with small looms in October, after a well-deserved summer break.
Sheila Atwater
Education and Outreach Chair

Upcoming meetings

The WWG June meeting will be held at the Bellingham Public Library on Saturday June15. The meeting room is in the lower level of the library; go down the stairs/elevator just inside the front door.
The library does not open until 10:00, so we'll start the business meeting at 10:30 which will give us time to set up chairs and tables.
We have the space until 3:00 pm, so plenty of time for socializing afterward.

June Meeting

Our last meeting before the guild takes a summer break will be on June 15 at the Bellingham Public Library. We will begin with our regular business meeting including the installation of our new Board officers. And then it's on to the end-of-year celebration and presentation of our Guild Challenge pieces.
We'll have lots of time to socialize and hang out, maybe a potluck of small foods or some such. No doubt there will be talk of informal get togethers over the summer as well as discussions of the August stash sale.
Join us for some fun! The next Guild meeting will be in September.

August Stash Sale

Yes, we will be having a stash sale in August 2024! It will be for all fiber, equipment and books. Your Stash sale committee is currently planning and securing a location. More details will be in future emails prior to the event.

Now is the time to start considering what you may be willing to donate to the sale and if it's fiber on cones, label the inside of the cone the weight and type of fiber (if known). The committee is now accepting your donations.

Remember all sales at this stash sale are to benefit the Guild. If you have something that you are interested in selling for your own benefit, Please consider using the newsletter’s Classified section.

Thank you in advance for all donations that you are considering.

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

Whatcom Weavers Guild Libraries

WWG Equipment Library

The complete list of our equipment available for our members' use can be accessed HERE. For more information, please contact Sharon Allen, [email protected].

From the Equipment library is this fancy 3-D printed warping tool. It staggers your shafts to give you the best chance of threading accuracy. It's available for checkout now

3D Warping Tool

3D Warping Tool, on loom

WWG Book and Literature Library

To access the Whatcom Weavers Guild Library’s catalog, the link is here. 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 checkout, contact Carol Berry [email protected].

From the Jansen

Classes and Dye Days at the J

For details, please visit www.jansenartcenter.org

The J’s spring quarter classes are now open for registration!

For Spring Quarter we still have:

Beginning Card Weaving with Leslie Ann Bestor, Tuesdays, June 4 - 18
Block Printing with Dyes with Sheri Ward, Thursday, June 6
Basketweaving: Willow Rod Trays with Judy Zugish, Friday, June 14
Summer & Winter Weaving with Sheri Ward, Fridays & Saturdays, June 14-22

Summer & Winter

Block Printing

To register and for more information please visit www.jansenartcenter.org

Summer quarter will be here soon. In the coming weeks, look for more details about these classes during July and August:

Pre-Warped Towels: Bauhaus & Turned Taqueté with Sheri Ward, opens July 11
Pre-Warped Summer & Winter Color Study with Sheri Ward, opens July 11
Beginning Spinning with Erica McCurdy, Fridays, July 12-19
Standing Rod Vaseworks with Judy Zugish, Saturday, July 13
Painted Combed Wool Top with Erica McCurdy, Thursday, Aug. 1
Spinning Painted Wool Top with Erica McCurdy, Friday, Aug. 9
Sitka Basket with Judy Zugish, Saturday, Aug. 10
Berry Basket Necklaces with Lisa Telford, Saturday, Aug. 24

Parallel Threading Workshop by Robyn Spady

The J will be hosting Robyn Spady’s three-day workshop, Parallel Threading, Nov. 13-15.

Robyn’s description: A parallel threading can provide a weaver with a multitude of options and patterns – from echo weaves and corkscrew twills to turned taqueté and network-drafted twills. Then add weft variations in color and texture and a weaver will find themselves in a playground of possibilities. Workshop participants will pre-warp their loom from a selection of threadings and during the workshop enter into a journey of discovery and exploration of how to transform a parallel threading into a myriad of patterns. The workshop is a combination of presentation/discussion, weaving, and hands-on exercises. Emphasis will be on understanding the design and drafting processes to empower workshop participants to create their own patterns. (Note: This is not a round-robin style workshop. Participants will weave on their own loom.) Four-shafts minimum. Eight-shafts highly recommended.

Save the date, and stay tuned for more details!

Front Street Arts Festival at the Jansen Art Center!

On Saturday, July 27, the Jansen Art Center will be hosting the first annual Front Street Arts Festival, complete with artist booths, demos, live music, and food!

Hope to see you there! For more information about the event or to host a booth, contact [email protected].

In Memorium: Chris Paul

Chris Paul passed away on May 1 after a short illness. She was 83 at her passing, and inspired many people along the way. She was always cheerful and generous with her time.

Chris had a life-long love of fiber and teaching young people. At the early age of 9, she started in 4-H with her first sheep project. That eventually grew to a love of spinning, of weaving, specifically in the Navajo tradition, and making Navajo saddle blankets. She also had a great love of rodeo and the people involved. Many a young rodeo star was awarded one of her hand-spun saddle blankets as part of a prize.

Her love of 4-H and teaching youngsters blossomed with the Whatcom County Youth Fair in Lynden, which she started. Youth Fair has drawn hundreds of young students over many years, and helped many local individuals get their first taste of working with fiber, whether that was spinning, weaving, or dyeing.

Friends and family held a memorial service on May 18 in Berthusen Park to honor her memory, attended by family, friends, and the many 4-H and Youth Fair “kids” she inspired.

She is survived by her daughter Tanya, daughter-in-law Janine, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

In her memory, donations can be made to the Whatcom County Youth Fair or the Jansen Art Center.

To quote Lisa Christianson, one of her many friends:
“We gained so much from having her as part of our community. Communities are always in the process of unraveling and being rewoven again. Losing Chris is a part of that process but she will always be an essential part of the fabric.”

Sheri Ward

Chris Paul, with one of her handwoven Navajo saddle blankets

Chris Paul, with dyed fibers

Chris Paul, spinning

Classified Ads

For Sale & ISO (In Search Of)

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.

Classifieds

LeClerc Nilus Loom for sale, $500

Please contact Joyce Noordmans, 360-384-1930

Older Jack Loom in good working condition, 36” weaving width, 4 shaft, 6 treadles, cloth apron, and custom built low castle for shuttle storage
Includes original owners manual, and extra wire heddles
1 reed, 12 ppi

Loom bench included, 23”H x 38”W, with under seat storage and 2 side bins. Seat is 24”W

LeClerc Nilus Loom and Bench

Upcoming events of interest to Guild members!

Please contribute details of upcoming events of interest to WWG members to [email protected], or Newsletter Editor Wendy Eakle [email protected].

Yikes! I bought these two cones of 6/2 cotton last year at ANWG. Not just for me, but to share with all of you. My idea has been to wind warps for you to make the hospice washcloths. I am hoping to jump start as many members that are interested by measuring the warp with yummy organic cotton.

I will wind you a 5 yard warp of 200+ ends for $10.00. Pattern included.

Contact me via email at [email protected]

Sharon Allen (she, her, hers)
360-305-0111

Spinning in Public, sponsored by Spindrifters

This meeting is for spinning in public, and allowing people to see what it’s all about.
1-3:00pm on the 3rd Sunday of each month, at the Fairhaven Library, 1117th Street, in Bellingham.

Knitting Circle, sponsored by Spindrifters

Bring any knitting project to work on while we sit and chat!
10:00-noon on the 4th Tuesday of each month, at the Fairhaven Library, 1117th Street, in Bellingham.

Front Street Arts Festival, sponsored by the Jansen Arts Center
July 27, 2024 | 10 am – 6 pm

TEXTILES • CERAMICS • FINE ART • MUSIC • JEWELRY • PAINTTake a journey into the heart of creativity at the Front Street Arts Festival, a one-day event nestled in the picturesque town of Lynden, Washington.
With 40+ artist booths lining the street at 321 Front Street, attendees can explore a kaleidoscope of artistic expression, from paintings to weaving and beyond. Live art demonstrations offer an intimate look at the artist’s creative process. Families can nurture young artistic talents at the kids’ interactive art area, while the piano lounge resonates with live music, filling the air with enchanting melodies. Indulge your taste buds with delicious treats from one of the local food vendors on site.
The Front Street Arts Festival supports the Jansen Art Center, raises awareness of the arts, and promises a day when creativity flourishes and community connections thrive.

Participating artists, Frequently asked questions, and more details coming soon!

The Association of NW Weaver’s Guilds (ANWG) 2025 Conference will be held June 16-21, 2025, in Yakima, WA.

Exhibits, workshops, seminars, vendors, fashion show… so much fiber! Conference participants come from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, as well as adjacent states and provinces.

A tradition for our regional conference is a handwoven name badge holder pouch given to each registrant, to be worn during the conference. For 2025, the Whatcom Weavers Guild has elected to weave and sew the Name Badge Holders. The project will require a minimum of 20 volunteers, and everyone in the Guild can take part in some aspect of the production. We have 10 months to weave, sew, finish and deliver. Materials, drafts and patterns for the project will be provided.

Seven weavers have offered their looms and time, and two others will be monitoring group looms, so every Guild member who wishes can weave some for this project.
Eight members have signed up to sew the pouches as the yardage is completed, and four have put their names on the list of "finishers" who will attach the lanyard cords.

We will need more sewists and finishers, later this year and early in 2025. Sewists will be provided with a pattern, a sample and required finished dimensions, along with yardage, either cut or uncut, according to each sewist's preference. One or more spinners are needed, to twist and ply the lanyard cord. Anyone can host (or bake treats for) a work party, turn and press, or pack the pouches for delivery.

This project will result in 400 name badge holder pouches, delivered to the registration committee by March 31, 2025. Thanks to your participation, the Whatcom Weavers Guild will make a colorful and valued contribution to the 2025 regional Conference. (And have it completed and delivered well before the conference starts.)

I hope you will be able to participate! Many hands make light work.
Please contact Carol Berry, [email protected].

For more information about the Association of NW Weavers Guilds, as well as the 2025 ANWG Conference, please contact our Whatcom Weavers Guild ANWG Representative and board member-at-large, Jill Mount.

A small collection of name badge pouches from conferences in years gone by.

Our Monthly Show & Tell

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 [email protected], 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 [email protected] if you have questions.