October 2023 Newsletter

​Greeting Fiber Friends,

We have moved into one of my favorite seasons and I'm loving the crisp air that invites the soft woven scarves to drape themselves around my neck once again. I'm dreaming of making holiday gifts and decorations and starting to mull some new directions with my looms and yarns. For many of us Autumn is the beginning of the year, partly because of the calendar - schools & guilds start up again after a summer holiday - and partly because the seasons move us from outdoor to indoor activities and we move (back) into creating with renewed vigor and inspiration.
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Our new year for Whatcom Weavers Guild kicks off with our meeting on October 21st. We are ushering in the return of in-person meetings with a new meeting place and a commitment to continuing both in-person and Zoom meetings throughout the 2023-2024 year. I am excited to shake off the isolation off the last couple years and gather together with my fiber friends, there is nothing like the camaraderie and fun of a roomful of weavers/spinners/makers. Although I am ever grateful to Zoom meetings for allowing our guild to thrive through the pandemic, I am looking forward to stepping out of those little boxes and exchanging hugs and engaging in informal chitchat, maybe even pick up a piece of handwoven beauty from the show-and-tell table and examine it closely. It will be refreshing and bright and we are going to have so much fun this year! Check out the program info below for details on the new meeting place and zoom setup.

​And speaking of fun, wait till you see this year's Guild Challenge! The annual challenge is a prompt - here's a colorway or an inspiration photo, let's see how we all interpret it through fiber and textiles. This year we are going to play a game, Weavers Poker, to mix things up and add a light-hearted touch (seriously, I have blue hair, you should not be surprised by this!). At our October meeting those who want to play will draw 6 cards, one from each deck (Color & Design; Weave Structure; Fiber, Grist and Yarn Structure; Final Use; Amp My Weave; and Inspiration) and our challenge is to incorporate as many of the cards in your piece as possible. You are allowed to lay down and redraw up to 2 cards at the meeting. Additionally, we have a wild card – LeslieAnn discovered a cone of thousands of yards of pale lilac lurex – you can trade any card for a bobbin of this fun sparkle to incorporate into your piece. If you can't attend the meeting or will be there on Zoom, do not fret - we'll make sure you get a hand, too.

​It should be a lively meeting and I hope it sets the tone for a year of enjoyable gatherings filled with both stimulating discourse and the informal, spontaneous fun that comes from being together in person. I hope to see you there.


LeslieAnn Bestor
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To read the entire newsletter please click here.
To see details about our upcoming meetings and events please click here.
To see who our board members are please click here.
To browse through our "Resources" page please click here.

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