October 2024 Newsletter

So, I walk out to my car in the morning and the days are cooler, the fog in settling in over the valley. I’m dodging the spider webs, marveling at the intricacies of the weaving – how can one tiny animal create something that’s so pretty when it’s covered in dew? The leaves are starting to swirl in the driveway, the reds, oranges and browns of fall. I never used to like those colors, leaving them to my sister but now I’m gaining a deeper appreciation. I’m trying new things and stretching myself in new color ways, surprised at what I can create. 

Fall is also when then days get shorter, less time after work to putter in the yard or take a walk. I look out my window and see all those pretty leaves are falling NOW…… maybe I’ll go rake up a pile and jump in them. That was always a favorite thing to do as a kid, jump in the leaf pile with the dog. It was always hard to say who came up more covered in leaves. 
​
But it’s getting dark, and the streetlights are coming on. Guess it’s time to figure out which loom gets warped up next and with what? If I was smart, I’d start my Christmas weaving – towels, napkins and the like, since I always taken on doing too many of those! But Christmas is 3 months away, and I have all these wonderful reds, oranges, tans and browns from stash sale……. 
​
What’s on your loom???

​
Meg Spaulding
WWG President 2024-2025
October Weaving Colors

October 2024 WWG Fall Program

The WWG October meeting will be held at the Bellingham Public Library on Saturday Oct. 19. The meeting room is in the lower level of the library; go down the stairs/elevator just inside the front door.

Set up and Social Time: 10:00-10:30
Business Meeting: 10:30-11:00
Show and Tell: 11:00-11:15
Break: 11:25-11:45
Program: 11:45-1:15
​
Daryl Lancaster, a hand-weaver and fiber artist known for her award-winning hand-woven fabric and garments, has been constructing garments for more than half a century. She has given lectures and workshops to guilds, conferences, and craft centers all over the United States. The former Features Editor for Handwoven Magazine, she has written more than 100 articles and published digital content, still frequently contributing to various weaving and sewing publications. She now has a YouTube channel, The Weaver Sews where she shares her extensive experience sewing handwoven garments. Daryl offers a complete line of digital sewing patterns for handweavers. https://www.weaversew.com/shop/sewing-patterns.html She maintains a blog at www.weaversew.com/wordblog Find her at www.Daryllancaster.com

Social Time and Break Down: 1:15-2:00 There is no mad dash to leave, we have the room until
2:30. Your help is always appreciated in stacking chairs when you are done visiting!
2025 Whatcom Weavers Guild Challenge
Created by: Barbara Young, Dawn M Russell and Galen Haecky Soleimanipour

Our Annual Guild Challenge is the perfect venue for new things – techniques, materials, composition, or anything you've always wanted to try, but haven't gotten around to for whatever reason. The 2025 WWG Challenge requires that you work with black and white (using the fibers of your choice) and offers a list of additional criteria you may wish to choose from.
​
Optional—incorporate as many or as few of the following as you wish:
  • Choose one additional color to use with your black and white fibers
  • Try a new-to-you technique
  • Incorporate natural dyes or materials (bonus points if you forage them yourself)
  • Consider including unconventional materials
  • Apply your chosen criteria to create your piece in any fiber-art-related field –weaving, felting, braiding, basketry, paper, stitching or any other fiber-art OR incorporate a variety of fiber arts into your piece
  • Create a 3-dimensional final object
  • Make an abstract piece with no particular function, OR make something that serves multiple functions
  • Produce a piece themed after your favorite book
  • Complete half of your project, then swap with someone else to complete the other half

How many options will you include in your Challenge project? You choose!

Request: During the June 2025 meeting Show & Tell, please share what you learned, what things you didn't anticipate, and any other comments on the process!

Photo deadline is June 16, 2025
 Image by Galen Haecky Soleimanipour
Thoughts of Snow

​Boy I shiver as I write this – yes, I now have all wheel drive, AND chains, but if it snows, I still do NOT go...... so HOW do I now if WWG is meeting ?? If it’s snowy/icy roads on Friday before a meeting, the leadership team will make a decision and send out an email to let you know if it’s been changed to virtual/zoom meeting. If you wake up Saturday to large amount of snow, or wide spread power outages the leadership team will send out an email. If it’s really bad where you live, please stay home and don’t risk it on the roads, even if you “know how to drive in this” others don’t..... stay home and weave and we will see you the next month with even more show and tell. 
Meg

​​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
​​
​Due to the continuing scheduling difficulties, the day has now been changed to the First Monday of each month from 1-3PM in the large conference room of the Ferndale Public Library. I can only book ahead 3 months at a time, so things may change again. I promise to keep everyone updated.

Sheila Atwater
Tapestry Focus Group coordinator
[email protected] ​
The Rigid Heddle Weaving Study Group

The group meets 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 is continuing this year, with self-directed learning and meeting semi-monthly for sharing and show and tell. We are working through the projects in the book Ikat The essential Handbook to Weaving with Resists, by Mary Zicafoose. The group meets at the Jansen Art Center.

A step-by step Ikat demonstration at the September Guild Meeting attracted interest from a number of members. Ikat involves a multi-step process of preparing a warp, including measuring, tying resists, dyeing, and warping the loom before weaving. The photos below illustrate the steps. There are multiple ways of shaping the Ikat dyed warp yarns when warping the loom, resulting in dynamic patterns in a simple weave structure. The samples shown are plain weave.

The Ikat Study Group is planning a one-day, hands-on mini-workshop in beginning Ikat, to be held in early 2025. The purpose is to expand the pool of local weavers with experience in the basic techniques of ikat, using Indigo and other natural dyes. A number of members signed up on an interest list at the September meeting. If you are interested, contact Carol Berry to be added to the list. A notice will be sent when the mini workshop is scheduled. For more information, please contact Carol Berry, [email protected].
Measuring the warp
Tying resists with Ikat tape
Warp shifting jib
On the loom​
Band Weaving Group
​
​The Weavers of the Band met at Carol Berry's studio in September and are deciding on a date for our next meeting. Some members are traveling, and one has sprained her right thumb, which puts most weaving on hold for a few weeks, ahem. But does give her an opportunity to review books and videos on the subject. At the September guild meeting, Mae Bash and Cindy Harris demonstrated warping Baltic pickup and tablets to weave bands on inkle looms.
 If you are interested in future gatherings of the Band Weavers, contact Carol Berry or Cindy Harris.
Band on an Inkle Loom
Bands shown at the Sept. meeting
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)

We are taking a break for the winter.  See you next May!
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
Small Looms at the Library
(12 noon–3PM)

Small Looms sessions are held on the first Saturday of each month, Oct thru June, in the Bellingham Skill Share Space.

Sheila Atwater, Education and Outreach Chair
[email protected]   ​

Whatcom Weavers Guild Libraries

WWG Equipment Library

The most recent donation to our Equipment Library is a beautiful 8 shaft Baby Mac floor loom.  This little beauty is going to be kept here in the library and not sold so that any of our members who want to try it out can check it out with a small deposit.
Sharon Allen
​[email protected]
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

Here are the J’s fall quarter classes! Some are already shown on the website and are available for registration.  The others will be coming to the website soon.  Mark you calendars and sign up!

For Fall Quarter we have:
  • ​​Come Weave a Towel by appointment, on-going
  • Beginning Spinning with Erica McCurdy, Fridays, Oct. 11 & 18
  • Immersion Wool Dyeing, Wednesday, Oct. 16; Tuesday, Nov. 5; Wednesday, Dec. 11 (these are separate dye days; sign up for them individually)
  • Controlled Ikat or Warp Painting, Thursday, Oct. 17; Wednesday, Nov. 6; Wednesday, Dec. 4; Thursday, Jan. 16 (these are separate dye days; sign up for them individually)
  • Beginning Tapestry with Val O’Conner, Fridays, Oct. 18 - Nov. 8
  • Dyeing in the Morgue with Sheri Ward, Thursday, Oct. 24
  • Twill Weaving with Sheri Ward, Fridays & Saturdays, Nov. 1 - 9
  • Block Printing with Dyes with Sheri Ward, Thursday, Nov. 7
  • A Parallel Threading is a Weaver’s Playground with Robyn Spady, Wednesday ​through Friday, Nov. 13 - 15
  • Double Weave with Sheri Ward, Fridays & Saturdays, Dec. 6 – 14
To register and  for more information please visit www.jansenartcenter.org
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.

Sign up soon!  There is still space!


Incorporate Novelty Yarns!  A Presentation by Robyn Spady
During Robyn’s visit to us in November, she will be giving an informal presentation on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 7 pm, at the Jansen Art Center.   She’ll be speaking about fun and easy ways to incorporate novelty yarns into projects, an idea that’s related to her research on couture tweeds (think Chanel jackets).  This is open to everyone, whether or not you’re taking her workshop.  Come join us!

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.

Upcoming events of interest to Guild members!

Please contribute details of upcoming events of interest to WWG members to [email protected], or Newsletter Editor Tricia Morell [email protected].
Hospice Washcloth Project

As many of you know we have an ongoing community outreach project with Whatcom Hospice. For those new members; Our local Hospice offers the ancient ritual of washing a deceased loved ones’ body in preparation for burial. The family is given a packet with Lavender oil to add to the water and a handmade washcloth (woven, knitted or crocheted). These washcloths are used only once and are offered to the family as a memory keepsake. Last year we donated about 175 or more woven cloths. This was not nearly enough, however, as they use approx. 50 per month. There are other groups donating as well but not the woven variety. They do not need to be fancy, plain weave is good. No special hemming is required, just a machine sewn edge with very short fringe. Use yarn that is at least 60% cotton, no neon colors please and no extra dark colors i.e.: brown or black. Wash in hot water and dry with no softeners. The finished product should measure approx. 10”x10”. When weaving these, do so with the intended use in mind. A simple, easy, meditative activity. These will be collected by Sheila Atwater at each meeting and delivered to Hospice. If you need yarn, there is a stockpile of cotton yarns in Sheila’s basement. 

Sheila Atwater, Outreach and Education Chair
[email protected]
Washcloth goal chart
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.


Langley Weavers and Spinners Guild Artisans' Sale
November 2-3, 2024 

​Looking for unique, one-of-a-kind gifts to give or to keep for your own enjoyment? Beyond Fibre features woven, knitted, spun and felted items handcrafted by Guild members as well as a wide variety of products handmade by guest artisans. Come and enjoy the ongoing fibre arts demonstrations

Are you a fibre artist? You’ll find yarn, fibre, supplies and equipment at the sale.
Come visit us in our convenient West Langley location on our Saturday and Sunday dates.

West Langley Hall
9400 208th Street, Langley BC

For more information, visit LWSG.org or Facebook – Langley Weavers’ & Spinners’ Guild, or Instagram - @langleyweaversandspinners

​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 preceding 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] or [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 Tricia at [email protected] if you have questions.