Guild Calendar
Thursday, September 11, 2025 – September Meeting
Multnomah Arts Center + Zoom, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy. (503) 823-2787
All meetings are free and open to the public
10:00 am Day Meeting – Auditorium
9:30 am – 10:00 am: Set up, social time and library browsing time
10:00 am – 12:00: Meeting
7:00 pm Evening Meeting – Auditorium (note room change!)
6:30 pm – 7:00 pm: set up, social and library browsing time
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Meeting
Thursday, September 25, 2025 – Board Meeting
7:00pm – Zoom
See the website for full calendar including study group meetings.
President’s Message
I was helping with demonstrations at Art in the Pearl (thank you Cooki Messmer for always leading our community demonstrations) and chatting with a member who was telling me how great our Guild is. She talked about how friendly and welcoming we are and how great our programs and website are. How impressed she is with all that we do. That conversation had me reflect on our first board meeting last week where we talked about plans for the year ahead. I’m excited for so many reasons but mostly for the team I have that will make the coming year great. We have several new board members, including Galadriel Breezy, Member Services, who has already identified ways to reach out to members that we have not seen in a while. Kati Robb, Community Engagement has jumped in with plans to seek possible funding for upcoming events and asks great questions when opportunities arise. Edith Gummer, Secretary, has bounced some ideas around to engage weavers through mentorship. Returning board members: some who have shifted roles, others have stayed in their positions, will provide the continuity needed to keep us moving forward. Mike Schlieski, Treasurer, let me say how grateful I am for his diligence and attention to detail, I just sleep easier knowing Mike is on the job. Denise Wild, shifted to Communication and is already looking for ways to improve how we communicate and use our website. Denise doesn’t miss a thing and is on top of making sure things are correct and easy to understand. Dan Steves, moved to Technology because, frankly, our technology has gotten more complicated including all the web stuff; says the person who knows nothing and appreciates Dan who knows everything! Linda Edquist, Education, has a huge role between planning programs and workshops – Linda gives all the credit, deservedly, to Niki Schulz for having plans through 2026 and into 2027 already – to working with the Legacy Project on planning new weaver classes, and even planning on reviving our grant program. Thank you all for leading our efforts in the year ahead.
I started this message by mentioning volunteering at Art in the Pearl. Thank you to everyone who volunteers for so many small and large tasks. There are folks that come into a meeting and just start setting up chairs. I appreciate that it happens organically and then they get put away. Small task but greatly appreciated! You all help with articles, events, announcing new groups or “who wants to learn” type chats that energizes folks and is fun to see (and is what makes us that warm welcoming group) and then there is the team behind the monthly operation that makes our monthly meeting successful, and the big events and sales. No job is too big or too small. I have said repeatedly, PHG members show up. Thank you! I won’t go into the plans we have for the fall and an exciting announcement; you will need to read the newsletter thoroughly and mark your calendars. We have a great year ahead.
Nora Gessert
Upcoming Programs
September 11, 2025 Meeting – Indigo Blue: History and Practice with Judilee Fitzhugh
Judilee Fitzhugh is a textile artisan specializing in natural plant dyes and couture sewing. A tour of duty in Japan with the U.S. Navy led to a profound Japanese influence and a lifelong affection for indigo and plant fibers. She gained her Certificate in Craft at the Oregon College of Art and Craft in 2002 and taught in the BFA and Studio School programs until the school’s closure in 2019. Her finely crafted work combines natural objects with vintage fabric remnants, hand weaving, and surface design to portray a single moment in history.
See her work at https://www.judileefitzhugh.com/
October 9, 2025 Meeting – North American Linen Association
The North American Linen Association (NALA) is a nonprofit trade association founded and supported by individuals and businesses committed to developing the flax fiber industry across North America.
Learn about NALA and our goals for revitalizing flax fiber (linen) in North America, as well as the history of flax in Oregon
Website: https://northamericanlinen.org/
Upcoming Workshops
If you’d like some weaving inspiration, to learn new skills, and connect with the PHG weaving community, please join one of our future workshops. Our September and November workshops are fully booked. If you would like to be considered for any spots opened due to cancellation, please add yourself to the waitlist. Here’s what we have coming up:
September 12-14, 2025: Indigo and Shibori, an Exploration of Resist Techniques with Judilee Fitzhugh
This workshop is fully booked. We are looking forward to PHG’s own Judilee Fitzhugh leading us in exploring indigo with multiple techniques that highlight this dye’s natural beauty. This 3-day workshop will be held at Ruthie’s Weaving Studio. For information, visit: Indigo and Shibori, an Exploration of Resist Techniques
November 14 & 15, 2025: Color and Design in Huck Lace Towels with Rosalie Neilson
This workshop is fully booked. This workshop is led by another PHG member, Rosalie Neilson! Explore Huck Lace while weaving a multi-colored towel in three sections. Discussions and design sessions will focus on converting a profile draft into a threading and treadling plan, and how literally thousands of designs can be created with a single threading by changing the tie-up. This 2-day workshop will be held at the MAC and is appropriate for advanced beginning to advanced multi-shaft weavers. Rosalie is well known as an excellent teacher. Por information, visit: Color and Design in Huck Lace Towels.
March 14 & 15, 2026: Mastering Multiheddle Weaving on a Rigid Heddle Loom with Carly Jayne
Registration is open! This two day workshop at Ruthie’s Weaving Studio is led by PHG member and fiber artist Carly Jayne. Looking to explore the possibilities of a rigid heddle loom? This workshop will cover both 2 and 3 heddle weaving. You will be looking at threading drafts and profile drafts and discussing how they can be used on a loom with at least 3 shafts. This is an excellent class for shaft loom weavers who are structure nerds because you will create multiple structures (Summer and Winter, False Damask, Tabby, Taquete… etc) by manipulating slot threads while the heddles act as shafts one and two. Carly recommends this workshop for rigid heddle weavers, curious floor loom weavers with a little rigid heddle experience, and weavers curious about shaft switching. For information and registration visit: Double Trouble and Triple Treats – Mastering Multiheddle Weaving on a Rigid Heddle Loom
May 15-17, 2026: Doubleweave Discoveries with Jennifer Moore
Learn all about the magic of doubleweave! In this workshop, participants will weave a sampler that explores weaving two independent layers of cloth, double-width cloth, tubular weaving, color-and-weave effects, pique, quilting, and doubleweave pick-up. Students with 8-shaft looms will also be able to weave samples of 2-block doubleweave techniques in log cabin, checkerboard, windows, and double-blocks. Graphing designs and working with multiple colors will be introduced. These techniques can then be taken home to create clothing, sculptural pieces, decorative hangings, and whatever else the imagination can dream of. This in person workshop will be held at the MAC. Registration is not yet open, but you can find out more information at: Doubleweave Discoveries workshop with Jennifer Moore – Portland Handweavers Guild
February 13 and 20, 2027: Passimenterie with Elizabeth Ashdown (online)
Looking forward to 2027, Elizabeth Ashdown will be joining us virtually from her studio in London to lead an online workshop in Passimenterie. In this bespoke two day workshop, you will learn five passimenterie designs. Registration is not yet open. In the meantime, learn about Elizabeth’s amazing work at: Elizabeth Ashdown | Passementerie Artist – Textile Art – Weaving – Craft – Maker – Handmade | London – UK – US – International. This workshop is open to weavers on all loom types.
March 12-14, 2027: Rug Weaving Basics with Mary Zicafoose
We are excited to bring renowned artist Mary Zicafoose to PHG. Mary joins us for a program and workshop in March 2027. Learn, add to, or refresh your knowledge of a well constructed rug in Rug Weaving Basics. This is an in person workshop. Registration is not yet open. Learn more about Mary at: Mary Zicafoose Tapestries and Prints | Home Page
Happy weaving and learning!
Any question should be directed to workshops@portlandhandweaversguild.org.
Guild News
ANWG 2027 Conference is coming to Portland!
Who doesn’t love a conference? The learning, the community, the vendor hall. Lot’s of fun to be had by all. Well, we’re bringing all of that to Portland in 2027. Dan Steves and Edith Gummer have agreed to serve as conference co-chairs, and have already visited 2 potential venues. With any luck we’ll be ready to announce the venue selection at the September guild meeting.
In the meantime there’s lots to do. And one of the big things that has to happen soon is the selection of a conference theme. What do you think? “Keep Portland Weird” is a very Portland thing, but can it morph into a conference theme? (“Weave your Weird?” “Weird Fibers?” “Fiber Weirds?”) Maybe we set aside the ‘weird’ thing. But what else makes you think of fiber and Portland? Send us your ideas for a good conference theme. We’ll be pulling together a conference committee in the coming days and weeks, and hope to have something ready to roll out to the world in October. You can submit your ideas or let us know if you want to help with the conference using the forms on this page of the website: https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/anwg-conference-in-portland/
We’re really excited, and hope to organize a great conference for Portland and ANWG. We hope you’ll join us.
Dan Steves & Edith Gummer
WeftOver Sale October 11
The WeftOver Sale is our annual clean out the closet event! It’s when we clean out the PHG closet and you can clean out yours. At our sale, you’ll find yarn is organized by fiber type and sold by the pound. Books and weaving equipment are also available with the price individually marked.
If you have items to donate to the sale, there are several opportunities to drop them off:
- September 11 monthly meetings (morning or evening), books only
- October 9 monthly meetings (morning or evening), any items
- Friday October 10, 5-9pm as we set up
- Saturday October 11, 8:30-9:30am during final set up
Come early to find the best deals! The sale is at the Multnomah Art Center October 11th, 10am – 3pm. All proceeds support the Portland Handweavers Guild programs and workshops.
PHG fall sale booths
Booths for the fall sale are nearly gone! There are two 9×10 and 6×10 spaces left, so if you’re contemplating joining us don’t procrastinate any longer. I have not had anyone ask about a guild booth, so if you’re interested in that please let me know. There are lots of volunteers for setup and not so many for cleanup, so I will ask for volunteers to switch. I also would like to have a few more folks for publicity. It’s shaping up to be a great sale! For questions, email me: judilee.fitzhugh@gmail.com
Latest ANWG Newsletter
The Association of Northwest Weavers Guilds has posted their July 2025 newsletter. Check out the creative ways other Northwest weaving guilds are getting their members together for fiber activities. All ANWG newsletters are available here.
Bulletin Board
Free Library for Fiber in Grant Park
If you’ve walked around your neighborhood you’ve probably run into a little free library at some point. Folks create these little sidewalk cubby holes for books, and sometimes games and puzzles. But in Grant Park, there’s now a library for fiber! The Grant Park Fibrary is on NE 38th Avenue, between Tillamook and Thompson.
Hmm, maybe that’s a way to deal with my excess stash!
Looking to Buy or Sell Weaving Equipment or Materials?
Check out the Items for Sale page.
Library Update
Wow, summer passed really quickly this year! I didn’t get much weaving or reading done other than romantasy. One thing that did get done was the library inventory. This was the quickest one yet. The library team, consisting of Nora, Jacque, Cindy, Vianne and I got it done in one day! Go team!
About a year ago, I heard rumors that there was a Kickstarter for a new indy weaving magazine. I kept an eye open for it. There would be an occasional discussion in the Warped Weavers forum on Ravelry. Last winter it was said that it would be out in the summer of 2025. So I kept playing chicken trying to wait until July to see if I could purchase it in the new budget year. Then sometime in March, I read that it would be shipping in about 3 weeks; Summer issue, not publication date. Oops, I’d better get right over to the website and subscribe so the guild would have it from the beginning. I did manage to subscribe to Weft magazine in time for the premiere issue to come out. It did take a fair amount of time to get it to the shelf. The logistics of it getting from the guild mailbox to the library can be complicated by meeting and personal schedules.
I had initially planned to write about Weft for the June issue of the newsletter. However, when a member is thoughtful enough to provide me with a book review, it will take precedence over what I had planned. (Thank you, Pat.) By postponing this column, I’ve had the opportunity to read not one, but two issues. Weft magazine has pleasantly surprised me. First thing you notice when you pick up a copy is the size of the magazine. Both issues clocked in at over 130 pages in nice paper with plenty of well taken pictures and only about 20% ads. Each issue covers a single topic with a yearly plan to rotate through four themes: structure, foundations, fiber, and end use.
The first issue of Weft was, appropriately enough, all about plain weave. Among the topics explored are the effects of sett, tracking, selvedges, dent marks, project planning, and permanent creases. A few of the articles exhibit the results of weaving studies and encourage you try your own.
The Fall issue of Weft dropped over the summer. This was the foundation issue with warping as its focus. I find that I’m always adapting my warping method when new ideas present themselves. And does this issue present many ideas. The issue has articles on the entire warping process, from winding a warp on the warping board and/or mill (gradient, double cross for a symmetrical warp) to beaming (sticks or paper) and tying on a new warp to the old one. Have you been curious about using a trapeze or what sectional warping is? Have you wondered how far you can cross your threads from the warping beam to the heddles? You’ll find it covered in this issue.
The first two issues of Weft are quite promising. I’m looking forward to see how they approach fibers and end use. The magazine is like getting a small book each quarter on a single topic from multiple viewpoints. It isn’t the final authority on the topic but may lead you to something new to ponder or, even, a new rabbit hole to jump down. Given the warping issue, Weft seems aimed towards shaft weavers, at least, in the foundational themed issue. Rigid heddle weavers will certainly find useful information in the first issue and, presumably, in the fiber issue and possibly the end use one. Time will tell. This is not a project publication. The first two issues had three or four projects in the hundred plus pages. If you’re interested in looking for your next project rather than diving deeper into weaving, stick to Handwoven magazine.
–Robin K.
Browse the PHG library online from the comfort of your home anytime. The first tag for each item tells you in which section the item can be found. Newer acquisitions may be on the “new” shelf. Also explore tools you can check out from the Small Equipment Library. Both are available for browsing during our regular meetings.
Would you like to see a review of a rigid heddle, dyeing, tapestry, band weaving or spinning book in the newsletter? Write one! We would be thrilled to publish a review of any item we have in the PHG library, old or new; text or DVD, or good, bad or indifferent. Email your review to Robin K. for publication in a future newsletter.
Fiber News and Events
Damascus Fiber Arts School Tapestry Talk
Saturday, September 27, 10am
Damascus, Oregon
Saturday, September 27, at 10am Pacific, our Tapestry Talks guest will be Janet Austin. Janet got hooked on weaving in art school and spent 8 years weaving functional items to sell. Almost accidentally, weaving and painting came together, and she has been weaving tapestries inspired by her paintings since 1983. Janet Austin will talk about how serendipity led her to tapestry, and how it plays out in her work. See Tapestry Talks Archives – Damascus Fiber Arts School for more information.
Pacific Northwest Fiber Arts Expo
October 3-5, 2025
Port Angeles, WA
More info: https://www.pnwfiberx.com/
Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival
October 18-19, 2025
Albany, Oregon
More info: https://www.oregonflockandfiberfestival.com/
HGA Convergence
August 12-16, 2026
New Orleans, Louisiana
More info: https://weavespindye.org/convergence/
Handweavers Guild of America
Textiles & Tea
Tuesdays
The Handweavers Guild of America, Inc.’s (HGA) exciting new program, Textiles & Tea, takes place every Tuesday at 4 PM (ET). We’ve invited some of the most respected fiber artists in the field today to join us for an hour long conversation where we will discuss their artwork and their creative journey. Make a cup of your favorite tea and join us as we talk about fiber, creativity, inspiration, process and so much more.
Newsletter Contributions
Send news items and fiber events to Tim Prins by the 25th of the month for inclusion in the next month’s newsletter.
Rental Equipment
PHG has equipment available for rent to current PHG Members. Click here for more info.
PHG Board and Chairs
Please click here for a list of PHG Board Members and Committee Chairs.