Guild Calendar
Saturday & Sunday, November 8-9, 2025 – Fall Sale
10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Multnomah Arts Center, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy.
Thursday, November 13, 2025 – November 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 – Room 30
6:30 pm – 7:00 pm: set up, social and library browsing time
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Meeting
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 – Board Meeting
7:00pm – Zoom
See the website for full calendar including study group meetings.
President’s Message
Welcome to Autumn and all that it brings. Someone asked me recently about fall colors in Michigan. It is a ritual in Michigan to follow the colors as they slowly move from the Upper Peninsula downstate until peak colors hit the Detroit area. We are so obsessed with the fall colors that it is a topic of the nightly news so leaf peepers know where to head for a glimpse. My little white oak tree outside my kitchen window has a bit of color and the park behind me is in full fall splendor. The colors of fall inspire me to go through my bins of yarn and find some yellows and reds for a yet to be determined weaving project. First, I need to wrap up the baby blanket for my nephew and his wife’s little boy.
Speaking of bins of yarn, the WeftOver sale was a huge success. Thank you, Kati Robb, for heading this up along with all the volunteers. And to everyone who donated yarn, books, equipment and all things fiber, thank you! The proceeds are used to pay for programs and offset the cost of renting MAC for meetings, among other things. I was sorry I couldn’t attend; I scored some great silk and wool yarn last year that I used for a shawl for my sister. She loved it!
Our Fall Sale is coming up November 8 & 9 from 10-4 at MAC. There are over 20 fiber artists from our guild. Plan to come out and support your fellow members; I’m sure there are some great gifts for friends, family or maybe for yourself.
Nora Gessert
noragessert@yahoo.com
Upcoming Programs
November 13, 2025 Meeting – Why We Weave with Rosalie Neilson
WWW: Why We Weave
This presentation documents Rosalie’s work from the earliest overshot pieces woven on a rented floor loom to her current studies in Kumihimo, Block Design, and Rep Weave. Teaching others has become one of the biggest rewards for her as to Why We Weave.
See her work at https://www.rosalieneilson.com/
December 11, 2025 Meeting – Holiday Mini-Workshops
It’s our annual December meeting tradition – the mini workshops. Join us and make something fun for the holidays!
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. Here’s what we have coming up:
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. For 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
PHG fall sale November 8 & 9
10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Multnomah Arts Center, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy. Portland, OR 97219
One 9×10 space has opened up for the fall sale. If you’re interested in a booth for yourself or to share contact Judilee right away (judilee.fitzhugh@gmail.com).
Demonstrators Still Needed for PHG Fall Sale!!
We can use a few more volunteers to demonstrate at Handwovens for the Holidays, November 8 & 9, Saturday and Sunday. Even if you don’t have anything in the sale, please consider helping out. Many customers have questions about weaving in general and what kind of resources the guild offers. Help promote weaving and other fiber arts in our community. Bring your own small project to work on or use one of our small looms. Click on the link below to sign up for a shift!
Here is the link to sign up: https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/volunteer-new/
Or email PHG member, Susan Naïve (sgnaive@gmail.com), who will be helping with the sign-ups, if you have questions or get stuck on the computer process.
Weft Over Success!
Thank you to everyone who helped make our Weft Over Sale such a success! Together, we raised over $2,000 to support future workshops, library acquisitions, and member events. We are especially grateful to our generous donors and dedicated volunteers—our success truly reflects your commitment and teamwork. We appreciate all you do for the Guild!
Gathering of the Guilds – Opportunity to Participate
Talk about a moving target! I know at least 12 past participants have reached out to me expressing interest in GOTG 2026. Without going into the nitty gritty of the GOTG Board, what is important is that PHG will work through the Portland Bead Society (PBS) for any member interested in participating in the event April 25-27, 2026. Beads, under the leadership of Amy Taylor, will manage the registration and coordination of the event for PHG and PBS. The PHG Board agreed that this arrangement will allow our members to participate in GOTG without the financial risk. There are a few things to note:
- Booth pricings were set by Oregon Potters Association, they took responsibility for the entire event in 2026
- A 10×10 is $500, corners booths are $600. 10×5 is $250. The fee includes power (even if you don’t need it)
- All fees will be collected by Beads
- PHG will assist with floor plan and advertising but will have minimal involvement
The Portland Beads Society website will be updated in the near future to reflect the arrangement and provide all needed information. But save the date and if there are any questions, contact Amy Taylor 503-481-4989 email at.gotg33@gmail.com. I am always open to chat if needed noragessert@yahoo.com
Refresh to Equipment Lending Library
In a recent chat with Kati and Jacque about donations and how best to manage the offers we get particularly from estates; the conversation moved to refreshing the equipment library. We have a lot of great stuff, and it gets borrowed frequently. But the question came up as to whether what we have is what people want or need; particularly new weavers that want to try out a piece of equipment before investing. Or if you’re me, borrow a reed before buying another one. Should we look at replacing some items that may be a bit more than gently used. So, we decided to poll the members at the November meeting via 3×5 card. What would you like to see in the lending library? It could be a piece of equipment or a small item. We have limited space and budget, but we want to make sure we are providing members with the equipment they need or want to try out. Once we get a list going, we will determine the best approach to tackling it.
Year End Donation to PHG
As you wrap up 2025 and consider year end donations, remember that Portland Handweavers Guild is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and as such all donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. Your donation to PHG supports our programs, workshops, and grants for scholarships and special projects.
And PHG is a qualified cultural nonprofit selected by the Oregon Cultural Trust. You get a state tax credit for donations to PHG when you also donate money to the Trust. It’s a dollar-for-dollar credit, it costs you nothing to donate to the Trust (assuming you pay Oregon state income tax).
For example: you give $200 to PHG and another $200 to the Oregon Cultural Trust. You then get a tax credit for $200 on your Oregon state tax bill. Depending on your tax situation this could be in addition to normal tax benefits from donating to PHG.
To donate to the Oregon Cultural Trust, go to: https://culturaltrust.org/donors/ To donate to PHG go to: https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/donate-to-phg/
Structures Study Group Update
The Structures Study Group (formerly the COE Study Group) has decided to change the way we operate, starting in January. Rather than using the obsolete (and now unavailable) COE booklet, we are going to choose a weave structure or group of structures to study for a longer period of time, perhaps 4-6 months. We feel that this will give us a chance to dig a little deeper into the structure, rather than producing a sample and moving on. We are starting with a focus on the broad topic of tied weaves. What is a tied weave and why should I weave one? Come join us on the first Friday of the month at 1:30pm and find out! We generally meet at Ruthie’s when available and communicate by email if a meeting is moved or canceled. If you are interested in joining this group, please contact Laurie Brown and I will add you to the email list!
ANWG 20207 Conference News
Planning for the conference is well underway, and we’re really excited about it. You can help us make this conference a success by telling your favorite instructors that you want to see them in Portland in 2027, and invite them to submit an application to teach at the conference. The Call for Instructors is up and ready to go. Potential instructors can find information at https://anwgconference.org/call-for-instructors/ including links to the forms for submitting applications and session proposals. And, proposals are now being accepted for both workshops and seminars.
If you want to help with the planning you can contact us at co-chair@anwgconference.org. We still have slots open on the committee and will be looking for help, particularly with the fashion, open, juried and instructor shows.
Our first planning meeting is coming up on November 1 at 1:00 PT. If you want to know more you can join us via Zoom. Join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link:
https://zoom.us/j/2290207971?pwd=elJvd2w0L2NsMlJPZXhNM3JlTFphZz09
Keep an eye on the ANWG Conference website – https://anwgconference.org/ – for updates. And subscribe to the ANWG Conference Blog to get all the latest news delivered right to your inbox.
Volunteer Grant Writers Sought
The 2027 Conference Committee is seeking volunteer Grant Writers to support planning and fundraising for the 2027 ANWG Conference in Portland, Oregon, a regional gathering of weavers, spinners, and fiber artists featuring workshops, exhibits, and a fashion show. During 2025–26, the Grant Writers will assist with applications to programs like the City of Portland’s Small Grants Program and other arts funding sources. This role will collaborate with ANWG 2027 organizers and committees to locate and apply for funding, focusing on the event’s education and community impact in grant narratives. The volunteers will play a key role in securing resources that bring the 2027 conference to life while gaining valuable experience in arts-based fundraising. To volunteer or request additional information please contact the conference co-chairs at co-chair@anwgconference.org.
Help needed with Meeting Setup
Meetings are fun, but they take a little work to setup. If you have time and can assist please sign up to help with meeting setup. Sign-up sheets have been created for the meetings for the rest of the year. Please, if you can spare a few minutes to help setup chairs, tables, and the A/V equipment sign up today at https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/volunteer-new/
PHG Retreat – Save the date!
Here we go again!!! The retreat is scheduled for March 26-29, 2026 at Camp Cedar Ridge in Vernonia, OR. Watch for more information and registration information in future newsletters.
Latest ANWG Newsletter
The Association of Northwest Weavers Guilds has posted their October 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.
Library Update
At last month’s evening meeting show & tell, a member showed some copies of the Warp and Weft newsletter that she had happened upon. Warp and Weft was a 10-issue per year newsletter published for about 30 years by the sorely missed weaving store, Robin & Russ Handweavers in McMinnville that closed about 20 years ago. Even if you don’t remember it, you have likely seen cones of yarn floating around with the Robin and Russ label inside.
Warp and Weft was originally published in Chicago in 1947. Russ Groff took over the newsletter in 1955 when his weaving store was still in California. While these newsletters served as promotional material for his store, they also provided inspiration for new weaving projects. Each issue had a physical sample of a project showcasing the highlighted yarns. These samples provided a glimpse of the types and colors of yarn available at a time before yarn stores were available at a stroke of the keyboard. I can’t imagine the effort required to weave, cut and glue the swatches for the newsletters. The newsletters provided the draft for each sample though they are not in the format that we are now used to seeing. As these newsletters were written on a typewriter, the drafts needed to accommodate that limitation. The threading and tie-ups are familiar but the treadling is written in a longer format. These newsletters read as if the weaver is sitting next to you discussing their latest project. My favorite section of each newsletter is a discussion about the fabric. It can include difficulties encountered during the weaving process, possible variations, and various uses for the fabric such as clothing, upholstery, curtains, .… The swatches and the newsletters can provide insight to the type and weights of fabric for your future projects. Be aware that many of these yarns are no longer available and you will need to substitute.
Warp and Weft was not the only newsletter published by Robin and Russ Handweavers. They also put out Draft & Designs. Warp and Weft focused on 4 shaft weaves while Drafts & Designs was “a guide for 5 to 12 harness weaves.” A collection of drafts from the Drafts & Designs was published in 200 Patterns for Multiple Harness Looms in 1979. The PHG library has issues of Warp and Weft from 1955 to 1975 and Drafts & Designs from 1972 to 1979. (If anyone has issues that can help us complete our collection and would like to donate them, please contact Robin). The newsletters are also available to read online at the University of Arizona’s digital archive, though they don’t have the colorful swatches. Another online option is the Warp and Weft site which states that they are trying to republish the newsletters and appears to have colored pictures of many of the swatches.
Warp and Weft and Drafts and Designs are not the only publications in the PHG library with physical swatches. You can find other items by searching with the swatches tag in the PHG online catalog. The first way to find these items is to use the dropdown arrow (in the red circle in the below image) to select “tags”, and then choose “swatches”. Alternatively, you can type “swatches” in the search bar (in the blue circle). The smaller, lower search bar limits your searches to the guild collection. If you use the larger search bar, you will search every library on the site. The first tag of each item is the shelf category of that item. Items are then arranged by the last name of the author.
–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.
Bulletin Board
Looking to Buy or Sell Weaving Equipment or Materials?
Check out the Items for Sale page.
Fiber News and Events
Damascus Fiber Arts School Tapestry Talk
Saturday, November 22, 10am
Damascus, Oregon
Damascus Fiber Arts School presents Tapestry Talks, on Saturday, November 22, at 10am Pacific, our guest will be Susan Martin Maffei. Susan will talk about the inspiration and development of her dimensional work in tapestry. Susan is an internationally known tapestry artist and has been weaving professionally since 1985. See Tapestry Talks Archives – Damascus Fiber Arts School for more information.
HGA Convergence
August 12-16, 2026
New Orleans, Louisiana
More info: https://weavespindye.org/convergence/
ANWG 2027 Conference
June 14-19, 2027
Portland, Oregon
More info: https://anwgconference.org/
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.