Send your news items to Sylvia Emard by the 25th of the month for inclusion in the next month’s newsletter.
Guild Calendar April 2022
April 14, 2022 In-Person and Zoom Meetings
10:00 am Day Meeting – Auditorium
7:00 pm Evening Meeting – Auditorium
Multnomah Arts Center | 7688 SW Capitol Hwy | Portland, OR 97219
(503) 823-2787
Library Pickup/Return
April 14, 2022
Regular Library hours resume during in-person meetings
Virtual Board Meeting
Thursday, April 28, 2022
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
President’s Message
Hello Guild Friends!
I hope the start of Spring has been good for you all. As I write this I am sitting in my brother’s house in the southern Valley, listening to my son play with his little cousin while looking outside and seeing things coming to life. Fields are green, trees are budding, daffodils are in bloom, the mason bees are hatching and the birds are out in force.
As the natural world wakes up, so is our social world and we are starting our gentle ease into our new normal. We are all making adjustments based on our comfort levels and those comfort levels are leading us to make decisions that work best for each of us and our families. That said, the mask mandate has been dropped across the state and that applies to Multnomah Arts Center as well. They have told me that masking is optional, so you can make the choice that fits your comfort level for our first in-person meeting in over 2 years on 14 April. Masks are more than welcome/encouraged but no longer required.
Also, I feel like we should start our recruiting for positions next year as we have some important jobs that will need filling. I have decided to team up with Cooki and step into the co-chair role as Community Outreach next year so I plan to step down as President and will serve the Guild in a different way. Others are also looking to step down. Here are the jobs we are currently recruiting for, that will start in September:
- PRESIDENT
- TREASURER
- SALES DIRECTOR
The earlier people volunteer for these roles the sooner we can start getting new volunteers teamed up with the volunteers currently in the roles to help guide and give a view of what is involved in each of the roles. It will allow you to shadow and learn the ropes before taking over. If you are interested, please contact me so we can start the process of getting you approved. I must remind everyone that we can not carry on being a Guild if the roles of the President and the Treasurer are not filled. It is required in our bylaws that we have a President, Secretary and a Treasurer. There may be other board positions that come available later as I speak with the rest of our board. Thank you so much for your interest and I look forward to hearing from our next leaders!
Have a great April everyone!
Sarah McCully-Posner
PHG President
Programs
Program News 2021-2022
Great news! We’ve received word from MAC that we’ll be able to return there for in-person meetings starting in April. Meetings will be held at MAC in either the auditorium or the gym. We’re excited and looking forward to seeing everyone soon. We’ll continue to use Zoom for all meetings to allow those not able to join us at the MAC to participate. The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6742517131?pwd=Q2dlQkpaeFVQbGhieS8rTndTdTNidz09 and works for all meetings, both for the regular monthly meetings as well as the monthly board meetings.
We will continue to record programs and make them available to members via the members-only page. You’ll find the meeting recordings at https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/members-only/recordings/. Please note that we are working with presenters to ensure access to all while at the same time respecting the time and efforts of presenters. When requested, we will be redacting presentations from the recordings after allowing a reasonable amount of time to allow members the opportunity to view the recordings.
I’ve started thinking about next year’s programs, and am considering making it a year of inspirations. If you have an idea for a program please email Dan at dansteves@gmail.com.
In the meantime, here’s what we have on the schedule so far.
| Month | Speaker | Topic |
| April | Carolyn Burwell | From a Monkey to Monofilament |
| May | Denise Kovnat | Once Upon a Warp: From the Loom to the Runway |
| June | PHG Board | Strawberry Social |
April Program – Day and Evening Meetings In-Person at MAC Auditorium and on Zoom
April 14, 2022
Carolyn Burwell
From a Monkey to Monofilament
Each of us has a different approach to our weaving. Carolyn likes to ask herself, “What if?” That question led her to weave an orangutan, and later, to work with monofilament. This presentation will not only include her approach but also that of the fiber artists who feed her curiosity and challenge her weaving skills.
Join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6742517131?pwd=Q2dlQkpaeFVQbGhieS8rTndTdTNidz09
Share your work with the Guild. Please send photos of your recent work to Dan Steves at dansteves@gmail.com for inclusion in the Show & Tell portion of the April meeting. Deadline for submissions is noon on Wednesday, April 6, 2022.
Coming Up!
May 12, 2022
Denise Kovnat
Once Upon a Warp: From the Loom to the Runway
“This one-hour lecture traces my weaving journey from concept to completion of a garment, followed by a fashion show of the garments themselves. Every year since 2008 I have set myself a challenge: Weave a garment (or two) that will be juried into the Convergence fashion show, part of the biannual conference of the Handweavers’ Guild of America. To date, I have been able to meet the challenge – but there’s more to the story, with some ups and downs along the way! Anyone who weaves or creates fabric or designs garments will relate.”
Workshops
We just held the Paint Two Beam One workshop via Zoom with 12 participants. It was a good way to run this workshop; we had a mid-session break of several days in which to prepare and paint our warps. Some have already painted their warps, others are in process. Denise Kovnat was an engaging instructor, and our brains are all full. Here’s a picture of Lynne’s warps:
Our next workshop, to be held on May 13-15, 2022, also presented by Denise Kovnat and IN PERSON, is One Warp, Many Structures, an exploration of extended parallel threading and all the structures that can be woven from that one threading. As of March 21, there were 3 seats left. Read about it and register here: https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/events/one-warp-many-structures-explorations-in-extended-parallel-threading/?occurrence=2022-05-13
One Warp, Many Structures
Denise Kovnat
May 13-15, 2022
May 13-15, 2022, Denise Kovnat will present IN PERSON, her One Warp, Many Structures workshop, using the two painted warps from the previous workshop. (https://www.denisekovnat.com/p/classes.html) Registration is open with spaces available.
September 10-11, 2022, Patty Huffer will present a Beginning Rigid Heddle workshop at Ruthie’s Weaving Studio at 3131 SE 50th and SE Kelley. This is being organized by WeGo, and has a maximum of 6 participants. More information coming soon.
What else can you do with your warps, painted or otherwise? Deflected Doubleweave! Natalie Drummond will be teaching a workshop on Deflected Doubleweave via Zoom, October 15-16, 2022. Natalie’s work can be seen here: https://www.nataliewoven.com/. Pricing and registration are not yet available.
And finally, thank you everyone who contributed to the “what workshops would you like PHG to offer” discussion on the mailing list! Lynne will be working through that and eventually putting out a survey to determine which ones have the most appeal guild-wide.
Fiberworks Lessons with Jerry Swick
The Fiberworks tutorials by Jerry Swick have been recorded and are viewable online by logging in and clicking here.
Guild News
501(c)(3) Update
Our application to the IRS for 501-c-3 status is nearly complete. The last piece to be done is approval of our new bylaws. They are largely the same as our current bylaws, but with a couple of important changes.
First, board positions will be 1-year terms with a limit of 5 consecutive terms, except for the treasurer which will be limited to 3 consecutive terms. The other big change is that the entire board will be elected at the annual meeting in June instead of just the officers. The board hopes that election of the entire board and the introduction of term limits will help bring more attention to these important positions and hopefully encourage more participation.
The bylaws will require a vote of the membership, which we hold at the April meetings. In the meantime, you can review the proposed bylaws on the website at https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/proposed-bylaws/. If you have any questions about the proposed bylaws please reach out to Dan Steves.
Library and Rental News
The library shelves will be available for browsing during both meetings beginning in April. All materials currently checked out will be due at an April meeting.
Have you read a book or watched a DVD, new or new to you, that is available through the PHG library? Submit a review to publish in an upcoming newsletter.
Weaving Guilds of Oregon Relief Fund
The WeGO Relief Fund was established in response to Oregon’s devastating 2020 fire season in which several weavers lost their homes and studios. This fund is intended to assist any member of a WeGO guild who is a victim of a catastrophic loss. A member of a WeGO Guild who is a victim of a catastrophic loss, fire, theft, flood, other natural disaster may apply for Relief Funds to assist in the replacement of fiber and/or fiber-related accessories lost.
Read the Relief Fund Guidelines here and download the Application here.
Theme of the Year – Stash Management
Weavers tend to acquire a yarn inventory over time, their stash. A stash is a wonderful thing. It can consist of yarns left over from completed projects but too nice to discard, yarns that were gifts, or yarns that were just too pretty to leave behind at the fiber festival. There are bread-and-butter yarns like carpet warp and 8/2 cotton and, sometimes, yarns lovingly adopted from a weaver’s estate sale. But without stash management, a stash can outgrow its storage space or is frozen in time, with fiber content, grist, colors, and textures the weaver no longer uses.
There are three main stash management categories: Builders, Swappers, and Depleters.
Stash Builders tend to be those new to weaving. They are excited to build their stashes to have a variety of yarns readily available for projects they hope to weave in the future. They may be weavers without resources to build a stash quickly, who want to get a range of colors in basic yarns, or who want to explore different yarns without a major cash outlay. They can also be weavers who are looking for small quantities of a special yarn, discontinued yarns, or yarns that are difficult to find.
Stash Swappers are weavers who already have a stash but want it refreshed. The stash can have yarns that no longer reflect their weaving preferences, where the weaver is learning and evolving and needs their stash to evolve with them. There are lots of partial cones of this or that (usually left over from completed projects) and/or plenty of fiber that is not their “thing” anymore. The desire to have a stash is still strong, just a “stash of a different color.”
Stash Depleters are in downsizing mode. They have more stash than they can ever use – a Stash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy (S.A.B.L.E) as described by Laura Fry in her Handwoven magazine essay.
Most of these stashes have been years in the making and include such treasures as Willamette Valley linens, cotton bouclés, and vintage colors and textures. These weavers would rather sell or donate some of their stash to other fiber artists rather than see it go to the dump or leave it to a family member to figure out what to do with it in their absence.
This year, PHG proposes Stash Management as our Theme of the Year. Here is a chance to build, change, or deplete your stash. Are you a depleter? Post a picture of what you’re are willing to sell or donate on the GoogleGroup email. Are you a builder? Tell others what you’re looking for. Do you want to change it up? Let others know what you want to swap. In the meantime, weave articles using your own stash, or using materials you acquired from someone else’s stash. At the end of the year, we can share what we wove and what we did to manage our stashes. We’ll have more to say in the months to come, and hope that sharing of our stashes and our Stash Management strategies helps to bring us together in this ongoing difficult time of isolation.
PHG Special Projects Grant Program
Have you been thinking about an aspect of weaving, dyeing, or spinning that you would like to explore? After being cooped up for a year with these ideas floating around, isn’t it time to act on them, and would the incentive of a little cash help?
PHG is here to help with you with that!
The Guild has a grant fund available to members for just that purpose and all you need to do is fill out a simple application form and submit it the Director of Education. REALLY this is not some LONG government form and it does not require a COVID test so please think about applying. Go to the website and look under education/special projects or just click on the link below and get started.
This is an opportunity for new weavers who are interested in experimenting with a new type of weave or yarn, experienced weavers to finally research a topic more in depth or attend a workshop that otherwise would not be within the budget. All that PHG asked is that you share your experience with us sometime in the future!
I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Linda Edquist
Director of Education
https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/education/special-projects-fund/
Your purchases can benefit PHG! Click on one of these links before buying and PHG will earn a commission from your purchase.
The Woolery is the place for weaving, spinning, felting, dyeing, rug hooking and knitting. Established in 1981, our extensive inventory of products, excellent customer service and in-house fiber arts experience make us the ideal source for all your fiber arts needs. We have one of the largest selections of weaving loom and spinning wheel floor models for you to test drive. Your Fiber Journey Starts Here!”
Small Equipment Library
Most members are aware that the PHG has table and tapestry looms to rent. Many may not be aware that we have a number of smaller tools that you can borrow for a month with no charge. These items have been moved from the Rental Equipment page on the PHG site to a new page, Small Equipment Library, under the Resources menu. Kathy Sengenberger’s husband, Dave, generously gifted the guild some wonderful additions to this collection. Now available to borrow are a Glimakra yarn swift, a ball winder, a fringe twister, a bobbin winder and a McMorran balance (to determine how much mystery yarn you picked up at the latest sale. Sorry, you will still need to do a burn test to find out what it is). Please email Robin with requests. They will be available for pick up and return during the regular library schedule.
ANWG 2023 Conference: Fiber Connections
The 2023 ANWG Conference is a GO for June 11-18, 2023 at the Riverhouse Convention Center and Hotel in Bend. Portland Handweavers Guild is weaving the name tags. If you are interested in weaving some name tags, we can provide you with the draft, pre-made warp, weft, and instructions. Please contact Sue Walsh at sugar2311@comcast.net if you’d like more info. If you’d like to know more about the conference, or wish to sign up for the regular blogs, go to https://anwgconference2023.com/ Thanks in advance!
Membership
Your membership runs from July 1 to June 30, and all memberships are up for renewal on July 1. The only exception is new members who joined after March 1 of this year. For more information or to renew online go to https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/portland-handweavers-guild-membership/renew-my-membership/.
Please reach out to Membership Director Jessica with any questions or concerns.
Latest ANWG Newsletter
The Association of Northwest Weavers Guilds has posted their latest newsletter. Check out the creative ways other Northwest weaving guilds are getting their members together for fiber activities. Click here to read the newsletter.
A Message from Your Complex Weavers Representative
Have you ever considered joining Complex Weavers? Membership is open to those weavers who venture forth on 8 shaft looms, or more. However if you only have 4 shafts right now, we also would welcome you. Complex Weavers gives one the chance to meet like minded weavers, and to share and learn from each other.
Complex Weavers offers many study groups on a variety of weaving topics. We also have an extensive library one can use for their own study purposes. Complex Weavers hosts Seminars, every even numbered year, and this is a chance for members to meet up in person, and enjoy the learning opportunities at that conference.
Additionally, Complex Weavers members have the opportunity to enter a juried show, Complexity, held in connection with Complex Weavers Seminars.
Registration is open now for our Seminars 2022. The information regarding accommodation and classes is up on our Website, (www.complex-weavers.org) We hope you will be able to join us in Knoxville, TN, July 10-13 for a wonderful 2022 Seminars gathering, just prior to Convergence.
We continue to welcome new members to Complex Weavers. It is so exciting to see those new members joining, and our long term members returning to share their talents with us. www.complex-weavers.org.
If you would like to join Complex Weavers or would like more information, please send an email to LadellawilliamsCZZ@gmail.com, text her at 503-729-1704, or write to Ladella Williams at:
4254 NE Flanders St.
Portland OR 97213-1636
Handweavers Guild of America
Handweavers Guild of America (HGA) is our national weaving organization whose mission is to educate, support and inspire the fiber arts community. Many of us think of Convergence, the biennial international conference, when we think of HGA. The next Convergence will be in Knoxville, Tennessee July 15-21, 2022. Registration is open now.
Membership also entitles you to receive the quarterly Shuttle Spindle and Dyepot magazine, guided study opportunities, grants to study or take workshops, fiber resources such as textile kits and multimedia rentals, travel excursions and eligibility for Small Expressions exhibit and the HGA Award given to more than 30 deserving artists each year.
Please go to the HGA website www.weavespindye.org for more information.
Sale News
PHG Spring Fiber Arts Sale
PHG Spring Sale with Gathering of the Guilds
May 6-8, 2022
Oregon Convention Center
Portland Handweavers Guild will hold a fundraiser at Gathering of the Guilds for Mercy Corps humanitarian relief in Ukraine.
For PHG members who would like to participate:
- Let the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine inspire you to make something. Downloadable patterns and books from Etsy sellers in Ukraine are a good source for ideas. Ukrainian artists on Etsy sell patterns for band weaving, bead weaving, knitting, crochet, embroidery, sewing, and more. Janis has a list of some relevant Etsy shops in Ukraine.
- If you plan to use a pattern, check that it is not restricted to personal use.
- Create the item.
- Make a tag that explains your inspiration. If it’s based on a purchase on Etsy, include the name of the author and a link to their Etsy shop.
- Determine a price for the item. This should be at least what you would charge if selling it yourself.
- Provide the item to PHG to sell at Gathering of the Guilds. All of the purchase price, less credit card fees, will go to Mercy Corps.
- Unsold items will be returned to artists.
Contact Janis Johnson for more information. See more info on submitting your items here.
URGENT – HELP NEEDED!!
PHG Booth at Gathering of the Guilds
PHG will have a booth at this year’s Gathering of the Guilds. We’re asking members to help us create a booth that’s both engaging and informative. The goal of the booth is to tell people about the guild and its history, and to showcase the broad range of work done by our members. We expect there to be a lot of interest in the booth as we’ll be displaying some of the PHG mannequins. But we need to have member works to display alongside the mannequins. If you’d like to offer a piece to exhibit please email Dan with a photo and a short description of the piece. We’re looking for as wide an array as possible – from simple bookmarks and scarves to tapestries and garments. Both old and new items are welcome and encouraged. Please share your work with the public and help tell the story of PHG!
Demonstrations: Contact Linda Edquist if you are interested in demonstrating at the Spring Sale. Sign up forms are coming soon.
Sales Director Opportunity
PHG is still seeking a new Sales Director. If you can help with this position, you can start by helping Dan Steves with the Spring Sale, then take over for the Fall Sale. For more info, please contact Dan at dansteves@gmail.com.
Bulletin Board
World’s Oldest Pants
Read about a 3,000-year old pair of woven wool pants found at an excavation in China’s Tarim Basin, and watch a fascinating 45-minute video about a collaborative effort among archaeologists, weavers, fashion designers and many others to reconstruct a modern replica of the trousers.
Click here to read the article in Science News.
Click here to view the video.
Looking to Buy or Sell Weaving Equipment or Materials?
Check out the Items for Sale page.
Fiber News and Events
Handweavers Guild of America
Textiles & Tea
Tuesdays, Now-November, 2022
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.
More info here.
Soft, Sturdy, Prickly, Oh, My!
Now-April 24, 2022
Lincoln City Cultural Center Fiber Arts Studio Gallery
Linda Gettmann and Charlene Virts share the Featured Artist Gallery February 25 – April 24, 2022, at the Fiber Arts Studio Gallery in the Lincoln City Cultural Center. Both from Central Oregon, the contrast in expressions, materials, function, and art make a dramatic presentation from soft, dreamy scarves, complex patterns and color play, and sturdy saddle blankets to intricately curved pine needle basket sculptures.
More info here or LCFiberArtsStudio@gmail.com
Love Your Loom!
Zoom Workshop with Liz Moncrief
Presented by Qualicum Weavers and Spinners Guild
April 4, 2022
9:30 to 11:30 am Pacific Time
Geared for everyone from the beginner to the most experienced weaver, this Zoom workshop offers a 2 hour discussion of the tools that are so important to our work with lots of examples and some of the best information available regarding weaving equipment: looms in general, shafts, treadles, reeds, shuttles, benches and tips/tricks to help you achieve a better handwoven product…and it’ll make you feel more comfortable at your loom!
Liz has repaired and rehabilitated looms for twenty-five years and has worked on nearly every make and model available, even when the makers are no longer in business. She has written blogs on all these topics for Handwoven Magazine and has now compiled many of these tips into a focused program for guilds and groups.
Troubleshoot your loom! This workshop is priced to encourage everyone to sign up. $10 for QWSG members; $15 for non-members. https://qualicumweaversandspinners.blogspot.com/
To register or for more information, contact the Workshop Registrar, Gillian Best
at gbest@shaw.ca.
Fiber in the Forest
May 13-15, 2022
Camp Myrtlewood, OR
Fiber in the Forest is coming back in 2022!
More info here.
Fiber Fusion NW
June 4-5, 2022
Evergreen State Fairgrounds, Monroe, WA
More info here.
MAWS 2022 Visions In Fiber Conference
Montana Association of Weavers and Spinners
June 21-26, 2022
Carroll College, Helena, MT
The conference is scheduled for Carroll College in Helena June 21-26, 2022 (including pre-conference workshops). More info coming in the Fall MAWS newsletter. There is also a fashion show, towel exchange and skein exchange planned! The Conference Theme is “Visions in Fiber”. More info at https://www.montanaweavespin.org/ and https://helenaweaversandspinners.org/
Black Sheep Gathering
June 24-26, 2022
Linn County Expo Center, Albany, Oregon
Black Sheep Gathering is back for 2022! More info here.
Handweavers Guild of America-Convergence 2022
July 15-21, 2022
Knoxville, TN
Convergence® is heading to the Smoky Mountains for 2022!
Convergence
The Exquisite Gorge Project II: Fiber Arts
Saturday, August 6, 2022
Maryhill Museum of Art, Goldendale, WA
Featuring 13 regional fiber artists working with communities along 220 miles of the Columbia River from the Willamette Confluence to the Snake River Confluence, culminating in a Festival of Fiber Arts.
Find more info here.
Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival
October 15-16, 2022
Linn County Expo Center, Albany, OR
More info here.
The Weaving Guilds of Oregon (WeGO) committee is delighted to announce that the traveling show will take place beginning in January of 2023. This show travels around the state of Oregon showcasing the fiber arts in our communities. The Title of the show is “Filaments.” A prospectus for submissions is available now and we hope to have a large response from participating guild members. The WeGO Traveling Show has been well received in the past, so now is the time to begin to plan your Filaments project.
ANWG Conference – Fiber Connections
June 11-18, 2023
Riverhouse Convention Center, Bend, OR
Click the link below to read all the news for the ANWG Conference 2023.
anwgconference2023.com
Call to Artists
TROUTDALE ARTS FESTIVAL Previously Known as Fall Festival of the Arts
Troutdale Arts Festival Mission: To connect, support, and present the thriving community of artists, studios, workshops, and galleries in our region; and to build awareness of the West Columbia Gorge as a Fine Art destination. Join Cascadia Arts Association at the Troutdale Arts Festival 2022 presented by FedEx on Saturday, May 21st and Sunday, May 22nd, 2022 at Glenn Otto Park on the beautiful Sandy River. The event has strong art, business, and community backing. Musicians, local food and drinks, and local restaurants will be participating at and near the festival site. APPLY AT: www.zapplication.org
DEADLINE: APRIL 1ST, 2022
Email: fallfestivalofthearts.artists@gmail.com or egreenartist@gmail.com
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.