Send your news items to Sylvia Emard by the 25th of the month for inclusion in the next month’s newsletter.
Guild Calendar November 2021
November 11, 2021 Virtual Meeting
7:00 pm Evening Meeting Only
Library Pickup/Return
Thursday, November 18, 2021
10-10:30 am at the MAC back patio
Please send your requests to Robin.
Virtual Board Meeting
Thursday, December 2, 2021 (Tentative)
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
President’s Message
Happy November Everyone!
As November approaches I really start to feel a true sense of gratitude. I try my best to be grateful always, but over the years I have trained my brain to be even more mindful about my gratitude during this season and it has become automatic. I feel so lucky to live where I do. I am grateful I have plenty of food and shelter. I am thankful I have clean water to drink and access to healthcare when I need it. I have a support network that I feel so much gratitude toward.
As I have sat at my loom lately, threading projects for Christmas, I realize I have a few more things to feel grateful for this year too.
- I am grateful to Dan, Chris and Janis for helping teach me more about the role of President. I am starting to feel more comfortable in the role, but realize I still have a lot to learn. I know I don’t always get it right, so thank you all for your patience and gentle guidance.
- I am grateful to our amazing board of directors who are so good at all of their jobs and keep the Guild running for all of us. Everyone is a volunteer and give their time freely to make sure we are covered. Thank you all!
- I am grateful for the people who have served on our board and in various volunteer roles in our past to get us where we are now. We wouldn’t have the Guild we do without you all!
- I am grateful we have the MAC and look forward to getting back to in person meetings when they can accommodate us (I have an email out to them but haven’t had word back yet on December – I will keep you posted as soon as we hear anything).
- I am so grateful for all of our guild members who have stuck with us through these extraordinarily difficult times. We really appreciate your patience and support and willingness to be flexible in the types of meetings we are able to do. I am grateful for your project sharing which inspires us and for your participation. I love learning from you all!
- I am grateful for Zoom. I know we are all sick of it, but it is allowing us to come together so we can see some amazing programs and beautiful works of art created by you all! It also affords us a little bit of social time and I get to see everyone without masks before we meet in person with masks on.
- I am grateful for inspiration, creatitivity, yarn (and the people who make them and in some case the animals they come from) and looms (and the people who make them and the trees they are built from) and knowledge (and teachers who continue to help us learn) so we can put it all together.
I wish you all a grateful November!
Sarah McCully-Posner
PHG President
Programs
Program News 2021-2022
For the coming year the board has decided to take its lead from MAC, and when they reopen to the public we will resume our normal meeting schedule of day and evening meetings. Meetings will be held in either the auditorium or the gymnasium as scheduling permits to allow sufficient space for distancing for the comfort of all members. In addition we will continue to include Zoom access for all our meetings for both the Zoom-only meetings as well as those held at MAC.
Until MAC reopens we will continue with our evening Zoom meetings on our normal meeting dates. The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6742517131?pwd=Q2dlQkpaeFVQbGhieS8rTndTdTNidz09 and works for all meetings for both the normal 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 at https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/archive/members-only/recordings/. Please note that we are working with presenters to ensure access to all and 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. If you have missed any presentations from last year I urge you to view them now while you can. Updates may be made to those recordings at any time.
Thanks to all who have provided ideas and suggestions for this year’s programs. I think we have a good lineup, but there’s still a spot open for that amazing speaker or topic you’ve been wanting to see or share with the group. 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 |
| November | Linda Edquist | Textile Conservation |
| December | Laura Fry | Stash Management and Legacy Planning |
| January | Tien Chiu | TBD, but probably working with color |
| February | Marilyn and John Harrison | From Flock to Fiber |
| March | OPEN | TBD |
| April | Carolyn Burwell | Inspirations and Works |
| May | Denise Kovnat | TBD: Either “Paint Two, Beam One: Painting Two Warps and Beaming Them as One” OR “Once Upon a Warp: From the Loom to the Runway” |
| June | PHG Board | Strawberry Social |
November Program – Evening Meeting Only
PHG Education Director Linda Edquist
Textile Conservation: The Basics
November 11, 2021 at 7 pm
“The beauty of preservation & conservation is if one does the job well, no one will notice you have been there.”
Those words and the basic premise of “cause no harm” are the words that I lived by as a conservator during the career at the Smithsonian Institution. I started my career in textiles as a sewer, designer, costumer til I decided to change my direction and study textile conservation. Though I worked on all types of materials in the course of my work, my love was always for textiles.
I look forward to sharing this with PHG and will leave time for Q&A ~ so bring me your challenges.
Linda Edquist
Please find the Zoom link under Program News, above.
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 October meeting. Deadline for submissions is noon on Wednesday, November 10, 2021.
Vote on Proposal to Become a 501(c)(3)
At the November guild meeting members will be asked to vote on a proposal to become a 501(c)(3) organization. Currently, the guild is a 501(c)(4). While both types of organizations are nonprofit and tax exempt, contributions to a 501(c)(4) are not tax deductible, while donations to a 501(c)(3) are tax deductible. There are pros and cons to moving to a 501(c)(3):
PROS
• Donations are tax deductible.
• 501(c)(3) groups have better access to some venues, and can often get preferential treatment and pricing not available to a 501(c)(4).
• 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible for some grants not open to 501(c)(4) groups.
• A 501(c)(3) designation would put us more inline with other groups, such as ANWG, WeGO (status pending), and other weaving and fiber groups.
CONS
• There will be costs associated with the move. Legal and filing fees are expected to be $2050.
• Future donations to the guild will require formal acknowledgement that meets IRS requirements.
• 501(c)(3) organizations are restricted from political and legislative work and may not lobby.
Note that annual tax filing requirements are the same for both types of groups.
Please bring your questions or concerns to the November meeting, or contact guild president Sarah McCully-Posner at sarah_mccully@yahoo.com.
Workshops
Block Party – SOLD OUT!
Robyn Spady
December 11-12, 2021
Robyn Spady will present IN PERSON, the Block Party workshop that had to be rescheduled due to the pandemic. The workshop will be held at the Beaverton Mill End store classroom. (https://www.spadystudios.com/workshops)
Registration for this workshop is now open! Click here for details and to sign up.
Paint Two, Beam One
Denise Kovnat
March 13, 14, and 20, 2022
The next two workshops come as a set. March 13, 14, and 20, 2022, Denise Kovnat will present via Zoom, her Paint Two, Beam One dye workshop. Supply lists will be forthcoming, and I recommend we group up, or arrange for a group buy of some of the required chemicals.
One Warp, Many Structures
Denise Kovnat
May 12-14, 2022
May 12-14, 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) Either workshop can stand on its own, but the Workshop Chair will first be opening registration to those who want to take both workshops.
March, 2022 The Sakiori workshop lead by Yoko Tamura may return. Should it be a go, first priority will be given to those who had originally registered. (Lynne Fitzsimmons still has her warp and silk sari squirrelled away in anticipation!)
September or October, 2022, Patty Huffer will present a Beginning Rigid Heddle workshop. This is being organized by WeGo, and has a maximum of 6 participants.
Guild News
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.
Volunteer Opportunity: PHG Organizational Liaison Chair
Sue Walsh has stepped down as Organizational Liaison Chair and would like to help someone learn this PHG Board position. This person will shadow Sue this year, answer your questions, and then take over fully next year. The work is light, but there are a few time sensitive items. As a Board member, we would like you to join us for the monthly Board meetings, all currently done over Zoom. Please contact Sarah at sarah_mccully@yahoo.com if you are interested.
PHG Website News
Some of you may have noticed that there are a couple of things that have changed on the PHG website. The forums have been removed, including the Items for Sale Forum. They never really got much use, and the Items for Sale was really the only one that got much traffic.
In its place we’ve created a separate page where we’ll post these things, and there’s now a new form where you can provide item details and upload pictures for the posting. Many thanks to Rebecca Robb for helping out and taking on this page and posting these additions. The form to submit items is here: https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/archive/list-my-item-for-sale/ and the items for sale can be found here: https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/archive/items-for-sale/
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/archive/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 are probably not 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). Try things out, then put them on your holiday wish list! 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 has hit the “reboot” button and we are GO for June 11-18, 2023 at the Riverhouse Convention Center and Hotel in Bend. Portland Handweavers Guild is weaving the name tags, and we had been weaving them at various locations across metro area, including sales, demonstrations, and Ruthie’s Weaving Studio as well as in private weavers’ home studios. With COVID restrictions still in place, we currently are restricting weaving to private home studios. 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/archive/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 October 2021 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
Complex Weavers continue to prepare for their 2022 Seminars. The seminars will meet in Knoxville, TN, July 10 to July 13, 2022, just prior to Convergence. Seminar leaders, topics and schedule have been posted; go to complex-weavers.org for more information. A juried show, Complexity, will also be in Knoxville for most of July at the Emporium in downtown Knoxville. CW members are encouraged to enter. We hope to see you in Knoxville!
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 Sale – Call for Volunteers
We are looking forward to having our Spring Sale, May 6-7, 2022, with the Gathering of the Guilds. For any event to be successful there needs to be an army of volunteers to get all the jobs done behind the scenes. We need:
1. Coordinator of Volunteers
- Set-up Sign Up Genius, a free online sign-up program for vendors participating in GOTG
- Remind volunteers/vendors to sign up for required hours
- Remind volunteers/vendors to work their shifts
2. GOTG postcards/flyers/posters distribution
- Ship or deliver to vendors and others to distribute
- Pass out at PHG meeting
3. PHG demonstrations for lobby
- Recruit PHG demonstrators
- Prepare guild loom
- Coordinate transport of equipment MAC and OCC
4. Demonstration from outside of group
- Recruit outside fiber arts group to demonstrate
- Coordinate with John Beard
Please contact Jane or Jessica if you can help.
Jane Wilson, janewilson1949@outlook.com
Or
Jessica Bardsley, jessica.a.bardsley@gmail.com
Bulletin Board
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, November, 2021-March, 2022
The Handweavers Guild of America, Inc.’s (HGA) exciting new program for 2021, 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.
Mending The Social Fabric
Now through January 30, 2022
Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education’s Menashe Gallery
Interactive exhibition by textile artist Bonnie Meltzer.
More info here.
Red Alder Fiber Arts Retreat
February 16-20, 2022
Tacoma, WA
Rose City Yarn Crawl 2022
February 24-27, 2022
Portland, OR
RAGS Wearable Art Sale and Show
March 10-13, 2022
Mercedes-Benz of Tacoma, Fife, WA
Supporting YWCA Pierce County’s life-saving domestic violence services.
www.ragswearableart.org
Fiber in the Forest
May 13-15, 2022
Camp Myrtlewood, OR
Fiber in the Forest is coming back in 2022!
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/
Handweavers Guild of America-Convergence 2022
July 15-21, 2022
Knoxville, TN
Convergence® is heading to the Smoky Mountains for 2022!
Convergence
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 will be coming out soon 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.
Happy weaving,
WeGO 2023 Traveling Show Committee:
Sarah Mostkoff
Marilyn Roberts
Charlene Virts
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
RAGS LIVE! Wearable Art Sale and Show
March 10-13, 2022
Mercedes-Benz of Tacoma, Fife, WA
2022 Artist Applications are open. Click here for the prospectus. Click here to apply online. Deadline to apply is December 10, 2021.
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.