Send your news items to Tim Prins by the 25th of the month for inclusion in the next month’s newsletter.
Guild Calendar
Thursday, September 12, 2024 – September Meeting
Multnomah Arts Center + Zoom, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy. (503) 823-2787
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 (Senior Center)
6:30 pm – 7:00 pm: set up, social and library browsing time
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Meeting
Thursday, September 26, 2024 – Board Meeting
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Zoom
See the website for study group meetings and our problem solving group.
President’s Message
First, I want to welcome everyone to the September 12 meeting. It is appropriate that we start the year with a program that focuses on a weaver’s journey as we launch a new year of programs, workshops and events. There are details on the September and October programs later in the newsletter. So many great speakers are in the works!
Second, so much is going on and could use some help. As they say, it takes a village so if you can help, it is greatly appreciated. We have an immediate need for help with the Weftover Sale. Details are:
- Location: Multnomah Art Center
- Friday October 18, 5-9pm set up help
- Saturday October 19 10-3 any portion of the day
- Clean up help 3-4pm
Help needed for upcoming events:
- Fall Sale – See article for details
- 2025 Gathering of the Guilds Planning Committee
- 2025 ANWG Conference Planning Committee
If you can help with any of these events or want more information, please reach out to me at noragessert@yahoo.com Thank you for any assistance you can provide.
I really love to talk to members about weaving (still a fledgling weaver after years and years) or even just banter about how things work and am available to chat anytime. Unfortunately, I will not be at the September meeting due to family commitments in Michigan but look forward to seeing everyone at the October meeting.
Nora Gessert
Upcoming Programs
September Morning Meeting: Dianne Totten presents “From Cone to Clothing, One Weaver’s Journey”
Through a PowerPoint presentation, Dianne will share her approach to designing and sewing one-of-a-kind garments and what she learned along the way. See what steps she takes to make her ‘visions’ materialize. Also included will be her work with the Fabric Forecast Team of Handwoven magazine. It concludes with her current work – ‘crimp’ clothing and what led her to it.
September Evening Meeting: Dianne Totten presents “Commenting on Crimp Cloth”
Dianne’s extensive exploration of what she named crimp cloth has opened up a whole new weaving world of possibilities. Through visual presentation, beginning with Fortuny, see what other fashion designers have created with similar looking cloth, then, see Dianne’s garments that flatter your figure, the shawls that won’t slide off your shoulders, and scarves that can serve a dual purpose. This is a technique that will inspire you to jump into your “stash” and start creating this magic fabric.
October Meeting & Program: Susana Navarro Hospinal presents “History of the Textile Hive Peruvian Collection”
History of the Textile Hive Peruvian Collection
While traveling in Peru, Andrea Aranow (whose collection now belongs to Textile Hive) was drawn in by the stunning beauty of the landscape, the rich culture, and the continued use of handwoven clothing around her. After six months serving as the regional textile researcher at the Instituto Nacional de Cultura, Aranow saw examples of textiles from the Central Highlands in the Andes and felt called to do her own fieldwork, collecting, and documenting the unique, creative textiles and dress of the region.
The Peruvian collection comprises over 700 textiles and garments, thousands of field photos, and Aranow’s research notes, along with video interviews and lectures about her time living and collecting in Peru between 1973 and 1980. All these materials are currently being organized and digitized for expanded access, to be released in conjunction with the online and physical exhibits in October 2024.
Susana Navarro Hospinal is an art historian, researcher, and independent curator who specializes in the art of modern Peruvian textiles and embroidery. She has published articles on communication strategy in cultural and artistic institutions and currently works with several contemporary visual artists on curatorial projects for private organizations. Her curatorial approach seeks to highlight cultural narratives and traditional techniques in a contemporary context. She has been invited by Textile Hive to curate this special exhibit.
Upcoming Workshop
January 10 & 12, Designing Woven Fabrics – Design Criteria, presented by Janet Phillips
Registration for the Designing Woven Fabrics – Design Criteria workshop is open. The online workshop is taught by Janet Phillips from the UK and scheduled for 10 am – noon on Friday January 10 and Sunday January 12, 2025. Learn to design original 4-shaft twill fabrics. This was one of our top 5 rated topics in the recent workshop interest survey, so we are happy to have it on our calendar. There is a HARD REGISTRATION DEADLINE of November 27, 2024 (this is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving). Please note that the final workshop cost depends on the number of registrations.
Hope to see you there (online) in January!
April 11-13, Sewing with Handwovens workshops with Linda Kubik
We are in the process of finalizing two Sewing with Handwovens workshops with Linda Kubik. We plan to have one day techniques workshop on Friday April 11, 2025 followed by a two day vest workshop Saturday and Sunday (April 12 & 13). This was our highest requested workshop topic in the interest survey, so I know many of you may want to pencil this into your calendar for April. Full information will be available in the next PHG newsletter.
Happy weaving and learning!
As usual, any question should be directed to workshops@portlandhandweaversguild.org.
Guild News
Website Survey
The website team will be working to update the website later this fall. To help with that project we’re looking for your thoughts about the current site. What do you want to see on the site? What would you like us to change?
Please complete the website survey by September 30. It’s only 2 questions, and should be pretty quick. You’ll find it here: https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/archive/website-survey/
Dan
Membership Renewal Time
The new year of meetings and programs is starting soon. If you haven’t renewed your membership now is a great time to do that. Just go to https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/archive/portland-handweavers-guild-membership/renew-my-membership/ to renew. Not sure if you’ve renewed or not? Just login at https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/archive/membership-login/. After you login you’ll see a page that shows your current status.
Have questions about your membership? Drop me an email using the handy Contact Us form on the website: https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/archive/contact-phg/
Dan Steves
Membership Director
Plan to Attend the WeftOver Sale October 19
The WeftOver Sale is our annual clean out the closet event! It is where we clean out the PHG closet, and you can clean out yours. It is also a great time to pick up items for a deal.
If you have items to donate to the sale there are several days that someone can accept items:
- October 10 monthly meetings (morning or evening)
- Friday October 18, 5-9pm as we set up
- Saturday October 19 9-10am during final set up
Plan to come by Multnomah Art Center October 19, 10am – 3pm. All proceeds go to supporting the Portland Handweavers Guild programs and workshops.
Fall Sale
Time for PHG fall sale entries! It’s never too early to start thinking about the sale. This year it will be the weekend of Nov 9 & 10.
- Set up will be Friday evening, Nov 8, from 5-9 pm.
- MAC is now charging for tables and chairs. We have reserved 5 tables and 15 chairs, first come/first serve.
- Booth fees include a slight increase to allow for an advertising budget and a break-even threshold for guild expenses (MAC rental).
- We’d like 4-5 people to volunteer for publicity as their choice for show job. This is instead of setup/cleanup duties. This is an important job! It truly made a big difference in the number of patrons last year.
- A floor plan of last year’s booth layout is here. If you’d like the same spot, let me know and I’ll do my best to accommodate your request.
- Remember that you must be a current PHG member to participate.
- We must have a signed entry form for everyone: if you’re sharing a booth, both members must submit a form.
- You must include contact info on your submitted form. You can fill out the form and email it to Judilee (instead of mailing it), but your space is not actually reserved until payment is received.
Download the Entry form.
I’m happy to answer any questions/concerns. Email me at: judilee.fitzhugh@gmail.com or leave a msg at 503-759-3721. Looking forward to a great sale this year! Judilee
Help Needed With The Spring Sale!
You may have heard that the Gathering of the Guilds (GOTG) is a lot of work and can be a challenge. In reality, the challenge was mostly related to the changing GOTG board members, that was out of our control. The event for the Portland Handweavers Guild (PHG) was great due to the work and expertise of the PHG committee members who have been a part of the event for many years and know how things work. As the chair, I relied on the committee for their advice and guidance, the results of which was a very successful event. We exceeded expectations in sales and participants and met our goals to break even (we actually made a bit of a profit, finally tally is in the works) and gain a few new members. Our Guild Booth was a great success with 15 participants who were able to get their feet wet at a big show and sell their art!
For the 2025 GOTG, there will be new GOTG board members, many of whom stepped in last year and, frankly, are so well organized and easy to work with that had I not agreed to be President of PHG, I would chair the committee again. The PHG board voted to participate in the 2025 GOTG event and many of the artists from 2024 are interested in participating again. I did agree to stay on top of some of the OCC/FERN contract items for the next show so I plan to still be on the GOTG board next year.
We need someone to chair or co-chair the committee for 2025. The infrastructure is in place and would only require updates to reflect changes for 2025, e.g. dates, improved instructions, put your spin on things, etc. If you like to organize and meet cool artists, reach out to me to volunteer or discuss all that the role entails. I can be reached by email or phone noragessert@yahoo.com / 734-395-1693.
Latest ANWG Newsletter
The Association of Northwest Weavers Guilds has posted their July 2024 newsletter with an addendum. Check out the creative ways other Northwest weaving guilds are getting their members together for fiber activities. All ANWG newsletters are available here.
Library News
New Library Carts!
The PHG library is getting two new carts! If you can remember way back to 2019, the library had two 4-foot long particle board library carts. Our first in-person meeting in 2022 took place in the gym. We managed to get both library carts into the gym over the door sill. Only one got out intact. At that time, the thought was to go to three 3-foot carts. These would be easier to maneuver and still fit in the closet while giving us more book room. However, at the same time, there was a fair amount of discussion about whether the guild should find a new home. If we found a new home, would the carts be needed? So, one cart was made as it was absolutely necessary and the other put on hold. Well, the hold is up.
This summer, Jacque DeBell, our rental chair, and I, Robin, were working with the rental equipment in the closet at the MAC while her husband, John, was patiently waiting for her. Having learned that John builds things, I asked if he would be interested in building us a couple of carts. After thinking it over for a few days, he agreed that he could do it. We got quick approval from the board. Jacque and John got to work. The first one is already in the closet and the second one should arrive this week. Cindy and I will get to work after Labor Day arranging the books on the shelves and getting new signs up. Please thank Jacque and John (by way of Jacque) for making this happen.
The carts will be similar to the previous new cart. A little taller, a little deeper than the original cart making it easier to get books in and out. Even better, rather than having 12% less space than we had before Covid, we will have 12% more shelf space! We’ll be able to slowly add some of the older titles back that we had to weed due to the lack of shelf space.
Another new feature will be the small equipment cart. This cart was one that had previously been storing back-up magazines in the closet. It has be repurposed to hold much of the smaller equipment which will be available for members to check out. These items will be like the library, available on a first-come, first-served basis. The check-out period from one monthly meeting to the next. Please see Jacque or Robin to check these items out rather than the library check out table.
Swedish Weaving Library Books
I am fascinated by the crisp lines, simplicity, and elegance of Scandinavian weaving and so, over the summer, I checked out three Swedish language books originally published prior to WWII: Vävbok 3 (Eva Ödlund, 1939), Vävbok 4 (Hulda Peters; first published in 1925, reprinted 1937), and I Vävstolen 1 (Anna Skeri-Mattson and Ingrid Osvald; 1st printing 1939, 12th printing, 1950).
Although the first section of the books can be daunting because of the language, the drafts are actually pretty easy to follow. Almost all are accompanied by a good black and white photo of the weave (think Marguerite Davison’s green book); instructions or suggestions for warp, weft, and sett; threading draft; and tie-up. If no treadling instructions are provided, it’s either tromp-as-writ or just a straight treadling.
Some words used in the instructions for the drafts are easy to understand, such as lingarn/linen, varp/warp, skaft/shaft. But for more challenging words and phrases, a good Swedish-English weaving glossary is available online at:
https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/other/hmc_glos.pdf
In general, the drafts are grouped into categories, such as hand towels (handdukar), curtains (gardin), rugs (matta), and upholstery fabric (möbeltyg). Although most drafts are up to four shafts, there are also drafts for multi-shaft fabrics such as 8-shaft twill and 10-shaft satin blocks. There are also some classic stripe and check patterns for plain weave and, for the truly adventurous, some rya designs.
The yarns identified for towels are cotton (bomullsgarn) and linen (lingarn), but the sizes tend to be much finer and setts far denser than what we tend to use. For example, the twill hand towel draft #17 (page 23) in Vävbok 4 uses 30/2 cotton warp and 16/1 linen at about 50epi, but it certainly could be woven successfully in 8/2 cotton at 24epi.
It’s always fun and inspiring to peruse the newer publications with step-by-step instructions and full-color photos of completed projects. But please give these older books a second look. You may be surprised to find that a traditional weaving draft you’ve been looking for – like a 5-shaft waffle weave (Vaffelväv), 6-shaft Panama or basket weave (Panamaväv), or a doubleweave checkerboard (rutig dubblevävnad). You may also be surprised to see that a design in a recent publication has its roots in a pamphlet published nearly 100 years ago.
The Scandinavian book section can be found in the PHG library shelves, identified with the double yellow dots. If you need help finding them, just ask your friendly PHG librarians.
Sue Walsh is a past president of PHG, member of Ruthie’s Weaving Studio, and board member of the Ruth Dabritz Legacy Weaving Project.
Bulletin Board
Damascus Fiber Arts School
Tapestry Talks
For less than the price of a burger these days, you can join the Damascus Fiber Arts School for their monthly Tapestry Talks. One Saturday a month, an invited artist will give a presentation about their tapestry journey.
Our Upcoming Talks will feature:
Janette Gross, innovative wedge weaver Aug 24
Sue Weil, on using pulled warp to great effect Sept 28
Tommye Scanlin, on using textile methods to mark time Oct 26
Michael Rohde, on exploring ways of turning ideas into weaving Nov 16
Join us each month–it only costs $10–by signing up on our website.
Create Your own Workshop
Can’t find the exact dates or topics for your tapestry needs? Looking for a Beginning Tapestry Workshop or something else? We can help. Find a few friends, then contact us with a proposal and possible times/dates. We can organize a workshop just for you and your friends. Email inquiries to: damascusfiberartsschoolinfo@gmail.com
Lecture Tour Videos
See previous Summer Lecture Tours for 2020 and 2021. You can view Vimeo videos on various subjects. Some of the lectures are:
Mary Lane: Mark Making in Tapestry
Any Belgan: Creative Journey to Tapestry
Barbara Burns: Tapestry Influences and Work
John & Marilyn Harrison: From our Farm Flock
Barbara Hitzemann: Dyeing Wool with Seasonal Plants
There are many more. To see a complete list and view the videos go to Lecture Tour Links – Damascus Fiber Arts School
Deb Essen classes at Fiber Rhythm
Fiber Rhythm Craft and Design has an upcoming weekend of weaving classes with Deb Essen planned for October 24th – 27th. If you would like to check out these classes please see the following links:
Back to Basics – Weaving (10/24)
Color for Fiber Artists (10/25)
Color in Weaving 2-Day Workshop (10/26 and 10/27)
Looking to Buy or Sell Weaving Equipment or Materials?
Check out the Items for Sale page.
Fiber News and Events
Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival
September 21-22, 2024
Linn County Expo Center, Albany, OR
More info: https://www.oregonflockandfiberfestival.com/
Red Alder Fiber Arts Retreat
February 13-16, 2025
Tacoma, Washington
More info: https://redalderfiberarts.com/
Conference of Northern California Handweavers
April 24-27, 2025
Pacific Grove, California
More info: https://www.cnch.org/conferences/
Fiber Fusion Northwest
June 7-8, 2025
Monroe, Washington
More info: https://www.fiberfusion.net/
ANWG 2025 Conference
June 16-21, 2025
Yakima, Washington
More info: https://anwgconference.org/
Black Sheep Gathering
June 27-29, 2025
Albany, Oregon
More info: http://blacksheepgathering.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.
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.