Send your news items to Tim Prins by the 25th of the month for inclusion in the next month’s newsletter.
Guild Calendar
Thursday, December 8, 2022
December Meeting
10:00 am Day Meeting
Multnomah Arts Center + Zoom
7688 SW Capitol Hwy. (503) 823-2787 – Gym
9:30 am – 10:00 am: Set up and social time
10:00 am – 12:00: Meeting
After meeting: Library browsing time in hallway in front of guild closet
7:00 pm Evening Meeting
Multnomah Arts Center + Zoom
7688 SW Capitol Hwy. (503) 823-2787 – Gym
6:30 pm – 7:00 pm: set up, social and library browsing time (library in hallway in front of guild closet)
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Meeting
President’s Message
Greetings, everyone! Sorry that I’ve missed our in-person events of late. As I was telling friends on Facebook, November has included buying a house, selling a house, moving to a new house, moving a friend to their new apartment, and having my gallbladder removed, all in the first 2 weeks of the month. I can’t wait to see what December brings!
The big news I have to share with everyone this month is that our application for 501-c-3 status was approved! This is great news for the guild, and opens up some important options for us, including the possibility of grants and increased access to outreach venues, something that Cooki and Maggie had noted was an issue for us last summer. Thanks go out to Sarah and last year’s board for recognizing the importance of this step and approving the funding for the legal fees, and especially to Maggie for her help with our investigations and the initial stages of the application work.
With that process behind us we now have to look forward and plan for how best to handle the new opportunities. The board has begun discussions for creating a new board position to handle donations and grants. We’ve been dealing with donations for a while now, but it hasn’t always been pretty, and with the new status and the steady growth of inquiries we really need to get a plan in place and have someone on-board who can help with these activities. If you are interested in this or know someone who’d be good at this please let me or someone on the board know. I’m hoping we can find someone soon who can start working with us on this after the new year.
There’s more going on, of course. But we’ll save that for another time and another newsletter. Let me just close with a wish that you all have the happiest of holidays, and as always I hope to see you at a guild event soon!
Dan
Programs
December 8th PHG Meeting at MAC
Morning and Evening meetings as usual
This is our craftier meeting month and welcome to the Holiday Season! There will be 3 activities available to members to participate in and come with your creative self as we have a fun meeting together.
Now to make this more festive, if you have already started your holiday baking/cooking and have some treats to share at the meeting please bring them!
First: Froebel Star also known here as the Polish Star Lead by Christina Bergmann
These beautiful holiday 3 dimensional stars will be a wonderful added decoration in your home. Made with long paper strips (supplied by PHG) it just takes folding and patience. Bring a small pair of paper scissors and lots of patience and you will be going home with a beautiful holiday star to decorate your tree or table.
Second: Seven Strand Braiding Lead by Cooki Messner
Cooki leads this activity using hand made boards to make it easily accessible for anyone to try – no need to bring a disk (unless you have one that you have forgotten how to use). She will have yarns available for the project but if you have cords/yarns you would like to use bring them along! A pair of scissors would be useful.
And while you can learn the 7 Strand Braiding you can also help Sue Walsh with attaching these braided pieces to the name tag holders for ANWG. Best of both worlds – learning and helping!
Third: Noh Coat Challenge for the PHG Mannequins Lead by Linda Edquist
The time has come to get ready for the ANWG Conference in Bend in the new year. PHG will be displaying the mannequins again this time, with your help, modeling your weaving expertise with the Noh Coat. There are 8 mannequins but we want more examples to rotate during the conference and to display as a backdrop for the display so bring it one.
PHG is supplying the scaled pattern and instructions at the meeting and answering your question. So, all you need to do is weave a piece at least 18” x 36” (or piece it with smaller sections) and away you go.
Upcoming Workshops
Krokbragd with Debby Greenlaw, via Zoom. January 13-15, 2023
This workshop is is sold out, but you can go to the workshop web page and sign up for the waiting list.
Tablet Weaving (3 1-day workshops) with John Mullarkey. March 9-12, 2023
As of Nov 25, there is one spot left in the Ram’s Horn workshop, and more spots in Threaded In Designs and Sulawesi. In any case, we now have a waiting list function, so if the workshop is full, you can still go to the specific workshop web page, and sign up for the waiting list.
These are all the workshops that will be scheduled for the balance of the membership year, as the ANWG Conference is in June, and there will be many workshops provided there, including several topics many of you are very interested in.
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
Messages from Membership
Hi everyone! I have 2 updates for everyone:
1) If you have registered as a member of the Guild and have not been invited to join our Guild Google Group, where you can communicate with the rest of the guild members and get information in regards to workshops and the like, please send me a note and I can invite you to the group.
2) CALLING ALL NEW MEMBERS (those who joined between 2019-now)!!!
We have a time and place for our New Member Tea! WOOT!!
We will come together to celebrate our newest members on 12/11/2022 from 2:00-4:00p at Steeplejack Brewery in the Coffee Lounge at 2400 NE Broadway, Portland, 97232. We will be offering non-alcoholic drinks, appetizers/snacks and great company. If you would like to have beer or other food/snacks we didn’t order, you are welcome to order those on your own tab and still enjoy the great company! Please RSVP to me by 12/7 if you plan to join us so we know who we can expect to be there. Really looking forward to seeing you there!
Sarah
Library and Rental News
Wasn’t it great to have the library carts available during the meeting last month?! It was wonderful to watch members browsing the shelves in its usual evening location. Unfortunately, that was a one off. It looks like the meetings for the next couple of months are in the library cart-unfriendly gym. Sigh. That means we are back to the hallway. For the morning meeting, the library is available following the meeting. For the evening meeting, it will be available from 6:30 to 7pm, the half hour before the start of the meeting.
New books! There are new books this month. They include Crackle Weave Simply by Susan Kesler-Simpson, Contemporary Weaving in Mixed Media by Rachna Garodia and The Enigma of Shadow Weave Illuminated by Rebecca Wilson (see the review below).
Book Highlight
The Enigma of Shadow Weave Illuminated: Understanding Classic Drafts for Inspired Weaving Today,by Rebecca Winter
Before I get into what this book is about, let me tell you what it is not. It is not a book of drafts. If that is what you are looking for, try Marion Powell’s 1000(+) Patterns in 4, 6 and 8 Harness Shadow Weaves. It is not a book of projects, although there are a few. If it is a book of projects that you are seeking, take a look at Shadow Weave from the Best of Handwoven’s Technique series (available from the PHG library on a CD).
The Enigma of Shadow Weave Illuminated by Rebecca Wilson is a deep dive into all things that make shadow weave shadow weave. Though not absolutely necessary, experience weaving at least one shadow weave project will help in absorbing the information presented in this comprehensive volume. After reading this book, you will come away with a deeper understanding of how shadow weave works and a desire to explore it further.
The book opens appropriately with a brief history of shadow weave with its introduction by Mary Meigs Atwater in a 1942 issue of Shuttle-Craft Guild Bulletin and explores how it may have been developed. It moves along to the next well-known innovator, Marion Powell. Each of these two weavers, Atwater and Powell, developed their own drafting methods. From there, we explore the characteristics and rules that make shadow weave what it is. Rebecca Wilson concludes the chapter with a list of the 26 characteristics of shadow weave. 26!
The third chapter, “Basic Design Considerations”, brings us to the more practical information for weaving your own shadow weave cloth. It begins with the expected discussion of color theory: how the choice of colors, including hue, value and contrast can impact your design. Among other considerations mentioned include scale, distance and optical mixing. Probably the most exciting section is that she shows you how to manage your selvages!
From there, the next few chapters explain how to make your own shadow weave designs. She introduces you to drafting your own shadow weaves with the Atwater method, which uses a parallel threading and treadling. Rebecca Wilson does this through an exploration of a few of Mary Meig Atwater’s published drafts. The next chapter walks you through the steps to convert a draft from Atwater’s method to the Powell drafting method.
The next chapter relates shadow weave design to block theory, which opens up the use of profile drafts. She provides both the Atwater and the Powell weaving units for the blocks. The author demonstrates the necessary adjustments required to handle the change of directions of the blocks in the profile draft while maintaining the dark/light color order that defines shadow weave. The chapter concludes with “The Rules for Shadow Weave within Block Theory” and “The Trouble with Shadow Weave as a Block Weave—Ahh! The Enigma.”
The last chapter on designing shadow weave introduces a few more concepts to make the design your own whether you use a published draft or one of your own. These include changing the treadling from dark/light to light/dark, changing colors within your design to highlight sections, and doubling up on dark or light threads within your design. There is a quick look at using your shadow weave draft for rep weave and even lace.
Finally, we get to the project chapter. It opens with a discussion of how to develop a documentation process for your projects. Tips are given for the basic information to keep and how to record it. This is followed by six projects: three scarfs and three towels. She does give all the important information for weaving these projects. However, she does not provide the amount of yarn required, leaving it to the weaver to determine the length of the warp for the number of items to be woven and individual preferences in length.
In all, this book is aimed at the intermediate to advanced weaver who not only wishes to weave great shadow weave cloth but understand the concepts that underlie shadow weave. It also provides the tools to create your own drafts for those who have more than the 8 shafts that published drafts stop at. The advanced beginner can find useful hints to modify available drafts and projects to make his or her own unique projects. As confidence is gained, the rest of the book will be waiting to take you to the next level. This book was well written and worth reading even if you never plan to design your own shadow weave drafts.
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!
Latest ANWG Newsletter
The Association of Northwest Weavers Guilds has posted their October 2022 newsletter. Check out the creative ways other Northwest weaving guilds are getting their members together for fiber activities. All ANWG newsletters are available here.
Happy Thanksgiving from Complex Weavers
Ladella Williams is Portland Handweavers and Association of Northwest Weavers Guilds contact for Complex Weavers. The new Complex Weavers Journal is about to be sent to the publishers. Please be assured all CW members in good standing will receive their copy. The Journal articles are written by Complex Weaver members.
Ladella was President of Complex Weavers and Association of Northwest Weavers in way past years.
There will be a Complex Weavers meeting in Bend, Oregon at the upcoming ANWG Conference, we look forward to seeing you there.
Ladella Williams
Contact me for joining LadellawilliamsCZZ@gmail.com
Bulletin Board
CALL TO ARTISTS
2023 Weaving Guilds of Oregon Traveling Show
Weaving Guilds of Oregon (WeGO) will sponsor a juried traveling exhibit of weaving and other fiber art during calendar years 2023-24. The theme of the show is “Filaments”.
The Traveling Show is looming, and this is a reminder to show your work throughout the state. Your work will promote the fiber arts of Oregon.
The show will exhibit for a year, in six venues, including Roseburg, Lincoln City, Baker City, Eugene, Bend, and Salem. Items may be for sale or not. Sales are encouraged. There are awards in eight categories, including the People’s Choice award.
Submit entries between November 15 – December 15. See the WeGO website https://wegoregondotorg.wordpress.com/traveling-shows/ to obtain the Prospectus.
Entries are open to WeGO guild members. Items are to arrive in Eugene between 11-15-22 to 12-15-22. If items will be delivered in person, contact Sarah Mostkoff at sardil@teleport.com. If items are mailed, send to Sarah Mostkoff at 1430 Willamette St. #619, Eugene, OR 97401, and contact Sarah at the above email to notify her when work is shipped. For questions, contact Sarah at sardil@teleport.com, Charlene at cvirts@pacbell.net or Marilyn at marilyn@marilynrobert.com
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
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.
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 (deadline December 15, 2022) 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.
Red Alder Fiber Arts Retreat
February 16-19, 2023
Tacoma, WA
More info: RedAlderFiberArts.com
RAGS Wearable Art Sale and Show
March 9-12, 2023
Artist applications for the 2023 RAGS wearable art sale & show are due by December 1, 2022. For more information go to https://www.ywcapiercecounty.org/wearable-art-sale
Fiber in the Forest
May 19-21, 2023
Myrtle Point, OR
More info: Fiber in the Forest
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
Black Sheep Gathering
June 23-25, 2023
Albany, OR
More info: blacksheepgathering.org
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.
Your purchases can benefit PHG! Click on one of these links before buying and PHG will earn a commission from your purchase.
Connect with the handweaving world through Handwoven. Every issue is packed with projects, instruction, and inspiration to help you build technical skills and design confidence.
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