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- May 2025 PHG Newsletter
Send news items and fiber events to Tim Prins by the 25th of the month for inclusion in the next month’s newsletter.
Guild Calendar
Thursday, May 8, 2025 – May Meeting
Multnomah Arts Center + Zoom, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy. (503) 823-2787
All meetings are free and open to the public10:00 am Day Meeting – Auditorium
9:30 am – 10:00 am: Set up, social time and library browsing time
10:00 am – 12:00: Meeting7:00 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: MeetingThursday, May 15, 2025 – New Weaver Forum
10:00 am & 7:00pm – Zoom
Need help or advice on something you’re working on, or just want to help others with their projects? Come join us to get answers to your questions and talk about how to approach weaving challenges.Thursday, May 22, 2025 – Board Meeting
7:00pm – Zoom
See the website for full calendar including study group meetings.
President’s Message
We’ve had no winter which means I didn’t weave as much as I planned. For some reason, I think of weaving as a winter hobby; all that wool used to make my big warm blankets. The nice thing about a mild to non-existent winter is that my flowers pots have all made it back and I may not need to buy too many annuals for my pots. Of course, I did expand two areas of my yard so the money saving theory has gone out to window.
But then I see all the great work of our fellow artists at Gathering of the Guilds and again, I am inspired to weave more as a friend gently admonished me. So, my plan is to take that challenge and use the nice sunny days and use my gardens as inspiration. The tapestry weavers and fiber artists that can translate a building or landscape into a stunning work of art has always been an inspiration to me.
What’s your inspiration? What will get you weaving more? My inspiration is all of our members who share their work during show and tell. Every month I am inspired. So no excuse that the sun is shining, and I don’t want to me in the house. I will take my loom outside, look at my flowers and the mountain and weave more.
Are you inclined to help?
I may have mentioned that I volunteer a lot. I started ages ago at a crisis center in Michigan as a way to determine if my career choice made sense before I jumped into Social Work – it did. I also saw it as a way to meet people in a new city and of course, give back to my community. It was the most rewarding and educational experience I’ve had. I used these skills throughout my career. Fast forward to now and I am president of the guild; a role that has allowed me to meet so many talented artists and give back to our fiber community.
I agreed to be president of the guild last year because, frankly, I wanted some inspiration to weave more. What I enjoy is the camaraderie of the board and meeting fellow members. I am fairly new to PHG, I am in my third year. One doesn’t have to be a long-term member to help our guild support our members.
At the June meeting we will vote for the 2025-26 PHG Board. We have a great slate of returning and new board members that I am excited to work with next year. We have one open position, Member Services Director. Much of the work that falls under this role is accomplished by members of our guild that get our library set up each month and track all that that entails under the leadership of Robin. The role includes helping our members with membership questions and tracking data, most of which is now automated thanks to Dan. There is a monthly board meeting that I hope is not too onerous. I do try to keep it short and infuse jokes when possible.
So, my question is, would you be willing to take on a role that helps to make the experience of existing and new members feel warm and welcoming? Maybe it’s saying hello to someone that introduced themselves at a meeting. Maybe sending a personal note to a newly registered member. Maybe thinking of ways that our members know we appreciate them. I think this role is what you make of it. The reward is getting to know your fellow members and maybe some inspiration to weave more.
If you are interested in the Member Services role or have questions, feel free to contact me at noragessert@yahoo.com.
Nora Gessert
Upcoming Programs
May 8, 2025 Meeting – Linda Hendrickson
Linda Hendrickson will present two different programs discussing highlights from her explorations over the past 30+ years.
Morning Meeting- Ply-split braids, baskets and a QR code
Ply-splitting is a unique textile technique in which plied cords are pulled through the plies of other cords to create flat and three-dimensional objects. Anything that can be twisted into a plied cord can be used, and Linda has made cords for her work from wool, linen, cotton, metallics, raffia, paper ribbon, torn fabric strips, stainless steel yarn, and fishing line.
Linda learned the basics of ply-split braiding in a PHG workshop with Peter Collingwood in 1993, and has been exploring the possibilities ever since. In addition to making baskets, rugs, and wall hangings, she has reproduced designs from traditional ply-split braided camel girths, made what is probably the world’s only ply-split QR code, and has made ply-split pieces that are structurally identical to warp-twined tablet weaving. She will show many examples of her work over the years.
Please bring examples of your ply-splitting to share with the group.
Evening Meeting – Tablet-woven necklaces, scarves, and walls of bands
We tend to think of tablet weaving as a technique for weaving firm, narrow, decorative bands. Linda has filled the walls of her studio with these, and she will share many examples. These include bands with geometric and pictorial designs, as well as words and even pangrams, in the double-faced weave, and bands with traditional Andean designs in 2-hole pebble weave. There will also be bands with a few other features such as warp-twined double-cloth and crossed warps.
But tablet weaving doesn’t have to be flat, firm, or narrow! For example, it can be formed into a tube to make necklaces. When combined with a reed to space out the tablets, it can be used to create soft and drapeable scarves in a variety of weave structures including gauze weave (leno). Linda will share some of her tubular necklaces and gauze weave scarves.
Please bring examples of your tablet weaving to share with the group.
About the Speaker
Linda Hendrickson learned to weave at Ruthie’s Weaving Studio, and joined PHG in 1984. Since the early 1990s, she has focused on two rather obscure fiber art techniques — tablet weaving and ply-splitting. She has self-published books on both subjects, and has lectured, taught, and demonstrated across the US, and in Canada, Mexico, England, and Myanmar.
http://www.lindahendrickson.com/
https://www.instagram.com/lindahendricksonpdx
https://www.youtube.com/lindahendricksonJune 12, 2025 Meeting – Annual Meeting & Strawberry Social
The evening meeting features approval of the 2024-25 spending plan, and election of 2024-25 officers and board of directors. Come socialize, and show what’s you’ve been weaving!
Can’t make it in person? You can still take part in the discussion and voting by joining us via Zoom.
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:
September 12-14, 2025: Indigo and Shibori, an Exploration of Resist Techniques with Judilee Fitzhugh
PHG’s own Judilee Fitzhugh will be leading this workshop exploring indigo with multiple techniques that highlight this dye’s natural beauty. This 3-day workshop will be held at Ruthie’s Weaving Studio and is open to dyers of all levels. Judilee is a fantastic instructor, come join us! For information and registration, visit: Indigo and Shibori, an Exploration of Resist Techniques
November 14 & 15, 2025: Color and Design in Huck Lace Towels with Rosalie Neilson
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. Please join us, just in time for some holiday and winter weaving! For information and registration, visit: Color and Design in Huck Lace Towels
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. Registration is not yet open, but you can find out more information at: Doubleweave Discoveries workshop with Jennifer Moore – Portland Handweavers Guild
March 12-14, 2027: Rug Weaving Basics with Mary Zicafoose
Looking forward to 2027, 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. 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
Gathering of the Guilds – A Big Thank You To Everyone!
Our annual Spring Sale/Gathering of the Guilds would not happen without the assistance of a cadre of volunteers. From Janis Johnson organizing all of the organizations demonstrating in the lobby to Cooki Messmer and her group of demonstrators and the Spring Sale committee; the event is a success because of them!
Thank you! I know all the fiber artists appreciate the work that you do. I may be biased but the Portland Handweavers Guild is the best represented and best-looking aisle in the show! Ok I am biased. Here are a few photos from Friday morning before the doors open. I hope you all had a chance to stop by and say hello to your fellow artists.
Thank you to Gathering of the Guilds Volunteers!
Thanks to everyone who volunteered to do demonstrating at Gathering of the Guilds! We had so much interest from the public in learning how to weave and also in joining the Guild. Our outreach work does make a difference. Watch for more opportunities to volunteer this summer. There will be a few Farmers Markets this summer where we will set up our looms. If you want to join us to answer people’s questions about weaving you can sign up on our website, or contact me directly at cookimessmer@comcast.net
The next event for demonstrating in Friday, May 2nd at theARTScentered, 1007 East Mill Plain Blvd, Vancouver, WA, from 5 to 8 pm. It is a fiber Arts event scheduled to go along with the First Friday Arts Walk. Stop by our PHG table if you make it to this event!
Cooki Messmer
Membership Renewal Time
It’s that time of year again. PHG is now accepting membership renewals for the 2025-26 membership year. To renew go to https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/renew-my-membership/. Beat the rush. Renew today!!
Bylaws Update
The board has approved updates to the bylaws that will be voted on at the annual meeting in June. The main change is to remove term limits that would have required the treasurer to step down after three years. Details can be found on the website at https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/proposed-bylaws-june-2025/
New Member Tea
The last event was so popular that we’re doing it again! If you’ve joined the guild in the last 18 months and haven’t attended a new member tea we’d love to have you join us. Meet other new members and some current board members, hear about all the fun stuff the guild has to offer, and maybe make a new friend or two. The tea will be held at the home of Dan Steves and Billy Tompkins on Sunday, May 18 from 1 – 4. Invitations have been sent out, but if we missed you just email Dan and let him know you’d like to attend.
Legacy Project Update
The Ruth Dabritz Legacy Project is now part of PHG, and we’re holding our first class as a PHG group this weekend, May 2 – 4. Future classes are scheduled for July, October and December. All classes are full and have waitlists, so we’re hoping to schedule more classes soon. If you’d be interested in helping please contact Legacy Chair Sue Walsh at legacy-chair@portlandhandweaversguild.org.
ANWG guild booth
Several PHG members are designing, weaving, or have completed projects inspired by Portland buildings, neighborhoods, nature, and history for our guild’s display booth at the ANWG conference in Yakima in June. If you’re working on something for the booth, please let me know, and share it with everyone at an upcoming guild meeting.
Projects I’ve heard about range from detailed tapestries to dish towels inspired by buildings, and are woven on equipment from rigid heddle looms and inkle looms to multi-shaft computer dobby looms and drawlooms. Fiber techniques other than weaving are welcome!
The booth committee is PHG’s Education Director Linda Edquist, Eva Douthit, Phoebe McAfee, and me. We would love to hear your ideas! Some of us will be at the PHG retreat, and you can also talk to us before and after guild meetings or wherever you happen to find us.
You do not need to attend the conference to participate in PHG’s booth. We’ll collect all items ahead of time and return them afterwards.
Janis Johnson
New Weaver Forum – now with Day and Evening Editions
“How do I weave this pattern that calls for 8 treadles if I only have 6?” “What table loom should I get?” “What size loom should I buy?” These are just some of the things we talked about at the March New Weaver Forum. Do you have questions or problems? Or maybe you’ve been at this a while and can provide some sound advice to the newer members. Join us May 15 at 10 AM or 7 PM. Join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link: https://zoom.us/j/2290207971?pwd=elJvd2w0L2NsMlJPZXhNM3JlTFphZz09
Latest ANWG Newsletter
The Association of Northwest Weavers Guilds has posted their January 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.
Bulletin Board
Looking to Buy or Sell Weaving Equipment or Materials?
Check out the Items for Sale page.
Library Update
This past winter, my study group was investigating weft-faced weaves. Think wool rugs in Krokbragd, weft-faced twill, and taquete. Around this time, I was reading about a new krokbragd book being published in the United Kingdom on the Warped Weavers forum on Ravelry. Unusually for me, I impulsively pre-ordered it from across the pond rather than waiting for it to be available in the United States. Not that I’ll be doing that again anytime soon.
So I needed to wait for it for a couple months wondering why I had done this. After weaving my Krokbragd samples I was less than enthused about another rug book that probably wasn’t going to have anything revolutionary in it. Those of you who know me know that I prefer finer yarns with tighter setts. Large, fluffy rug yarns with widely spaced warps are not my go-to yarns or style. However, I was pleasantly surprised when Krokbragd: Contemporary Weaving with Colour by Angie Parker arrived in my mailbox. First thing that I noticed in the book was the use of colour. Her samples are more vibrant than the ones I usually see in woven in Krokbragd. Also, they were smoother. This is different. Time to sit down and read it.
Krokbragd: Contemporary Weaving with Coulour begins as many other books do. There is an introduction to the weaver, her journey in weaving and a general discussion of the structure. The next chapter gives a brief history of krokbragd followed by a discussion of the equipment used. Then we get into the chapter about materials. For warp, use linen or cotton. For weft, use wool for rugs or Ne 16/2 mercerized cotton for upholstery or art panels. Wait a minute, Angie Parker just told me I could use my fine cotton! The next section makes suggestions for accent yarns, glitter and metallic yarns, mohair, chenille, rafia, viscose and rayon, and recycled yarns like fabric strips. Ooh! This is not our mother’s krokbragd book!
Next is the practical discussion of warping and weaving krokbragd. There are some interesting tips here. The author tells you how to handle the selvedges depending on whether you are using one, two or three shuttles. Very useful! Weaving krokbragd on a straight four-shaft threading. How to finish off your project. There are also instructions for weaving krokbragd on a rigid heddle loom. Then we move into the design portion of the book. Patterns. Colour inspiration. Scale and proportion. Thread wraps.
So we’ve woven our krokbragd. What can we do with it? Treat it as artwork. Angie Parker gives instructions for mounting your woven fabric on MDF board. Then put a frame around it. No one sees your selvedges and it’s eye level for admiration. Use it for reupholstering upcycled chairs and benches. There are basic instructions, though each project will have its own challenges. An excellent way to use krokbragd woven with finer yarns.
The book concludes with a few projects and some further techniques to explore. Add some inlay. Double and combination krokbragd. How about shaft switching?
So who is Krokbragd: Contemporary Weaving with Coulour for? I would say anyone who is interested in, or even slightly curious about, krokbragd. If you have been weaving krokbragd for awhile, there are new ideas to explore. Maybe some techniques to step up your weaving. If your like me and avoid thicker yarns, krokbragd is now a weave structure like any other one and not just about rugs. You have permission to add a little bling and texture. The book will be available for purchase in the US in August.
Big thank you to Vavstuga Weaving School! They recently donated new books to the PHG library including Old Swedish Weavings from North to South by Doris Wiklund, Däldrall (Swedish Overshot)by Anna Thomasson and The Swedish Weaving Book by Mariana Eriksson. Sue W. let us know about this program, and Nora G., our president, jumped right onto contacting them. I’d also like to thank Tim P., our newsletter editor, for adding stabilization to one of our library carts when it was leaning.
–Robin K.
Image link: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91ZMB8A4xRL._SY466_.jpg
Browse the PHG library online from the comfort of your home anytime. The first tag for each book 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. Good, bad or indifferent. Email your review to Robin K. for publication in a future newsletter.
Fiber News and Events
Damascus Fiber Arts School Tapestry Talk
May 17, 2025Kayla Matters will share her work that weaves together narratives that simultaneously act as jokes and social commentary. Go to Damascus Fiber Arts School website and sign up.
Fiber Fusion Northwest
June 7-8, 2025
Monroe, WashingtonMore info: https://www.fiberfusion.net/
ANWG 2025 Conference
June 16-21, 2025
Yakima, WashingtonMore info: https://anwgconference.org/
Black Sheep Gathering
June 27-29, 2025
Albany, OregonMore info: http://blacksheepgathering.org/
Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival
October 18-19, 2025
Albany, OregonMore info: https://www.oregonflockandfiberfestival.com/
Handweavers Guild of America
Textiles & Tea
TuesdaysThe 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.
Past Newsletters
For older newsletters see our Newsletter Archive