Guild Calendar
Thursday, October 8, 2026 – Monthly Meeting
Multnomah Arts Center + Zoom, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy. (503) 823-2787
All meetings are free and open to the public
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 – Gymnasium
6:30 pm – 7:00 pm: set up, social and library browsing time. Library will be available in the hallway outside the closet.
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Meeting
Saturday, October 10, 2026 – WeftOver Sale!
10:00 am – 3:00 pm: Multnomah Arts Center Gymnasium, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy.
Thursday, October 22, 2026 – Board Meeting
7:00pm – Zoom
See the website for full calendar including study group meetings.
President’s Message
Hopefully, Fall is finally here. I am visiting an alpaca farm with my granddaughters’ class and was told they have dreamy soft yarn. I’m so glad it is getting cooler, I find it hard to weave my big warm blankets when it’s 100 outside; actually, I can’t do anything when it’s 100 out.
Speaking of yarn, we have our WeftOver sale Saturday, October 10th from 10am-3pm in the gym at MAC. It is a great opportunity to add to your stash of fiber AND a great way to get rid of items, from fiber to equipment, that you know you will never use. It is our major fundraiser so plan to donate and attend!
There is a lot going on this fall. Make sure to mark your calendar for the Fall sale November 14-15. There will be over 20 fiber artists selling their goods. It’s a great way to get a jump on your holiday shopping.
If you are looking for details on any of our events, our website https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/ has everything from study groups, a truly underutilized benefit, to meeting links, and who to call with questions. There’s a lot of information, if you can’t find what you are looking for, the search feature will be your friend.
Finally, if you’re worried about the I5 closure, I hopped on I84 at 102 to I5 South and there was no problems. The closure is before the exit to I5 from I84. I found the maps provided by ODOT confusing. I know for some, it will be a hassle getting around the closure, but, if possible, we would love to see you at our October meeting and at the WeftOver sale. Maybe our mantra can be “nothing can keep me from buying more yarn!”
Hope to see you all in October!
Nora Gessert
Upcoming Programs
October 8, 2026 Meeting — Mystery Fiber Presentation by Diane McKinnon
Mystery Fiber? Let’s Identify It!
It happens to all of us.
– Some simply irresistible fiber, yarn, or fabric, follows you home.
– A well-meaning, enabling friend found some yarn at a garage sale and naturally “thought of you”.
– You were searching through your very own stash and discovered a gorgeous hank of yarn, its label long gone.
The first question many of us ask ourselves is, “I wonder what kind of fiber this is?
And, why would we want to know?
Some examples of the benefits of this knowledge are:
– Understanding how to process the fiber
– Determine how to use the fiber in a project
– How should you wash/clean/care for the final product
– Determining what types of dyes to use
– Safety: Will it burn? Will it dissolve when washed or exposed to chemicals?
– Is it suitable as a gift?
– Allergies
– And, probably most important of all, to answer the very first question almost all your fiber friends ask is ”What kind of fiber is that?”
In this combination lecture and hands on presentation, you will learn some tried and true methods of determining what kind of fiber you are now the proud owner of.
First, you’ll see an example of a fiber testing set up, including equipment suggestions and safety considerations. Then, you’ll watch several demonstrations of fiber testing and learn at home methods you can use to test various fibers and yarn for content. Finally, using your samples, you’ll be able to do your own fiber testing.
Bring any fiber or yarn you have – even if you know what it is – to play along!
November 12, 2026 Meeting — Velvet a Worldwide Passion with Barbara Setsu-Pickett
A discussion based on Barbara’s research and study of velevet weaving in Italy, France, England, Japan, China, Turkey, India.
About the Speaker
Barbara Setsu Pickett , an Associate Professor Emeritus in the Department of Art,University of Oregon, focuses her art and research on velvet weaving, shibori, book arts, and natural dyeing.
She has studied velvet weaving in Italy, France, Britain, Japan,China, Turkey, Uzbekistan and India, and has received support from the NEA, FulbrightCommission, Institute of Turkish Studies, Gladys Krieble DelmasFoundation, Rockefeller Foundation/Bellagio, and Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.She and her son run Mihara Shibori Studio and create highly textured silk scarves
Upcoming Workshops
If you’d like some creative inspiration, to learn new skills, and connect with the PHG weaving community, please join one of our future workshops. If the workshop you are interested in is full, please join the waitlist. Here’s what we have coming up:
November 13, 2026: Introduction to Japanese Book Binding
This workshop is full. Learn how to build and hand-stitch your own books using the four classic Japanese book binding techniques.
We are happy to announce that Barbara Setsu Pickett will teach a one-day Introduction to Japanese Book Binding workshop at Ruthie’s Weaving Studio. Barbara is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Art at the University of Oregon. The focuses of her research and creative practice are velvet weaving, shibori, natural dyeing, and the book arts. For information or to join the waitlist visit:
February 13 and 20, 2027: Passementerie with Elizabeth Ashdown (online)
Elizabeth Ashdown will join us virtually from her studio in London to lead an online workshop in Passementerie. In this bespoke two-day workshop, you will learn five woven passementerie designs. If you’d like to learn more about Elizabeth, check the Winter 2025 issue of Handwoven magazine. Elizabeth is featured twice: she has an article and fringe pattern, and there is a brief segment about her book, Passementerie: Handcrafting Contemporary Trimmings, Fringes, Tassels, and More. This workshop is for weavers on all loom types.Registration is currently open: only 2 spots remain. Register soon! To learn about the workshop and register visit: Workshop: Passementerie with Elizabeth Ashdown (online in 2027) – Portland Handweavers Guild.
March 12-14, 2027: Rug Weaving Basics with Mary Zicafoose
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. This is an in person workshop at the Multnomah Arts Center. Registration opens October 2. To learn more about Mary, this workshop and register visit: Workshop: Rug Weaving Basics with Mary Zicafoose (in 2027) – Portland Handweavers Guild.
Happy weaving and learning! Any question should be directed to workshops@
Guild News
WeftOver Sale! October 10th Bring your Donations to the Oct. 8th meeting!
Our annual WeftOver sale is on October 10th from 10am-3pm at MAC. The sale will be held in the gym and is a great way to score fiber, books and equipment to round out your fiber art needs.
For those who are new to the guild, the WeftOver sale is where folks destash and the Guild sells the items. Yarn will be sold for $5.00 per pound! Believe me, that fills a good size bag. Equipment runs from looms to shuttles and lots of books.
If you plan to donate to the sale, please bring your items to the October 8th meeting. If you can’t make the meeting, you can bring it to MAC Friday Oct. 9 from 5-7pm or just before the sale at 9am.
We could use a few more volunteers to help with set up and the day of the sale. The board members will be there, if you happen to notice their names are not on the list, but a few more will make set up Friday and take down Saturday go smoother. Please sign up using this link https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/sheet/2026-weftover-sale/
Our Guild Runs on Volunteers and We Need a Couple More – Please 😊
I want to thank everyone that showed up to all of our events throughout the year. From farmers markets to Art in the Pearl to shows and sales, when we put out the call, you all show up. And it is not always the same folks, granted there are many repeat volunteers, but frequently, we get new folks. For all of you, we are extremely grateful. We cannot function without volunteers. Oh, and all the folks that just start to set up the rooms at MAC each month, it takes such a load off knowing it just gets done. It’s like magic
We do need a couple folks to take on coordinating roles for the Guild. Specifically, we need a couple of people to co-chair (or chair if you want) the community liaison role. This entails looking for opportunities to promote PHG to the community and act as a liaison to organizations like HGA. As I tell any person interested in working with the board, you can make it as big or small as you want. Grab a friend and consider taking on this critical and fun role. Reach out to me at noragessert@yahoo.com or 734-395-1693 we can meet and chat about what this entails.
ANWG Conference Announces Instructors and Sessions
The ANWG 2027 Conference Committee has announced the list of instructors and the schedule of sessions for next year’s conference. We think it’s a good mix of perennial favorites along with some newer folks who haven’t been at an AWNG conference before. And there’s a good mix of sessions for beginners and experienced artists alike. You can see all the details at https://anwgconference.org/
We’ve also announced the schedule for our evening events, including the Thursday night fashion show, and the Friday night buffet and presentation by Caroline Browne and Alexandria Gustafson entitled “The Big Weave: Honoring the Legacy of Marguerite Porter Davison”, all about their efforts to reissue the classic “A Handweaver’s Pattern Book”, better known at ’The Green Book.’ Saturday night will see the conclusion of the conference with dinner and a keynote address by Madelyn van der Hoogt.
Coming soon – information about guild booths, the shows and exhibits, and the call for vendors.
We have a new co-chair for the fashion show, but we’re still looking for help with publicity and social media, and we could really use someone who would be interested in helping coordinate the demonstrations, both in the hotel common areas as well as the stage in the ballroom. Our next committee meeting is Monday, October 5 at 6:00. The meeting is open to all who are interested in learning more and perhaps helping out.
Dan Steves & Edith Gummer
ANWG 2027 Conference Co-Chairs
PHG is Offering 3 Scholarships to the ANWG Conference
The PHG Board is offering three (3) $300 scholarships to the ANWG Conference in June 2027. The Scholarships are open to any member of PHG; you must be a member to apply. Conference registration opens in January 2027 and workshop pricing is still in the works but the programs and descriptions are on the ANWG conference website. The award will come in the form of a discount coupon code to be used when registering, any cost beyond the $300 can be paid at checkout. If a winner’s registration comes to $300, you are good to go. We do hope winners will take advantage of the entire conference experience and register for some or all of the fun events in the works.
Deadline for application is December 15, 2026. A subset of the PHG Board will determine the winners and will announce them in early January. You can apply using this link 2027 ANWG Conference Scholarship – Portland Handweavers Guild
Do You Belong to the PHG Google Group?
If you don’t belong to the PHG Google group you’re missing out on all the stuff that happens between the monthly newsletter. Things like calls for help with volunteer opportunities, items offered for sale, and news about fiber events and attractions. Only group members can post to the group so you won’t get spam or junk messages, just news and updates from other guild members. To join go to https://groups.google.com/
Another Demonstrating Opportunity!
Once again, thanks to all of you who helped out with weaving demos over the summer, especially those days when I was out of town. Our next chance to show the public what Portland Handweavers Guild is all about will be Friday evening, October 16, 2026. This is an Open House at Multnomah Arts Center from 6 to 8 pm. Check out the information on the sign up page on our website: https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/volunteer-new/
Sign up there to help out or email me at cookimessmer@comcast.net
Oregon State Fair
Hi everyone!
I was asked to write a quick message to encourage others to participate in the Oregon State Fair. I figure it is only fitting I do this, because it was another PHG member that encouraged me to enter in 2023. I have participated twice so far, and it is really fun to join other Oregon fiber artists and exhibit our work for all of the fair visitors. Plus, you might win a ribbon for your work!
It is really easy and free to participate – you pick the item(s) you wish to enter, go to the Creative Living page on the state fair website (https://oregonexpo.org/competitions/creative-living/textiles/) and enter the required information. There are lots of different competitions you can participate in – hand spun yarns, felted articles, hand spun articles, handwoven articles and hand dying are the main divisions and there are various classes within those divisions you sign up for. There are also several special awards that you can register for. This year they did special prizes for the winners of the Oregon Award and America 250 which were themed competitions that spoke to the bounties and themes surrounding our beautiful state and for the nation’s birthday.
All judging uses the Danish method of judging, where each entry is evaluated against quality standards, not against other pieces that have been entered. They take appearance, workmanship, utility, creativity and originality into consideration as well as your skill level. The Creative Living competition is open and welcome to all skill levels from kids under 12 all the way up to professionals.
If you might be interested, take a look at the website and see if there are categories that are calling out to you and give it shot! This year registration opened on 1 June and closed on 19 August, so you have lots of time to plan out what you think you might do.
I hope to see you at the 2027 State Fair!
Sarah McCully-Posner
Education Update
We’re looking forward to another year of wonderful programs and workshops! Our Guild theme this year aligns with the ANWG conference theme: Rivers and Bridges. Be sure to check out the conference colors for even more inspiration.
This month’s program is Mystery Fiber Identification with Diane McKinnon. Both morning and evening programs will be a mix of lecture and hands-on demonstrations.
Consider bookmarking our workshops webpage on our PHG website. Here you can find the latest news and stay updated about events to come. Registration is open now for the upcoming Passamenterie workshop with Elizabeth Ashdown in February.
October is also Portland Textile Month with activities planned for all over the metro area. As the Oregonian notes, it’s back and bigger than ever!
Looking ahead to December, we’re looking for a few more activity hosts for our meetings–both morning and evening. If you have a craft idea that would be fun and festive, please contact me. I’d love to hear from you!
Kati Robb, Director of Education
Website Tip: How to create posts for weaving items you want
Are you a new weaver who’s interested in building your studio? Or maybe you’re a more experienced weaver who’s got a special project in mind but not quite all you need to make it happen yet?
Consider posting a Wanted item on the List my item for sale page! Some members may have missed the area of the online form that allows you to create a free post for items you’re hoping to find.
To create a post, go to the List my item for sale webpage on the PHG website. Add your information and choose the Wanted category (see highlighted image below). And Send. It’s that easy.
Library Update
As a reminder, for the evening meeting, the library will only be available for browsing from 6:30 to 7:00 pm in the hallway in front of the guild closet. This is due to the evening meetings being held in the gym this year. While browsing in the hallway, please keep your voices low in order to not distract classes in the nearby rooms. If you are unable to arrive early enough to browse, we may be able to look for a specific book if the meeting ends before the MAC tries to usher us out. Please have the name of the book, the first tag listed in the item record, and the author’s name available. The library will be available in the auditorium during the morning meeting.
Book Highlight
Some years the outlook for new books is ho-hum. This year is not one of the those. There are a number of upcoming weaving books this year with great potential. At the end of August, we saw the first two entries: Transparency Weaving: A Guide to Creating Sheer Textile Art with 6 Projects by Rebecca Smith and Creative Dimensions in Weaving: A Handweaver’s Guid to 3D Texture by Stacey Harvey-Brown. Rebecca Smith gave a wonderful presentation to the guild at last January’s meeting. I am looking forward to reading her book which she announced during her talk. However, I was intrigued by the subject of Stacey Harvey-Brown’s latest book.
Like many of the books that I have written about, this book is not a project book. (I find it difficult to say much about project books and harder to read them.) This book provides inspirationand the tools needed to design your own unique project. A majority of the drafts provided are for the four- and eight-shaft weavers with ideas to inspire those with more shafts to develop their own drafts. The techniques and structures the author uses – waffle, overshot, doubleweave to name a few – to create the 3D designs are ones that you are likely to have already encountered in your weaving career. You are not starting from scratch, you are building on your weaving experience.
The book begins with an overview of the information that will be presented in the rest of the book. The first chapter looks at the yarns and their properties and finishing techniques for your projects. You may be tempted to skip over this chapter, but it this information provides the basis for the magic of the 3D results. The magic happens due to the use of active and passive yarns. Knowing which is which is a key element. In previous books I’ve read on weaving dimensional cloth, the authors have relied heavily on overtwisted yarns for the active yarn, which, in my experience, are not easy to find. Harvey-Brown uses more readily available yarns such as woolen-spun wools and elastane or elastomeric yarns.
Next you will find ten chapters each discussing a different technique that can be used to create a dimensional cloth. Chapter Two begins with waffle weave. The next chapters include pleats, seersucker, overshot, shibori, sashiko, deflected doubleweave, double cloth, stitched double cloth, and finally, four-color double weave. You can jump into which ever chapter calls to you. If there is information from a previous chapter that the author thinks is relevant, she refers to the information and provides the page number to it. Each chapter aside from the last one on four-color doubleweave has an option for those with four-shaft looms. Plenty of pictures illustrate the techniques described within the chapters.
The final section explores woven sculpture. Much of this is based upon multi-layer and tubular techniques. If you’ve wondered how to effectively use the multi-layer techniques introduced in Jennifer Moore’s Doubleweave, this could be the inspiration you need. Tapestry techniques are explored, such as discontinuous and multiple wefts, unwoven warps and pulled warps.
The use of some active yarns can require some equipment that you may not have. If you are using elastane yarn in the weft, you will want to use a temple. The appendix demonstrates a couple of techniques to make a temple from items you may already have. It also demonstrates how to fake a second warp beam for supplemental or elastane yarns used in the warp.
This book is will be of interest to all levels of weavers, from the novice up to those who have been weaving for a long time and are eager for new areas to explore. As I mentioned earlier, this book has plenty of drafts for those four-shaft weavers who often feel left out when the latest technique books are published. The eight shaft drafts can be woven on your floor loom, unlike Stacey Harvey-Brown’s last book, Woven Optical Illusions: Pattern and Design from Four to 24 Shafts, where many of the eight shaft drafts needed to be woven on a table loom. (See the February 2025 PHG newsletter for my take on Woven Optical Illusions.) Adventurous rigid heddle weavers who use two heddles or pick-up sticks may find these techniques intriguing. This would also be a great book for a study group as it could include a weavers with a wide variety of looms and experience.
–Robin K.
Browse the PHG Library online from the comfort of your home anytime. The first tag for each item 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.
Bulletin Board
Portland TextileX Month
October is TextileX Month in Portland! See their website for the HUGE list of programs, activities, and workshops: www.Textilex.org
Also see the Oregonian’s coverage: https://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/2026/09/portlands-fiber-arts-festival-is-back-and-this-year-its-bigger-than-ever.html
Ukraine Donations
As many of you know, Janis Johnson and Debbie Ellis have been supporting Ukrainian relief efforts since Putin’s invasion. They routinely vend at Ukrainian festivals, have marched with them in the Grand Floral Parade, and have been honored for their service to this community.
We have grossed over $12,000, with all proceeds donated to both the Ukrainian Foundation and DAWN US, the two primary Ukrainian foundations in this region. The funds are used for medical supplies for the military: Tourniquets, chest compression kits, and other lifesaving materials.
This is all thanks to you, the members of PHG, as well as to other friends, who very kindly donate wonderful products for us to sell at these events.
We are so grateful and will continue to support this community as long as it takes.
Our next event will be Ukrainian Winterfest, Dec 5, at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. We are again seeking donations to re-supply our inventory. Towels, scarves, linens of all kinds, inkle bands, kumihimo bracelets, jewelry, greeting cards, mug rugs, bags, etc, have all sold well.
If you have any good-quality items that you ordinarily would sell yourself (rather than discarding), do consider helping us out. Ukrainian motifs and colors are especially valued. Janis lives in Beaverton and Debbie lives in Milwaukie. We can arrange to collect your donations, or you can bring to the next meeting(s).
Many thanks! Slava Ukrayini!
Debbie Ellis (artisanfibers@aol.com)
Janis Johnson (janis.marie.johnson@gmail.com)
Latest ANWG Newsletter
The Association of Northwest Weavers Guilds has posted their July 2026 newsletter. Check out the creative ways other Northwest weaving guilds are getting their members together for fiber activities. All ANWG newsletters are available here.
Looking to Buy or Sell Weaving Equipment or Materials?
Check out the Items for Sale page.
Fiber News and Events
Damascus Fiber Arts School presents Tapestry Talks
On Saturday, Oct 17, at 10am Pacific, our guest will be Jean Pierre Larochette. Jean Pierre Larochette says, “Can we feel solidarity, “a sense of unity, agreement, or close connection” with an object, namely tapestry? I think yes, but if you don’t agree, replace the word solidarity with the word love. Many people tell me they love tapestry. Solidarity entails appreciation and a feeling of kinship and enduring loyalty as well.
In this our upside-down world, in its many reincarnations, tapestry is still here. It is, in itself, a document of transcendental creativity expressed in the most transparent way, with the simplest materials. The rich, text-tured image of the tapestry weave has no parallel. Its visual impact has the power to transmit the profound emotion of a poem. Imagine, in our robotically-charged age, an object entirely constructed by hand! And often just dictated by the heart.
I have been at it for over seventy years and I am still mesmerized by the magic of a process that gifted me self-employment, cherished relations and fundamental teachings.” See Tapestry Talks – Damascus Fiber Arts School for more information.
Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival Albany, Oregon
October 31-November 1,2026
Albany, Oregon
www.Oregonflockandfiberfestival.com
ANWG 2027 Conference
June 14-19, 2027
Portland, Oregon
https://anwgconference.org/
Handweavers Guild of America
Textiles & Tea
Tuesdays
Handweavers Guild of America, Inc.’s (HGA)‘s 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.
Newsletter Contributions
Send news items and fiber events to Tim Prins by the 25th of the month for inclusion in the next month’s newsletter.
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.