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 14, 2023 – September Meeting
Multnomah Arts Center + Zoom
7688 SW Capitol Hwy. (503) 823-2787 – Auditorium
10:00 am Day Meeting
9:30 am – 10:00 am: Set up, social time and library browsing time
10:00 am – 12:00: Meeting in Dance Studio
7:00 pm Evening Meeting
6:30 pm – 7:00 pm: set up, social and library browsing time
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Meeting in room 30 of the senior center
Thursday, September 28, 2023 – Board/planning meeting
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Zoom
President’s Message
It seems like summer just started but here we are in September and the forecast is showing cooler temps and even a couple days with rain coming soon. Personally I could use another month of summer, but autumn is so wonderful here that I don’t think I’ll mind too much with the shorter days as long as the leaves have lots of color.
There’s lots of things happening with the guild this year. Sharon Carsten will be leading our discussions about the future of the guild. We’ll be looking for some volunteers to help with the monthly meetings (see below for more info). And the fall sale plans are well underway. On top of that, we’re looking to hold a weftover sale in October during Portland Textile Month, and our first new member tea since before COVID! Looks like it’s going to be a very busy year for the guild.
On top of all that, we’ve also been discussing the need for a new addition to the board – Development Director. With our new designation as a 501-c-3 we can now accept donations, and also begin to look at the possibility of getting grants to fund programs, workshops, and study groups. The development director will be a new board position who can focus on those activities and build a team of people to work on these things. A newly approved job description is available on the website at https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Development-Director-Job-Description.pdf. If you think you can help us with this role or any of these activities please let me know, either at a meeting or by email at president@portlandhandweaversguild.org.
Lastly, I’m really excited about the theme of the year. Linda and I have come up with something that I hope everyone likes, and something that will move the guild forward and address one of the big things people were looking for from the guild – study groups! We’ve got a survey created to start collecting info about who wants to participate and what folks want to study. See the notice below with more details.
That’s it for now. As always, I hope to see you at a meeting soon.
Dan
Theme of the Year for 2023-2024: Learning With Friends
I am not sure what others experience were at the ANWG Conference this June but I came away realizing how much fun it was weaving with others! The question for me is why don’t I do this more often? Another take away was hearing other weavers talking about the study groups they love working with. So, let us combine this, free ourselves from Covid isolation and start up more study groups in PHG.
A survey is available at https://forms.gle/EojYSUG1jhyDhHFJA to determine what types of study groups the membership is interested in creating. Then we can work together to find the leaders, spaces and other logistics that might be necessary to get started. As Director of Education, I will work to promote the activities through the website and on our social media platforms, but most of all I want to support each group in anyway I can.
Hopefully by June 2014, PHG will have a roster of study groups that can nurture our love of textiles and friendships into the future.
Linda Edquist
Upcoming Programs
September 14th: Photographing Your Creations
Our speaker is Dave Hutt (www.davehuttphotography.com), a professional photographer and printer since 1973. His presentation will cover using a digital camera and smartphone, composition, lighting, and printing. Come with all your questions for Q&A with a professional photographer at the end.
October 12th: The Evolution of Ravenstail Weaving
In July 1994, just a month after retiring, John took his first class in Ravenstail weaving from Cheryl Samuel. Additional classes honed his weaving skills, and in 1996 he guided a group of Cheryl’s Portland area students in the weaving of a full size Ravenstail robe. After its completion in 1998, and building on that additional experience, he continued to weave, completing a full size robe, a youth robe, two small child’s robes, an apron, and several smaller pieces over the next eight years. A special highlight of his exhilarating weaving journey has been the opportunity to see the robes worn and danced by Native Americans at Celebration 2000, 2002, and 2006 in Juneau. Sharing the story of Ravenstail weaving through teaching, demonstrations and presentations continues to be one of the most enjoyable experiences of his life.
Workshop News
The Oct 20-22 Supplementary Warp Patterning workshop needs 5 more participants for the workshop to be a go; otherwise, it will be cancelled.
There is a hard signup deadline of September 29, 2023.
Read the details and sign up here: https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/education/workshops/
Guild News
Hello New Members!
We are FINALLY having a new member tea to welcome you, our newest members, into the Guild (and by newest I mean anyone who has joined the Guild since 2019, because we had a little bump in the road with COVID)!
Here are the details:
When: 21 October 2023 from 2:30p-5:00p
Where: At the Multnomah Arts Center
Why: So you can meet each other and Board and ask any questions you have.
Also treats! We will have treats and warm things to wash them down with!
We look forward to seeing you there! If you have any questions, please let me know!
Thank you!
Sarah membership@portlandhandweaversguild.org
PHG Membership Director
Volunteers Needed
As we move into the new program year we’ll be looking for some volunteers to help with a couple things:
- Zoom meeting hosts – we’ve all experienced a Zoom meeting where someone forgot to mute themselves, or where someone was having problems and needed a little help. To free up the person leading the meeting we’d like to start having people be the Zoom meeting host. The host will be able to mute people as needed, and hopefully help with basic Zoom questions.
- Meeting leaders – I love to see everyone at the meetings, but it would be nice to have others who are comfortable leading meetings. Ideally I’d like someone else to lead one of the meetings each month, either morning or afternoon. And if I have something going on and have to miss a month entirely we could cover both meetings as needed.
- Meeting setup – With the introduction of Zoom and the increasing need to have amplification for in-person meetings the setup has become a little more time consuming, so we’d like to have at least a couple people volunteer to help with the equipment setup for the meetings. Documentation will be available with step by step instructions. You don’t need to be a technical wizard to do this. Just be able to follow directions and connect/disconnect things before and after the meeting.
A sign-up genius page has been created for these. You can find them here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0849AFA82FA7F8CF8-monthly. Thanks in advance to everyone who offers to help.
Weftover Sale
The annual PHG Weftover Sale will be held Saturday, October 21 from 10:00 – 2:00 at MAC (Multnomah Arts Center) in Room 30. We would appreciate any donations of fibers, books, equipment and related items to sell to help raise money for PHG programs. We will also need help with setup, sales, teardown, and demos. If you can help with donations or day of sale activities please contact Dan Steves (president@portlandhandweaversguild.org).
Fall Sale
November 18 – 19 at the Multnomah Art Center
Planning for the fall sale is well underway! All the booths have been sold. Contact Judilee (judilee.fitzhugh@gmail.com) if you want to be added to the waiting list. The lineup is looking very exciting! We have some new vendors and some old favorites and there is a good mix of items…something for everyone on your holiday gift list!! We’re still looking for one or two folks to help with publicity, so if you’re contemplating that or have suggestions for advertising, please let us know. The more shoppers through the door, the merrier the sales!!
More information is on the website: https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/sales/fall-sale/
Membership Update
Hello Guild Friends!
I want to say thank you to everyone who has already renewed their memberships to the Guild for this year! I continue to see lots of people renewing and we are so glad to see you back.
For those who have just joined for the first time, WELCOME! We are so happy you are here! Make sure you accept the google groups invites I send you so you can be a part of The Portland Handweavers Google Group where you can chat with other members and find out the latest news right away. If you haven’t seen one, please feel free to contact me and I will send you another invite.
For those who have earned their Lifetime memberships, I want to remind you that there is nothing you need to do at all! Once you are a lifetime member, it is always valid! Thanks to those who have contacted me about that.
For those who are looking to renew or join, now is the time! Our first meeting of the year is just around the corner. Don’t forget the great benefits you get with your membership. On top of helping us pay for our meetings and receiving our newsletters, your membership includes:
- Member rates and access to our workshops
- PHG Library Access
- Rental Equipment
- Bi-Yearly Sales of Member’s Work
- Study Grants
- Study Groups
- WeGO & ANWG News & Events
- Access to other PHG Members
Members, new or renewing, can also send in a check to our PO Box or join online using this link: https://portlandhandweaversguild.org/portland-handweavers-guild-membership/join-phg/
Thanks so much!
Sarah
PHG Membership Director
Library News
Wow, the summer has gone by quickly this year. In June, I borrowed Tablets at Work by Claudia Wollny. After having taken the basic card weaving class from John Mullarkey in March, I had hoped to find a pattern to try this summer to practice warping. I barely picked up the book. I did slightly better with Dianne Totten’s DVD’s. After taking her workshop at ANWG, I wanted to review some information while planning my next project. I managed to watch the necessary sections of the videos. Have you taken a workshop recently (or not so recently) and feel you need a refresher? The library has materials to help reinforce the information that you tried to absorb in one, two, or three days. Many of the instructors not only teach in person but have also either written a book or made a DVD on the subject. Even if your instructor has not, it is likely that another fiber enthusiast has. Browse PHG’s online library catalog to learn what is in our collection. (Please remember that the library is funded through PHG annual dues. Therefore, it is a benefit for current members. If you have not renewed since May, please do so before the meeting if you plan to check out materials.)
Lucky for us, Pat Zimmerman did manage to find time to read a book this summer. Not only that, she has shared her review of In Search of Wild Silk: Exploring a Village Industry in the Jungles of India by Karen Selk. Thanks, Pat!!
Have you read a book or watched a DVD from the PHG library? Please share your opinion, good or bad, with the rest of the guild. We can publish it in a future newsletter. Email your reviews to Robin.
In Search of Wild Silk – Exploring a Village Industry in the Jungles of India. Karen Selk; Schiffer Publishing, 2022.
Reviewed by Pat Zimmerman, August 2023
This book’s author, Karen Selk, owned and ran Treenway Silks for many years. She personally sourced much of her stock from the makers of wild silk in Indian villages. As she notes in her introduction, “The textile industry is the second-largest global polluter after the oil and gas industry. Raising wild silk is a cycle that regenerates rather than depletes.” She then goes on to beautifully illustrate the wild silk life cycle and resultant gorgeous fibers created in the Indian villages that she worked with. The book is lavishly illustrated with hundreds of photographs.
An Introduction and five initial chapters give extraordinary background on wild silk production. For example, Chapter 2 is titled “What is Wild Silk and Why Should We Care?” which explains the difference between wild and cultivated silk. It was produced in the Indus valley during the Bronze Age, ca. 2800-1500 BCE, about the same time that cultivated silk was produced in China, but by very different means. While China has industrialized its production, the villages that Selk worked with continued their historical process (with scientific improvements), resulting in spectacular fibers.
Other chapters in this section review improvements in the health and yield of the silkworms, resulting from research by government scientists and engineers. The Adivasi tribal group’s tasar cocoon harvest has soared an incredible 800 percent since 2000 thanks to scientific advances. She sprinkles anecdotes of travel to remote Indian villages 40 years ago and official’s amazement that a white American woman was interested in their work. There are many stories of individuals’ and groups’ experiences with Karen and the friendships formed.
Chapter 5 illustrates spinning, weaving and printing at various villages. Anyone who has warped a fine or long warp should read this chapter. Details of creating a 138 yd. warp of 1,500 threads are shown. Another method includes a rock suspended from a grooved rod which turns with the warp beam. The rock falls off the end of the rod onto a piece of metal with a loud clang, signaling that the correct length of tasar yarn has been wound. Another technique uses pomelo fruit sizing to strengthen the warp.
The next three chapters, 6,7 and 8 examine in depth the three types of wild silk: tasar, muga and eri. In each chapter, there are 3 parts: silkworm, cocoon to yarn and yarn to cloth. These are comprehensive chapters, covering many aspects of the areas where they are produced. For example, she notes that tasar is produced mostly in three states that experience the most industrial pollution and the deepest levels of poverty and illiteracy.
Each type of silkworm has specific rearing requirements. Hatching, food, habitat, rearing environment and more are all described in part I of each chapter. The second part talks about reeling and spinning the cocoons, which varies widely from village to village and between silk types. Bowl, thigh, reeling machine and other methods of unwinding the cocoon are illustrated. Different parts of each cocoon required different treatment. The effect of very simple machines on the lives of previously unemployed tribal women is amazing. They go from deep poverty to self-sufficiency, eliminating middle-men and money lenders from the process.
The third section of each chapter is catnip for weavers. Imagine all the beautiful indian fabrics you’ve ever glimpsed. These pages describe how they were made (if from wild silk) and tell wonderful stories about their makers. Golden muga cloth, ikat, eri “eye of pigeon” shawls; a wealth of photos and stories fill these pages. The cultural and social aspects of cloth making are not neglected.
Chapter 9 is “Imagine! A Ministry of Textiles”. If we only had one! Quoting Gandhi: “production by the masses instead of mass production”, Selk reviews the political and economic status of handwoven cloth in India today. The final chapter 10 is a heartfelt plea for the Slow Clothes movement.
In an epilogue Selk writes: “Writing this in the third decade of the twenty-first century, I have witnessed many changes, some hilarious, some good, others sad.” Her love of the country shines through every page.
I too love India after many trips there and love this book about wild silk. Particularly fascinating were the details about how difficult it is to raise wild silkworms – men spend weeks living in the forest to protect them from predators. And the hundreds of gorgeous color photos brought my mind back to my travels to some of the same places. I highly recommend this book for any textile lover.
Latest ANWG Newsletter
The Association of Northwest Weavers Guilds has posted their July 2023 newsletter. Check out the creative ways other Northwest weaving guilds are getting their members together for fiber activities. All ANWG newsletters are available here.
News from Complex Weavers
The next Complex Weavers seminar will in Wichita, Kansas in 2024 alongside Convergence.
If any questions please feel free to talk to me at the next meeting or reach out. Ladella Williams LadellawilliamsCZZ@gmail.com or text message to 503 729 1704
Bulletin Board
Recent Photos
If you have recent photos from the guild to share please send them in to newsletter@portlandhandweaversguild.org
Ruthie’s Weaving Studio Update!
4701 SE 24th Ave, Portland, OR 97202 (Green building on corner of SE Schiller & SE 24th) (503) 232-7328
PLEASE JOIN RUTHIE’S WEAVING AT OUR GRAND OPENING:
Ruthie’s Weaving Studio’s move-in date has been delayed until September 19-21. That’s the bad news. The good news is that we will have all new electrical, fresh paint, a great classroom space, and more
room for weavers. So, it’s worth the wait and the work!
In other news, we have met our fundraising goal – with a big thanks to the PHG for their generous contribution, and to many PHG members for their individual contributions. With those contributions, we are also making progress toward our 501(c)(3) tax exemption application and have the new nonprofit organization “Ruthie’s Weaving, Inc.” up and running. Our grand opening and sale will still be on September 30th and October 1 (see update). We may not be completely set up, but come see our work in progress and celebrate with us.
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.”
HGA Small expressions
July 5 – September 3, 2023
Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum in La Conner, Washington
Small Expressions is an annual juried exhibition showcasing contemporary small-scale works (not to exceed 15 inches in any direction) using fiber techniques in any media. Small in scale but visually compelling, HGA’s Small Expressions exhibit features work that speaks to the intricacy of expression, intimacy of design, thoughtful communication, and visual excitement. The artists in this exhibit create a big impact through small pieces.
More info: https://weavespindye.org/book-an-exhibit/ and https://www.qfamuseum.org/
Threads | Þræðir Intertwined in Iceland: Textiles and Book Arts
July 8 – November 5, 2023
Nordia House, Portland, OR
This exhibition showcases artists’ books and textile pieces by Icelandic artists and visiting artists who have been inspired by the country’s landscapes, people, language and textile traditions. The works in this exhibition are connected through stitching, weaving, knotting, tying, binding, pattern and storyline. The artists have found parallel lives in each other, unintentionally approaching art and life in similar fashions across oceans and between generations.
More info: https://www.nordicnorthwest.org/exhibits
Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival
October 14-15, 2023
Linn County Expo Center, Albany, OR
More info: http://www.oregonflockandfiberfestival.com
Convergence
July 11-17, 2024
Wichita, Kansas
More info: https://weavespindye.org/convergence/
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.
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