Hello intrepid weavers.  Winter is in its full glory in my neck of the woods--time to weave?!

UPCOMING EVENTS: 

Guild Meeting: Our next meeting is February 15, 2025.  It is a show and tell meeting.  

Snowflake Challenge: As reported in last blog's post, the Guild has issued a challenge.  Bring your snowflakes to the May meeting!

Emberlight Project: Our Guild has decided to enter an exhibit in the Art in the Park exhibit this summer.  The Miners Memorial Park is in Ironwood, Michigan.  As part of the Emberlight festival, artists set up an exhibit in the Park.  Guild members have been coming in on Tuesdays (when the folk school has its knitting group) and working on our project.  Contact our group to find who is coming in and when.  If you can't make it, no worries.  Be sure to go and see it during July in the Art Part of the Miners Memorial Park.  

MUSINGS:

Lately, I have been lacking any inspiration or creative impulses.  Mostly because it is winter and the sun is not shining.  Also, because in my usual fashion, I have overcommitted to classes and am feeling stressed by it.  Just shows you can age, but sometimes you don't get any wiser.

I have been musing about this because I have been thinking about what it means to be an artist.  One of the things I was reading pointed out that we are artists even if we don't think we are good.  We are expressing ourselves and that makes us artists.  Talk about an aha moment.  

I have repeatedly gone down the art/craft rabbit hole which has made this artist thing more complicated.  If what I am doing is craft am I not an artist?  I read another article that brought some light to this issue.  It first went into the fact that this is a false dichotomy.  Historically, this notion was propagated to keep women out of the tapestry and other guilds. However, it seems to have entered my psyche.  I seem to struggle when I am not making something utilitarian and instead spending my time on making something that speaks to my soul.  

Do you have any thoughts about this?  Or am I overthinking this?  My husband would say that I have too much time on my hands if I am spending my time thinking of these things.  But what does he know--he spends his time playing pickle ball!

GROUP QUESTION:

What brings you joy in regard to your weaving practice?  

PHOTOS:

Mary's Show and Tell:


Melissa’s friend who is part of the local Medieval historical group.  Her persona is a weaver and She brought her tablet weaving.  Same pattern in two different weights.

Sean brought his 34-36 cards tablet woven curtain tie band for his partner, Polly. He also made more shoe laces for his best client Polly. The shoe lace is made with 6 cards turned in one direction. The Aglet or the end of the shoe lace was stiffened with wood glue which is waterproof.

Phyllis is wearing a red wool garment from MarySue Fenner’s sale of samples from her Trunk Show.

Phyllis took the Discontinuous Brocade class and this is her finished weaving.

Sample for Phyllis’s double weave workshop this fall.

Clare with woven piece from fall class

Sample of Laura Fisher Nickleson design

 John and Clare ‘s weavings from his first classes at Finlandia with Phyllis.

Johns and Clare's discontinuous double weave sample

 Cynthia has been knitting with Alpaca yarn. She found that double knitting gives her hats more strength and warmth. The wrap is double knitted in a Kaffe Fasset theme.

David found some treasures he is willing to part with pure silk.

NATE's Projects 

Melissa's Felted hat

Some extras that were not identified

FINAL NOTE ON PHOTOS: The tech gods were not with me.  For some reason, the blog spot was not downloading the pictures.  UGHHHHHHHHH.

TILL NEXT TIME...........

Please forgive my October absence.  Life got ahead of me.

UPCOMING EVENTS: 

Guild Meeting: Our next meeting is December 14, 2024.  It is a show and tell meeting.  So bring your projects to show.

Snowflake challenge: Our group has issued a challenge!  The theme is snowflake.  Make a project in any medium you would like to show at our May meeting.  The project must reflect the theme of snowflakes.  

MUSINGS:

Weavers are flexible people!  I have attended three classes recently and each class underscores the zen of weaving.  Weavers have to be able to deal with problems.  This teaches us to be adaptable and to be patient.  If you are not, you will get your warp in a tangle!  

Because of this zen vibe, I have found that attendees at classes/retreats tend to be nice, helpful and adaptable.  Have you experienced this as well?  

In my experience, weavers differ in what aspects of weaving appeals to them.  Some weavers like the technical side of weaving.  Some like the meditative process of the shuttle and the beating.  Some like more visual or picture making aspects (think Takana or tapestry) and some like the more utilitarian aspects of the product.  And yet, we all get along and enjoy the same craft!  

MMMMM if only weavers ruled the world!

ANSWER TO LAST GROUP QUESTION: (name a good weaving book)

Several folks mentioned Learning to Weave by Deborah Chandler.  

The Art of Tapestry by Rebecca Mezoff would be my suggestion for Tapestry.

PHOTOS:

Lisa showing a Ryijy that she made based on the tansy plant.

Gretchen showed a scarf from sock project remnants.

Phyllis showed some towels in twill with treadle variations

Phyllis also showed her retreat band.

This is a guild member's rug made from thrums twice woven

Made by Jean Hill in pat Toczydlowski’s collection

David showed some quilt blocks ready for his flannel quilt.

Denise showing baby hat from tin can knits.

Karen T. showed her birch ornaments

More birch ornaments (turtles with embroidered backs.)

Ginger from sew cranky showed some small sewing machines that worked!

Melissa showed a rag rug made on a union loom.  

She also told us about her road kill loom--ask her about it!

Nancy told us that her first project was tea towels.  This photo shows her latest sock project and sweater.

Nancy's latest cowl

Kathie's first sweater project made 50 years ago.

Anita's latest thrift find--NUNO!

Elaine knit some good bears with clothes!

Kathie's daughter brought a Serbian crocheted table cloth.

Karen M brought a reading throw made from her mother's wool from her mother's sheep hands-on by her mother.  The throw is for Karen's son.

Phyllis’s towels.

Sean brought in his new Logan inkle loom.  Michelle brought some vintage embroidery.  Denise also had a pink little girl's sweater to show that she knit.

TILL NEXT TIME.......

 Hello.  The weather has been so nice it is hard to sit inside!  However, weaving weather is just around the corner.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Guild Meeting: Next meeting is on a Saturday.  The date is October 19, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. EST.   Bring some final ideas for next year's retreat.  

Guild Retreat 2025: The next retreat will be September 19 to 21, 2024 at the Marsin Retreat Center.  

Finnish American Folk School: Check the website for upcoming classes.  There are a ton of creative opportunities; some weaving and some other media such as clay and wood.  There are even opportunities to sing and play an instrument.  Questions?  Clare.zuraw@finlandiafoundation.org

MUSINGS

Folks, the time has come for my monthly blog musings with photos!  Our yearly retreat was held in September and it got me thinking and talking to others about online learning versus in-person learning.  This also ties in with the monthly question from last month's blog about attendance at conferences or festivals. 

The conclusion for me is that I appreciate the opportunities online learning has given me to learn new skills and improve old ones.  Online learning has become so professional and informative.  Most even include a zoom component or facebook group to facilitate interaction with other attendees. 

However, nothing can beat in-person interaction.  I enjoy struggling through something with others in real time.  Okay, maybe me struggling and them helping!  Moreover, getting to know people better has helped me to form relationships with our fellow guild members.

Covid has definitely taught me that online can be wonderful.  It also taught me that we need each other and we need to see each other face-to-face.

ANSWER TO LAST MONTH'S BLOG QUESTION    

Last month, I asked what conferences or festivals you attended.  Here is a summary of the answers:

Michigan League of Handweavers Conference in Holland MI.  One comment indicated that they do a great job of organizing and usually have one well known weaver as part of the education offered.  Maybe we can carpool next time if a group wants to go!

Midwest Weavers Conference is held on odd numbered years in different places.  It had a lot of classes and well-known weavers.  

Convergence is held on even numbered years.  Convergence is held in a different place every time.  The conference includes classes, vendors, lectures and events such as a fashion show.

Wisconsin sheep and wool is an annual fiber festival.  It has classes and a great group of vendors.  There are several events throughout the weekend (the Thursday through Sunday after Labor Day).  A group of us go every year and much fun is had!  The festival includes lambs being born and an exciting silent as well as regular auction.  Herding dogs show off their stuff and there are kids competing in sheep shows.  And there are more activities!!!  

NEW BLOG QUESTION

Please name one book that you would recommend to a newbie trying to learn beginning shaft weaving or tapestry weaving.  

PHOTOS FROM RETREAT

                                                                Elaine and Anita busy at work.  Michelle, Mary B, Nancy and David.

               David and Mary consulting.  Marci in the background next to David and Nate to the left.

Sean helping Mary.  Nancy looking on.  Michele was a new attendee.  In back, Denise and Karen M are hard at work.

                                                  Marcy and Annie getting their backstraps on.

Robin having fun.

 Phyllis, Elaine and Anita. Michelle and Nancy in the background

Karen M

Nate and Melissa talking with John

Sean to the left

Karen T is to the right with Mary B and behind Mary M

Marci, Robin and John

Hopefully, there is a picture of everyone. If not, I promise to do better in the future.

TILL NEXT MONTH...........