December Video Meeting 2020

For the last meeting of 2020, we met again on Zoom to chat and share some projects we've been working on. 

John reminded us to start thinking about our entries for Buellwood's Best this spring. And Clare shared a call for art from the Copper Country Community Arts Center in Hancock for their annual celebration of the Kalevala during Heikinpäivä. The theme is Animal Life from the Kalevala and the submission dates are 1/28 and 1/29 with the show in February. 

Karen has unfortunately been suffering from trigger thumb and has be unable to do much making as she gives it a rest. She did share with us some of her lovely handmade earrings she's been working on for gifting and selling on Etsy. 

Denise has been doing some embroidery of some adorable days of the week. She is also working on a warp for a towel project and asked some questions about floating selvedge tension and selecting a boat shuttle. 

Dawn has been continuing to work on dyeing, braiding, and felting roving rugs. Her felting technique involves putting the piece into a pillowcase in the washing machine with soap. She suggested this as a possible workshop for our next guild retreat. 

Jimalee couldn't make it to our meeting, but shared some of her finished projects by email. She knitted and felted colorful balls that she uses as winter decoration. 

She made these baskets on the shores of Lake Superior - Bark Bay near Cornucopia, WI- where she canoed each summer for 20 years. She says that the baskets hold nice memories for her and while she was inexperienced when making them, she found Baskets from Nature's Bounty by Elizabeth Jensen to be a helpful resource. 

Jimalee also shared a picture of this santos from Mexico, holding this year's Christmas tree, and standing on a handwoven Norwegian runner. 

Kathie finished sewing up a batch of reversible potholders designed to cradle a hot bowl of soup so you can hold it without burning yourself. 

Melissa was also unable to make it to this month's meeting, but had a project to share. She spent a week in November cleaning, de-rusting, sanding, oiling, and replacing heddles on a Union loom a friend found for her downstate last year. It's now in good working order and she has started a rug with the long warp that came with the loom. 

Clare showed a hat/bonnet that she knitted recently using some yarn from deep in her stash. The pattern is Beloved  and the yarn was a skein (held double) of Stonehedge Fiber Mill's mill ends purchased in Marquette back when there was still a local yarn shop there. She also showed of a sweater-in-progress with yarns dyed in Dawn's guild workshop in 2017. Pictures coming when it's off the needles (hopefully before our next meeting!)

Phyllis was wearing and told us about a big lovely knit sweater that she purchased in 1998 in Estonia.  She showed us some crocheted ornaments with buttons that she's been working on recently and has been spinning and Navajo plying some yarn. She also shared these lovely pillowtops that she's been sewing using shirts that belonged to her parents. 

Inspired by the sweater sharing, Kathie also showed us a very soft Russian vest and John shared an impressive sweater he bought in Scotland. Perhaps we should all plan to wear and share our favorite handmade sweaters to our next meeting! 

In the meantime, may you all stay healthy and find some joy in making. Happy holidays!