The Fashion Show experience

I first entered a Fashion Show at Midwest because my friend and mentor, not to mention weaving instructor: Mary Sue Fenner was teaching at WOW and she got a request from the 2005 planners to enter some of her clothes in the Fashion show. I am not sure, but I think they encouraged her to have some of her students enter too. So being a good student of 'Weave, Cut and Sew' taught by Mary Sue at Kele Alpaca near Kewaunee, Wisconsin of course I entered 3 items.

I have to say it was exciting seeing my garments worn by models on the stage. They even made us sit in the front rows of the auditorium, just in case we won something and had to go up on stage. It was exciting! of course I did not win anything - but got many compliments on my garments. I was only a beginner at weaving and more of a beginner at sewing handwoven fabric into a garment.

In 2007 I went to Roots in Nebraska and decided since my garments got in the Fashion show at WOW 2005 I should enter again. Only 2 of my 3 garments were accepted so I sent them off and I went to Midwest Weavers Conference for the whole 5 or 6 days. Entering all the exhibits and taking a pre conference workshop as well as the other 2 or 3 sessions that came with Registration. Again I enjoyed seeing my garments on the models, although they did not fit the young girls modeling very well, since I am a size 18. I relaxed in the audience and watched. To my surprise I won the Prairie Award. I had to go down to the front with my flip flops on. Flip flops I brought for the shower were the only shoes I had along that went with the outfit I wore to the style show. I now have a framed certificate with a beautiful handwoven ribbon and a picture of my Jacket hanging in my weaving room as a reminder, and a new bench for my weaving loom that I bought with the cash.

Then comes Heartland 2009 - no one could go with me, so I drove off to Pre conference alone - my co chair Jean Lind came for the conference with others from the UP so at least I did not have to drive home alone.

For the Fashion Show in Iowa it was not juried so whatever you wanted to enter was accepted.

I had to model my own stuff, which was different, a little scary, but the behind the scenes experience was also an exciting time. Here are some of the behind the scenes photos for the Heartland Fashion Show 2009. Seeing Anita Mayer's and Daryl Lancaster's beautiful Garment close up was well worth walking across that stage.

Some of the beautiful garments that walked the Runway in Iowa in 2009.

and the winner was Christy Berry from Missouri who wove and modeled this 'Victorian Walking Skirt' out of 20/2 perle cotton with a gray warp and yellow weft. She wove 8 yards of fabric and used every bit of her fabric to make this skirt. Christy was also the recipient of one of the MWA scholarship awards for Heartland 2009. Congratulations Christy! hope you can make it to Northern Wefts 2011 in Hancock Michigan.

Highlights of past Midwest Weavers Conferences

Today I was typing up pages for our registration booklet which is due to go to the printers soon. My Kitchen table was piled with papers and notes - so I can try to remember to include things in the Exhibit entry forms, explanations of each exhibit and other important information.

Working with Word 2007 is a challenge for a Mac Quark-Express person. But I have learned a lot with this challenge of working in Word. The hardest thing is being patient and waiting for others to supply you with the information needed to complete your project.

So while I am waiting for the final information to put in the book, I was looking at some photos I have of past conferences. I have only been to 3 conferences, after missing the preconference workshops at WOW in 2005, where I just attended the conference and took mini and maxi workshops and entered the Fashion Show. I had such a good time, and loved seeing my garments on the stage for the Fashion show. I decided it is time for me to take some more in depth workshops. So off to Roots I went in 2007. I signed up for Margaret Roach Wheeler preconference workshop 'Designing with Summer and Winter' and a number of other smaller workshops during the conference. I had never done summer and winter weaving and I had no idea what it was about. But what a class that was! I would not miss a Midwest Conference now. Here are some highlights of past conferences:

Margaret Roach Wheeler sharing samples of her hand-woven Garments in Class, 2007

Edna Kohl's printed or painted warp preconference workshop at Roots in 2007.

Betty Huttner visiting our Class at Heartland between her many last minute details - I guess that will be Jean and myself next June. Lois to her left was the Registrar for Heartland and she did get to take a workshop.

I really enjoyed Heather Winslow's ' Weaving With Shimering Silk' workshop. I tell you I was so disappointed when I received my silk warp for the class and it was all White. But what I learned from Heather's class is that All White and natural Silks make some beautiful woven work.

This is a picture of Heather Winslow's white scarves. How beautiful are these? I have a whole notebook full of samples like this to get ideas from.

Judy from Kansas, who I met at 'Roots' was sharing some of her felted work with other classmates in Pat Marley's 'Felted Scarf' maxi class at Heartland in Iowa 2009.

Gisela is here admiring Judy's
beautiful felted piece she brought along to show.

On Tuesday ' Workshop Show and Tell' night during the Preconference I visited the other weaving classrooms. No time during the day as we were weaving away in our own little corners.

These are pictures of some beautiful stuff being woven in the other Heartland 2009 Preconference workshops. In color too!!!!

Don't miss out! visit Midwest Weavers Website and check out the Workshops, soon to be online. Registration opens January 20th 2011. These Preconference classes are the best deal. You cannot get a 3 day workshop for this price anywhere else.