Hello fiber artists!  The leaves have fallen where I live, and the trees are very bare.  The wind has been howling and it is great weather to create!

UPCOMING EVENTS: 

Guild Meeting: Our next meeting is November 15 at 1:00 pm EST.  During the winter months, our meetings are on Saturdays.

2025-2026 Schedule

                October 18, 2025:        Show and Tell.  Discuss Emberlight Ideas for Summer of 2026.

                November 15, 2025:    Go to Soup Bowl Fundraiser if you arrive early at 11:00 EST.  

                                                        Program is Drafting a pattern from a garment you love.  

                December 13, 2025:    NOTE DATE CHANGE due to holidays.  

                                                          Show and Tell

                January 17, 2026:        Program is Emberlight Work Bee.  Bring driftwood, copper wire or other 

                                                         materials that can be woven.

                February 21, 2026:       Show and Tell 

                March 21, 2026:            Program is raising Angora Bunnies and using their fur

                                                          ALSO: bring materials for making your name tag if you don't have one.

                April 18, 2026:                Show and Tell 

                May 16, 2026:                Program is Paper Piecing and English Paper Piecing

                June 15m 2026:            NOTE Meeting is on a Monday during the summer.

                                                           Show and Tell

                July 20, 2026:                Name Drafting

                August 17, 2026:            Show and Tell

                September TBD:             RETREAT!!!!! and annual meeting.  

                                                            Tentatively scheduled for September 19 and 20, 2026 at the Marsin Center.

Retreats and Conferences:

    BUELLWOOD RETREAT: This retreat will be tentatively September 19 to 21, 2026 at the Marsin Center in the Hancock/Houghton Michigan area.  We will have classes and camaraderie!  It's a great time in a beautiful setting.

    MICHIGAN LEAGUE OF HANDWEAVERS: The next conference will be in June of 2026.  The conference will be in Marquette Michigan.  This is a great opportunity to go to the conference when it is close (relatively).    

    FIBER FEST in Marquette Michigan: Thank you to Melissa for coordinating our table at Fiber Fest in October in Marquette.  It was a great exhibition of our guild's projects and we all had a great time talking to people, seeing a fashion show and going to demonstrations.   Here are some photos:

MUSINGS AND GROUP QUESTION: I have been taking a lot of classes on design and living a creative life.  One thing is clear to me--I need to start doing instead of thinking of doing--I know DUH!!!!!  But my inner critic is helping me to procrastinate.  It won't be good enough, etc. etc.  Time to tell that inner critic to go get a cup of tea!  

Does your inner critic interfere in your creativity?  One of the articles I read stated that your inner critic is really part of your protective system during childhood so that you can ensure that those who are looking out for you continue to do so.  Unfortunately, your inner critic sticks around even into adulthood when you really don't need to please your caregivers.  I have been reading a book called "Your Inner Critic is a Big Jerk" by Danielle Krysa.  It is a quick read with lots to chew on.  There are loads of great ideas on how to get beyond your inner critic and start creating.  It is amazing that no matter how hard you try to get away from the roots of your inner critic--life comes full circle.    

So, I am working on developing creative habits.  While I do so, I am also working on telling that inner critic to go for a walk.  

OUR AMAZING FRIENDS

This is the section where I share what some of our guild members are up to.  Let me know if you have something to share.

Marci Schneider has a show at the Rosa Center at Michigan Tech in Houghton Michigan.  The exhibit is called Special Occasion or Monkey Planet.   Here are some photos.  WAY TO GO MARCI.

PICTURES FROM SEPTEMBER RETREAT AND OCTOBER MEETING: 

We had a great time learning Singlade Balls.  Here are John Gale, Melissa Mattson and Mary Brownell at work on their balls.

Cynthia Allen is enjoying the retreat and participating in the project.

David is warping his inkle loom for our contribution to the Marquette Conference next year.  Robin is working on her Singlade Ball.

Denise, Elaine, David, Cynthia and her cousin are enjoying the ambiance.

Mary, Melissa Lewis, Nate and 

Elaine (me!) working on my inkle loom

More pictures

Nancy and Melissa working on their projects.

Nancy working on her project.

That is, I think, Cynthia's hands and her project.

A sampling of the projects done at retreat.

OCTOBER"S SHOW AND TELL

Elaine's reversible hat!

Nancy's baby sweater, Polly's sweater and David's tea towel.  David showed his inkle bands and his baby quilt. (no picture).

Clare's ceramic buttons.  She is also working on a knitted mystery (no picture)

Kathy's Krokbragd

Karen's Krokbragd

Karen's tree ornaments

Gretchen's grandmother's darning egg and porcelain doll.  Gretchen made the sweater for the doll

Polly's crocheted wedding dress made by her grandmother.

Nate's rugs

Nancy's krokbragd and baby sweater

Robin's shirts that she dyed and that glow in the dark.

Sean's inkle bands

Sean's krokbragd

Vicki's sweater.

Carol brought in a crocheted circle (no picture)

PLEASE NOTE: I apologize if your project does not have a picture--I do my best and sometimes that happens.  I am happy to include it in the next blog if you email me a photo.  Thanks.

SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

Buellwood guild meeting March 2013

My Favorite Dovecot weaving from a painting 'A Shepards life'
by Victoria Crowe this was just started when I saw it last spring.

Student tapestry at Dovecot Studio in Edinburgh Scotland

 The Buellwood Weaver and Fiber Guild met March 18th in Hancock MI. Today's topic was a slide show of Tapestries from The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City presented by Phyllis and Tapestry Weaving in Scotland presented by Mary.

We had a small group for this meeting as snow was threatening to arrive. But 4 of us drove over from Ontonagon hoping to return home before the snow flakes started to fly.





 We were joined by more of our local members and had a very interesting Show and tell.



Phyllis shared her latest felted pieces created in a small scale - she called her sketches. Phyllis created these pieces to represent herself and her 2 sisters. A gift for her mother of felted wool and organza.






We asked Phyllis which one represented her. 
I believe she held up her leaf.

Detail of Phyllis' felted Piece

Debra brought along her sample fabric for Mary Sue Fenner's workshop we are having in June. 'Yes Debra does sample'  This year her fabric has more purple in the weave.
 I am taking a class at Pairie Winds 2013 in Kansas this June called ' Sampling is not a Dirty word' I am hoping I will learn how to sample with out using too much of my expensive yarn.
Debra loves to weave with Harrisville yarns so she is using them again this year. She has 2 months to weave 5 yards. Debra told me she has her loom beamed so it should be no problem. Go Debra!

We still have a few openings for Mary Sue Fenner workshop June 3,4,and 5 at Finlandia University in Hancock MI. Cost is about $220 to $260 for the 3 day workshop. A real deal and in the beautiful U.P.  of Michigan. Mary Sue has some new garments this year for her Trunk show! Come join us and enjoy 3 days of sewing with Mary Sue. Check out earlier spots on this blog Mary Sue 2012 or Mary Sue Fenner on Facebook to see more pics of her workshops.

Debra also brought along her 3 daughters to our Meeting. These girls are also quite talented fiber artists. This week it was Kumihimo.

Margaite is showing me how to use her Kumihimo braiding disk
she has her pink box of supplies handy if she needs it.

Adiline is showing us her Kumihimo braiding disk and she proudly shared some of her finished projects. Thank you girls for showing us your beautiful work.

See the photo below.

Adiline's finished work

Our April 15th meeting will be a presentation by Carol Kreher   'Australian Beanie'

Carol asks the members to bring their favorite hat... the more creative and out there the better.  It will be a fun show and tell.

Our Paper workshop is just around the corner.May 6,7, and 8 10 am to 5 pm at the Marsin Retreat Center in Houghton.... bring a dish to pass for Monday if you want to participate in the pot luck lunch.

Buellwood Weavers and Fiber Guild - February 18th Meeting Tapestry 101 part 2

^{Eric in his Handsome Jacket of Fabric he designed}

We had a great show and tell to start our meeting.  More finished garments from Mary Sue’s workshop last Spring were shared by Eric and myself. Eric modeled his handsome jacket handmade from fabric he designed in a class at Finlandia. Eric is a senior this year and is off to Corvelis, Oregon to do his internship with a professor who is studying a safer way of dyeing fabric from Fungus. Hence she needs Eric’s expertise with fabric to help her develop this procedure.

Mary in her toasty warm vest.

Jeanne Blue Scarf

Jeanne shared a weaving project, a lovely scarf she finished,  Jeanne is a lovely spinner but has been hesitant to weave. So it was nice to see a woven item from her. I am sorry I missed getting a picture of Jeanne blue scarf close up – but you can see Bonny checking out Jeanne’s scarf in the background.

'Green Lake'

Lynn shared her surface design piece titled “Green Lake”. Lynn likes to dye fabric and embellish it to create a well done wall piece.  It is nicely framed and ready for a show. 

Phyllis shared a hand felted hat she owns made by Jorie Johnson http://www.joirae.com/ who came to Finlandia to share her skills about 4 years ago. Phyllis also shared a fiber bracelet created by Audrey Chamberlain. We do miss Audrey’s smiling face at our meetings since she moved downstate.

Audrey Chamberlain Bracelet 

Jorie Johnson Felted Hat

under side of Jorie Johnson Hat

 

 Eve finished her Krokbragd wall hanging that she created for her daughter. Eve has spent a lot of time sampling to get these final results. She used brown sheep singles for this project and it turned out beautiful. If you want some sample drafts this is a nice site http://allfiberarts.com/2011/blkrokbragd.htm also a great explanation of this 3 or 4 shaft weave which has a Scandinavian origin can be read at http://tangleweave.blogspot.com/2009/11/making-of-krokbragd-tote.html. 

 

Eric with hand spun wool, handknit Sweater

Beside his beautiful Jacket Eric shared a Ikat woven scarf that he wove and a beautiful Handknit sweater made from his handspun yarn. He is showing us a knit cable he developed for this sweater. He called it the 'Fibonacci Cable'. What an elegant mans sweater he created. He told me he only knits in the round when making a sweater. Sounds like a very good idea! Since, I have sweater parts to sew together waiting in my pile of projects to finish.  Changing a pattern to knit in the round is a skill I will have to learn before I make another sweater.

Pekka aka Peter Olson

Pekka's wood carving samples

Pekka showed us his wood carving and described the wooden house he is building for Finn Fest, June 2013, which will be held in the Keweenaw.  This will be something to see! Pekka’s work is very original and very elaborate. He is also planning on building a shed to house his floor loom when this other project is done. His weaving will have to wait until then.  When he finishes his project he has offered us a tour of his workshop.  I am looking forward to seeing what he has added new since 2011! 

Brown Bag gift 'Iris Garden Scarf' woven by Jean for Lynn 

 Jean brought her brown 'bag project' that was our 2011 Christmas exchange.  Weavers wishing to participate brought in a brown bag with 5 or 6 oz of fiber to trade with others in our group to create a fiber piece. Only 4 of us participated and as you can see it took 2 years to finish some of our gifts. Jean wove a beautiful mohair scarf for Lynn with the yarn Lynn provided in her brown bag. Jean was inspired by Lynn’s Iris garden for this scarf. 

Leslie's tapestry mounted on woven linen mat.

 

Transparent tapestry techniques

Leslie shared more of her Tapestry work. She has been very busy with her weaving. She wove a linen mat to mount her 'Burning the Midnight Oil'  weaving which looks very nice and presentable. This was an experiment for Leslie in Mounting her work. She shared again her black and white Cat Tapestry which you can view on the December 2012 blog.
Then she showed us a weaving where she overlapped rectangles to create transparency on the surface. This is a very nice piece of work.

Nude tapestry sample by Leslie

At Steve’s request she has been working on a tapestry of a nude. She plans on weaving it in a much larger size, she shared her sample practice piece which is a great piece of work in itself! I am really excited about seeing this piece completed.  Leslie has been working with a tapestry artist in Florida via the internet for the past year to fine tune her tapestry skills. Then it was on to our program for February.

Tapestry weaving 101 - Part 2

Leslie shares some more of her knowledge on techniques of tapestry weaving. She had lots of questions but she did get to cover the different ways to join the color areas in tapestry weaving along with adding new yarn and ending the use of the previous yarn.  Everyone was pretty interested in learning these techniques. She quizzed us on tapestry terms that we had learned in the past get together and viewed some of the work by our guild members attempting to weave their own tapestries.

We are all excited about completing miniature tapestries with hopes of making another tapestry with a little more skill. More pictures of these tapestries will follow when I get them .

Next month  March 18th I will present 'Tapestry Weaving in Scotland' Slide presentation from Threads, Tunes and Ruins tour of Scotland 2012 with Nadine Sanders.See singingweaver.com for more information about a wonderful tour of Scotland. Planed again for April 2013.