Mid Island Weavers and Spinners (and other fibre enthusiasts) Guild

This is the Mid Island Weavers and Spinners (and other fibre enthusiasts) blog page. The group meets the first Wednesday of the month during the fall/winter/spring (September through to June). Meetings are now being held at the library downtown on Commercial St upstairs in their meeting room. Guests are welcome to come...bring your knitting, spinning wheel or other fibre addictions. Meetings usually consist of 5 minutes of business, show and tell (bring something), tea and cookies, and some sort of workshop, seminar or talk where you will learn something fibry and interesting.
We now have an email address: MIWSGuild at gmail.com

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Weaving classes



Three views of the booklet project created for the ‘Fold, Cut, Crease & Weave’ workshop.

The Mid Island Weavers and Spinners Guild is planning on organizing some workshops.  We have approached Alison Irwin for ideas on workshops she would be willing to teach.  The workshop descriptions are listed on the left (under the poll) with links to the descriptions, so please take a look and then vote for he ones you are interested in using the poll on the left.  Once we get an idea of interest we will work on dates and costs.  A little information about Alison:


Alison Irwin has been part of the weaving community on Vancouver Island for more than 35 years.  Her formal introduction to it was a night school class taught by Dorothy Field at the high school in Duncan.  The students in those sessions wove on small Salish-style upright looms and did a little spinning on drop spindles.  Since then, Alison has taken weaving workshops at both guild and conference levels.  She continues to expand her knowledge of textiles by playing with interesting techniques.  For Alison, the process is usually more important than the product!

She began teaching at the conference level when invited to teach at the 1997 ANWG conference (Straits & Strands) held in Victoria, BC.  As several of Alison’s projects have been published in ‘Handwoven’ magazine and as online articles, weavers beyond BC’s borders are familiar with her work.  

Alison’s studio is in her Maple Bay home.  She is a long-time member of the local Tzouhalem Spinners & Weavers Guild in Duncan, BC, and belongs to the Guild of Canadian Weavers.
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This has been a Mid Island Weavers and Spinners Guild blog update. If you are reading this as an email, you should click here to see this item in its full glory: http://miwsguild.blogspot.com.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

tapestry

Damascus Fiber School

November 4th- 8th 2011

"GETTING A HEAD", A 5 DAY TAPESTRY WORKSHOP.

Just weaving a head, a simple, complex, naive, sophisticated workshop with much potential and endless possible variations.
A long history of over 3000 years, just weaving a head has opportunities
for weavers with a wide range of skills, from basic shape making images
(that can be very powerful!) to handling a portrait in a tonal range in a variety of techniques that can be very enriching.
We shall be using a wide range of slides to show the diversity of possibilities.
We shall provide materials and equipment (copper looms & bobbins for
class use) and all warp and weft. Students
would be encouraged to bring their own copper frame looms if they have
them and bobbins, so that any unfinished tapestries can be completed at
home. $475.00 includes all materials and a big mid day meal.
Host homes may be available $100.00 deposit returned if you need to cancel until October 10th 2011.
Archie and Susan will be driving out from up state NY and will leave around the 15th of October to make their way here by car and trailer.

Please contact :
Pam Patrie for further information and mailing packet with all
7835 SE 29th ave
Portland Oregon 97202
503-250-1642
pampatriestudios@yahoo.com

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Parksville Show

Here are my tapestries from the Show in Parksville. I demonstrated all day there today. There will be prople demonstrating most days until Oct1.


Hope some of you will get to see it. Thye are only open 10 - 4 and Saturday They were saying that the room might be used until Noon so only a short while Saturday.


Posted by Picasa

Monday, September 12, 2011

needle felting

Been trying to send needle felted top and have aborted many posts as I aam doing something wrong so wil try one last time. Heather
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Minures of the Sept meeting

Minutes of Mid Island Weavers and Spinners’ Guild Annual General Meeting


Date: Sept 7, 2011

Time: 7:00 pm – 8:45 pm

Place: St Paul’s Church Hall, Nanaimo


Present: Karin Jacobson (Acting Chair), Betty Tufnail, Jeanette Brooks – Treasurer, Darlene Booth - Secretary, Frances Dawson, Margo Turner, Crystal Hanson, Jolie Rey, Sharon McGarrigle, Kathy McDonald, Liz Kaarremaa, Gwen and father (for Sheila) Frederickson


Karin brought the meeting to order and welcomed the new and returning members.


Treasurer’s Report

Jeanette reviewed the details on income and expenses. The current Balance of $613.20 reflected the payment of one-half of the annual rent and excluded dues received at today’s meeting. The net proceeds for the April Fibre Sale ($184.95 – concession + $60 – rental + $300 – table rentals) was a record high due to donation of food for the concession.


Motion: Jeanette Brooks/Karin Jacobson

That the financial report be accepted.

Carried.


Information Items

Betty reported that a fine Spinning Wheel had been donated to the Guild by Peggy Sonfield and members interested in borrowing it should contact Jeanette Brooks who will store it. Also an Inkle Loom had been donated.


Kathy reported that the Leola Studio in Nanaimo had a community loom that could be used by members on site. Warp was supplied but weft would be the responsibility of users.


The Duncan Fibre Fair was coming up near the end of October.


Guild Program Suggestions

A summary of the discussion of future program ideas, including workshops, extra meetings, with responsibilities for follow up is attached to these minutes. Action: Liz will put on blog.


The following is a summary of the discussion and actions further to the development of the future program shown in draft form in the attachment.

  • the hall was paid and available for a 2nd meeting each month which is not currently being utilized. Such a meeting could be used for a look at the books. Betty offered to open the Hall if required.

  • Other facilities could be available for an all-day workshop should the Church Hall not be available. Jeanette offered to arrange such a facility if required. Costs could be defrayed by charging a small fee. One option would be to offer non members attending the workshop an annual membership in combination with their fee.

  • Crystal will contact potential instructors and give to Liz a week in advance of October meeting. Contact info for potential instructors should be forwarded to Crystal. Crystal may find out ideas for further topics after speaking to these people. Talks could be scheduled for an evening meeting.


It was agreed that it would be useful to add some time to the Show and Tell for members to provide book reports.


Hostess Sign Up

Attached to these minutes is a summary of volunteers who will manage the refreshments for each meeting. Action: Liz will put on blog.


Brochure

Action: Crystal volunteered to update the brochure on the Guild for review at the next meeting. The group felt if it was available to leave at appropriate suppliers and fairs it could be a useful tool for recruiting new members.


Next Meeting – October 5, 2011, 7 pm

Hostesses are Karin and Darlene.


Program will include:

  • Instruction by Liz on how to use the blog and add items

  • review of updated draft brochure prepared by Crystal

  • Further discussion of future program

  • Liz will present a book report


Prepared by Darlene Booth



Show & Tell


  1. Margo – interest in coiled baskets in Spring 2005 issue of Spin Off; Betty offered to provide instruction to group – see attached programs.

  2. Liz – displayed an impressive range of spinning/dying assignments of silk, cotton and fibre mixtures completed during course work. Also a Cat’s Head cedar/willow basket made at a Jeanne Carrigan workshop on Salt Spring Island.

  3. Betty – several knitted ruffled funky scarves.

  4. Crystal – knitting a sweater.

  5. Jeannette B- awesome knitted sideways jacket with various felted adornments and interesting patterned front made from stash.

  6. Karin – two Romney knitted lace shawls made from single ply dyed hand spun

Draft # 1 2011-12 MIWSG Program Suggestions with Hostess Sign Up



Month Topic Program Resp Hostesses

OCTOBER

Blog

MIWSG Brochure

Book report


Liz

Crystal

Liz

Darlene, Karin

NOVEMBER

Felt project


Jolie, Heather

Frances

DECEMBER

Pot luck

Unfinished Project Exchange/help


All

All

JANUARY

Spinning, Distaff Day, different wheels, different fibres


All

Jeanette B.

FEBRUARY

Spindle Day


Liz

Kathy, Sharon

MARCH

Coiled yarn for baskets


Betty


APRIL



Sheila & Gwen


MAY





JUNE

Pot Luck

Unfinished Project Display



All



? Silk workshop (Stitchers’ Muse)

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Cowichan Exhibition

Sept 9, 10th and 11th.
Click here for more on the Fair
___________________________________________________________This has been a Mid Island Weavers and Spinners Guild blog update. If you are reading this as an email, you should click here to see this item in its full glory: http://miwsguild.blogspot.com.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Tapestry Exhibit

The McMillan Arts Centre (aka the Mac)

Location: Joe Cunningham Ford Gallery

Date: September 13, 2011 - October 01,
Time: 10:00 AM - 4: PM

“Tapestry Expressions”

A local group of tapestry weavers of approximately 16 people meet monthly to share their enthusiasm for handwoven tapestry. Twice a year they also meet with another group from Victoria, BC comprising the members of Tapis (Tapestry Weavers from Vancouver Island). This group exhibition is a result of their efforts. Many of the members are internationally known and have shown their work in Great Britain, USA, Mexico and Australia. 
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This has been a Mid Island Weavers and Spinners Guild blog update. If you are reading this as an email, you should click here to see this item in its full glory: http://miwsguild.blogspot.com

Tom Hanks Knits

Here is a cute video to watch.  Tom Hanks plays a knitting joke on Julia Roberts.
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This has been a Mid Island Weavers and Spinners Guild blog update. If you are reading this as an email, you should click here to see this item in its full glory: http://miwsguild.blogspot.com

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Free Interweave E-books


  

Lots to chose from. Check it out, click this link to the Interweave site.


This has been a Mid Island Weavers and Spinners Guild blog update.  Click here to see this item in its full glory: