As you may know, our total registrations for campus housing were bumping up against the number of rooms WWU had allocated to us.  Well, they have been able to increase that number so now there is no problem!  Hooray!

So – those generous weavers who gave up their single rooms for doubles can change back if they want to.  Also, we have reinstated the option to select a single room when registering.  Our weavers will be housed in one of five dorms.  A while back we asked registrants who have mobility or other issues to let us know so we can do our best to assign them to dorms with easier walking.

We have learned that there are events going on at the same time as our conference which have taken almost all of the space in local hotels and motels.  So if you were thinking of staying at one of those, you might want to choose a dorm room instead.  We have plenty of room for you! For any changes to your registration or questions, please emailregistrar@ANWG-conference-2013.com.

My first ANWG conference experience was in 2005.  Since I live near Tacoma, I commuted each day instead of staying on campus.  When other attendees went to their dorms after seminars or lunch, I headed to the vendor hall.  What a gathering of color and texture it was—I had never been surrounded by so many beautiful fibers and weaving supplies.

Again and again, I headed to the vendor hall.  Overnight, I thought of a project that required just the right weight and color of silk yarn; then another project needing a wool blend for scarves; another, cotton for towels.  On the last evening, I realized I was underdressed for the banquet and headed back to find the right jacket…which I still wear.

Through the next conferences, the vendor hall has been the place I return to, again and again—each conference requires at least four visits, don’t you agree?  It’s the go-to place to ask questions of the people who have answers, the place to find the right color/texture/weight/luster of fiber, the shuttle that fits your hand correctly, the kumihimo and project kits with all the needed parts, the books, tools, roving, ribbons, looms, wheels, dyes….

The Marketplace Mall at the 2013 conference will bring old friends—names you will recognize and want to return to.  It will bring new businesses and faces, from near and far.  Visit our Marketplace Mall webpage and check to see who has registered so far and begin planning those next projects.
Warning—ANWG marketplaces are known to be highly addictive.

We are very excited about the upcoming conference!  As you may know, Friday evening at the conference is unstructured, so you will have some free time to do what you choose.  That could be lounging at your dorm with friends, heading over to the Marketplace for some shopping, joining a group of spinners and knitters, or whatever you would like to do. There is an outing planned for Friday evening which you may want to consider.  We will be car-pooling to a local fiber mill, Ferndale Fiber, and then to the Jansen Art Center in Lynden.

Ferndale Fiber is a wool mill located just north of Bellingham. The mill produces “Potluck Roving” and Needle Felting Wool. They use a huge 1925 carding machine, one of very few left in operation in the US.  Come for a free tour, see the machines, the products and have a fun adventure.  Kathy Green, the owner, will give us a guided tour through the mill, and the tour is certain to be interesting to fiberistas.

At the Jansen, Courtney Lipson Jensen will speak about weaving a Chilkat Robe.  Chilkat weaving is a traditional and unique form of weaving from the Peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast.  It is one of the most complex weaving techniques in the world in which the weaver can create curvilinear designs in the weave itself.  Using cedar bark and mountain goat wool, native weavers devised this complex technique to create robes and other ceremonial regalia that depict their clan crests and stories.

Courtney Jensen began weaving in 2007 under the gentle tutelage of Chilkat weaver, Chloe Sk.wein French.  Beginning with thigh-spinning her warp yarns from merino wool, she first learned geometric Raven’s Tail weaving.  In 2011, Chloe began teaching Courtney the fundamentals of Chilkat weaving while Courtney’s husband Scott Jensen designed her first robe.  Chilkat robes were traditionally designed by men and woven by women.

From pattern board and raw materials to a Chilkat robe Courtney will take you on a visual journey through her process with anecdotes of lessons learned, wisdom gathered, and a story of the community that contributed to enabling her first Chilkat weaving.  In the next few months, we will be adding other activities for Friday evening as well.  Stay tuned!

After your wearable is shipped to Bellingham, several things will happen.  First the fashion show committee will examine the entry to make sure it has arrived in perfect shape.  Then the committee will attach the identification tags that will remain with the garment until it is safely back in your hands.

The photographer will come to Bellingham and, working with the commentator, photograph the details you included on your entry form.  By then he will have conferred with the technical staff at the Concert Hall and will know how to prepare the images to be shown on the large screen during the show.  The commentator will also come to Bellingham and prepare her script.  Then she and the photographer will coordinate the presentation.

The judges will also come to Bellingham and will be able to take their time examining all the entries and making their decisions.  These decisions will be based on how well the entry matches the category and among other entries is the best representation of that category. The fashion show committee will also begin pairing the entries with the models and, working with the commentator, determine the order in which the entries will be shown.

As you can see, every effort will be made to make sure your entries are treated with care.  They will remain at a single location until they are moved to the Concert Hall for the fashion show and moved from there to the nearby Western Gallery.  If you have questions about any facet of the Fashion Show, please feel free to e-mail Marilyn Olsen atMarilyn.Olsen44@gmail.com