“The purpose of the Olympia Weavers’ Guild shall be to provide a forum where active weavers may share information, knowledge and techniques, and provide each other with guidance, encouragement, and inspiration.“ This statement from the By-Laws of the guild and seeing the idea in one of the magazines we receive in the library launched the idea of the Tip Jar.

Thanks for sharing your favorite tips you learned this year during Showcase, the programs, study groups and breaks. In addition there were many ideas that came in to improve the guild during the business meeting which, this summer, will be captured and organized with the rest of the ideas to improve the guild that came the past two months.

The blog Joy of Weaving has “The Best Tension Device”, http://joyofweaving.com/articles/best-tension-device-ever to provide extra tension for a plain beam using 1” dowels and some hair ties.
For how to use it see: http://joyofweaving.com/articles/how-to-use-a-tension-device

Harrisville version: http://harrisville.com/weave/weaving-accessories/tensioning-device-floor-loom/ They describe it as especially good for those who warp alone.

There was a question on Boundweave which is way above my understanding especially when there were tips to maintain sanity but here are some of the basics I found in “The Weaving Book – Patterns and Ideas” by Helene Bress

• Bound weave is a loom-controlled, weft-faced weave. It is a trebling system and not a threading system. It can be done in most threading systems. http://www.weavingtoday.com/weaving-projects-patterns/the-beauty-of-boundweave
• The weft goes from selvage to selvage. The warp sett must be wide enough to allow the weft yarn to pack down and cover the warp. Usually, the warp is a hard, strong, smooth yarn. The weft is a soft, loosely spun yarn. Weft is place into the shed at an angle, and it should beat down to cover the warp. If it is not covering well then bubble the weft or change either the sett or the weft yarns. A strong, heavy stiff fabric results and works well for hangings, pillows, purses, runners, rugs and upholstery. https://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/periodicals/wj_77_04.pdf
• It can be done on Huck, Twills, Overshot, Plain, Monk’s Belt, Rep and Indian Saddle Blanket Weave.
• Krokbragd is a charming Boundweave variation. The word is Norwegian, and literally means crooked lines or crooked path. Generally it is threaded to a 3-harness Point Twill and treadles as a rotation weave.http://tangleweave.blogspot.com/2009/11/making-of-krokbragd-tote.html
• Bound weave is not known for its lovely selvages. A floating selvage will serve you well. http://www.weavingtoday.com/blogs/ask-madelyn/working-with-floating-selvedges

Enjoy the summer and take advantage of opportunities to fulfill the 2nd purpose of the Guild:

“Guild members will be encouraged to share their interests in weaving with members of the community by promoting community education and participating in special events and services.”

Whatcom Weavers Guild – 2016 Fibers and Beyond Conference and Sale

Whatcom Weavers Guild is pleased to announce the return of Fibers and Beyond, as a brand new and exciting event.

Fibers and Beyond will bring back the Guild annual sale and also feature a keynote address and workshops. All events will be at the Jansen Art Center, 321 Front St., Lynden, a lovely and inviting venue for the arts. The dates are Wednesday October 12 to Saturday October 15th.

Accomplished felter, Flora Carlile Kovacs, will be presenting the keynote address on October 12 at 7 pm. She will be speaking on Felt: The Most Ancient Textile Technique and its Revival, and a Photo Report on the First Hungarian Felt Tour. Go to her wonderful website at http://www.floranemez.eu/. This will be a ticketed event. The tickets are $11.50 (USD) and tickets will be available through the

Jansen’s website, at the Jansen gift shop, at the Wool Show, at Guild meetings, and at the door.

We have a wonderful array of workshops as part of this year’s Fibers and Beyond:

· Deflected Doubleweave, with Liz Moncrief, Wednesday, October 12

· Band Weaving & Back Strap, with Joanne Hall, Thursday and Friday, October 13 & 14

· 3-D Design and Surface Manipulation on Felt, with Flora Carlile Kovacs, Thursday and Friday,

October 13 & 14

· Lotions and Potions, with Liz Moncrief, Thursday, October13

· Rigid Heddle Weaving, with Joanne Hall, Saturday, October15

· Nuno Felted Scarf, with Flora Carlile Kovacs, Saturday, October 15

Registrations for the workshops will open on June 15. All registration will be through the Jansen Art Center. To access the registration, go to www.jansenartcenter.org/fibersandbeyond/.

The Fibers and Beyond Sale will open at 4pm on Friday October 14, to 8pm and run through Saturday October 15, from 10am to 5pm. Various weaving and weaving-related demonstrations will be offered during the Sale.

We invite all weaving Guilds and weaving lovers to join us for all or part of our 2016 Fibers and Beyond Conference and Sale.

(forwarded by our ANWG Rep, Tamie)

Program: Drafting & Designing Using Weaving Software: With an Emphasis on Blocks

~ Jannie Taylor will demonstrate how to take your weaving to the next level with on screen demonstrations of some of the many time saving and helpful features, available to all weavers, using weaving software. Leave the graph paper and pencils behind and you might find that you actually ENJOY creating and weaving your own drafts.

This month’s tips are from the guilds study groups. Enjoy their sharing.

**To make a wool felt ball to use in your dryer to soften clothes roll up a double fist full of clean wool fleece/batting/roving. Put the ball in a nylon stocking and tie a loose knot. You can put several balls in one stocking. Throw then in the washer with your load of towels to be washed in hot water. Then put them in the dryer. Until the knots and you have your wool balls that will now be fist size and you can use when you dry cloths. I saw them 3 for $17 on-line. If you have wool yarn see: http://www.diynatural.com/how-to-make-wool-dryer-balls/

**Don’t struggle along, ask someone for help!

**When peeling boiled eggs. Put the boiled eggs in a glass jar and shake. Take eggs and and peeling is easy. http://athriftymom.com/how-to-peel-an-egg-in-less-than-5-seconds-with-a-glass-jar-kitchenhacks/

**Keep clear notes and if possible take pictures of your projects in various stages from warping to finishing. When weaving a new pattern or using a new yarn, my notes have been quite helpful (especially when I can locate them).

**When working out a new idea make a small sample. But for the tip below you will want the whole batch.

Vicki’s Lemon Drops
1 box lemon cake mix( I use lemon supreme)
1 box instant vanilla pudding
4 lg eggs
11/4 cups sour cream
1/2 cup milk
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat mini muffin tin with cooking oil.
Beat the ingredients in a bowl with electric mixer until smooth.
Fill each tin 1/2 full ( I used a cookie scope)
Bake 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool tray on wire rack 2 minutes and turn the muffin pan over onto the rack.
Wash your muffin tin and respray with cooking spray, cooking next batch. I usually get three trays of muffins
When muffins are cooled completely make glaze.
Glaze
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp grated lemon peel( 1 whole lemon)
2T melted butter
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice(1large lemon)

Place wire rack over waxed paper. Beat the glaze ingredients until smooth.
Dip each muffin in the glaze. Place lemon drops back on wire rack to set.
Make sure you try to eat some be for serving or you may not get to try one.
Enjoy

Study groups are great place to learn and share and we give big thanks to those who host.
If you want more information on these tips who shared them let Gail Trotter know. getrotter@comcast.net

An Ashford spinning wheel has been donated to Panorama and is for sale for $100.  There are also several boxes of wool roving for sale.  Proceeds will go to the Panorama Benevolent Fund.  Please contact Kathy Forsythe at katforsythe@comcast.net

Indigo dyed Yoruba cloth & ritual costume. Part of the Seattle Asian Art Museum exhibit, “Mood Indigo: Textiles From Around the World”

I spent part of the afternoon at the Seattle Asian Art Museum and I will be returning to spend much more time with the stunning exhibit “Mood Indigo: Textiles from Around the World“.

This exhibit has something for everyone to enjoy, including a room with 3 MASSIVE 17th century tapestries from Flanders, and associated items, including a 19th Century American overshot coverlet in the Lee’s Surrender pattern.

19th century American woven coverlet in Lee’s Surrender pattern. Part of the Seattle Asian Art Museum exhibit, “Mood Indigo: Textiles From Around the World”

Other rooms in the exhibit are filled with 18th century  kimonos, contemporary artworks, African and Southeast Asian and Indian and American traditional garments. I am sure I missed much.

Indigo dyed kimonos, part of the Seattle Asian Art Museum exhibit, “Mood Indigo: Textiles From Around the World”

Really, there is so much in this show for anyone with an interest in textiles and history, I cannot recommend it highly enough. And there are two other exhibits currently on display which also deserve more than the cursory view, I gave to them!

Silk kimono, part of the Seattle Asian Art Museum exhibit, “Gold: Japanese Art From the Collection:

Mood Indigo will be on display through October. If you do go, I also recommend you plan a bit of time to enjoy the Conservatory and Volunteer park, where the museum is located.
-Sarah

Program: Felting Wearable Art: Blocking a Felt Hat

Flora Carlilie-Kovacs, felt designer and instructor, lives and works in West Seattle. She feels felt-making is the most versatile craft she knows. Her website at http://www.floranemez.eu/ shows off her wearable art, in the form of clothing, scarves and hats. Please have a look to see the beautiful pieces she has produced. Each season, her studio is part of the West Seattle Art Walk and she has shown her work around the world. Flora loves to share the tricks of the trade and will be doing so this month as she demonstrates how to block a felt hat.