Everything you needed to know about taking a weaving class, but were afraid to ask…

This short video shows what it takes to get ready for a weaving workshop. In our Beginning Weavers program, the preparation work of winding and beaming the warp, threading the heddles, sleying the read, and tying on the cloth beam is done in class, but for most workshops, like the one shown here, attendees are given a draft and a materials list and maybe a pre-wound warp before class and are expected to arrive at the workshop with their loom fully dressed and ready to weave. In my case, this was my third weaving workshop, the first being the beginner’s workshop, and the second a card-weaving workshop, where all work was done in class. I’ve done a project at home on a 4-shaft loom, and demonstrated weaving on a pre-dressed loom at the Thurston County Fair, but this is my first 8-shaft project. In this class, we were given a choice of threading drafts a few weeks in advance, and the treadling tie-ups (for floor looms) and lift plans (for table looms) were provided the first day of the workshop. The objective of the class was to demonstrate the effects of different treadling patterns with the same threading.

Note during the video, that each step in the threading and weaving is carefully marked off on the draft or lift plan, and a short sample woven before class to check for and correct threading errors. For long treadling sequences, it is wise to make several copies and mark them as you go. Many weavers keep a metal clipboard with movable magnetic markers to keep track of their progress. For simple, repetitive treadling, most weavers simply memorize the pattern, much like musicians memorize a score, stopping only at the end of a complete pattern repeat. The tools used in the video include a warping frame, lease sticks, raddle threading hook, combination threading/sleying hook, and boat shuttles. Not shown is a bobbin winder to wind bobbins or perns for the shuttles. Many weavers use a cordless electric drill to wind bobbins. I also used a metal bar and clamps to spread the warp while beaming (a creative experiment), but many weavers will use an assistant to hold and tension the free end of the warp, and pass the warp through the harness with the heddles moved to one side. This is warping back to front, as the warp is threaded from the back to the front through the heddles, then the reed.

Weaving in Twill from Larye Parkins on Vimeo.

Call for Artists!

The Lacey Senior Center’s recent expansion has provided us the wonderful opportunity to call out to our local area’s artists to enter your submissions of art to be considered for permanent installation Senior Center, located at 6757 Pacific Ave. SE. Mediums may include watercolor, oil, pastels/charcoal/pencil, photography, relief sculpture and embroidery, and must be wall- mountable. All submissions must be framed. Please email images of finished piece(s) and dimensions to activitiesdir@southsoundseniors.org Jurors will vote on the winning collection, and the winning art pieces will be purchased by Senior Services for South Sound. The purchasing price per piece is not to exceed $500. Selection Criteria:

? Pieces will be judged on artistic merit and on composition.
? Artwork will also be judged on appropriateness of placement in the Senior Center environment. We are particularly interested in art that is realistic in nature and reflects the Celebration of Life.
? Artwork that is religious, political or sexual in nature will not be considered

The Lacey Senior Center is owned by the City of Lacey and operated by Senior Services for South Sound, and is a daily destination for Seniors in Lacey, who come to socialize and have lunch with friends, participate in life-long learning opportunities, and participate in a wide variety of exercise opportunities, including Tai Chi, Yoga and Aerobics. Artist interested in this project are encouraged to visit the Lacey Senior Center, anytime
Monday through Friday, 9 am to 4 pm, to get a sense of the environment.

For more information, please call Chris Quimby at Senior Services for South Sound at 586-6181, ext. 123. Deadline for submissions is March 3. Juried show will be on March 12. Successful finalists will be notified to deliver their pieces to the Lacey Senior Center by Monday, March 10, 4 pm for the juried show on Wednesday, March 12 at 4 pm. Art pieces not selected need to be picked up by March 14, 4 pm. The application follows.
——————————————————————————————————————–

Name: _________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________ City: _______________ Zip:____________

Please include the following
o This form (Ed. note: may be downloaded for printing here->Call for Artists Final)
o Artist’s statement of no more than one double-sided page.
o Two digital images per entry, emailed or submitted on a labeled CD in JPG format high resolution, i.e.
as 300 dpi or 600KB-1.2MB files, labeled with artist name and title of work. Do not embed images in a Power Point, PDF or IPhoto Library files.
o Sales information for 2 pieces of artwork sold by the artist in the past five years including sizes, prices, materials and buyer or gallery information to support the purchase price set on each submitted sculpture.
o The following information for each entry:

Title of Work: ____________________________________

Date Work Created: ____________________

Subject: _______________________________

Purchase Price (Not to exceed $500): ___________

Medium: ____________________________

Weight: _______________

H x W x D: ____________

Comments: ________________________________________________

This is a Call for Entry to the Blue Ridge Fiber Show 2014 taking place at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, NC in the fall of 2014. You may have seen some of the ads in recent Handwoven, VAV, Shuttle, Spindle and Dyepot, and Complex Weavers Journal.

ILWACO, Wash. — The Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum will host two contemporary fiber exhibitions from Friday, Jan. 17 through Feb. 28.

“Threads to New Worlds: A Collection of Fiber Arts” is a traveling exhibition organized by WeGO – Weaving Guilds of Oregon, a statewide organization that promotes weaving, spinning and fiber-related work. Juried by nationally recognized weaver Nancy Arthur Hoskins of Eugene, “Threads to New Worlds” includes traditional materials and methods, as well as new fibers like bamboo and synthetics.

“New ideas and visions are sometimes combined with the traditions,” says the show’s organizers. “New technology enhances our threads and opens new fiber horizons.”

Accompanying the traveling show will be a special installation by the Clatsop Weavers and Spinning Guild, titled “Creative Hands Across the Columbia.” Pieces in this exhibition are all by members of the local guild, which spans the Oregon and Washington sides of the Columbia River.

There will be an opening reception and demonstrations from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17. Further demonstrations of weaving and spinning will take place on Free Thursdays during the exhibition.

Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum is located at 115 S.E. Lake St. in Ilwaco, Wash. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free on Thursdays thanks to the Port of Ilwaco.

For more information, call 360-642-3446 or visit columbiapacificheriatgemuseum.org

Recently, the Tacoma Weavers Guild (TWG) was contacted by St. Leo’s Catholic Church in Tacoma: they had acquired the yarn stash of a deceased parishioner and needed help disposing of it.

TWG members carted way seven large cartons of yarn cones, which are now in Betty Bell’s garage in Milton.  Please help TWG (and Betty) distribute this treasure trove:  the yarn is available for a donation of $1 per cone (any size: cones range from nearly full 8-oz cones up to 5-lb cones), proceeds to go to St. Leo’s.  Fibers range from wool to acrylic, with some cotton, in a variety of colors, sizes, and textures.

Please call Betty at 253 926 1136 to arrange a time to look at the yarn and get directions.

The South Beach Arts Association of Westport, WA is holding a fiber arts retreat February 28, March 1 & 2. A retreat is an opportunity to work on a current or planned project undisturbed, in a tranquil setting (in this case, the historic Tokeland Hotel): the retreat also features demonstrations on kumihimo (including a mini-workshop), felting, and shibori.

If you are interested, download the fiber_arts_retreat_brochure.pdf.

From Tamie–

Traditions has just gotten in some awesome baskets from Panama and some wire woven Zulu baskets as well as some Oaxacan rugs. These are all exceptional.