Weaving Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Desert Weavers & Spinners

April 2023 Meeting

Date:
Monday, April 24, 2023 at 9:30 am Pacific time

Program:
Joan Ruane: How Important Industrial Hemp is to our Environment

Joan has been teaching spinning for almost 30 years. As a graduate from Springfield College, she taught in the Tucson public schools before going to New Zealand in 1971. In New Zealand at that time were 3 million people and 30 million sheep, she learned to spin from Ruth Reid. Returning home to the U.S. a year later, she brought with her two fleeces, a Pipy wheel and a flick carder.

In time, Joan’s focus turned to industrial hemp which is the topic of her presentation entitled How Important Industrial Hemp is to our Environment.

Joan informed the group how to spin and weave industrial hemp.

Show and Share

Sammie McGlasson: *Scarf*: variegated mohair, variegated handspun wool, 8/2 cotton, variegated nylon warp, variegated nylon weft

Riverside County Fair Participation and Awards

A huge thank you to Robin and Walt Johnson for being enthusiastic and engaging volunteers/demonstrators at the Riverside County Fair. And kudos to Jeffery Pinkston, Susan Simpson and Denise Squires, who showed the possibilities of making beautiful things of fiber. Also, congratulations to our members who won prizes in weaving, spinning and costume design – Linda Bohlinger, Denise Squires, Robin Johnson and Carol Goldsmith.

Linda Bohlinger’s *Blue and Red Deflected Doubleweave Broken Twill Scarf* (First Prize in Division 230 [Multi-Shaft Weaving, Table or Floor Loom], Class 03 [Scarves – Straight and Mobius])

Carol Goldsmith’s *Deflected Doubleweave S*hawl (First Prize in Division 230 [Multi-Shaft Weaving, Table or Floor Loom], Class 12 [Any Other])

February 2023 Meeting

Eco-Printing on Silk Scarves + Show and Share

Date:
Monday, February 27, 2023 at 9:30 am Pacific time

Program:
Eco-Printing on Silk Scarves: From Plant to Print
by Suzanne Chappell & Nettie Roberts

Nettie and Suzanne shared their eco-printing journey of discovery. They explained that eco-printing is the transfer of plant images onto cloth, paper or leather, and it can be done with or without the use of mordants. The natural juices and tannins present in plant leaves and flowers magically produce different colored prints on, in our case, fabric. They also gave a demo.

Nettie Roberts is an artist who likes to experiment with anything fiber.

Suzanne Chappell is primarily a weaver who likes to dabble.

Nettie Roberts (foreground), Suzanne Chappell (behind Nettie), Tech Person Jeffery Pinkston (with striped shirt)

January 2023 Meeting

We had to postpone our speaker, Robyn Spady, due to wifi difficulties, but we had a chance to share our projects:

2022 Fiber Challenge & December 2022 Show-and-Share

In May of this year we started a Fiber challenge. The same fiber was given to every one who signed up to take part in the challenge, we had around 20 people sign up. We showed off the projects as our December program. Here are the guidelines that were given:

You can combine it in any way you choose to create something unique to you: spin it, knit with it, incorporate it into a weaving, felt with it, wrap it, …you name it, you do it. We are asking everyone to take a few notes as to how you decided to create what you did and take a few pictures as you go along to document how you got to your finished masterpiece! We will share it at the December meeting as the program. It will be fun to see what we all come up with.

Thanks to Martha Lumia for organizing the challenge.

Here is the fiber, pre-challenge:

Here are some of the Fiber Challenge creations:

Cabot Pueblo Museum – Demonstration Feb 10, 2019

Around 60 visitors stopped by the DWS booth at the Cabot Museum in Desert Hot Springs at their Artisans at the Pueblo event Sunday, Feb. 10.

Linda Bohlinger, Mariellen Boss, Robin Johnson and Ellen Finan participated in demonstrating weaving and spinning techniques.

Linda showed a spinning wheel and fleece combs, Mariellen worked with a peg loom and Robin with a rigid heddle loom.

Ellen Finan at her own booth.

Still Time to Enter the County Fair

The Riverside County Fair will be held from Feb 15 thru Feb 24. Our Guild was instrumental in creating additional classes and divisions in the Clothing & Textiles category. We hope to better reflect our fiber arts in the revised classes of 229, 230 & 231; Rigid Heddle & Other Looms Weaving, Multi Shaft Weaving and Other Fiber Arts. Here’s a link to the Handbook of guidelines:
https://datefest.org/Information/Competition-Handbook Go to the Clothing & Textiles section for the guidelines, the list of divisions and classes and the details of the additional awards you can earn. The Guild is sponsoring some prizes internally to our members who enter and there are additional outside sponsor prizes, as well as county “money” prizes at stake.

What have you brought to “show and share”? Why not enter a few items in the appropriate classes and receive feedback from a fiber expert? The Guild wants to see an increase in entries, so now is your chance.

The last day to submit your entry on-line is Saturday, January 19, 2019. Please do not wait until the last day to enter. Pam McSmith is willing to take your entries to the facility for you if you can’t get them there yourself. Bring your entries and a copy of the registration form to the Jan 28 meeting.

See Linda Bohlinger or Pam for more details. Based on the skill levels of our members, your chances to win cash prizes and ribbons are very high. Good Luck to all our Fiber Artists!

Basket Weaving in the Carlsbad Flower Fields

What could be better than sitting (nearly) in the Flower Fields of Carlsbad on April 29, 2018. Acres of ranunculas provided beautiful color as we stabbed and poked our way through coils of pine needles learning the technique of coiling a basket around an unusual stone under the direction of Nadine Spier. Martha, Ann and Carol laughed and encouraged each other as they learned a new way to create art.

October 30 – Meeting Photos

Our October meeting focused on the various items that can be woven with a Riggid Heddle loom. Mariellen Boss, the speaker shown above, gave us a background on the “little loom.” She also shared many of the variations on the popular loom including; the size, portability, price and versatility. Here are some of the beautiful results that our members wove. Continue reading “October 30 – Meeting Photos”

September 25 Meeting Photos

Our President, Linda Bohlinger shared this beautifully woven multi-shaft fabric that she will make into a garment (photo by Julie Roy) during our “show and share” portion of the meeting. After that, Carol Loch presented a program about Inkle Looms. Here are some photos taken by Sandra Wolin during the program and more photos of the many talents from our members. Continue reading “September 25 Meeting Photos”