HANDWEAVERS’ GUILD OF CONNECTICUT
WORKSHOPS 2007-2008

The Guild meets five times a year the third Saturday of the month, bimonthly from September through May. All meetings are held at The Congregational Church at 16 High Street in South Glastonbury.  The Maxi Workshops are usually one or two days before the Guild meeting.

Guild Meeting Schedule:

9-10 am              Weftovers, Library, Guild Services, Snack, Vendors (at some meetings)
10-11:45 am        Workshops (Open and Mini)
11:45 am-1 pm     Lunch (brown bag and/or purchase), Library, Weftovers
1-1:15 pm           HGC Business Meeting 
1:15 - 3pm          Program Speaker

 

 

MAXI WORKSHOPS

Thursday November 15 and Friday November 16, 2007: Introduction to Navajo Weaving – Tom Jipson

Fee $125

Tom Jipson has been teaching Navajo weaving for more than 30 years. In this workshop you will prepare a warp and then learn the basic weaving techniques. You will use a simple tapestry loom and fairly basic tapestry weaving techniques to create your piece; however, it is unique in that the piece is woven on one continuous warp thread that is never cut. This creates the strongest possible two-dimensional fabric. It also creates a whole new set of challenges for the weaver. Limit of 12 students. Materials fee: $25



Thursday March 15 and Friday March 16, 2008: Women on the Edge - Anita Luvera Mayer

Fee $125

Participants will complete a beautifully designed reference notebook of creative techniques for finishing the edges of cloth. Materials fee: $25

Friday May 16, 2008: Color Horoscope Weaving - Bonnie Tarses

Fee $65

 

Discover a unique method of color blending.  Each dazzling warp is a personal rainbow.

The focus is entirely on color, fiber and winding warps.  Students receive a copy of their personal horoscope along with a winding draft and six pages of winding instructions, color sample cards, a woven sample and hands-on demonstration of winding.

Materials fee:  $50

 

HGC STATE MEETING SCHEDULE 2006-2007

SEPTEMBER 15, 2007

OPEN WORKSHOP: Learn to Use That Wheel, Basic Spinning  by Deb Allen
Come enjoy a morning of camaraderie and spinning. Bring your wheel, drop spindle, roving and carding combs. Deborah will give an overview of basic spinning, terminology and history. Opportunity will be provided to use a wheel for those who are interested or don’t have one of their own. This is a great time to get started again on that wheel you haven’t used in awhile. Participants should bring wheel, drop spindle, roving and/or carding combs. Materials fee: $3.00 for roving, if needed.

MINI WORKSHOPS

  1. Creating Your Next Woven Work - Christine Spangler
    This hands-on mini-workshop will be a chance for participants to apply the elements and principles of design to creating warps and block weaves. We will focus on how texture and color interact with each other in our compositions, and how we can vary those using different patterns of rhythm, emphasis, proportion, contrast, and balance. Participants should bring yarn thrums, pencil, and paper, three sheets of stiff paper, ruler, double-sided tape, scissors, and colored pencils. Bring ideas for your next weaving project - but not your pre-conceptions.

  2. Four is Fine - Kathi Spangler
    Workshop will focus on the four harness loom, structures and projects designed for four shafts. For some weavers, this is a review and back to our roots – and most “traditional” American weaving. For others, it’s an opportunity to learn about options, see samples and discuss the opportunities to create pieces that reflect the creativity of the weaver within the world of four shafts. The only thing you need to bring to this workshop is your imagination.

  3. Basic Pattern Drafting - Julie McClure
    You will learn about writing threading and treadling drafts and how to do draw downs for the basic weaves- plain and basket weave and all those twills. You’ll also learn about color and weave effects. This is targeted to newish weavers, but is a good review for experienced ones too. Participants should bring graph paper (any size), pencil and 3 colored pencils (your choice). Materials fee: $ 1.00

PROGRAM: Applying the Principles of Design to Textiles
Christine Spangler

Unity, variety, rhythm, emphasis, proportion, scale, continuance, repetition, contrast, similarity, balance: Do you use these concepts when you judge your own textile work? The basic principles of design provide mileposts to guide us in our search for improved design. By combining the elements of design: line, shape, space, texture, color, and light, with sensitivity to these the principles of design, visual artists create works that communicate their ideas effectively to their viewers. But how can textile artists use them in their medium? This lecture with slides will illustrate, with examples both good and poor, textiles that achieve or fail in following these criteria. Fabric samples will also be available for viewing and feeling.

NOVEMBER 17, 2007

OPEN WORKSHOP: Sewing with Handwoven Fabric-Manon Pelletier
Learn tips and techniques on how to confidently cut and sew your handwoven cloth into beautiful garments.

MINI WORKSHOPS:

  1. Navajo Weaving - Tom Jipson
    Each student will be able to wind one small warp. Like all aspects of Navajo weaving it is very simple, but it is different from anything you have done before. Limit of 15 students. Materials fee: $7
  2. Weaving on Eight to Sixteen Shafts - Sharon Northby
    Are more shafts better? Only if you can learn how to use them to expand your drafts, pattern repeats, design freedom, and your creativity. A discussion of how to start thinking about ‘more.
  3. Beading - Pat McMullen
    Using glass beads, readily available materials, and simple techniques, we will be assembling bracelets, earrings, eyeglass chords and necklaces with clasps. All materials provided. Participants can also bring tools or beads from their own stash, if they wish. Material fee $ 5.00

PROGRAM: Navajo Weaving
Tom Jipson

Tom Jipson, who has been teaching Navajo weaving for more than 30 years, will talk about the history of Navajo weaving. He will show slides of 19th and 20th century Navajo work and demonstrate the basic weaving techniques.

JANUARY 19, 2008

OPEN WORKSHOP: Art Principles in Weaving - Terese Ridgeway

MINI WORKSHOPS:

  1. Handloom Maintenance? - Tom Beaudet
    Material fee: $2.00Tom will cover the basic maintenance and loom settings for operating a handloom, including what to check before you start to weave, what settings to start with, warp tension, shed settings, fine tuning after weaving the header, how much header to weave and then diagnose common problems as they oc

  2. Combining Weave Structures - Fran Curran
    If you are looking for a new weaving challenge, combining weave structures is fun to try. Every weaving structure has its own peculiar characteristics and it can be fascinating to try combining these different qualities in a single piece of cloth. This workshop will explore these possibilities. Bring drafting materials. Materials fee: $ 1.00
  3. Shifu: Weaving with Paper - Adele Harvey
    Shifu: Weaving with paper - the history of shifu-spun paper. Learn to make spun paper yarn from old dress pattern papers. Participants should bring the following items; olfa cutter and mat, pattern paper, ironed towel, hand bobbin winder and bobbins.
  4. Design a Jacket Starting with the Fabric - Nan Jackson
    Set up your loom so the design elements in the textile become the finished jacket you imagined. Plan a fabric using various design features: color, borders, strips, and blocks. We will make jacket patterns to help visualize how design placement looks when fabric becomes 3 dimensional clothing. Please bring tape measure, graph paper, colored pencils, and scissors

PROGRAM: Handweaving in the Colonial Era, 1783 – 1800
Tom Beaudet

Tom Beaudet has been involved in handweaving and the textile industry most of his life both professionally and as a hobby. His presentation on the Colonial Era will cover the conditions of the times, business activities, the family unit, religious impact, education, introduction of industry, the background of Slater Mill and the Rhode Island mill system.

March 15, 2008

OPEN WORKSHOP: A Trip through Time and Space at WEBs - Art  & Barbara Elkins

MINI WORKSHOPS:

  1. Vested Interest (or How Change Your Appearance, Not your Body) - Anita Luvera Mayer
    An introduction to a series of vests, all from one basic pattern, that explores a variety of fabric techniques.
  2. Work of Bertha Gray Hayes- Norma Smayda & Katie Schelleng
    An informal discussion about Bertha Gray Hayes, a Providence, R.I. resident for most of her life and a weaver of delightful miniature overshot designs during the 1930s and ‘40s. Her patterns were generally derived from name drafts and through studying her working notebook we have been able to learn the method she used as well as the names she commemorated. The Weaver’s guild of Rhode Island, through its acquisition of the Bertha Gray Hayes samples and written materials, has been able to preserve an important part of our weaving tradition. Bertha attended early conferences and corresponded with Mary Meigs Atwater, a contemporary and acquaintance, which gives us further insight of the era.
  3. Beginning Ply Split Braiding - Sue Taube
    Learn basic Ply Split Braiding techniques. In this hands-on workshop you will learn the basic SCOT braid and explore some of its variations. Cords for two key chains will be provided to each participant. A limited number of instruction booklets by Linda Hendrickson will be available to purchase. Please bring sharp scissors and a latch hook. Limit of 12 students Materials fee - $7.50

Program: The Creative Journey (or The Secret Formula for Creativity)  Anita Luvera Mayer

A lecture which will share the personal journey of a self-taught artist as she struggled to understand the creative process and finally learned the "secret."

May 17, 2008

OPEN WORKSHOP: Adventures in Finishing  Jan Bertwell

The last thread has been placed; the project is finally finished: But what next? If the project was destined to be a soft furnishing, or framed work of art, explore the endless possibilities with Jan Bertwell, owner of Finishing Touches, in Richmond, RI. Jan and Steve Bertwell have been finishing, framing, and repairing textile treasures full time since 1981 and there is little that they have not encountered along the way. Jan will have lots of samples and pictures for inspiration, tips on achieving the best presentation for your work, as well as pictures and discussion of some of their most interesting projects.

MINI WORKSHOPS:

  1. READY, SETT, WEAVE! - Carol Birtwistle
    This mini-workshop is for the newer weaver or one in need of a basic refresher course on how to plan a weaving project. We will consider yarn counts, setts, determination of warp and weft yardages, some finishing techniques and emphasize reading and drafting patterns. Participants should bring a ruler, graph paper, pencil and eraser. Materials fee: $1.00 for handouts.

  2. Inkle Weaving: Pick-up Techniques from Several Cultures - Louise Gould
    We will set-up a warp to weave in several different techniques. It is simple to thread an inkle loom. Participants should bring an inkle loom. If you don’t have one, “In Sheep’s Clothing” in Torrington stocks the inexpensive workshop loom, “Inklette” made by Ashford. Materials fee: $5.00

  3. Easy Ikat - Bonnie Tarses
    Colorful slides and luxurious samples clearly illustrate this unique variation of an ancient technique. Everyone who has experienced this program (in addition to being well entertained) has said, “I can do that!” This is an inspiring and informative presentation.

Program:  Formula for Creativity)  - Bonnie Tarses

Take a look at exciting ways to make some pretty fancy weaving. From joining techniques to chenille ideas and using up all your thrums, break free of the limitations of a small or medium sized loom and create fabric as large as your imagination. From hints and tips to slides and luscious examples, see what’s been happening in Bonnie’s studio.