Completed Programs 2023 - 2024
Fran Curran and Mary Roche will moderate a discussion of the people who have received scholarships or their ratings in the last year. Each person will speak about their journey of learning.
JANUARY 20, 2024— STATE MEETING
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Open: Panel Discussion of Ratings and Scholarship Recipients, Fran Curran and Mary Roche
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Guest Mini: An Introduction to Pattern Making with Woven Inlay, Scott Norris
The techniques for creating woven inlay are relatively simple and easy to learn. A weaver who understands how to use inlay to insert straight lines, diagonal lines, and curves into cloth holds the ability to embellish fabric with virtually any decorative shape. With the goal of developing that ability among workshop participants, Scott will describe the techniques for designing basic shapes that are suitable for inlay; provide written handouts that explain the process; and demonstrate the actual processes used to weave inlay. Subsequently, participants will have the chance to practice the techniques themselves on the prepared loom that Scott will bring to the workshop. Participants who learn best by taking notes should bring note-taking materials.
Materials fee: none
Class size: 10
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Mini #1: Hemstitching and Finishing Table Linens, Lisa Green
A beautiful finish is a nice addition to your handwoven napkins, tablecloths, placemats or even baby blankets. Lisa will demonstrate how to hemstitch on four sides and how to miter corners. Fabric, needles, and threads will be provided so you can prepare samples to use as references for these techniques. Participants should bring small embroidery scissors.
Materials fee: none
Class size: 15
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Mini #2: Fringe Exploration, Ellen Goldman
There is nothing like the excitement of starting to weave a piece on the loom. You have spent hours deciding on the pattern, color and yarn. Thinking about finishing a piece is also a part of the process. In this mini we will explore a variety of decorative fringe techniques that use knotting, twisting, braiding and beads. You will be able to try these out using handwoven samples provided in class that you will be able to take home. Participants should bring small scissors.
Materials fee: $10
Class size: 12
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Afternoon Program: Storytelling and Woven Inlay, Scott Norris
Woven inlay provides a great deal of freedom to weavers as they add patterns to their cloth. In simple examples, colorful inlaid shapes can be inserted anywhere in a piece of fabric. In more complex forms, a weaver can use inlay to add words, sentences, paragraphs, and – with time and patience – entire stories to cloth.
In this talk, Scott will describe the motivations behind his use of inlay; explain the inlay techniques that he uses; and present a number of examples, including decorated linen towels and large linen panels that contain inlaid texts and illustrations.
NOVEMBER 18, 2023 – 75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AND LUNCHEON
Aqua Turf Club, 556 Mulberry St. Plantsville CT
Come Join the Celebration
The Handweavers' Guild of Connecticut is 75 years young
The celebration includes:
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Catered lunch (tickets $25)
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Gift raffle
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Silent auction
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Show and tell for our 75th Anniversary weaving challenge
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HGC History talk part 2
NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2023 — MAXI WORKSHOP
What appeals more to a weaver than weaving that looks like weaving? In this round-robin class we will explore multiple structures that can be used to produce images of weaving - most commonly, a large scale depiction of a plain weave interlacement. We will use lace weaves, deflected double weave, tied weaves and more along with profile drafting to learn about, design and weave samples with this "metaweave" design idea in mind.
Participants must be able to warp a loom, change the tie-up, and follow a draft.
Fee: $175 +$25 handout/materials fee (students can avoid the materials fee if they pick up the pdf in Dropbox).
Class size: 16
Looms will need to be pre-warped (Detailed drafts and warping instructions will be sent about 1 month prior to the workshop).
A 4, 8 or 12 shaft loom is appropriate (sample choices for 4 are limited, so 8-12 is best). Students need to bring weft materials to correspond to warp, shuttles, bobbins, notebook/pen, scissors, tapestry needle, measuring tape.
The Cane Wrapped Stones Mini is canceled and will be rescheduled at a later date.
September 9, 2023 - State Meeting
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Open: Connecticut’s Cotton Connection: Connecticut and the Civil War
Jamie H. Eves/Windham Town Historian, The Mill Museum
The South may have been the Cotton Kingdom, but in the years leading up to the Civil War, cotton was king in Connecticut, too, as Connecticut's new industrial economy was based on manufacturing cotton thread, cloth, and garments.
Did that mean that Connecticans sympathized with Southern planters and were willing to be tolerant of slavery as long it remained safely in the South? The answer is: "yes and no." Many Connecticans were sympathetic to Southern slavery, but -- surprisingly -- the greatest opposition to slavery in Connecticut centered around the state's cotton mill town.
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Guest Mini: Gamps Galore, Penny Lacroix
Gamps can be oh-so useful to us as designing weavers. Some give us information about the yarn, some about structure, some about color, some about sett. All will surprise us in some way! The exploration and discovery is the reason for making them. This workshop will examine various types of gamps and discuss their usefulness. Students will then be guided through planning their own gamp, either to be woven later or just for fun. Design can be done with paper and colored pencils, or using weaving design software like Fiberworks PCW.
Materials: Participants should bring paper, pencils, eraser. Also a laptop with Fiberworks or other weaving software if available (optional).
Materials fee: $2
Class size: 16
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Mini #2: Fabric Pumpkins, Marsha Lodge
Participants will learn how to make a fabric pumpkin using handwoven material or quilting cotton.
Participants should bring: Polyfill stuffing; Strong, long tapestry needle, (or purchase one from the instructor); Scissors; Embroidery floss in the color of your choice; Sewing thread; Regular sewing needle.
Also bring suitable fabric for the body such as a hand woven, chenille, or cotton. (Approximately 8 inches by 20 inches for the large pumpkin, or 6 x 12 for the small pumpkin); And felt for the leaves (approximately 4 x 6)
A sewing machine (optional)
Materials fee: $3
Class size: 12
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Mini #3: Ratings, Dorrie Hunt
Ratings is a program offered by the Guild to help members expand their weaving knowledge and skills. We invite everyone interested in finding out more about Ratings to attend this mini workshop. Ratings follow a sequence of requirements. All weavers start with the Apprentice level, and can then move onto Journeyman and finally may decide to challenge themselves with the Master Weaver level. In this mini we will discuss how to get started, explain all the requirements for each level and talk about the support available to help you on your way. Bring your questions.
Materials fee: none
Class size: 16
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Afternoon Program: The Wool Bump Project, Penny Lacroix
In 2017, Penny accepted the offer of a carload of dirty fleeces, for free. With help from friends along the way, the fleeces were sorted, processed commercially into "wool bumps", and then - in a Covid project - dyed and used as weft, ultimately becoming delightfully cushy area rugs. This talk will explain the entire process, including videos of the commercial processing in a Vermont mini-mill. She will also include a summary of the finances, as "free" raw materials is not the same as no-cost. Additionally, Penny will talk about the hot topic of "made locally" and how it relates to this project.