We have Instagram! For many members, social media isn’t something we spend a lot of time with, but we understand that in times when people are unable to come to us to see our work, we have to find ways to go out and promote our craft.
Behold, Instagram!
Follow us @chilliwackspinnersandweavers and if you’re a member, send photos of your projects to Jordan to have your work posted.
The weather cooperated perfectly for our annual Dye Day hosted by Louise H. A rainbow could be found in the dye pots and the ladies with their wheels found under the shade of a big maple tree.
With the amount of work involved in warping our 60″ loom, most people do projects in groups. Each weaver in the group contributes fibre for the warp and comes up with their own weft. Someday soon, this pile will turn into a lovely warp. Each blanket that comes off the loom will look completely different despite having the same warp.
Jenny has taken advantage of being stuck at home to work through some fibre that has been taking up valuable stash room for over 20 years!
This set of placemats and coordinating table runner are creatively woven to show one side coloured and the other black.
We all know how much life has changed in the last 6 months. The opportunity to find solace in working with our hands and hearts has not been wasted by many of our members. It soothes the soul to be able to create something beautiful in times of stress.
After each of our business meetings we have an “show and tell” session. These don’t have to necessarily have to be spin or weave related – fibres arts are so very flexible! Since October, between our Christmas craft market and holiday break and the cancellation of the January meeting I have been remiss in updating the photos, so here they are! It’s such a wonderful collection of the talents of our amazing members. Enjoy! In no particular order….
Marlene’s new crocheted scarf – absolutely lovely!
Jenny has been weaving some lovely chenille, and the warping board seemed the best thing to display them on – so luscious!
Sumiko wove this wonderful soft shawl for her mother. Such a lovely colour palate.
Mary has been having fun using up her hand-spun scraps- too cute!
Bev’s lovely blanket!
Betty and one of her lovely blankets – I never tire of seeing the wonderful array of blankets from a single warp.
Twice woven carpet by Nancy for the Guild sale in November. Stunning!
Marlene, I do believe this is one of your creations – love the colour shift.
Jordan loves to spin and crochet and this one one of her creations – such subtle colours !
Another wonderful toy ensemble from Mary!
Jenny does it again with vibrant colours and designs, no wonder her towels of so very popular at our sale! Well done.
Helen and the most recent blanket to come off the loom…love it!
Louise H and another wonderful blanket.
On the First Thursday in October we got together to learn how to make Monkey Fists. These little balls can be used for a variety of closures. I have seen them on some sites as survival skills, with a rock inside they can be used as bolos or as a weighted end for throwing a light line into a tree for hoisting up gear to keep it safe. I have used monkey fists as a closure on inkle-woven bags.
There was a lot of laughter and a good time was had by all!
In November of 2018 our Guild bade farewell to one of our dearest members. Babe Harverson was a wonderful weaver and friend. Her memorial service in January of 2019 brought to light so much of this talented ladies life. For those who had know Babe for may years it only reminded them of the wondrous personality of this remarkable lady. For those of us who had know her for the last 10 years or so it was an affirmation of just how all encompassing her zest for life was. Her generous spirit brought joy to all those around her.
In September of 2019, Babe’s daughter Sheila visited our Guild to propose a memorial legacy fund to further weaving and fibre arts study in our Guild. A memorial shadow box had been put together for Babe’s family and it was presented back to the Guild for display in our room. The fund has been set up and we are actively researching a teacher for this year to fulfill the legacy.
Guild president Leslie accepting the memorial box and donation from Sheila on behalf of the Chilliwack Spinners and Weavers Guild.
One of our latest adventures is weaving circles and checks as presented in the May/June 2019 issue of Handwoven written by Susan Poague. The idea of making circles on the loom was intriguing and we decided to step out of our comfort zone and have some fun. The warp was prepared over the Christmas break and the loom was dressed in January. After a preliminary run to test the threading Mary has started her towel. The test sample was woven in the turquoise of the warp, Mary is using the green and it is amazing. We’ll get more photos up as they are worked.
The strip you see on the bottom is how we are keeping track of the pattern as we weave. The numbers in the right column indicate which of the 8 shafts on our Woolhouse 8-shaft table-top loom are to be worked. The large paperclip is placed on the row currently being worked. As the pattern is 36 rows, pinning or taping a list to the loom seemed a bit awkward. We are fortunate to have a stand that fits the loom and the paper strip sits nicely on the shelf of the table – good for lefties and righties!
Fibre arts are not always about spinning and weaving. Anything fabric related is open season. Marlene took the time to put together a session to teach us how to make shopping bags from King size pillowslips. It was a fun afternoon and I believe we may have bought our all the spare pillow cases in the area thrift stores!
We had so much fun making them I don’t think we took any photos, but here are some that I was inspired to make. The top one is from quilting fabric that was living in my cupboard and the bottom one was from the session with Marlene. The one below is from some wonderful Mary Englebreit fabric I have been hoarding!
