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….

I am embarrassed to say I can’t remember who  knit the top two hats, so ladies let eme know and I’ll adjust the  comments.

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!

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!

And it begins……

On a slightly foggy Fraser Valley Saturday we are looking forward to a wonderful day!

What is a great day out with your friends without a good lunch? Out wonderful volunteers have assembled an amazing luncheon, as always!

Nice view of our Silent Auction tables. After lunch it’s time to visit our vendors and the Silent Auction table.

This is the second year we have held a raffle and below are the winners from fist to fourth.

Last year we issued a Crayon Challenge to our attendees. These wonderful Ladies ( yes, Ladies with a capitol “L”!) rose to and exceeded the challenge. Feast your eyes on the marvelous things they created. I hope I have not omitted anyone’s project. So many wonderful things!

The Silent Auction is always a great attraction at the Spin-in. Our team did a great job presenting the items.

And where would we be without afternoon nibbles?

And door prizes – we had distributed half of the prizes before I managed to snap the photo!

I wish to extend deepest thanks to all the volunteers who make this annual event possible. Anyone who has undertaken such an event knows the work involved. Congratulations Ladies, it was a great day. Thank you also to our dedicated attendees, we look forward to seeing you each year and catching up with one another.