The Memphis Guild of Handloom Weavers

May 2009

The April issue of Common Threads, the MGHW newsletter, is now available to members.

Last Chance! Board members are meeting on May 26th to plan for 2009-2010. Please submit your thoughts on programs and workshops in the member survey.

Fiber Feast Luncheon
Saturday, May 30, 2009, 11:00 am

Our annual spring luncheon will be at Susanne Allen's home, 346 Stonewall not far from our Church weaving room in midtown Memphis. Google Map
Please RSVP by calling Susanne (901/725-7933) or emailing her at playswithstrings(at) hotmail.com.
Bring a favorite dish and we will eat and be merry.

Point in a New Direction - Workshop with Elaine Bradley
Saturday & Sunday, April 25-26, 2009, 9:30am-4:30pm.

Weavers will learn a variety of effects that can be woven on point twill threadings. Each weaver will work at he own loom to produce a gamp. Looms must be prepared before the workshop - help and loaner looms are available to new weavers. Drafting instructions and threading.

13 members participated. Cost - $100 for members, $125 for non-members.
Location: Rawlinson Studio, upstairs at Carrefour Mall, 6645 Poplar at Kirby.

Attending the workshop or not, weavers were invited to join MGHW and Elaine Bradley for dinner at Macaroni Grill, Poplar at Kirby at 5:00PM on Saturday April 25. Meet Elaine and enjoy hearing about the exciting things taking place in the workshop.

Beginning Weaving Class - Weekend Scarf!
Saturday, May 2, 10-4 & Sunday May 3, 1-4

This new class offering is for new weavers that want to start from the beginning! Participants will chose their own color(s), learn to read a weaving draft, set up the loom and weave a scarf to wear home on Sunday afternoon. Cost: $60; Class limit: 6. Details and Registration

Weavers Create with Lace - Saturday, March 28, 2009
Linda Weghorst

Weaver controlled lace weaves can add elegance and interest to handwoven textiles.

Linda demonstrated several techniques for hand worked open weaves (not loom controlled lace) weaves. These included Leno, Brook’s Bouquet, Spanish Lace, and Danish Medallion all of which can be woven with two harnesses. Free form Huck Lace using a four harness loom was also demonstrated.

Interested in reading more on these topics? Look for the following books, some of which may be hard to locate. Do not forget the amazing Guild Library we have for references.

Weaving: A Handbook for Fiber Craftsmen by Shirley Held
Weaving is Creative by Jean Wilson (in our guild library)
The Techniques of Freeform Design by Nancy M. Searles (Home Mountain Publishing), 1984.

Top 10 Meeting Highlights - March 28, 2009

A great big Thank You to Linda Weghorst for taking the time to teach us lace weaves at the march meeting. As always it was an excellent demonstration and very informative. Here are some of the highlights from the March meeting.

1. The surveys came in. Thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out the survey. It really helps us to determine what we should schedule for the fall. If you have not completed a survey, please fill one out and bring it to the workshop. Another option is to fill it out online and submit it.
You can also send them to:
Eva Cassel
2073 Green Chase Dr
Hernando, MS 38632
We want to hear from everyone both beginners and experienced weavers.

2. Next we talked a lot about the Elaine Bradley workshop which is scheduled for April 25th and 26th. This date is changed from your schedule. It was changed at the February meeting because the majority of people who intended to take the workshop wanted it to be on Saturday and Sunday. The workshop is going to be at Lori Rawlinson's family studio located at Kirby and Poplar. We will email precise directions to everyone in the next week. There are still six spots available in the class. The price is $100 for members and $125 for non members.
Please contact us if you are interested.

3. We also decided that Monday the 20th of April we will be helping beginners set up their looms for the workshop. If you are a member and you want to take the workshop you can borrow a loom from the guild.
This is first come first serve. There have also be volunteers who are willing to help on other days. If you need help setting up your loom for the workshop please email us and let us know what will work for your schedule.

4. We are also looking for someone to host Elaine Bradley. She will be arriving on Friday and leaving on Monday. This will include driving her to and from the airport. We are looking for someone who lives close to Kirby and Poplar and who will be attending the class. Please let us know if you can assist.

5. Last but not least we will be going out to dinner with Elaine on Saturday the 25th after class. If you are interested and would like to meet Elaine you can attend even if you are not taking the class. The restaurant and the time are to be determined and will email more information before the workshop.

6. On another topic if you are interested in going on a field trip to Jackson to see the small expression's exhibit Bobbie Embrey had a great suggestion. On April 18th is the "Sheep to Shawl" for the CWSG.
It is going to be from 10 to 4 . Patti will be bringing her sheep to be sheared. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. They will have different stages set up for carding, spinning, dyeing, and weaving outside.
If you are interested in going on a field trip email Bobbie at bjembrey@comcast.net This will only happen if there is enough people interested.

7. We also got several people who wrote on their surveys that they were interested in weaving for the "Pink" project that is the topic for the show in Senatobia next year. So we decided this would be a great project for the weaver's challenge. "Pink" is supposed to signify breast cancer awareness and since October is breast cancer awareness month we thought it would be perfect to display at the Pink Palace and then display it at the Senatobia Show. This will allow you to display your project twice. The only rule is that there must be some pink in the piece. I hope everyone will participate.
It would be wonderful to have a whole bunch of pieces on display.

8. For those of you wondering what happened to "green" it is not dead.
In fact I am working on making a more detailed description for a more substantial show. I would like to make it the Weavers Challenge for the Pink Palace 2010. I would like suggestions.....so please let me know what you think.

9. The Education Chair will be meeting this summer to put together programs for the next year. If you would like to be involved in this email Susanne Allen. We are looking for volunteers.

10. The spring picnic is set for May 30th. This is not marked on your schedule so please make a note of it. I hope everyone will attend.
The place is supposed to be mom's and my studio, however it is still not completed so we will see if that will work. If not we will give plenty of notice if there is a change.

One last thing there is a Nilus LeClerc 6 harness loom for sale in Ripley TN. If you are interested contact Gail Cooper at (731) 635-2217

I hope everyone is doing well and I look forward to seeing lots of members at the workshop.

Victoria

Handwoven Jewelry Workshop - Saturday & Sunday, January 24-25, 2009

Our own Linda Weghorst taught 15 eager jewelry weavers the technique for creating beautiful tapestry-woven and beaded pieces for use as pine or necklaces. Several of the extra kits are available for $10 each.

See the gallery of member's work - more will added as pieces are completed. Participants - send pictures to mghw@memphisfiberarts.org.

2008-2009 Officers and Committee Chairmen and Membership Directory is available for members to update their handbooks.