The Newsletter of the Pioneer Valley Weavers

Regular meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at Webs, Service Center Road, Northampton, MA 
(413) 584-2225

NEW START TIME:  This year, the business meeting will begin PROMTLY at 6:30 pm – social time will follow the meeting. The program will begin at 7:30

Tuesday, January 13, 2009
IMAGINE A JACKET—AND THEN PLAN IT                                                               with                                                                                                                       Nan Jackson
Think of the shape that flatters you, imagine the colors, figure where you might want embellishment or borders.  Then decide what weave structure and yarns best accomplish your vision.  Nan will bring samples of jackets she has made over the years.  We will discuss some simple patterns, how to handle hand-woven fabrics and methods of construction.
Nan Jackson has enjoyed sewing for as long as she can remember. Her parents often brought back beautiful textiles for clothing, and it was just a short leap to try weaving. Nan joined the Connecticut Guild in the 1970;s, and the guild workshops have been a wonderful source of knowledge and inspiration. She participated in the local area guild’s “Weavers’ Boutique”, particularly selling jackets and in the
Connecticut Guild Biennial Show. From time to time Nan has done some teaching.
                                                                                                                                          Recommended reading:
Handwoven, Tailormade a tandem guide to fabric designing, weaving, sewing and tailoring by 
Sharon D. Alderman & Kathryn Wertenberger, Interweave Press, Inc., 1982 
Pattern Making by the Flat-pattern Method by Norma R. Hollen, Burgess Publishing Company, 1975 
Fit and Fabric from Threads Magazine, The Taunton Press, 1991 
Weaving You Can Wear by Jean Wilson with Jan Burhen, van Nostrand, 1973 
                                                                                                                                                  Our hosts for the evening are Lynn Field (413) 566-5060 and Barbara Gordon (413) 596-9241

SHOW AND TELL
Bring your latest creations to share with the group!  You may attach a card with any pertinent information concerning the piece that you can provide, i.e., fibers, structure, sett, etc. – and don’t forget your name so that other members can ask you questions - and give you compliments!  You may also want to share those pieces that didn’t quite turn out as expected – it’s always a good learning experience for others.

WEAVERS’ DISCUSSION GROUP
The chat group will meet Tuesday, January 20 at 7:00 at Webs.  Remember, this informal meeting is open to all members who would just like to sit and talk about weaving - what we’re doing, what we’re interested in, problems, etc.  Bring your work or not.

ANIMAL GROUP
The group will meet for a group sewing session on Saturday, January 31 at 10:30 AM at Webs.  Bring your fabric and anything you need for putting your animal together – including your sewing machine, if you can.  We can work out any problems we have together.  Barbara Elkins has graciously volunteered to bring her ironing board, a regular iron and two mini-irons.  Bring lunch, if you want!

These animals (from the book “Weaving a Zoo”) will be displayed at NEWS this summer on our Guild table.  If you haven’t started one already and would like to get in on the fun, contact Barbara Elkins at Barbara.Elkins@Yarn.com  You may also contact Barbara if you have any questions.

                                                                                                                                                        NEW ENGLAND WEAVER’S SEMINAR (NEWS) 
The mailing of the NEWS registration packets is imminent. I will broadcast an e-mail when my packet is received. If you don’t receive your packet within a few days of that e-mail, please contact me and I will procure a packet for you. Remember to check the volunteer box when registering for your classes. I assure you it is painless. The deadline for Work Study Scholarship Applications is February 1, 2009. 

Debbie Adamczyk djadamczyk@comcast.net  or (413) 436-5618
NEWS Representative 

FEBRUARY PROGRAM                                                                                                               Hopefully many of you will be submitting your work to one or both of the NEWS Juried shows (Fashion and Gallery).  Next month’s program, What Judges Look for in the Juried Exhibit Entries with 
Loris Epps, will help us with those submissions – or submissions to any juried show or gallery.  

TIPS & TRICKS                                                                                                                                            Here’s a tip used when warping with the 2/14 alpaca/silk.  If you wind two ends in the cross, i.e., 2 ends over and 2 ends under the cross pegs, it will beam really easily and won’t get stuck in the lease sticks.  (Barbara Elkins)

WEB-SITES TO VISIT                                                                                                                    From Barbara Gordon:  “Take my interest in weaving, add my family's intense involvement in music, then add a dash of youngest son's penchant for experimental music/collaborative arts, and France.... mix them all together..... and voila!  Here you have it!  A most fascinating installation at the Centre Pompadou in Paris.  The installation is titled, Musical Loom, and the creator is Kingsley Ng.  If you google either the title or artist's name, you can find lots of interesting explanations and interpretations of the work. And you can view it on youtube at  www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXjKmerqHwY

FOR SALE
For Sale:  Structo ArtCraft Wooden Table Loom.  Weaving Width approximately 15".  Good Condition.  Asking $150.00.  Carol Olanyk, colanyk@comcast.net.

PIONEER VALLEY WEAVERS SPRING WORKSHOP 2009
Details about the workshop are being reprinted for your convenience.  Please remember that participation in the workshop is limited. Send your registration form and check, soon, to assure your participation.

Weaving Wearables with Rags - From the Ridiculous to the Sublime  with Johanna Erickson
April 18 and 19, 2009 9:30 - 4:00  at Webs, Service Center Road, Northampton, MA
Workshop Fee: $100 guild members, $125 non-members
Materials Fee: $ 30 (for bias-sewn tubes of various pretty fabrics for wefts)
Weaving Wearables with Rags - From the Ridiculous to the Sublime  with Johanna Erickson

Weave samples for sublime wearables. Learn a variety of techniques for cutting fabric into strips for weft - on the straight and on the bias -and for joining strips for weaving. Try different fabrics, including 
solid and print cotton and cotton blends, rayon challis, wool and wool blends, and other favorites, such as silk dresses, cashmere sweaters, leather, and fur. Combine them with different yarns in the warp and weft.  Practical for daytime to flash for parties. Try knitting and crocheting with rag strips. You may elect to weave a scarf or two rather than samples. See many slides and samples for inspiration.

JOHANNA ERICKSON, a professional designer and weaver with a BA in art and an MA in art education, has lectured and taught many workshops throughout the US. Her work has appeared in fiber and interiors publications, and she has produced a book called RAG WEAVING GIMMICKS AND TRICKS. It is
available by emailing Johanna or at suppliers such as WEBS.  Johanna runs an active custom-order rag rug business for the interiors market in the Boston area and weaves, knits, and crochets wearables and accessories. In the summertime, you can see Johanna's work at the Vineyard Artisans Festivals on Martha's Vineyard. She also sells her work at the Sign of the Dove Artisans Cooperative in Cambridge.

All levels welcome.  Participants will need to bring masking tape, tape measure, pins, big scissors, note taking supplies and the usual items you would need to work on your own loom. This is an on-loom workshop and we will be provided with instructions when the time draws near. Four shaft looms are fine.  If someone wishes to participate and doesn’t have a loom they can transport, we can ask Guild members to lend a loom or Webs might be able to provide one.

To register, please complete the attached registration form and mail with a check for the full registration fee to Deborah Adamczyk, PO Box 51, Warren, MA 01083. Questions? Contact Deb at (413) 436-5618 or djadamczyk@comcast.net.

OTHER CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS                                                                                                       Two excellent teachers will be presenting workshops at WEBS in the spring:
Melissa Weaver Dunning will be teaching a two-day workshop on Acadian Weaving of French Canada and Louisiana on March 28 and 29th.  Beginning and advanced weavers alike will be amazed at the variations of pattern possible with just two harnesses and a few simple techniques.
Anne Field will be teaching a three-day workshop on Collapse Weave on May 18, 19 and 20.  Warps will be pre-wound and supplied by the instructor.  Various samples will be woven and discussions on the relative values of active and passive yarns will lead to an understanding of why and when collapse happens.  Students will then choose whether to continue sampling, or to weave a scarf.
For further details and to sign up, watch the website:  www.yarn.com

WISTARIAHURST MUSEUM 
238 Cabot St
Holyoke, Ma
has the following offerings:

Wed. January 21 6:00 pm Workshop on Textile Preservation with Kate Thibodeau $10

Tues. February 17, Fri. Feb. 20 1:00-2:00 and Feb. 22 at 2:00pm Tea and Textiles $15.00

NEIGHBORING GUILDS
Weavers of Western Mass meets at 12:15 (NEW TIME) on the 4th Wednesday afternoon of every month except December, September through May, at Hill Institute, 83 Pine Street, Florence, MA.  Contact one of their co-presidents, Anita Thompson altweaver@verizon.net or Martha Seymour crowhillrd@yahoo.com for more information.

•	January 28 – A Look at the Tapestry Conference with Susan Loring Wells

The Weavers Guild of Boston meets the second Wednesday of the month from September through May (excluding December) in Westborough, MA.  Visitors are welcome. Be a guest for one meeting to see if the programs, activities, and camaraderie are what you are looking for. Payment of dues insures immediate membership benefits. Regular membership dues are $35. Call the guild office at 508-870-0468 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. or write to the guild at The Weavers' Guild of Boston, P.O. Box 366, Andover, MA 01810.  Or visit their informative website www.weaversguildofboston.org 

Handweavers Guild of Connecticut
The Guild meets five times a year the third Saturday of the month, bimonthly from September through May with many interesting programs and workshops.  The next meeting is November 17th.  All meetings are held at Emanuel Lutheran Church, 311 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT.  The church is conveniently located off I-91 and I-84.  Local Area Meetings are held once a month.   
Contact:  susanjturner@gmail.com   You can also download the application from the web-site: www.handweaversguildofct.org

The Weavers Guild of Springfield meets from September through May on the first or second Saturday of these months at the landmark at Monastery Heights, 110 Monastery Avenue, West Springfield, MA.  Contact Jane Devlin, P.O. Box 2605, Springfield, MA 01101-2605. (413) 734-7005 or weaversspring@netscape.net   Or visit their website at www.weaversspring.com

•	

Deadline for submissions for the next newsletter AND POSTING ON THE WEBSITE is
January 30th.  Please send your newsletter submissions to Dorothy Shimel at dashimel@aol.com  114 Lake Street, Florence, MA 01062 or call 413-584-1718.
Website submissions to Francine Gal at  francine.gal@bhs.org   493 Bay Rd., Amherst, MA  01002 or call (413) 253-9060

					

PIONEER VALLEY WEAVERS
                                                            Minutes  12-9-08

The meeting was opened at 6:45 P.M. by Carol Olanyk, Co-chair 

I.  Minutes from 11-11-08 were approved with the following correction:  Introduction of guests: spelling of 
    Dedrick, changed to Dedra.

II.	Ongoing Business:
A.	NEWS: Barbara Gordon reported that she had contacted Eileen of the Nashoba Valley Guild, to 
discuss suggestions for running the Registration Desk.  They had been involved with that at the 
previous NEWS.  The following problems were identified: parking, unloading looms, and the lack 
of assistance for unloading and transporting looms.  The heaviest days for coverage appear to have 
been Thursday and Friday.  She suggested that we provide at least 3-4 people during those days.  
She noted that it was difficult for the person manning the desk to access meals, when there was no
relief.  She also suggested that you have a contact person for teachers, as their needs are different 
than the registrants.  The cafeteria was not open on the weekend, making it difficult for the vendors 
to access food.  
Deb reported that there is a plan for temporary parking near the registration desk, allowing 
participants to access their packets before proceeding to permanent parking.  
It was suggested that a sub-committee might be useful, to get together to do some planning.

B.	Animal Project: Barbara elicited feed back for the sewing meeting.  A date was set for January 
31, 2009, at 1:30 A.M. at Webs.  Bring your lunch.

C.	Weavers discussion group: will meet January 20, 2009 at 7PM at Webs.
D.	Program Committee:  The Workshop registration form was in the December Newsletter.  
“How to Weave Rags.”  There will be a description in the next Newsletter so the people will 
know what to expect.  
E.	Newsletter: Dorothy gave the deadline as 12-29-08.  She is looking for weaving tips, as we have 
had none for some time.  
F.	Website: Francine reported that the site is up to date.
G.	A Common Thread: Will revisit in 2009
H.	Guild Exhibit 10/2009 Carol Birtwhistle noted that if plan to have an exhibit, we should be getting 
started.  We might want to combine the exhibit with a silent auction for the animals from the 
Animal Project, with the proceeds going to a children’s charity. 

III.	New Business
A.	Barbara Elkins suggested that we consider an on-line chat group for the guild.  Barbara will check 
into the process for establishing this.

The meeting adjourned at 7:15 P.M.
The group enjoyed refreshments while watching the DVD of Convergence 20008.  

Sub. By L. Field rec.sec.

Weaving Wearables with Rags
With Johanna Erickson

April 18 and 19, 2009 9:30 - 4:00

Name:___________________________________ Phone: ________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________

Email: __________________________________________________________________

To register, please complete the attached registration form and mail with a check for the full registration fee to Deborah Adamczyk, PO Box 51, Warren, MA 01083. 

Registration Deadline: Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Enrollment open to non-members after Wednesday, February 18, 2009. 

Cancellation Policy: Registration fees are non-refundable unless you are able find someone to take your place or in the event that a workshop must be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment or weather.

Questions? Contact Deb at (413) 436-5618 or djadamczyk@comcast.net.