The weather forecast for Tuesday evening hasn’t improved, so in the interest of keeping everyone safe, the guild is canceling the December meeting. Social time and good food are great, but potentially treacherous roads, blowing snow and below-zero wind chills add up to dangerous, especially after dark. So tuck in, stay warm, and we’ll shoot for January, weather permitting.

 

 

 

Today members of the Spinning Group will be getting together at Kathy's to spin and enjoy each others company.  Maybe this should be a new tradition for Black Friday

Cathy McCarthy, our November speaker, loves winding mixed warps for her looms.  She loves getting things done quickly, and winding a mixed warp is much faster using a warping paddle.  At our meeting she showed us a couple of ways to wind mixed warps using 2 methods she is familiar with.  Also she used 2 different warping paddles.

As promised here are a couple photographs of the felted pumpkins.  Aren't they great!

What a fun meeting was had by all.  Kelly was teaching us to make felted pumpkins.  Everyone's pumpkins were still in process by the end of the meeting, so when we get photos they will be posted.  Included here are some of the show and tell items that were shown off proudly by our members.

A great first meeting for the Guild.  We had a wonderful time catching up on what happened over the summer.  Members brought items that they had woven over the summer to share with everyone.  I've included some of the photos here. 

Don't forget the next meeting is October 10th.  Come join us.

Upcoming Guild program guide for this year

September
• There will be two parts: first, the Board is looking for ideas for programs and workshops to work into the schedule for the next two years. Second, “What I did on my summer vacation”. The Board is looking for reports of conferences, workshops, classes and festivals you attended.
o What did you like? ...
o Not like?
o Would you recommend?
o Ballpark costs to attend.

October –
• Our annual felting program with Kelly Brandt. This year will feature fall holiday pumpkins

November –
• Cathy McCarthy will be presenting a lecture on mixed warps.

December –
• The winter holiday potluck. While we eat, we talk about our Murphy’s Law experiences. If something can go wrong, it will.

January – Lynn H (aka ColorJoy) will present “Color: Losing the Fear”.
• Program description:
o Do you hold yourself back when you consider new color combinations? Does the process of weaving make you happy, but your yarn choices perhaps don't look the way you anticipated after weaving? Michigan Traditional Arts/MTAAP Master Artist Lynn Hershberger has been studying the combining of colors for over three decades, and teaching about it for nearly twenty years.
o In this presentation, Lynn will cover a table with yarns of different colors, and show combinations hands on while explaining why they work or not. She will break down color jargon into concepts for everyone. She will introduce tried-and-true combination methods which have stood the test of time, and which do not have to be boring to succeed.
o You will surely return to your loom with more confidence.

February – to be determined

March – to be determined

April – to be determined

May –
• Annual Business Meeting:
o annual election, group reports: community outreach, study group, early weavers, spinners, portable looms

June – End of Year pot luck

The GLWG Weaving Study Group has been a Guild activity for years. The group membership has fluctuated from 12 members or more to 3 or 4. The group participants discuss their interests, someone suggests a topic and thru consensus, the group decides on their study topic for the next year. Over the years, this group has studied twills, crackle and borders among some possibilities.

This year, the suggestion for studying Freeform Design came from a couple of guild members. Over the past few years these members have been discussing putting motifs and/or borders on their weavings. Not having multiple harness looms they were looking for some other simpler techniques. A few years ago, they had participated in a workshop with Su Butler: "Easy Pickup" with the Ontario Guild, for 4 harness looms, but it didn't quite fill the bill as to what they were seeking. You can check out Su Butler's web site for her course description, etc: Su based a lot of her instruction on Erica de Ruiter's work: "Weaving on Three Shafts" and "Easy Pick-up Patterning On Two, Three & Four Shafts". Su Butler: http://www.subudesigns.com/currentworkshops.cfm.

These same guild members already own Nancy Searles book: The Technique of Freeform Design" as Searles provides instruction for 4 shaft looms, and this year it was suggested to try this out and work with it...and so they are. They have continued to work with it and thus their suggestion to the study group to join them in this endeavor.

Our first meeting of the season is next Tuesday, September 12^th at St. Matthew Lutheran Church.  Mingling starts at 6:30pm and the meeting will start at 7:00pm.

We have a lot going on this year and lots to catch up on, so we hope to see everyone there.

Here are some photographs from the Spinning Group's meeting today.  The next meeting is scheduled for September 29th, 1pm at Louise's house.  Fun was had by all.

Just a quick note, the Spinning Group is getting together tomorrow [August 25th] at 1:00 pm at Diedra's  house.  Come join the fun.

 

 

Weaving and spinning demonstrations by members of the Greater Lansing Weavers Guild will be part of the annual celebration of Delhi Township this Saturday. Demonstrations will run from noon until 6 p.m. in a tent near the Holt Junior High School (1784 Aurelius Road). The demonstrators will explain what they’re doing and gladly answer questions about how yarn is made and cloth is woven. Samples of finished items will be on display, also.

A parade beginning at 11 a.m. at the junior high, an old car show, a kid’s area, a variety of vendors and a fireworks show will also be part of the fun.

 

See you there