Category Archives: Upcoming events

Dinner Gatherings are back!

Dinner Gatherings are back!
by Gudrun Polak
When Covid hit us in 2020 we lost the wonderful opportunity to enjoy dinner with our fellow Black Sheep friends before the guild meetings. It had been great socializing and lots of good ideas were hatched out. Often it gave us a chance to spend an extra hour with our speaker.
It is time to get back into this habit and the time is NOW, this month. Update your calendar, write down the guild meeting and add “Dinner at 5:30 pm” to your list. As I look at the locations where we used to meet I find that our favorite Thai restaurant in Redwood City is no longer listed. I do find the Japanese restaurant that I liked just as much:

ASYA – 3215 Oak Knoll Dr. After consulting with our local gourmet, Jodi, I added two more choices:

– Big Brother’s Burgers – 2137 Roosevelt Ave                                                                                                  – Villa Lucia’s – 1725 Woodside Road

Please check out their locations, websites and menus.
Then let me know what you prefer and I’ll make a reservation.
Gudrun

Art on the Square – Summer 2024

Black Sheep Guild participates in annual Art on the Square

           

The Black Sheep Guild once again put together a great booth for Redwood City’s “Art on the Square” series: in this case, the “Jewelry on the Square” event of July 12th.

Guild members demonstrated their crafts and welcomed passersby to try their hand at spinning, rigid heddle weaving, and kumihimo braids.

We made some lovely connections with folks of all ages, including several young people who were particularly enthusiastic.

It was a lovely opportunity to reach out to the larger community. Many thanks to all the members who contributed!

Hidden Villa Sheep Shearing & Fiber Arts Festival 2024

On April 27th I had the opportunity to participate as a volunteer weaver at this fun event at Hidden Villa.

It was a day full of activities and the turn-out was great! We had a small group of weavers presenting their work on a rigid heddle loom, a tapestry loom and a table loom. There was also a big loom for participants to weave in pieces of cloth for a community art piece.

                                                   

Hidden Villa had organized different stations where visitors could see the full process from sheep shearing, through skirting, carding, and spinning to weaving. There was also a great Fiber Arts exhibit with many interesting pieces by local fiber artists.

                          

A Jazz band played during lunch and a few food trucks served delicious food.

There were several activities for visiting children, like block printing, wool spinning and quilting. Visits with the animals on the farm and a few amazing sheep herding demos rounded off the event.

The event was so much fun, and I will definitely be back next year to represent Black Sheep and the weaving community!

Black Sheep Exhibition at the Redwood City Main Library in April

April Black Sheep exhibit at the Redwood City Library

Once again, we are having an exhibition at the Redwood City Library for the month of April. Many of our members have items in the display cases on either side of the Children’s Library entrance on the 1st floor. Information about location, hours, parking, etc. can be found here: https://www.redwoodcity.org/departments/library/rcpl-info/locations-and-hours 
`
Thank you to everyone who loaned us items to display!

Jodi Paley & Andrea Niehaus, exhibits

 

 

ART on the Square 2023 – Friday, July 28, 5:00 – 8:30pm

ART on the Square 2023 – Friday, July 28, 5:00 – 8:30pm

It is confirmed. We have a 10’x10′ booth at ART on the Square in Redwood City, on Friday,
July 28th from 5:00-8:30 pm! This is a community booth and a fantastic opportunity to share ideas and knowledge about textile arts, and to showcase the variety of work our members do.

We need you!
Photos – We can upload 5 photos that represent the work members of the guild do. These
will be used by ART on the Square for promotional purposes. (No photo collages or text other than copyright info at the bottom of the image)
Do you have images of your work or of you working on a project that you would like to
share?
Would you like help out in the booth to talk to people who stop by to learn more?

Have ideas that you would like to share?
Please contact Monique Hodgkinson at screencaffeen at gmail.com for
information and for photo sizing requirements.

Events & Exhibitions

Handweavers Guild of America (HGA) Textiles & Tea

Textiles & Tea takes place online every Tuesday, 4:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Full
information and registration are at https://weavespindye.org/textiles-and-tea/. All episodes of Textiles & Tea are recorded and are available to be watched on HGA’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. Upcoming Speakers:

Tuesday, September 3rd: Deb Essen lives, weaves, and runs her business dje handwovens in the Bitterroot Valley, nestled in the Rocky Mountains of western Montana.
In 2004, Deb achieved the Certificate of Excellence in Handweaving – Level 1 through the
Handweaver’s Guild of America. In 2011, she was inducted to the Montana Circle of American Masters in Folk and Traditional Art. Her book, Easy Weaving with Supplemental Warps, was published originally by Interweave Press in 2016. In 2022, the book was re-released as an expanded revised edition, with more projects and weave structures, by Schiffer Publishing.
She has recorded five weaving videos, available through Long Thread Media, ranging from
supplemental warps to profile drafting. She has written multiple feature articles for Handwoven and Little Looms magazines. Deb is passionate about teaching about the wonders of weaving and teaches at shops, guilds, regional and national conferences and festivals.

Tuesday, September 10th: Caroline Hicks Sawyer spent most of her work life
an electrical engineer. Weaving, which she has done for over 20 years, was her
creative outlet. Her main focus is fiber art, specifically art to wear, and many of
her hand-dyed, handwoven scarves, jackets, and coats have appeared in fashion
shows and elite shops from coast to coast.
Intrigued by a weaving structure developed by Peter Collingwood called
Macrogauze, Caroline designed and built a new loom. This has given her the
ability to make Macrogauze — or as she calls it, “Floating Warps” — her new
passion. She has been selected to exhibit at several prestigious art shows and was
awarded the Jurors Award at the Regional Juried Spring Open of the Wayne Art
Center.
Since retiring from AT&T, she works from her custom-designed studio near Philadelphia
with the assistance of her husband and their two Saint Bernards. She is a member of the Hudson Mohawk and Jockey Hollow Weavers Guilds and of the Philadelphia Guild of Hand Weavers.
Tuesday, September 17th: Sydney Sogol is a professional weaver and dyer dedicated to
creating bold color and pattern interactions through her original designs. She specializes in one of-a-kind and limited-edition pieces, drawing inspiration from her extensive studies in art, ornithology, and marine biology. Each piece is handwoven using sustainably sourced plant yarns. Sogol also hand-dyes and hand-paints the yarns to capture the natural beauty and unique stories of the creatures that inspire her work.

Sogol operates a sustainability-focused business, Syd’s Threads. Our mission is to weave
stories of nature into each creation. We emphasize sustainability, craftsmanship, and mindful living. By harmoniously blending the beauty of nature with the elegance of artisanal techniques, we strive to cultivate a deeper connection between individuals and the planet.
Tuesday, September 24th: Andrea Alexander is a passionate creator with a love for science,
textiles, and sharing her creative adventures. Growing up in a city known for its aquarium,
Andrea was enchanted by ocean life, which inspired her to earn a BS in Marine Biology and
pursue a career in exotic animal care and science education. Eventually, she felt an irresistible pull toward a more creative career and transitioned to the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Textile and Surface Design program.
At FIT, she honed her skills in weaving, screen printing, painting, dyeing, and computer
aided design, blending her scientific knowledge with a whimsical, artistic flair to create bold and sophisticated designs inspired by the natural wonders that have always fascinated her. She also documented her entire educational journey on YouTube, aiming to share and spread her joy for textiles with others.

December 15, 2022 Holiday Party via Zoom, 7:00 p.m.

We will be holding our holiday party on December 15th on Zoom this year,
Meeting time 7 pm (usual time since we aren’t having a meal)
Our holiday party brings us together for social time, good cheer and reminders of our
common love of textiles.
We will be meeting on zoom for the health and safety of all. So put on something festive,
wear a holiday hat if you’d like, and join for a special session of Show and Tell.
Weaving and textiles are handmade and heartfelt. We welcome one and all to share a textile item that has a special meaning for them. Show us the piece and tell us about it. It could be Black Sheep Handweavers Guild December 2 2022 Newsletter
something you made, or something that a friend made, or something you acquired in a special place or at a special time.
When we share our textiles, we share of ourselves. We’re looking forward to getting to
know our weavings and the weavers through this holiday meeting.
There will also be some time after show and tell to do some catching up and sharing news.
Look for the link on the member calendar on our website: https://BlackSheepGuild.org Set
yourself a festive place-setting and raise a cup of cheer.

                                                                               

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Invitation for (Extra) Holiday Cheer!
Betsy Blosser and Diana Herr will be meeting in person on Monday evening, December 19th, for some holiday cheer at BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, 2206 Bridgepoint Parkway, San Mateo.
We would love to have you join us. We will show up around 6:30 PM and depart around 9:00 PM. If you would like to share a drink or some food, or just some good company, please stop by.
The restaurant has a selection of main dishes and sandwiches, as well as alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks. The main attraction, however, is a chance to be together. Hope to see you there!
(Let one of us know in advance of your plan to join us, and we will reserve a table.)

Past Events

Textile Arts Council Lecture, Fashioning an Exhibition: How Textile Conservators
Prepare Christian Dior’s “Junon” for Display
10 a.m. June 17 – Saturday Lecture with Beth Szuhay,
Anne Getts and Laura Garcia-Vedrenne

The Textile Conservators for the Fine Arts Museums are responsible for the care of over
22,000 textiles which includes costumes, flat weaves, contemporary fiber art, pile carpets and tapestries. From the moment a textile enters the collection, conservators research and document major events in its life to create a narrative that informs the object’s treatment and preservation. Using Christian Dior’s evening gown Junon as a case study, this presentation will reveal what conservators do on a daily basis to preserve such treasures in the collection.
Presented In-Person *and* via Zoom
Koret Auditorium, de Young museum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
In-Person Tickets: $5, sold at the door only \ free for TAC members
Virtual Tickets (Zoom): $5 Members of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and
Students. $10 General Admission \ free for TAC members. https://bit.ly/3ONet2g
Information about the presenters and the event is available at
https://www.textileartscouncil.org/post/fashioning-an-exhibition A recording will be available for two weeks following the

FiberShed : Ongoing East Bay Mending Bar June 17, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Hosted by Elaine of KOSA Arts at “The Werkshack” in Oakland (25th street close to
Broadway. Buses and 5 block walk to Bart), each session will have a mending teacher with an area of mending expertise, but all mending welcome! RSVP to Elaine – ejhamblin [at] gmail [dot] com

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Textile Arts Council May Lecture 20
Embellished Art History, Julia Bryan-Wilson

Examining Filipina artist Pacita Abad, Brazilian embroiderer Madalena Santos Reinbolt,
and African American quilter Rosie Lee Tompkins, Julia Bryan-Wilson considers how
embellishment, particularly needlework, has served as a strategy for mother-taught artists
whose work frequently blurs the lines between function and décor. Though located in distinct geographies and rooted in different identifications, these three artists have much in common, and this talk takes seriously their decision to adorn the objects of domestic life. In doing so, Bryan-Wilson speculates about how their handcrafted practices open onto more expansive art histories.
Presented In-Person *and* Virtually via Zoom on Saturday, 5/20/23 10:00 am
Koret Auditorium, de Young museum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. In-Person Tickets:
$5, sold at the door only \ free for TAC members

Virtual Tickets (Zoom): $5 Members of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and
Students. $10 General Admission \ free for TAC members.
Purchase Zoom Tickets : https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lecture-embellished-art-historieswith-julia-bryan-wilson-tickets-598102620037?aff=WS
Julia Bryan-Wilson is Professor of Art History and LGBTQ+ Studies at Columbia University
and Curator-at-Large at the Museu de Arte de São Paulo. She is an influential queer feminist art historian, critic, and curator who has organized exhibitions on women’s making before 1900, histories of dance, and monographic shows on Liz Collins, Louise Nevelson, and Cecilia Vicuña.
Her award-winning books include Art Workers: Radical Practice in the Vietnam War Era
(2009), Fray: Art and Textile Politics (2017), and Louise Nevelson’s Sculpture: Drag, Color, Join, Face (2023). Some of Bryan-Wilson’s numerous accolades are a Guggenheim fellowship, grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Center for Advanced Study in Visual Arts, CAA’s Frank Jewett Mather Award, the Art Journal article award, the ASAP Book Prize, and the Robert Motherwell Award. She has also won multiple awards for her teaching and her mentorship.

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Fibershed Webinar : Designing for Resilient & Healthy Ecosystems in Our Region’
May 11 @ 6:00 pm – 7:15 pm

The following webinar is part of the Fibershed Speaker Series for our “Borrowed from the
Soil” Design Challenge. The event is free and open to all designers and the general public and registration is here at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/designing-for-resilient-healthyecosystems- in-our-region-webinar-tickets-616001124947
Are you a designer or textile producer who wants to better understand how you can
connect with regional fiber and dye producers to improve the ecosystem impact of your textile operations?
Do you want to learn more about how regional, nature fiber and dye farming systems can
benefit ecosystem health in measurable and tangible ways?
This webinar will cover an introduction to Climate Beneficial™ farming systems for wool
and cotton in California, including visions for a more resilient future for these fibers, and a
discussion about sourcing natural dyes for textile and garment production to improve ecosystem health.
Three industry experts will share their work and perspectives: Lani Estill (rancher and
artisan of Lani’s Lana), Lauren Tucker, and Kathy Hattori (of Botanical Colors).
Moderated by Heather Podoll of Fibershed.

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Treadles to Threads Spinning Guild invites you to our new Fiber Frolic

(formerly known as Spinning at the Winery)

Saturday, May 27, 2023

10 am – 4 pm

at Soul Food Farm

6046 Pleasants Valley Rd., Vacaville, CA 95688.

Spend the day spinning, shopping, and visiting with your fiber friends.

Featuring  California vendors with goodies from raw fiber to finished yarn, fiber related items, and a dynamite raffle that will be utterly enticing.

Want someone else to process your newly purchased fleece or have unprocessed fleece at home?  Morro Fleece Works will be at the event.

Bring your wheel, drop spindle or fiber related project, along with a chair, lunch, and beverage for a truly enjoyable day.

We will have awesome raffle items!  

Here is the list of Vendors for the event. Updated list will be posted on Instagram.

Peggy Agnew    Red Creek Farm           
Jackie Post                             Sheep to Shop
Colleen Simons Fiber Confections
Mike & Donna Dachuk Black Diamond alpacas 
Benda Collins Pan’s Garden Yarn and Fibers                 
Erin Macean  Bungalow Farm Angoras                 
Shari McKelvy Morro Fleece Works   
Bev Fleming Ewe and Me 2 Ranch 
Elissavet Livitsanos Wonderland Dyeworks 
Anna Harvey Harvey Farms
Lisa Carver Sew Long Marianne
Anna Yurutucu Great Buttons
Marcail McWilliams *tentative Valley Oak Wool Mill
Roger and Mary *tentative Dream Goat Design Studio 
Brooke Sinnes *tentative Sincere sheep

Admission: $10 per person.  

Contact: T2TFiberFrolic at gmail.com  

Follow us  @ fiberfrolicfestival for all event updates.

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Conversations with Cloth, Series 4: Stories of Wool, Felt
First Thursdays, Feb. – May, 2023
On the first Thursdays of February through May 2023, at 15:00 PST, and from Japan on
Friday at 8:00 JST.
This series will feature Jorie Johnson–wool and felt specialist, artist, and researcher–from
Kyoto, Japan. Jorie has been on the research team for the ancient Japanese Imperial felt rugs that are colorful and intricately patterned and are housed in the Shosoin Repository in Nara, Japan.

World Shibori Network Foundation brings you the research, stories, knowledge, and tools
from artisans and artists around the globe and, specifically, the makers themselves to inform and inspire your creative practices. So that the art, material knowledge, tools, and methods of people who came before us are not lost. So we may reimagine and build a sustainable future in a continuum for today.
For more information and to register, please visit: https://shibori.org/event/conversationswith-cloth-series-4-stories-of-wool-felt-journey-1-of-4/

Jorie Johnson work: Stories of Wool, Felt

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San Mateo County Fabric, Thread, & Woven Group
Textile Art Exhibition: Call for Entries

Fabric, Thread & Woven showcases and celebrates the strong community of local artists
working in the textile and fiber art mediums.
This is a juried exhibition in the San Mateo County Government Center Caldwell Gallery
presenting a distinct approach to innovative and traditional fiber and textile techniques, and a contemporary concept for the use of traditional and unusual materials.

The chosen work invites the viewer to experience the many facets of fiber and textile art. Accepting both two and three-dimensional wall hung pieces, including wearable art.

In 2022 the San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture is giving special consideration to
environmental and social issues. Works that address this theme are encouraged but not required to enter or for selection into the exhibit.
A first place $100 award, a second place $50 award, and a third place $50 award will be
determined by jury.

Fabric, Thread & Woven is co-curated by Laura McHugh and Shawna Vesco Ahern
Show Dates: March 1, 2023-April 28, 2023

Exhibit Location: Caldwell Gallery, Main Floor, 400 County Center, Redwood City; Free
and Open to the public Monday – Friday 8:00am-5:00pm
Submissions are due no later than January 20, 2023.

Eligibility (living in or employed by the County of San Mateo), applications, and all detailed information is at the event website: https://www.smcgov.org/ceo/fabric-thread-woven-group-textile-art-exhibition

 

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Holiday Shows: Dotty Calabrese, Just for Fun

Handweaving & Polymer Clay by Dotty Calabrese
December 3-4 – KPFA Holiday Fair – Sat/Sun 10:00 – 5:00
Alameda County Fairgrounds, Building A, 4501 Pleasanton Ave. Pleasanton – Booth #705
$12 adult admission – $10 seniors, disabled – under 18 free
Email dottycala [at] aol [dot] com for free admission to this Fair.

December 9-11 – The Artifactory Holiday Fair
1190 Hopkins Ave. Palo Alto, CA – F/Sat/Sun 10:00 – 5:00 http://www.artifactoryholidayfair.com/

December 16-17 – Dotty’s Holiday Open Studio,
2465 Richard Ct., Mountain View 94043 – F/Sat 11:00 – 4:00

 

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Textile Arts Council

The next Textile Arts Council talk will be in February; meanwhile, you can explore the
exhibitions, Lectures, events, and resources of the Textile Arts Council of the Fine Arts
Museums of San Francisco at https://www.textileartscouncil.org/about-tav

Events nearby

February: Black Sheep exhibit at the Redwood City Library!

There’s a small show of items made by guild members at the Redwood City Library during the month of February. A big thank you to Carto for sharing his photos!

RWC Library, #BSHG, 2020

February 20-23: Stitches West in Santa Clara

Primarily a knitting conference, also includes classes on other fiber related crafts and plenty of opportunities to grow your stash.   https://www.knittinguniverse.com/West2020

March 21 and April 18: Farm Days at Deer Hollow Farm in Cupertino

Come tour the Deer Hollow Farm and meet the new lambs and kids! Admission benefits Deer Hollow Farm.  There’s often a local guild spinner or weaver there showing off our craft. http://deerhollowfarmfriends.org/events/

April 3-8 2020:  CNCH 2020 in Burlingame

Yearly conference for Northern California Weaving Guilds: tons of classes, vendors, and a whole convention center full of people who speak your language!  https://www.cnch.org/conferences/2020-burlingame/

April 25 2020: Homestead Days at Hidden Villa

Sheep Shearing, Sheep to Shawl demos, and so much more!  https://mailchi.mp/9ac5ec6ebacd/save-the-date-hidden-villas-homesteading-day

October 1-4 2020: in Dixon

Lambtown is a yearly sheep and wool show; activities include a  sheep to shawl competition, fleece judging, and two fabulous vendor halls. https://www.lambtown.org/