Laverne Waddington Backstrap Weaving

Past Programs, Past Workshops

BACKSTRAP WEAVING WITH LAVERNE WADDINGTON

Workshop and presentation at Black Sheep Handweaver’s Guild Meeting

Guild Meeting Presentation: April 18th 7:30 pm

Workshop: April 19th – 21st, 2013 Menlo Park, California

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOne of the more miraculous benefits of crafts such as backstrap weaving is that it soothes our neurons.  Not only are we making something unique, beautiful and long-lasting, but as we sink into letting our fingers learn the rhythm of counting threads and twisting our minds around an ancient pattern, there is something profoundly restorative. Join us in a three-day backstrap weaving workshop with Laverne Waddington.

When: Friday, April 19th – Sunday, April 21st, 2013

Where: Menlo Park, California

Cost:  $180, plus $10 materials fee ($210 for non-guild members)

Please send deposit check of $100, made out to BlackSheep Handweavers’ Guild, to Gloria Miller, 383 Green Ridge Dr. #3, Daly City CA 94014

Sign ups are full, but if you would like to be put on a wait list,  please contact Kathleen Dickey, k8dickey@gmail.com

Please visit Laverne’s website: http://backstrapweaving.wordpress.com/ for more information.

March 21, 2013 Mollie Freeman Surface Design

Past Programs

Mollie Freeman:

Creating Texture On The Surface Of Handwoven Fabric,

The Use Of Textile Paints And Discharge Paste For Added Design 

100_0559Holly1My work focuses on creating garments using many different surface design techniques.  Piecing, couching, twin needle stitching and bobbin work are just a few of the techniques that use the sewing machine.   Hand work is also used in many garments.

Stamping, stenciling and silk screening are all part of my design process.  I work on painted warp fabric so the added color and design of a stamp or stencil can be very subtle or quite dramatic.

I find each garment and adventure and a surprise.  A plan is only a beginning!

IMG_1874

Our March program is being moved from the Woodside Village Church to the Sequoia Yacht Club’s meeting room. The address is 441 Seaport Ct. Redwood City, Ca.

Directions to get there are here: http://www.sequoiayc.org/node/49

Check your emails, we will be sending additional information as we get closer to our next meeting.

February 2013 Workshops & Study Groups Show and Tell

Past Programs

As one of our speaker free meetings, our February meeting will be an opportunity to share what we learned in recent workshops and in our various study groups. By the time our meeting comes around, we will have had two Black Sheep sponsored workshops.

Tien Chiu’s Exploring the Design Process workshop in January and Daryl Lancaster’s Jumpstart Vest and Finishing Techniques workshops the beginning of February.

The Friendship Coverlet group will have finished their weaving and maybe even a finished project will be shown.

I’m sure the Creative Endeavors group will have plenty to report on, as will the Spinning and Weaving study groups.

We are not keeping this to only study groups and workshops within Black Sheep. If you’ve taken a class or workshop outside of Black Sheep, please share with us what you’ve made and learned, we like to hear about other events too.

Join us for an evening of inspiration and see what your fellow weavers are creating.

January 2013 Holly Brachmann Devore

Past Programs

Surface-Designer-CoverOne of Holly’s textile themes has been multiple layered art pieces and quilts.  Some work uses multi-fibered handwoven fabric and the dévoré technique to chemically eat away part of the textile. Because of her understanding of dyeing techniques, she combines a variety of dyes, pleating, digital imagery and the transparency of dévoré to create her textiles.

Holly Brackmann is Professor Emerita of Textiles and Art History at Mendocino College, Ukiah, CA, and author of The Surface Designer’s Handbook:  Dyeing, Printing, Painting and Creating Resists on Fabric, which won a prize for the best how-to textile book. She has had an interest in weaving since childhood. She has woven architectural scale wall hangings, as well as miniature pieces.

To learn more about Holly, visit her website at http://www.hollybrackmann.com/

 

 

Daryl Lancaster Jumpstart Vest Workshop

Past Workshops

Dust off your sewing machine and jumpstart your skills.  Make this simple lined vest, custom fit, guaranteed to look great, and teach you the basics of garment construction.  Great for handweavers, felters and surface designers, this vest looks good in all fabrics.

Sat. & Sun. February 2 & 3, 2013 9 am to 5 pm

Creekside Inn, 3400 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, Ca.

$200 Guild Member, $230 non-member

Signup with Paula Dennis at the Guild Meeting or send your deposit of $100 to Paula Dennis, P.O. Box A-51, La Honda, Ca. 94020. Email your questions to Paula at lahondaknitter@gmail.com.

Daryl Lancaster Finishing Techniques Workshop

Past Workshops

This three technique workshop will have your hand woven garments looking like it was made by a professional.

First we’ll explore all the different ways to make seams. Don’t have a serger?  Not to worry!  There are lots of alternatives.  Learn how to finish the inside as well as the outside of your hand-woven garments.  This class will cover French, Hong Kong, bound, felled, welts, and serged seams; piping, cording, binding, and more. Lots of terrific ideas!  Learn professional and couture finishing techniques appropriate for use with hand-woven fabrics!

Then we’ll move on to Closures.

Give your jackets and vests knock out closures.   Triangular bound buttonholes, machine and hand-worked buttonholes, buttonhole facings, fabric cords for loop and button closures,  and other suggestions for closing up those jackets and vests will be shown, step by step through digital slides. 

And lastly we’ll be working on fit.

Do you know the difference between design ease and wearing ease or semi- fitted and very loose fitting garments? Did you know that commercial pattern companies and ready-to-wear designers don’t use the same industry standard measurements? The mystery behind fitting and altering patterns is unfolded right before your eyes! Taking proper measurements, grading techniques, and a tutorial on draping are all part of the agenda. 

Monday, February 4, 2013

$100 Member, $130 non-member

Workshop is going to be held at the Creekside Inn, 3400 El Camino Real, Palo Alto

Signup with Paula Dennis at the Guild Meeting or send your deposit of $100 to Paula Dennis, P.O. Box A-51, La Honda, Ca. 94020. Email your questions to Paula at lahondaknitter@gmail.com.

Exploring the Design Process

Past Workshops

EXPLORING THE DESIGN PROCESS WITH TIEN CHIU
NEW DATE – JANUARY 19-20, 2013
Location – Amazing Yarns

Summary: This two-day workshop will cover a design process for exploring ideas and translating them to practical designs.  Topics covered include:

  • Exploring techniques and materials to inspire ideas
  • Creating a mood board/idea board to collect your thoughts
  • Translating ideas into design
  • Designing samples to test your design ideas/questions
  • Creating and evaluating samples

Because this workshop is about the design process, you should not expect to leave with a completed project; instead, you should expect to leave with a completed design for a new project, and an expanded understanding of design tools and process.

What to bring:

  • Loom (preferably two shafts or more, but rigid heddle looms can be used too), pre-warped  in white or some other neutral color.  Needs to be at least 6″ wide but can be as wide as you like.  Suggested yarn is 10/2 cotton, but can be another weight if you prefer. Sett for twill or plain weave, your choice.
  • Two or more shuttles, including a stick shuttle if you have one
  • Colored pens or pencils
  • Sketchbook or notebook to record your designs
  • 1-2 fiber-related magazines or fiber arts catalogs with lots of photos, that you would be willing to cut up OR fifteen photos of fiber arts related stuff that you like (must be willing to cut up the photos, so print on something cheap).
  • Double-sided or regular Scotch tape

Cost:

  • Black Sheep Members: $50 plus $10 materials fee.
  • Non-Members: $80 plus $10 materials fee.

Sign-up:  Teddie Guenzer (teddie@guenzer.com)

Unnamed #4

Friendship Coverlet
Unnamed #4 (aka Design 84)

It’s not a very inspiring name, but I fell in love with this Bertha Gray Hayes pattern. To me, it looks a little like Mickey Mouse on a slant. The ears and the asymmetry take me to a happy place.

The draft came from Weaving Designs by Bertha Gray Hayes Miniature Overshot Patterns (page 179). If you haven’t seen Bertha Gray Hayes’ overshot designs, you are in for a treat. The collection contains over 90 original designs, all drafted by hand and woven on a small Structo Loom on 4 harnesses.

I have really been enjoying myself with this draft. The draft has a repeat of 38 threads and 38 treadle sequences.  I’m glad I wound on extra warp because it took me a little bit to get the sett right (I went to 16 epi instead of 18), correct a mistake in my tie up, and then find the rhythm of the treadling sequence. Now that those are fixed, it’s been a joy to watch the fabric grow with each person’s yarn.

What you see above are the tail end of Teddie’s square (teal) and Ruth’s square (cinnamon) building.

As for Ruth’s question, my yarn is a handspun Blue Faced Leicester single that I dyed teal.

Spinning Wheel Show and Tell August 16, 2012

Past Programs

Deborah Bennett is coordinating the August guild meeting. We will be having a spinning wheel show and tell. If you have an antique, unusual or notable spinning wheel, please consider bringing it to the Woodside church fellowship hall on Aug 16 for our monthly guild meeting.
Spinning wheels do not have to be in spinnable working condition, although it is more fun if they are!

If you are bringing a wheel in August, would you please send Deborah an email (degb@alumni.rice.edu)  with some information about your wheel. Information could include its age, general type, how it came to you (bought it, inherited it), whether it is in working condition, what you like to spin on it, what it spins well, etc. If it is an antique whether you know the maker or where it was made, any initials or engraving on it, etc. I would like to present a summary of the wheels at the beginning of the meeting, and perhaps group them by type in the hall.