Daryl Lancaster Finishing Techniques Workshop

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

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

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

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.

 

October 2012 Rodrick Owen

How braids are made is never a mystery to those who make them, but to many of us they are mysterious and I for one  would love to know the answers. Braids to me are the most fascinating of all textile structures and they been an  absorbing interest for the past 40 years. It is this never ending journey I wish share with you as we look at braids from Europe, Asia, Japan and South America.

For an interview of Rodrick with Weavezine: http://weavezine.com/audio/48-rodrick-owen

 

Hands On Learning November 2012

Paula’s first card weaving

Our November program is going to be dedicated to fun, hands-on activities. In one corner we will have card weaving with Ruth Temple, in another, spinning with Barbie Paulsen. In the third corner, saori weaving with Cookie Shuman and in the fourth, surface designing with Ulla de Larios. Donna Jeffrey will be doing bobbin lace, Gudrun Polak will be doing braiding, and Dorthy Tursby will be doing back strap weaving. There will be something for everyone.

If you haven’t tried any of these fiber related techniques, it will be a fun, informative, and maybe even challenging night. Try out one or two activities, or maybe all seven!

Come prepared to learn something new, get your fingers working, and have fun with your fellow guild members.

December 2012 Potluck!

Our December program will be our annual potluck get together. It’s a wonderful way to connect with fellow weavers, purchase hand crafted scarves and jewelry made by guild members.

Always fun and often funny is the gift exchange with the swapping poem. So bring your wrapped white elephant gift to be part of this Black Sheep tradition.

May 2013 Lucy Arai

exhibitimg.ashxLucy Arai’s sashiko pieces are a wonder to the eye. Learning the technique from her uncle, her innovative approaches combine her Japanese heritage and western art backgrounds.

Her mixed media compositions combine the Sashiko embroidery technique with paper and cotton indigo to create one of a kind works of art.

Don’t miss this evening with Lucy to hear about her process and see these amazing pieces up close and personal.

This video clip from KQED highlights Lucy’s techniques.

http://www.kqed.org/arts/programs/spark/profile.jsp?essid=17665

Cookie's scarf

Cookie’s scarf

Cookie’s scarf, which won the contest for the Black Sheep logo, and is the “filler” for the sheep on the Black Sheep Handweavers Guild publicity cards! Congratulations to Cookie on winning the contest.