Newsletter WEEKLY PPWG IN THIS ISSUE: February Issue One, Volume One. February Workshop page 2. Library News page 12

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1 PPWG Newsletter February 2009 WEEKLY Issue One, Volume One Tartan woven by W. Walker PIKES PEAK WEAVERS GUILD -- COLORADO SPRINGS, CO IN THIS ISSUE: February Program page 2 Website News page 11 February Workshop page 2 Norman Kennedy s Visit page 3 February Weaving Sample pages 4-5 Melissa Weaver Dunning s Classes pages 6-7 Announcements page 8 50th Anniversary Shirts & Socks page 9 Minutes & Committee Reports pages Library News page 12 Directory Changes/New Members page 12 PPWG Calendar page 13 Hospitality page 13 Sample Schedule page 14 Officers and Chairpersons page 15 Advertisements pages

2 February Program 700 Years of Rigid Heddle Band Weaving By Cindy Ruesink The earliest European image of a rigid heddle is in the Manesse Codex, an illuminated manuscript believed to have been compiled in Zurich during the 1300's. There are a number of indicators in this image that the heddle was being used for patterned silk band weaving. This program will follow the rigid heddle, silk bands, and band weavers' manuscripts from the 1300's to the 1920's. February Workshop 3-Shaft Weaving by Cindy Ruesink 15 people have signed up for the workshop. Everyone should have their threadings and treadlings, warp and weft yarns, and their looms warped and ready to go. The remaining payment of $60 is due now. Please make checks payable to the PPWG and send them to Diane Fabeck. Diane will be ing everyone information on lunch choices. The Carriage House will be open by 8am on Tuesday, Feb 10, for unloading and setting up of the looms. Please let Diane know if you have any special requirements such as a table for your table loom, or proximity to an electrical outlet to power your Compudobby. Some things you may want to bring: writing paper, pencil/pen, tools for setting up your loom or for loom maintenance, loom bench, shuttle(s), bobbin(s), warp and weft yarn, header/divider materials, hang tags, scissors, little weighted canisters for floating selvedges or replacing broken warp ends, name tag, ruler, T pins, tapestry needle, scotch tape, reading glasses, and camera. 2

3 Norman Kennedy Visit to Colorado PPWG is pleased to announce Norman Kennedy will be visiting the Colorado Springs area and presenting several programs April Born and raised in Aberdeen, Scotland Norman emigrated to the United States in the From an early age, Norman was interested in the songs, stories and lore of his homeland absorbing them from his family members and neighbors. In his teen years he started hanging around with the local handweavers, learning their trade. He has traveled extensively in Scotland and the surrounding islands learning local techniques of weaving, spinning, and knitting. From 1967 to 1972 he served as the master weaver at Colonial Williamsburg, VA and then in 1976 founded the Marshfield School of Weaving where he taught until Norman was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Lifetime Honors National Heritage Fellowship in The following is Norman s scheduled appearances at this time: April 14, 2009 Evening Program Weaving Straight From the Horse s Mouth April 14, 6:30 PM Carriage House, Penrose House, Colorado Springs Weaving Straight from the Horse s Mouth Norman will be talking about his experiences with the old weavers of his youth. After his presentation he will be presiding over a waulking, the rarely practiced community method of shrinking cloth accompanied by group song. The presentation is free of charge to the public. We will need material to be waulked. Fabric should be 100 per cent wool and approximately 43 inches wide. If you are interested in having your material waulked please contact Weldon Walker for more information. April 15-16, 2009 Penrose House Spinning Workshop April 15 & 16, 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM - Carriage House, Penrose House, Colorado Springs Spinning Workshop Norman will be demonstrating and teaching traditional spinning techniques. The first day will be devoted to spinning wool and the second to flax and cotton. The cost of the workshop will be $150 with a materials fee for fiber. The workshop is limited to 15. Please contact Weldon Walker for further information. April Green Valley Weaver s & Knitters Fisherman and Worker s Knitting in Scotland and the Outer Islands April 18, 9 AM 4:00 PM Green Valley Weaver s and Knitters, 2115 W. Colorado Ave, Colorado Springs Fisherman and Worker s Knitting in Scotland and the outer Islands Norman will be presenting and discussing examples of various knitting techniques from Scotland, Fair Isles, Shetland Islands, and the Hebrides. Some knitting will be done. Contact GVWK, for further information. 3

4 February Weaving Sample by Linda Shaffer Structure: Plain Weave-2 Block Rep Weave Warp: 8/4 Cotton rug Warp Weft: 8/4 Cotton Rug Warp (12-15 strands wound together for the thick weft) Sett: 24 epi, 2 per dent in a 12 dent reed Maximum Finished Width: 27 Warp length: 9 yards This project started as simple first project when I purchased my Glimakra loom and warping reel. I thought of rep weave as an appropriate first project on a Swedish loom. My rep weave design is based on the Vermillion Cliffs Placemats design (Pages 64-67) from the book Rep Weave and Beyond by Joanne Tallarvoic. I liked the idea of using the constants with the blocks shifting around the constants, and making the 2-block pattern appear more complicated. I wanted several rugs, so my warp was long. I threaded block A on shafts 1, 2; block B on shafts 3, 4; and the constants on 5,6. As I started thinking of the possibilities, things became more complicated. My draft was symmetrical so I decided to warp it on the reel with 2 crosses and then cut it in half. All of this worked just fine even though it was rather time consuming even winding 4 threads at once, because I used over twenty colors. Also, this was my first time using the warping reel. I was doing everything the Swedish way, so this was a total learning process. When I was placing the warp in the raddle, I somehow flipped one of my warp chains. I noticed this when I was placing the corresponding bout in the raddle and assumed that the first one was correct and matched my warp to it. As it turned out, the first warp bout was flipped, so I changed my pattern and did not know it until I started weaving. Because of this, I have not included my draw down because it is entirely different than my finished projects. Even though I was using the DVD, Dress Your Loom the Swedish Way with Becky Ashendon, I was having trouble with the tie-up. Siv and Bengt Nelson were kind enough to make a house call, and help me with the tie-up. Once everything was set-up the weaving was easy. My borders were too much with the altered design, so after weaving my first rug, I dropped some of the border and continued to do this on each project. My widest rug is 27 and my placemats are 16 wide. I wove 3 rugs, a table runner, 4 placemats, and the samples. I liked the possibilities for design on the loom that rep weave offers and have more projects planned. 4

5 Above: Rep Weave sample by Linda Shaffer Below left: Placemat by Robin Wilton; Below right: Color gamp by Patty Butler 5

6 Melissa Weaver Dunning Weaving Classes Melissa Weaver Dunning is a singer of traditional ballads specializing in the music of England, Ireland and Scotland. Melissa's powerful and clear unaccompanied singing brings the old story songs to life and weaves vibrant pictures of life in another age. Melissa is also a traditional hand-weaver working on antique equipment to produce 18th and 19th century style textiles. She has had the great good fortune to study with Scottish master weaver and singer Norman Kennedy since She is dedicated to carrying on some of the wealth of tradition gleaned from this apprenticeship both in weaving and in music. Melissa is an avid tartan & linen weaver, a compulsive knitter, and likes to mess around with beads and thread and bits of cloth. She loves to teach people how to unleash their creativity and make cool things. Melissa lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with her husband Peter, where they run the Bluemont Concert Series, an award-winning regional arts organization. They have three daughters and one Welsh corgi. Scottish Tartans The timeless beauty of traditional Scottish tartans are so appealing, and weaving tartan patterns is great fun. Each student will weave a traditional woman's twill dance stole or a scarf in fine wool and finish with a twisted fringe. We will also engage in discussion of Tartan history and instruction in translating tartan setts into warp plans. Tartans chosen by instructor: specific tartans available for $20 each sett. 2 or 3 day class: with prepared looms: planning a tartan warp, weaving tartan, finishing, intriguing history! Maximum # of students 12 Student Materials Fee of approx. $45 - $60 Tartan class variations these are best as 3 day classes with prepared looms. Round Robin Tartan Sampler - students will weave up to 12 different tartan samples. Or Round Robin Tartan Sampler & Scarf class with larger samples, student weave samples in class and then take their looms home to weave a scarf on the same warp. Tartans 101 a group of tartan setts showing the history and development of tartan patterns. Tartan Throws students weave a pair of lap robe blankets in heavier yarns (materials $80-120) Tweeds & District Checks Tweed cloth has been woven in Scotland for centuries, using natural sheep colors and local plant dyes that imitate the colors of the heather hills. The earliest simple patterned cloth was the Shepherd's check, from which many simple variations have been created. All the great houses of England's Borderlands and the Lowlands of Scotland had woven tweeds or checks that were woven in quantity to clothe their groundsmen, grooms, and foresters. In this class we will sample these patterns and discuss their history, traditional finishing techniques and their possibilities for modern weavers. A mini-waulking can be held at the end of class! 2 day class: with prepared looms: weaving samples, finishing, history. Maximum # of students 12 Student Materials Fee of approx. $45 - $60 Scottish Weaving Sampler Experience a little bit of several Scottish weaving traditions while you sample Tweeds, District Checks and traditional Tartan patterns. This round robin class will produce a book of samples for future independent exploration. 2 or 3 day class: with prepared looms: weaving samples, finishing, history. Maximum # of students 12 Student Materials Fee of approx. $45 - $60 6

7 Melissa Weaver Dunning Weaving Classes (cont.) Acadian Weaving of French Canada and Louisiana Does 2 harness weaving sound boring to you? This class may change your mind! Beginning and advanced weavers alike will be amazed at the variations of pattern possible with just 2 harnesses and a few simple techniques. We will weave samples of weaving unique to early French Canada and Louisiana: couverture de mariage, a la planche, boutonne, cordonne. 2 day class: weft preparations, weaving techniques, lots of history. Maximum # Students 12 Student Materials Fee of approx. $15 - $25 18th & 19th Century Linens There are many beautiful linen patterns from 18th & 19th century that were woven by professional and home weavers alike. Every weaver with an interest in historical weaving should try linen! Each intrepid weaver will sample Bronson, Huck, M's & O's, Dimity and three kinds of Twill in linen and in cotton. We will learn about linen finishing and distressing, as well as an efficient 18th century warping and beaming technique. 2 or 3 day class: with prepared looms: weaving samples, finishing, weave structures Maximum # of students 12 Student Materials Fee of approx. $25 - $40 18th Century American Household Textiles We will weave useable samples of typical 18th c. home produced weaving: checked cotton toweling, linen napery, linsey-woolsey, overshot, Venetian carpeting and wool blanketing. What can we use the samples for? Kitchen towels, pillows and a real carpet bag! Simple finishing and sewing techniques will be included. 3 day class: weave structures, history, finishing & simple machine sewing. Maximum # of students 12 Student Materials Fee of approx. $25 - $40 18th Century American Floor Coverings The early settlers concerned themselves first with clothing and then with bed covers. After these necessities were produced, the home weaver moved on to rugs. We will weave samples of overshot, jerga (a turned twill), boundweave, Shaker-style rag rugs and Venetian carpeting. 2 day class: weft preparation, weave structures, history. Floor looms required: the heavier, the better! Maximum # of students 12 Student Materials Fee of approx. $25 - $40 Beam Me Up Scotty - traditional warping & beaming (half day demo or 2 day hands on) 18th Century weavers developed fast and efficient techniques in all their work, to help put bread on their tables and feed their families. This demonstration and hands-on practice will present and teach 18th century warping and beaming techniques from Scotland, along with a little history. This workshop can be added on to any weaving workshop as the first two days. One day fee applies for demo. ( to Beth Johnson, the clever girl!) 7

8 Announcements CALL FOR ARTISTS FREMONT CENTER FOR THE Arts 505 Macon Avenue Cañon City, Colorado Fusion 2009: A Convergence of Colorado Fiber Artists June 5-27, 2009 Entry is open to all Colorado artists presenting original works in the area of traditional and contemporary fiber art to include, but not limited to: silk painting, silk fusion, wool felting, dying, painting, stitching, dissolving, surface techniques and embellishment where fiber is the basis of the work. Non-traditional quilt art will be considered. Three-dimensional fiber art is acceptable. Size limits apply. Minimum size requirement is 11 X 14. Maximum should not exceed 60 on any one side. Work must have been created within the past two years. Prizes awarded. Wearable Treasures: The Art of the Garment August 7-29, 2009 Wearable Treasures is an exhibit of clothing and accessories for every day or special occasions. Costumes are not included in this exhibit. We are looking for wearable art, not 4-H or State Fair type clothing. This is your chance to be creative and showcase your special area. This might include silk screening, embroidery, beadwork, weaving, etc. Ribbons will be awarded. This exhibit is open to all Colorado artists wishing to exhibit their original wearable art. Work mush have been created within the past two years All work must be original Dakota Rogers or Advancing Twill Scarf by Heidi Bates 8

9 50th Anniversary Shirts and Socks Celebrate PPWG's 50th Anniversary! Your orders for custom dyed 50th anniversary commemorative t-shirts (and socks) will be available for pick up at the February 13th guild meeting between 9:00 and 11:00 am! Con Brio Styles will deliver the shirts that day and can receive payment in the form of credit card, check, or cash. If you won't be at the meeting please contact Claudia Birdsall of Con Brio Styles to schedule pickup of your shirt or have it mailed for a nominal fee to cover postage ( or conbriostyles@earthlink.net). You may also arrange with Susan Bowman (susbowman@aol.com) to pick up your shirt at a More Than Four or Color & Design Study group, or the March guild meeting. Three rugs by Bev Weaver 9

10 Guild Business by Emily Jones PPWG Board Meeting, January 9, 2009 Linda Shaffer called the board meeting to order at 8:50 a.m. Barb Byerly, Dottie Weir, Weldon Walker, Judy Gearhart, Diane Fabeck, Louise Conner, and Emily Jones were present. The minutes of the December 12, 2008 board meeting were approved. Linda reminded the board of the raffle in May for a donated item woven by Doreen McLaughlin with all proceeds going to the library. Raffle tickets will cost one for $1.00 and six for $5.00. Presently the library has $ remaining from the $ budgeted. Dottie pointed out the need for books in the library that may be to costly for members to purchase. Linda informed the board that Jane Rock s sister is very ill and Jane will be spending more time in Denver but she will continue to do the website. Weldon reported the April 15 & spinning workshop is scheduled with the Penrose Carriage House. Norman Kennedy will accept up to 14 attendees for the workshop. The cost will be approximately $ plus the material cost of the fiber for the 2 days, which includes lunch and early morning brunch for both days. An evening presentation by Norman Kennedy will take place at the same location on April 14, 2009, topic at his discretion, with the program starting at 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. PPWG will sponsor the Tuesday evening presentation at no charge to attendees. Louise and Weldon will publicize the event. Weldon stated PPWG members would have the opportunity to sign up for this workshop through February afterwards opening attendance to other guilds. Edna Devai has a waulking wheel to loan to the guild for this workshop. For the Melissa Weaver Dunning September 8, 9, & 10, 2009 fall workshop, Weldon gave the board a list of possible topics asking for our input to help decide which topic to use at the fall workshop. The Penrose Carriage House will be the location for the workshop. Melissa Weaver Dunning will present the program at the September 11, 2009 guild meeting. This workshop will be open to PPWG members through March then opened to other guilds April through May. A commitment will be required by the end of May. The maximum attendance for this workshop will be 20. Judy reported that the scrapbook was progressing slowly. Linda reported that Jane Rock has renewed our internet hosting fees for the year. Our domain name will not need to be renewed until Linda reported that the BAC closed the month of January for inventory but the meeting for the May to August 2009 Guild Show at the BAC will take place in February. Meeting adjourned at 9:13 a.m. PPWG Business Meeting, January 9, 2009 Linda Shaffer called the meeting to order at 9:40 a.m. Minutes were approved for the December 12, 2008 business meeting. Kudos went out to Susan Bowman and Beverly Weaver for an upcoming article in Complex Weavers February issue regarding the Living with Beauty Handwoven Textiles for the Home show at the BAC including pictures of all the award-winning items in the show. Kudos also to Judi Arndt for an article published in the February issue of Complex Weavers regarding the Pioneer Museum Coverlet project. Linda announced that Susan Bowman and Judi Arndt will head the nominating committee for the new officers and committee members to start after the May meeting. Susan spoke briefly to the members present encouraging volunteering and becoming involved with the guild. The list of open positions will be presented to the guild at the next meeting. Consideration is under discussion for having a second vicepresident with programs and then assuming the first vice-present position in the following year. This will have further discussion and may require a change to the guild bylaws. Weldon announced the Norman Kennedy spinning workshop dates, location, and the approximate cost. Weldon shared that the evening presentation on April 14, 2009 from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. by Norman Kennedy will be free and opened to anyone. A sign up sheet for the workshop with the maximum of 14 attendees and a deposit of $60.00 required at sign up was circulated around to members and guest present. Norman Kennedy will also have a knitting presentation at Green Valley Weavers on April 18, The fall workshop presented by Melissa Weaver Dunning for September 8, 9, and 10, 2009 with a list of possible topics she is considering was discussed with Weldon asking for input from members. Weldon will be attending a workshop presented on 18 th Century American Household Textiles next week and will report back to the guild regarding this possible topic for the fall workshop. 10

11 Guild Business by Emily Jones (cont.) Barb Byerly reported the financial status: Beginning Balance $15, Income Closing Balance 15, Vanguard 4, Dottie welcomed one guest to the meeting today. Dottie also let the members present know of an upcoming class for beginning/intermediate weaving at Green Valley Weavers on all the Sundays in March from noon to 5 p.m. Beverly informed members and guest of donated books to the library plus a Peter Collingwood DVD that is available to be checked out. She also has additional Living with Beauty Handwoven Textiles for the Home catalogs available for sale. Diane distributed the threading drafts for the February workshop to the participants present. Workshop hours are 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. all days with additional time the first day for set up of looms. Diane stated the lunch selections and final cost of the workshop would be sent to participants through . Susan announced that today is the last day to order commemorative T-shirts for the 50 th Guild anniversary. Payment and pick up will take place at the February meeting. Maryse Levenson reported that the BAC would reopen after January 27, A meeting with the curator will be scheduled for Linda, Susan, and Maryse to discuss a guild show tentatively scheduled from May through August of Linda and Maryse encouraged the members present to start thinking about what they might weave to enter into this show. Linda reminded the members of the raffle for the donated item from Doreen McLaughlin in May. Raffle tickets will be one for $1.00 and six for $5.00 all precedes going to the library fund. Following show and tell, the meeting was adjourned at 10:10 a.m. Website News by Jane Rock Constanza Need a break from weaving? Want something interesting to listen to as you weave? Wonder what s going on in the world these days when it comes to fiber? If you haven t done so already, check out these great links. A place to sell your handwovens and buy handmades without fees The Year of Natural Fibers An online weaving magazine edited by Syne Mitchell. A monthly audio podcast with all things weaving related. 11

12 Library News by Bev Weaver Thanks to Sandy Hutton for donating to the PPWG library Peter Collingwood: Master Weaver, a book based on an exhibition of Collingwood s work in It includes an interview with Peter, photos of his weaving, and other commentary. Sandy had also donated the DVD of a recent Peter Collingwood interview that we watched at the January meeting. It was very interesting to hear Peter talk about his books, his early interest in textiles, and his weaving experiences. This DVD is available to be checked out if you would like to see it again. We have the following books by Peter in our library: The Techniques of Rug Weaving. This is the ultimate resource for rug weavers. Rug Weaving Techniques: Beyond the Basics. Peter s shaft switching technique is explained in this book. The Maker s Hand: A Closer Look at Textile Structures. This book contains precise descriptions of textile construction. We also have in our library the following book and video: Shuttlecraft Guild Monograph #8: Peter Collingwood His Weaves and Weaving. Rug Weaving; Block Weaves and Shaft Switching (VHS) with Jason Collingwood. This video presents the class material taught by Jason based on his father s studies. Peter also wrote the following books (which are not in our collection): The Techniques of Ply Split Braiding The Techniques of Sprang Plaiting on Stretched Threads The Techniques of Tablet Weaving address: dottie.weir@comcast.net Jackie Anna 7555 Potomac Drive Colorado Springs CO jkmdanna@comcast.net home alternate Directory Changes New Members Sherry Pope 1584 Ocean Beach Road Hoquiam WA sjpope1@msn.com home alternate 12 John Scott 2817 Tremont Street Colorado Springs CO tremontus@yahoo.com home alternate

13 PPWG Calendar The Pikes Peak Weavers' Guild meets the second Friday of each month from September through May at the Mountain View Church of Christ, 1080 E. LaSalle St at Paseo in Colorado Springs, CO. Come for coffee, socializing and library time at 9:00 am. The business meeting starts at 9:30 and the program begins at 11 AM. Meetings and Events for Feb shaft Weaving Workshop 13 Feb Woven Bands and Ribbons. Cindy Ruesink 13 Mar Weaving Computer Programs. Doreen McLaughlin 10 Apr African Textiles. Judi Arndt 14 Apr Norman Kennedy Evening Presentation Apr Norman Kennedy Spinning Workshop 8 May Basics of Rug Making. Sally Kuhn End of year luncheon 01 July PPWG Scholarship Applications due for Sep Dunning Workshop A shibori scarf in progress at Dottie Weir s studio. Hospitality Everyone appreciates a delicious treat with the coffee/tea break. PPWG needs at least two, preferably three volunteers each month who will bring refreshments. Please call Catie Kiley at to sign up. The Guild thanks you! February March April May Linda Shafer, Emily Jones Jane Rock Costanza, WW Walker Linda Lugenbill, Ellen Alderson Carol Wilkinson 13

14 Sample Schedule for We need volunteers for weaving, dyeing, and spinning samples for the newsletter for the months below. At the August Board meeting, the board decided to also add dyeing samples for the newsletter. Hopefully we will always have a weaving sample and/or spinning/dyeing sample for each newsletter. To sign-up, please (lindalshaffer@msn.com) or call (719/ ) Linda Shaffer. For weaving, we need two (2) samples (6 x 6 minimum, 8 x 10.5 maximum). For spinning we need two (2) samples which need to be butterflies approximately 4 yards long. Dyeing samples may be on fiber or handwoven cloth. So the size of the sample will depend on the media. Jane Rock or Doreen McLaughlin will be scanning the samples for the newsletter. These need to be delivered to one of them at the meeting the month before they are to appear in the newsletter or mailed to her. After scanning, they will bring the samples to the guild meeting to be placed in the sample notebooks in the library. Your weaving and spinning descriptions need to be mailed or ed (doreen@divide.net) to the newsletter editor, Doreen McLaughlin. Linda will print the descriptions from the newsletter for the sample notebooks in the library. If you have other information for the sample notebooks, please give it to Linda at a meeting. SAMPLES SCHEDULE 2008/2009: Month Month Due Weaving Spinning/Dyeing March February Jan Seltman April March Emily Jones May April Sandy Hutton June May Karen Currier Judy Gearhart At left: Pulled warp wall hanging by Connie Franz At right: Shetland wool blanket by Patty Butler 14

15 Officers: Standing Committee Chairpersons: President Vice President Recording Secretary Treasurer Membership Secretary Past President Linda Shaffer Weldon Walker Emily Jones Barb Byerly Dottie Weir Debbi Holdeman Advertising Demonstrations Historian Hospitality Library Workshop Newsletter Publicity Website Announcements/Yearbook Kathleen Orr Beth Garrison Judy Gearhart Catie Kiley Sandra Hutton, Beverly Weaver, Jane Rock Diane Fabeck Doreen McLaughlin Louise Conner Jane Rock Marisa McMillen 15

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17 Deadline For Next Issue: 20 November 2008 Advertising Rates: Business card $10.00 ¼ page $15.00 ½ page $20.00 Full page $30.00 Classified Ads: $5.00 for 25 words 25 cents each additional word Digital or electronic submission to: PPWG PO Box 8104 Colorado Springs, CO