Annual Open House & Sale

You're invited! Please plan to join us for the Guild's annual Open House, Sale and Show, October 20 - the third Saturday in October - from 10 to 3, in the beautiful outdoor sculpture garden at Studio Channel Islands Art Center. We'll have demos, fibery goodies for sale, a silent auction and more. Please note that parking is FREE for the day.

The fee for selling at the Open House is $35 per space (for guild members 10% of sales). To sign up as a seller or for additional information, please contact Elisa at epspinsATgmailDOTcom . Vendors will need to provide their own tables and chairs.

Come to spin, weave, braid, knit, or crochet with us. Please spend the day and enjoy the advent of fall and the holiday season.

Driving directions: http://www.studiochannelislands.org

Great Wheel Spinning

This is an interesting demo of spinning on a great wheel.

Basket Weaving With Toni Best

September Workshops

No prior basketry experience is needed for either workshop. Come and learn a fascinating new skill with us!

Fascicle Pine Needle Coiling
Saturday, September 22, 1:00 - 4:00 pm

Fee: $55 for Guild Members ($65 for Non-members), payable to VCHSG.
OR Members $110 for both days (Non-members $150 for both days).
There is no materials fee for this workshop.

This class is a classic and all time favorite! Students of all levels will learn how to coil pine needles on the top of a gourd using the tips, or fascicles, to create a unique and beautiful pattern. You will be able to choose between different types of binders, or threads, and you will be expertly guided in a diversity of stitching to create your own work or art.

Floating & Undulating Coil
Sunday, September 23, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Fee: $65 for Guild Members ($85 for Non-members), payable to VCHSG.
OR Members $110 for both days (Non-members $150 for both days).
There is no materials fee for this workshop.

Students of all levels will create a unique work of art by coiling pine needles on a gourd. You can choose a floating coil which does not connect to a previous coil but floats with open space to another side. These free forms creations can be as imaginative as the student desires. Or choose an undulating coil, which is "appliquéd" to what has been coiled previously.

About The Instructor

Toni Best has been a creator and advocate of basketry for over forty-seven years. Using pine needles, raffia, and other natural materials, Toni has expanded upon native designs and weaves basketry that echo many American cultures while illustrating her own innovations and imagination.

Toni teaches extensively around the state and at gourd and basket festivals. Her baskets have been featured at the Wooden Indian Gallery in Visalia, as a special exhibit of weavers at the Kings Rivers Art Center in Hanford, Arts Visalia in Visalia, the juried Top of the Line Craft Show in Visalia, “Baskets As Art” at Harmony Works Gallery in Redondo Beach, The Jasmine Gallery in La Jolla, and Gwalala Basket Exhibition.

She is also a member of the Bay Area Basket Makers, Handweavers of the Valley, Misti Washington Gourd and Basket Guild, and the California Gourd Society. She has been awarded first prize for her skill through the Southern Conference of Handweavers in California and the California Gourd Society.

To register for this workshop, please mail your check, payable to VCHSG, to VCHSG, Attn: Elisa Purnell, P.O. Box 354, Ventura CA 93002, as soon as possible. If you need additional information, please leave a message below - including your email address. Thanks!

June Meeting

For our June program, weaving artist and instructor Deborah Jarchow will discuss weaving tips and tricks, with emphasis on things she’s learned to make weaving easier.

Guild member Deborah Jarchow is a full-time weaver who has created hundreds of garments and accessories for sale and exhibition across the country. She has won numerous awards and has written articles for Handwoven Magazine. Since 2005 she has been an Artist-in-Residence, a teacher, and weaver at Studio Channel Islands Art Center in Camarillo.

June Workshop: Beginning Weaving Workshop
with Deborah Jarchow

Fee: $60 for guild members ($75 for non-members);
plus is a $25 materials fee payable to the instructor.
Dates: Saturday, June 23, 1:00 – 4:00 pm and
Sunday, June 24, 2007, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm,
at CSU Channel Islands Art Institute.
(There is a $6 per car parking fee on Sunday.)

Learn weaving basics with Deborah Jarchow. This class will be held at California State University, Channel Islands Art Center. Participants will need to provide their own loom or make arrangements to rent one (for a nominal fee) from Deborah. A list of supplies will be given to paid participants prior to the workshop.

To register for this workshop, please mail your check, payable to VCHSG, to Elisa Purnell, as soon as possible. If you need the mailing address, please leave a message below - including your email address. Thanks!

Please join us for our next meeting!
Date: Saturday, June 23, 2007
Time: 9:00 a.m. - Coffee & goodies. 9:30 a.m. - General Meeting
Where: 701 Del Norte Blvd. Units 115 & 120, Oxnard CA
For more info, please visit our website or leave a comment below (please include your email address) and we'll get right back to you.

A Few Openings Still Left

We still have a few openings left for this workshop. If you are interested, please contact Elisa at epspinsATgmailDOTcom.

Weaving with Wire and Metal Workshop
with Susan McGehee

Fee: $75 for guild members ($100 for non-members).
There is an additional $30 materials fee payable to the instructor.
Dates: Saturday, May 26, 1:00 – 4:00 pm and
Sunday, May 27, 2007, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm (at Anacapa Fine Yarns in Ventura)

Intermediate and advanced weavers will learn that wire has many similarities to yarn and is easier to weave than they thought. A variety of wires and metals will be used to create a 3-inch wide, 72-inch long sampler. Techniques on how to handle metals on the loom, sources of materials and a history of woven metals will be discussed. Everyone will go home with a positive attitude towards using wire on the loom, a sampler and a metal neckpiece.

Please note: since this workshop is 1.5 days, rather than the usual 3 days, participants may need to complete the sampler and neckpiece at home. A supply list will be emailed to participants when registration payment is received.

To register for this workshop, please mail your check, payable to VCHSG, to Elisa Purnell, as soon as possible. If you need the mailing address, please leave a message below - including your email address. Thanks!

More Demo Opportunities

Stagecoach Inn - Pioneer Jamboree Days
Saturday, June 9
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Spinners and Weavers needed to demonstrate at the Stagecoach Inn Pioneer Jamboree Days, 51 S. Ventu Park Road, Newbury Park, Saturday, June 9, 2007, 10-4 pm. We will be demonstrating on the porch of the museum. Tables will be provided. Signups for demonstrating spinning and weaving will be taken during the April and May meetings. If you are interested, contact Rose Mary Schaefer or leave a comment below.

Huntington Library, San Marino
Sunday, June 10
9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Spinners and Weavers are needed to demonstrate at the Huntington Library, San Marino (Pasadena), Sunday, June 10, 2007, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m, or come early and stay late. We will demonstrate in the Herb Garden, under the trees. You will need to bring your own chairs; tables will be available for looms and to display fibers/skeins/knitted or woven articles. You will also receive free admission to the Library buildings. Lunch will be available from the cafeteria. Maps are available. Signups for demonstrating spinning and weaving will be taken during the April and May meetings. For more information, please contact Rose Mary Schaefer or leave a comment below and we'll get right back to you.

Reyes Adobe Days - Historic Reyes Adobe
Saturday, October 13
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Spinners & Weavers needed to demonstrate at the Reyes Adobe Days at Historic Reyes Adobe, 5464 Reyes Adobe Road, Agoura Hills, Saturday, October 13, 2007, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. We will be demonstrating in the parking lot next to the park. The parade is at 10 a.m. so plan on setting up before 9 a.m. Shade will be provided. You can sell items if you wish. Bring chair and rug or blanket to put your wheel on. Tables will be available for looms and to display items. Signups will be taken during the August & September meetings. For more information, please contact Rose Mary Schaefer or leave a comment below.

May Workshop

Weaving with Wire and Metal Workshop
with Susan McGehee

Fee: $75 for guild members ($100 for non-members).
There is an additional $30 materials fee payable to the instructor.
Dates: Saturday, May 26, 1:00 – 4:00 pm and
Sunday, May 27, 2007, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm (at Anacapa Fine Yarns in Ventura)

Intermediate and advanced weavers will learn that wire has many similarities to yarn and is easier to weave than they thought. A variety of wires and metals will be used to create a 3-inch wide, 72-inch long sampler. Techniques on how to handle metals on the loom, sources of materials and a history of woven metals will be discussed. Everyone will go home with a positive attitude towards using wire on the loom, a sampler and a metal neckpiece.

Please note: since this workshop is 1.5 days, rather than the usual 3 days, participants may need to complete the sampler and neckpiece at home. A supply list will be emailed to participants when registration payment is received.

To register for this workshop, please mail your check, payable to VCHSG, to Elisa Purnell, as soon as possible. If we do not have sufficient interest by April 28 to cover the workshop expenses, this workshop could be cancelled. If you need the mailing address, please leave a message below - including your email address. Thanks!

April Meeting

Weft-Twining with Anna Zinsmeister

Los Angeles-based weaver Anna Zinsmeister will discuss weft-twining as used by the Maoris of New Zealand and the people of the Pacific Northwest. Weft twining is a method of weaving that creates a strong, decorative fabric. It is often confused with embroidery, because of the type of surface it creates and the wide range of designs that are possible with the technique. Anna will demonstrate various twining techniques and show samples of work from around the world.

Anna Zinsmeister learned to weave in 1972 at Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles where she received her B.A. in Art. Anna later attended Cal State Northridge, where she obtained her M.A. in Art with an emphasis on textiles. Ms. Zinsmeister has taught weaving almost as long as she’s known how to weave. She was a teaching assistant at Immaculate Heart College and taught weaving at Braille Institute for 8 years.

Since leaving Braille, Anna has taught weaving and spinning at shops, guilds, and museums through out Southern California including Ravenstail twining at the Gene Autry Museum. For more information on Anna, and to see some of her work, please see the Summer 2006 edition of Spindlicity – an online magazine for handspinners - at http://www.spindlicity.com/summer2006/anna_flag.shtml

There is no workshop in April.

Please join us for our next meeting!

Date: Saturday, April 28, 2007
Time: 9:00 a.m. - Coffee & goodies. 9:30 a.m. - General Meeting
Where: 701 Del Norte Blvd. Units 115 & 120, Oxnard CA
For more info, please visit our website or leave a comment below (please include your email address) and we'll get right back to you.

Conference Booth

The Association of Southern California Handweaver's Conference is in full swing.Our Guild booth - Blooming Cotton Scarf Challenge - features cotton scarves made by members in a variety of techniques and a rainbow of colors. Thanks to Nona for another great booth design, and to Silvia and her assistants for a great conference.

Call For Programs

We’re looking for members to present a program (with or without an accompanying workshop) during upcoming guild meetings.

• Do you have a fibery collection you’d like to share?
• Want to show us slides from your recent fiber-related trip?
• Are you an artist who’d like to talk about what you’re doing in your studio?
• Have you learned a new technique you could teach other members?

We’d love to hear from you! Examples of member presentations (with apologies to anyone I’ve forgotten) include Susan Goldberg’s collection of woven coverlets; Susie Meach’s workshop on color blending a la Deb Menz; and Deborah Jarchow’s beginning weaving workshop coming in June.

We’d also love to hold more ‘beginning’ workshops for our new members or those who’d like to learn a new craft. If you have an interest in teaching or giving a presentation, please contact Elisa at epspinsATgmailDOTcom or leave a comment below.

Demo Opportunities

**Spinners and Weavers are needed to demonstrate at the Topanga Banjo, Fiddle Contest and Folk Festival, Paramount Ranch, Agoura Hills, Sunday, May 20, 2007, 9 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

We will demonstrate on the porch (short section) of Old Town, across from Huckeby’s Feed & Grain Store and Brays Mercantile. Maps will be provided. You will need to bring your own chairs, water, sunscreen, and blankets or mats for your wheel. Tables will not be available.

If you drive into Old Town (before 9 am) to drop off equipment, you can’t drive out until the festival is over, approximately 7 pm. I recommend you bring a cart to haul wheels, etc. to the site. The road to Old Town is a rutted dirt road so wear comfortable shoes. You will receive free admission to the Festival. Lunch will be available from catering trucks. For additional information, access their website at www.topangabanjofiddle.org.

Signups for demonstrating spinning and weaving will be taken during the February, March and April meetings. Contact Rose Mary Schaefer for additional information.”

** Cowboys, Heros, and Outlaws: Passport to the American West event at historic Olivas Adobe, 4200 Olivas Park Drive, Ventura, Saturday, June 2, 2007, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

We will be demonstrating in the inner courtyard. Shade will be provided. Food will be available. This will be a hands-on demonstration of hand-carding, drop-spindles, weaving, or any 19^th century skills. This demonstration must be interactive with children. Participants are encouraged to make something to take home, i.e., yarn, carded wool, bracelets, etc.

Demonstrators should wear the following clothing: long skirts, blouses, jeans, or western attire. Bring chair and rug or blanket to put your wheel on. Tables will be available for looms.

Signups will be taken during the February, March, April and May meetings. Contact Rose Mary Schaefer for additional information."

Call for Entries - Juried Weaving Show

Living with Beauty: Handwoven Textiles for the Home

December 15, 2007 is the postmark entry deadline for this juried exhibit of handwoven textiles for the home, titled Living with Beauty: Handwoven Textiles for the Home. This unique exhibit is jointly sponsored by the Pikes Peak Weavers Guild and the Business of Art Center (BAC) in Manitou Springs and will be hung in the BAC’s Hagnauer Gallery from June 13 to July 26, 2008.

The BAC, a non-profit arts organization, is renowned for its exhibitions, educational opportunities, development of both artistic and business skills of artists, and for hosting theater, music, and conferences. $4000 in cash awards will be presented at the juror's discretion.

Entries must be handwoven, for use in the home interior, be an original design, and be finished objects (not yardage). Traditional and non-traditional fibers, structures, and designs may be used to weave both decorative and utilitarian textiles, including but not limited to wall pieces, rugs, table linens, towels, and baskets.

Betsy Blumenthal, the juror, is a textile artist who has been exploring the intersection of weaving and dyeing for over 30 years. She holds an MFA in Textiles from Indiana University and co-authored Hands on Dyeing. Betsy was an Adjunct Professor in the School of Fine Arts at Indiana University and has taught many workshops at conferences and elsewhere across the United States.

Betsy has received awards for her work including First Prize in the Tsunami Yardage Exhibit at Convergence 2002, Juror’s Award in the Lines into Shapes 2005 show at the Art Center of Estes Park, Honorable Mention in Small Expressions at Convergence 2004, and the award for Best Use of Color in Fiber Celebration 2003 in Estes Park.

Betsy has written many articles for Weaver’s and Handwoven magazines, and her current interests include the differential shrinkage properties of fibers and combining color with structure in double layered fabrics.

Download a prospectus from www.pikespeakweavers.org or receive one via email by contacting Susan Bowman or Beverly Weaver at LivingwithBeauty@aol.com. Written requests may be made to Susan Bowman or Beverly Weaver c/o Pikes Peak Weavers Guild, P.O. Box 8104, Colorado Springs, CO 80933.

February Workshop and Lecture

February's meeting will feature a lecture and slide show by Dr. Robert Liu on

Contemporary Glass Jewelry

Dr. Robert Liu, Co-editor of Ornament Magazine, will discuss contemporary glass jewelry, including the works of many bead artists. In 1975 Liu founded The Bead Journal, which changed its title in 1978 to Ornament, a journal of personal adornment. Self-trained as a jeweler and photographer, he has written extensively on ancient, ethnic and contemporary jewelry and personal adornment.

Glass Bead Making Workshop
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Location: Calico Art Glass
12:30 – 2:30 pm OR 3:00 – 5:00 pm.
Fee $65.

Learn to make glass beads for use with your spinning, weaving, knitting and other fiber arts. You will be taught basic safety, proper use of tools and glass working techniques to make copper enamel and clay mandrill beads. Each participant will go home with a selection of hand-made glass beads. No experience is necessary. The techniques you’ll learn are easy and fun.

Class size is limited to 4 members at a time. There are 2 sessions on Saturday afternoon; the first is from 12:30 – 2:30, and the second is from 3:00 – 5:00. When making your reservation, please specify which session you wish to attend. If more members are interested, another class (on a different day) can be scheduled.

To reserve your place in the workshops, email VP Elisa Purnell at epspinsATgmailDOTcom. To really reserve your place, also send a check for the class fees now to Elisa.

Reminder: There will be no program in March. Enjoy the Conference!

Please join us for our next meeting!

Date: Saturday, February 24, 2007
Time: 9:00 a.m. - Coffee & goodies. 9:30 a.m. - General Meeting
Where: 701 S. Del Norte Blvd. Units 115 & 120, Oxnard CA

For more info, please visit our website or leave a comment below (please include your email address) and we'll get right back to you.

More Workshops Planned

A list of scheduled programs and workshops for the first half of 2007 is below. Programs are held during Guild meetings; they are free and visitors are welcome. Guild meetings are the fourth Saturday of each month, except November and December. Location and directions are here.

Workshops are by reservation only; reservations can be made during Guild meetings or by sending email to Elisa at epspinsATgmailDOTcom . If you have an idea - or ideas - for a program or workshop, please leave a comment below or send email to Elisa.

Updated February 1:

• February: Morning program - Contemporary Glass Jewelry with Dr. Robert Liu. Saturday workshop - Making Glass Beads (limited to 8 participants; $65 per person)

• March: Association of Southern California Handweavers Conference

• April: Morning program - Weft Twining with Anna Zinsmeister.
  

• May: Morning program - Discussion and slide show on Weaving with Wire and Metals. Saturday and Sunday workshop - Weaving with Wire and Metals presented by Susan McGehee
  

• June: Morning program - Weaving Tips and Tricks. Saturday and Sunday workshop - Beginning Weaving with Deborah Jarchow

Updated January 26:

• July: African Folklore Embroidery with Leora Raikin. Leora will present an all new program. This was one of the most popular workshops of 2006. You won't want to miss this one!

Updated April 2:

• September: Basketry with Toni Best.
  

January Workshops

Our first program of the new year features Gwen Powell, Spinner Extraordinaire. During the morning meeting, Gwen will present "Chinese Knotting for Spinners and Weavers", giving us ideas to incorporate Chinese Knots into our fiber arts (weaving, knitting, crochet, felting and more). There will be plenty of samples and handouts for simple knots.

Gwen will also present two workshops, for which reservations are required. To reserve your spot, please email Elisa at epspinsATgmailDOTcom .

Navajo Multi-ply Spinning for Novelty Yarns
Saturday, January 27, 2007, 1:00 - 4:00 PM

Fee: $25

There is so much more to Navajo plying than just a three ply. In this hands-on workshop you will learn to create boucle, knobs and knots, thick and thin, variegated, and space colored yarns of three to 12 plies using both handspun and commercial yarns.

Ability level: Must be able to treadle wheel in one direction at a time and be able to spin a medium weight single thread.

Materials for students to bring: Scissors, working wheel, handspun singles in S and Z twist, various fine and medium commercial yarns to incorporate into novelty yarns. Preferably, the wheel will have a large orifice, low ratio whorls and good tension adjustments.

The Wonders of Sheep's Wool
Sunday, January 28, 2007, 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Location: Anacapa Fine Yarns
Fee: $35 plus $5-10 materials fee

Weavers and spinners will both benefit from this informative workshop on wool basics. Spinners will spin samples of the wools discussed. Weavers will participate by feeling and observing the properties of wool as we move through the preparations of the different wools.

Ability level: Must be able to treadle wheel in one direction at a time and be able to spin a medium weight single thread.

Materials for students to bring: working wheel or hand spindle (supported or drop), handcarders, sheet or towel for under your wheel, towel or apron for your lap. Optional: mini combs if you have them.

Please join us for our next meeting!

Date: Saturday, January 27, 2007
Time: 9:00 a.m. - Coffee & goodies. 9:30 a.m. - General Meeting
Where: LOCATION CHANGE - 1425 Dowell Dr., Ventura
For more info, please visit our website or leave a comment below (please include your email address) and we'll get right back to you.