Calendar:
Note: Meetings will be held in the Green Township Building, Green Township, Sussex County, New Jersey. Meetings are held the second Monday of the month, unless the date falls on a Federal holiday such as Verterans Day or Columbus Day, then the meeting date may be altered.
Please note that calendar dates and topics are subject to change.
MARCH 10
Mirrix Looms - Elena Kawachi Zoom Presentation Elena will talk about tapestry using various types of looms, materials, and stitches. Claudia Chase founded Mirrix Tapestry & Bead Looms in 1996. She was a professional tapestry weaver on a mission to create a portable tapestry loom that could function just as well as her floor looms. Fifteen years later, her daughter Elena came on board and today they co-run Mirrix along with a fabulous team of employees at their Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin manufacturing facility.
SPECIAL NOTE: FIH Members only will have free access to the Mirrix French Knots Tapestry Weave-Along. It begins on February 17th and the last week is the week of March 10th, so the timing would work out well if people wanted to participate and we could answer questions about the project. You can buy the kit or use your own materials. Final size of the piece is 5” x 8”. Guild members can sign up for free. Please see the newsletter for the link.
The French Knots Tapestry Weave Along Project:
-A 12" or 16" Classic Series Mirrix Loom with a shedding device (recommended, but you can also use one without) and a 10 dent warp coil. You can also use the 19", 22" 28", 32" or 38" Looms, but we recommend purchasing an extra bobbin of linen warp. An 8" Chloe Loom with ten dent combs and a 14.5" rod can also be used, though the fringe may be an inch or so shorter.)
-A good pair of scissors
-A measuring tape
-Heddles (60 are needed, these needed for use with shedding device only)
-A beater (or fork)
-The French Knots Tapestry Kit or the following supplies:
-6 six-yard bobbins of Silk Gima Tape (colors may vary)
-1 100-yard bobbin of FARO yarn
-1 100-yard bobbin linen warp
-1 50-yard bobbin white Mulberry Silk
-A metal rod for hanging
-2 five-inch tapestry needles
-1 two-inch tapestry needle
PDF Tapestry warping instructions for a Mirrix Loom can be found here: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2375/8991/files/tapestry_28cc03e8-b16e-4ba0-a3f7-cff825af1319.pdf?v=1621868148
APRIL 14 Needle Book Goodie Bag item for MAFA. We will be finishing up these items so Patty can take to Sheep & Wool Festival.
We will be applying iron-on FIH labels and attaching a needle.
Chair Yoga for Weavers with Kari Murante
MAGIC BOX of DREAMS. Members write on slips of paper their anticipated finishes for the year.
At the end of the year, at the holiday gathering, each member's slips of paper were read and members had to show their finished (or not) project. It was very comical in that one woman wrote that she was going to make a sweater...she showed a knitting pattern and unused skeins of yarn! Other members showed off lovely quilts and other stitching projects they had anticipated to finish, some completed and some partially completed (but progress was made). If the project was completed, the slip of paper came out of the box. If the project was not completed or partially completed, the slip of paper went back into the box for another year. At the holiday gathering, members had the opportunity to add new projects to their lists.
This activity added some fun to the holiday gathering and provided an opportunity to admire members' work. It was all in good spirit, so that no one was criticized who did not complete the project. One of the benefits of this activity is the theory that if you write it down, you are more likely to do it.
We will start filling the box at our April meeting, since that is the first time we meet in person this year. At the holiday party in December, we could open the box and have some fun. If someone has an incomplete project that is still on the loom or if the item has been gifted to someone during the year, then a picture would be ok instead of the actual project.
Ellen Phelps will be the keeper of the box to get this started.
MAY 12 Basket Making Melinda Kessler In-person Green Township
Melinda will discuss some basketry history along with showing different types of baskets, sizes, uses and techniques.
This program will be followed up by an afternoon workshop followed up by paid worship for afternoon. Since we will be meeting in person, in April everyone who has signed up for this workshop…please bring a check for $65.00 made out to Melinda Kessler. Bring with you an awl, screwdriver, scissors and heavy duty scissors. If there are any open spaces available you can sign up at this time. See Nicci Bush.
JUNE 9 Bread Bag Challenge Results - Social Get-together - and for your enjoyment…WEAVER’S BINGO with prizes!
JUNE 10, 2024 Results of Old Time Clothing Challenge presented in November - Weaver’s Bingo - Social Get-together POTLUCK
SPECIAL WORKSHOP
JUNE 22 and July 20, 2024 Independent workshop on Indigo Dyeing by Natalie Burger at Hidden Pastures
This program will focus on using indigo from natural and synthetic sources, creating a mother of indigo and setting up and calibrating a healthy and functioning indigo vat for dying. Participants will learn how to use the vat to produce different shades of blue and create their own gradient using three mini skeins. Participants will then explore the ancient art of shibori and create three cotton squares. The new dates for the indigo dying workshop are June 22 and July 20. Both sessions will run from 10:00 to 3:00. Please let Elaine McCarthy (emccarthy202ATgmail.com) know if you wish to attend and which session you'd like to go to. The cost is $30.