We are here in the home stretch of what has been a wonderful Tacoma Weavers Guild year!.  We have improved our skills, whetted our appetites for color and texture, celebrated the career of a longtime member, done community service, and supported our fellow members when needed.  

We will finish off our Guild year with our annual picnic on Friday, June 7th, at the home of Janet Stanley.  Along with the picnic, we will have a dye pot, an auction of the Shawl, a sale of our unneeded  supplies and equipment, a vote on the new Bylaws, and a vote for new officers.  We will also have an opportunity to express our thanks to the many hands that worked together for our Guild, and of course, not to forget shared food (you don’t have to share but it is nice).  

As we prepare to pause our meetings for the summer, there is still lots to stay on top of.  We have a group planning for Arts in the Armory, a December event, as well as plans for the speakers and classes for the Guild year.  Fiber Fling will take place September 28th, and we could use a few additional demonstrators at the Job Carr Park.   

Our fall line up includes Yvonne Ellsworth speaking about use of color, and teaching a class on two-heddle rigid heddle weaving.  We will also have Mary Lane, a tapestry weaver from Olympia, Robyn Spady, and lots of other great speakers and classes.  

Thank you to those who forwarded leads to where we can have our classes.  I hope to know more in the next week, but not in time for this newsletter deadline. 

Get your dues sent in, send in your consent form, and help us wrap up this year and start strong for the ’24-’25 Guild year.  

I have considered it an honor to serve as your president, and pledge to remain active in various areas of the Guild, especially Programming, and the ANWG conference.  

Linda Stryker, President

May Day, and we have a frost warning!   We just hum along, pursuing our favorite activities.  I am hearing lots of stories about learning opportunities our members have availed themselves to, with members and friends taking classes with Marilyn in Coupeville, with Sue and Janet on Vashon, at the BARN on Bainbridge, through other Guilds, and even attending out of town conferences held by other Guild associations.  Our quest for understanding and stimulation is strong, and we are lucky to have opportunities around us. 

Our own Guild has several opportunities – one is on May 11th for a dye workshop (Sold out) and in September for a rigid heddle workshop using two heddles at a time, conducted by Yvonne Ellsworth, a frequent contributor to Little Looms Magazine.   If you would like to attend Yvonne’s class, it will be held at Antique Sandwich, and be on the Saturday after our Guild meeting.  We will help swap around to get you two reeds of the same size if you don’t already own a pair.   Deposit of $50 is due at the May meeting.  

We have two exciting classes booked for February 15/16 and March 15/16, but we are struggling to pin down a LOCATION for the class.  Room rentals have gotten very expensive lately, and we are trying to book on a budget – my preference would be no more than $150 per day.   All of those expenses get divided up among the students in the class – and we hope to keep it reasonable for each of us.   If you have a lead on a location – church, nursing home, community building, clubhouse, please let me know.  We must have a place committed before we can contract with the instructor.  

The KITCHEN AT THE CHURCH will be off limits due to construction, so at our May meeting we will arrange things a bit differently, and may not have hot beverages.  They expect to be out of service for 4 months.    Because of the kitchen issue, we have moved the Saturday dye class to Debbie Frank’s home. Thank you Debbie for saying yes!

One of our two State Fair dates has shifted – we will have September 9th and September 20th.  Sign up with Marilyn Crosetto. 

I am really excited to hear Roberta Lowe tell us about her “Weaver’s Journey” for our program this month.  She has been an inspiration to so many.  Who would you like to hear from next spring for our weaver’s journey presentation?   We gain so much knowledge from our long-weaving friends.  

See you May 10th!

Linda Stryker

Hello my weaving friends!  

April brings us spring breaks, flowers, showers, and colorful inspiration.   Color is all around us, and this spring we will get to play a bit with color at the May warp dye workshop, and again we hope at the end-of-year picnic if Pam is able to lead us with another indigo pot.  Some guilds have a color theme chosen, and I remember TWG suggesting an orange challenge the first year I joined the Guild.   I don’t recall what Pantone color predictions are for the future, but by the time I got something going for a color trend, that ship would have sailed.  Some weavers declare that what you make should always fit you, and be colors you like, just in case it does not sell or isn’t a gift.   During and after Covid, I have appreciated some of the stash buster projects that use up dribs and drabs from cones and bobbins, or odd colors that need accompaniment to make them work.  One of my favorite towels I wove at Towelapalooza several years ago was just such a stash buster, and is very clever and frugal.  

Our speaker this month is Sarah Resnick, from GIST Yarns, talking about sourcing cotton, trends, and accessing weaving materials.   Just this week there was an article in the Seattle Times about how many US cotton mills are closing, and how that affects industry and producers. I believe the statistic was 600 mills some years ago, down to 100 now.   I once took a workshop from Mary Berend on weaving with cotton, and a number of yarns that were once plentiful are no longer being produced.  

Let us keep weaving, keep ordering from our suppliers, and continue to create demand for the raw materials that weavers need.  

Linda Stryker

As we barrel through the wonky weather patterns, trying to nurture our confused garden plants, it is still  in-season to knit, spin, and weave warm clothing.  Or, weave for the upcoming events that can showcase your work, or weave for a special something for a baby, bride, or birthday.  

There are lots of spring events just around the corner:  

March 7-10    RAGS Wearable Art show in Fife.  

                       This is the final time for this show/sale.  www.ragswearableart.org.

March 21-23   Spin-in retreat at Camp Burton on Vashon

April 6-7           Shepherd’s Extravaganza moved and separated from Spring Fair

Enumclaw Expo Center  www.shepherds-exravaganza.com

June 1-2           Fiber Fusion, Monroe Fairgrounds.  

If entering weaving competitions isn’t your thing, you can still visit exhibits, buy from vendors, and be a volunteer for the above mentioned events.  Check on their websites.

Nominations – Think about your gifts and strengths, and what you can do to take turn at supporting the Tacoma Weavers Guild.   We have one nominating committee member but need two more to help develop our slate of officers for a May election.  

I look forward to seeing you all, either in the room on Friday, or on Zoom.  The Rosette workshop will NOT be zoomed, so we will turn off zoom after the morning speaker.  

Linda

Well, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow so we are theoretically destined for an early spring. And a busy and exciting spring it will be – at least in the Tacoma Weavers Guild, and in the Pacific Northwest.

There have been lots of small group meetings going on this winter – Program committee planning for next guild year, Library committee improving their library, Bylaws committee, a membership/communication meeting to bring Karen Radcliff up to speed as the new membership chair, a parish liaison meeting with the new Pastor of St. Andrews, and of course, our TWG members who are helping with planning the ANWG 2025 conference – Bette, Mimi, Linda, Kathy, and more. For each of these efforts, I thank you, on behalf of the membership.

We have lots of great topics coming up in our programs this spring (see program article), and it is also time to start planning for a change of officers that will serve TWG next year. We are such a small guild that I know several of you have served in many positions – but we still need your wisdom and experience, so we will spread the jobs out again. Many hands make light work.

I felt bad after cancelling the in-person portion of our January meeting – as it turned out to be a sunny dry day, albeit cold. The virtual meeting went well, and you were all gracious in understanding why we had been intimidated by the weather reports of doom coming our way.

I look forward to seeing you February 9^th

Linda Stryker, President

I hope each of you had a fulfilling holiday this past few weeks.  I was very buoyed by our holiday gathering as it had all of the components of our friendship and support of others.  We had excellent food, sharing our a lovely card exchange, fantastic show and tell, a holiday craft (thank you Britta), and to top that all off, we donated a pile of hats, scarves and mittens for the needy, that were given to the outreach project at St. Andrew’s Church.  We enjoyed our members on Zoom, but accidentally cut the transmission before they were ready to be finished.  We apologize and will communicate better next time. 

I also hope some of you were good boys and girls and that Santa brought you fiber related things down the chimney.  

One of my “resolutions” was to complete a warp I have had on my baby wolf for over a year, and I successfully wove it all up during the week between Christmas and New Years.  Now it is available to get warped for the upcoming Sara Bixler workshop in February.  It feels good to get my MoJo going again. 

Each of us is an ambassador for our Guild, and you are our best advertisement.  Spread the word!

Linda Stryker

I love this group! I was really struck at last month’s meeting about how our Guild is so welcoming to every ability, and how our abilities range from newcomers to weaving, all the way to “famous” weavers who get on the covers of magazines and sweep the prizes. And they are all my friends now! Whether you weave for your family, or for income, or for competition, all are welcome here, and all are challenged to learn, mentor, and volunteer to further our passion of weaving. From complex weaving, to simple weaving with lots of textures, technical looms, to simple looms, there is a place here to speak our language, be proud of whichever style we practice, and further our learning.

As the holidays might nudge us to dig out our family secret holiday cookies, let us continue to share freely our knowledge and skills, and not be territorial about what we know or have experience with.

Merry Christmas, and may you have hours of uninterrupted loom time.

Linda Stryker

Turned the calendar page today, and felt a whoosh of holiday anticipation – most of it good, and freely chosen yet some of it stressful and obligatory. It is GOOD to gather with friends and loved ones, and GOOD to maintain and uphold traditions – whether food, games, parties, or travel. Some of our fall activities are completed (State Fair, Guild sales, etc) and we have renewed permission to put our gardens to bed and pursue more indoor activities – like WEAVING!

This month in the Tacoma Weavers’ Guild will host some traditions –many members indicated they wanted to continue the holiday card exchange. That means they should get busy creating their card of choice, and let me know their interest by phone call, email, or sign up at the November Guild meeting. I will notify you of the recipient of your card, and these should go in the mail by the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Some of our more distant members haven’t gotten theirs in time to share at the December holiday party meeting.

Not many responded that they wished to have a gift exchange at our December meeting. If you wish to continue this tradition, please bring a wrapped gift that is homemade, handmade, or weaving-appreciated.

There was a resounding support for the idea of creating garments for winter weather to donate – either through St. Andrew’s efforts or other local charity – this could include hats, scarves, mittens, shawls, etc. Those items would be due at the December meeting, and could be part of the show and tell as well.

If anyone has any holiday-related games that we can share at our December party, please let me know. Last year we filled out that grid of drawings illustrating holiday songs. Perhaps one of us can play a few holiday tunes at the piano, and have a sing-along? It has been a while since I did that! Oh, and remember our holiday potluck is more of a lunch than a coffee break.

Longer range planning – I am happy to relinquish the task of Membership Chair and looking for a replacement. We also could use some input from newer members on what topics they would like to see in our workshop offerings? What new authors, teachers, artists, or similar would they like to hear more from? Carol Thompson is building up her tech team, and is looking for additional people. Debbie Frank could use more help in hospitality and set up before the meetings.

Please share feedback with any board members about any ideas, critique, gap in information, etc.

See you at the November 10^th meeting.

Linda Stryker, President

Here we go…….On the rollercoaster of our guild year. Imagine the summer was maintenance on the roller coaster ride, and now we are loading into our little cars, and climbing the first incline with the clacking and the nerves, and then WHOOOOSH – our Guild year starts the exciting ride, with twists, turns, and exhilaration. (OK, maybe I am thinking too much about the Washington State Fair with this metaphor), but I certainly do think that a vigorous kick off to our new Guild year is just ahead.

BOARD ACTIVITY: The Board and committee chairs met virtually on Tuesday, August 29^th, and here are some of their discussion notes:

GUILD BUDGET – Carol Thompson is pleased about two things – our audit of last years’ books was completed and things are in good shape. She also presented to the board the proposed budget for this Guild year, and it was endorsed by the board, and will be presented to the members at the meeting.

BYLAWS CHANGES: The State of Washington is asking each 501©3 nonprofit to make some changes in their governance, and I will be asking for a small group to evaluate this in an ad hoc fashion. If any of our membership is related to a lawyer who could polish things up for us, we would most appreciate it. Please submit your names to me. I don’t do legalese very well, but we have some nice input from a neighbor Guild.

JOB CARR FIBER FEST – On Saturday, September 30^th, we will host a booth at the Job Carr event, to promote the Tacoma Weavers’ Guild. I will have an awning, and we can demo anything we want that would promote our Guild. It can be a participatory demo or solo, up to the weaver’s choice. I plan to staff the booth from 10:00 – 2:00 and would love some company. Karen Haas will be there in her storyteller historian role.

WASHINGTON STATE FAIR – Marilyn Crosetto is once again our coordinator for both the Sheep to Shawl on September 11^th, and the 4 X 4 day on September 21^st. She has mailed parking and admission materials to her participants on record. Please contact her if any questions.

PRINTED DIRECTORY RETURNS! We have been encouraging all renewing members to get their information and dues current in order to be included in our printed directory. We did not make one during Covid, and thankfully dear Mimi Anderson is diligently proofing and getting it ready to print ASAP. If you know of email changes, you moved, or you have changed phone numbers or dropped your landline, please get that information to Mimi immediately. In addition to contact info, the Directory lists upcoming programs and events, Guild officers, and other important information for our members.

As the Guild year wraps up, I am thinking about travel. All I can do is think about it, because right now we are caring for an elderly relative and cannot travel. But I thoroughly enjoy hearing about the travels of others, and I especially enjoy stories about fiber arts in far off lands. My sister just returned from a trip to Ireland and was happy to announce she got to see a fabric mill, and her first look at a flying shuttle. Another friend went to the Ivory Coast and saw brightly striped woven garments. I also was pleased to attend the IKAT exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum, whose collection on display was based on the donor’s travels around the world. Seeing how others accomplish weaving, dying, preparing fibers, learning of their cultural role….. all of that feels like travel to another place or time.

Others acquire souvenirs from their travel, which in my world would mean woven shawls, skeins of yarn, sweaters, yardage, and even raw wool.

I am going to be able to travel to the ANWG conference in Bend, OR, and am eagerly awaiting experiencing cloth and fiber arts from around our northwest quadrant of the US and Canada. That is the travel that will feed my soul at this time.

Our end of year picnic is a week earlier this year, June 2^nd, at Janet Stanley’s home, beginning at 11:00 a.m. We will raffle the sheep to shawl project, share our newest creations, eat, and sell our Dog Daze spares to each other. We will also be doing a little needle felting craft for those who wish.

Happy Weaving.

Linda Stryker