PROGRAM and WORKSHOP LIST
2024 Programs and Workshops
2023 Programs and Workshops
MAY 13, 2023. Wisconsin Handweavers Sale and Market Day, Grafton. We return to this venue after very a successful sale in May of 2022. This year, in addition to our regular sale of member’s fiber related materials and equipment, the day will include a WHI Sale of finished Handwovens similar to the sale that was previously part of our Loominosity Exhibit and Sale.
APRIL 8, 2023. (In-person at Cedarburg Public Library) Loominosity Guild Exhibit Drop Off and Meeting in Cedarburg. WHI moves north to a new venue for our annual guild show. Weave and proudly show your work! April 8 @ 10:00am Cedarburg Public Library W63N589 Hanover Ave, Cedarburg, WI 53012 We plan to stream virtually on Zoom as well.
MARCH 11, 2023. (In-person at Gaenslen) Nancy Wilson: Rigid Heddle, “Exploring the Possibilities”. Our Simple to Sublime theme continues with a Program and Workshop featuring WHI member Nancy Wilson of Lost Art Fiber and Textile Studio in Waukesha https://www.lostartfiberandtextile.com. Rigid Heddle Weaving is a hot trend in weaving and Nancy will show the possibilities for weaving on these simple, yet versatile looms.
FEBRUARY 11, 2023. Chiaki O’Brien: Getting Creative with Saori Weaving. (ZOOM ONLY MEETING) Chiaki is a Minnesota Weaver and Teacher. On her website, Saori Fun Studios, http://saoristudiofun.com, Chiaki explains the four tenets of Saori: • Consider the differences between machines and people • Weave with a Happy Heart • Explore with all your might • Learn together as a group
2022 Programs and Workshops
December 10, Gail Pilgrim: Throwing in the Towel. (ZOOM-ONLY MEETING) Towel Weaving and towel exchange ideas. Gail will share tips on how to make towels you will proudly give, use, sell, display and maybe even exchange at our spring WHI Towel exchange.
November 12 The 3 F’s Fabulous Fringe and Finishings Program and Finishing Bee with Judy Larsen. Members are invited to bring a lunch and an unfinished weaving project to work on in the afternoon. Judy has agreed to share her expertise and provide support and guidance during an afternoon session at ABK.
October 8: Robin Leenhouts: Baskets, Baskets, Baskets. Robin will also be leading a weekday wicker basket workshop for WHI at ABK, “Wicker Basket in a Day”. This is a repeat of the workshop that she offered last year.
September 10, 2022, Little Loom Weaving Party
Our first meeting of the year offers a welcome opportunity to greet new members, renew old acquaintances and just have fun doing some quick and easy weaving together on little looms. A little loom is loosely defined as a small, hand-held frame loom, usually without a tensioning device.
Small, portable looms offer a quick and easy way to try out different weaves, setts and color combinations, use up bits of favorite yarns and express your weaving creativity while on the go. This weaving tool has become so popular that Long Thread Media, the publisher of Handwoven magazine even offers a quarterly publication, Easy Weaving with Little Looms that highlights small loom tips and projects. There are many types of small looms including specialty looms from major manufacturers, peg looms, pin looms and a wide selection of simple handmade frames. We will have examples available to show a range of possibilities.
You may remember Marianne Fairbanks from the University of Wisconsin who spoke at a guild meeting last year. She created the Hello Loom, to encourage people to “put down their phones” and weave on tiny, easy-to-use portable looms. We will have a selection of these small looms available to purchase at the meeting. Everyone is invited to try weaving on a little loom at the meeting.
May 14, 2022, Yay Hooray! Market Day Because Gaenslen School is not available for Market Day this spring, the WHI Board, with the help of Julie Austin and the Manchester Weavers Studio, has secured a space for us to conduct a safely distanced indoor marketplace at 1111 Broad Street in Grafton. The sale will be held in the gym of the old high school, adjacent to the Grafton Library.
April 9, 2022 From Cone to Clothing with Dianne Totten via Zoom
Dianne is an accomplished weaver and clothing designer who is known for her instructional DVDs as well as articles in Handwoven, Complex Weavers Journal and VȀV. She teaches workshops on Shibori and inlaid rugs, as well as her unique classes on weaving and sewing crimp cloth.
In this virtual presentation, Dianne will share her approach to designing and sewing one-of-a-kind garments, including the steps she takes to make her visions materialize. Also included will be her work with the Fabric Forecast Team of Handwoven magazine. It will conclude with her current work – ‘crimp’ clothing and the journey that led her to it. www.diannetottenhandwovens.com
March 12, 2022, Wedge Weave Explorations with Connie Lippert
Wedge weave is a tapestry weave originated by the Navajo around 1870. In contrast to most weaving which is woven horizontally on the loom, wedge weave is woven on the diagonal which gives it its characteristic scalloped edge. This intriguing trait is thought to be one of the reasons the Navajo abandoned it in the 1800’s though it has resurfaced in recent years. Connie creates the colors in her palette with natural dyes – mainly indigo, madder, goldenrod, cochineal, and black walnut. Her yarns are hand-dyed using indigo leaves from her garden, goldenrod gathered in the fall, black walnut hulls from a friend’s tree, as well as other natural dyes.
Connie will be teaching a wedge weave workshop in May at Lost Art Fiber and Textile Studio in Waukesha. You can register for that workshop at https://www.lostartfiberandtextile.com
February 12, 2022, Dimensions in Fiber with Hannah O’Hare Bennett.
Hannah is a Madison based Artist who works in paper and Fiber. O’Hare Bennett — Artist, Papermaker, and Educator — will share insights into her artistic practice across a variety of fiber arts. www.hannahoharebennett.com
2021 Programs and Workshops
Tapestry weaving is hot, and weaver/teacher Molly Elkind is the perfect person to enhance our understanding and appreciation of the latest trends. Even if you have never tried your hand at this technique, you will see modern tapestry in a new way after this presentation.
Molly’s lively blog, Talking Textiles, is full of insights and inspiration: https://mollyelkindtalkingtextiles.blogspot.com.
Molly Elkind’s recent work investigates the expressive potential of both traditional tapestry technique and approaches based on mixed media collage and open warps www.mollyelkind.com.
November 13, 2021, Three Over One, One Over Three = Twill Magic.
Zoom presentation with Heather Winslow. Just like anything magical, a 3/1, 1/3 twill block structure appears much more complex and mysterious than it is. This eight (minimum) shaft structure alternates warp and weft dominant twill sections across the width of the fabric. The magic appears when you start playing with variables.
What if you change the warp or weft color here, make this block a little wider, reverse the twill angle there, change the tie up, alter the treadling order??? What if you ........? This fascinating and versatile weave structure will be explored in a lecture which includes multiple woven samples for you to examine. Come and experience the magic!
Theo Moorman Inlay Technique Workshop with Heather Winslow. Virtual workshop November 9 - 12, 2021 (via Zoom) Tuesday , Wednesday and Friday.
October 9, 2021, Design Lab and Hello!Looms.
Marianne Fairbanks, innovative fiber artist, designer and associate professor in the Design Studies Program at UW-Madison will join us via Zoom to talk about her work and vision, the Design Lab and the Hello!Looms project. https://www.mariannefairbanks.com
September 11,2021, Together Again….Almost.
Tai Chi for Weavers with Amanda Robinette via Zoom.
May 3-7, 2021, Denise Kovnat, Designing with Deflected Doubleweave Workshop
May 8, 2021 Denise Kovnat, Once Upon a Warp. Denise will share highlights from her journey as a weaver, clothing designer and teacher.
April 10, 2021 Carol James, Discovering Sprang. Sprang is an ancient textile method, worked on a set of threads that have been arranged on a frame loom. Carol is the author of many articles and several books, including Sprang Unsprung. She creates beautiful and surprising textiles, garments and other objects using the Sprang technique. https://www.spranglady.com.
March 13, 2021 Diane Newbury, Looking for the Weavers in Ancient Pre-Columbian Textiles.
Anthropology, textile history and sleuthing come together as Diane unravels the mysteries of ancient South American textiles. She has worked with the Milwaukee Public Museum to research, document, and attempt to identify potential culture, region, and/or timeframe for the more-than-1,500 Andean pre-Columbian textiles in the MPM collection. Join us to learn the story of these remarkable ancient textiles.
February 13, 2021 Laura Viada, Weaving Transparencies. Laura is a Houston based fiber artist. She uses a variety of techniques, but her specialty is weaving transparencies. http:/www.lauraviada.com/
December 12, Robyn Spady, Taming of the Hue – Color techniques for every weaver.
Distanced learning has opened doors for us to check in with this favorite teacher from across the country. We would love to bring her to Wisconsin for a workshop in the near future, but in the meantime, we are delighted to be able to welcome her to WHI through technology. Robyn’s presentations are always a treat!
November 14, Heather Winslow, Theo Moorman Inlay Technique.
After consultation with Heather we agreed that this technique does not lend itself well to an online workshop. For this reason, we are postponing Heather’s workshop until October of 2021. Heather will nevertheless be joining us for a virtual program on Theo Moorman Inlay Technique in November. This presentation will offer the opportunity to get to know Heather and learn about this versatile technique. You may even be inspired to sign up for her workshop next year.
October 10, 2020 Lily Hope, Chilkat and Ravenstail Weaving.
Wisconsin Handweavers is proud to provide access to the work of weavers from different cultures and traditions. Lily Hope, an award-winning weaver from Juneau Alaska, will share her knowledge of traditional Tlingit weaving techniques as well as the cultural and spiritual aspects inherent in her life and her work. Lily was featured in a wonderful article in the September/October 2020 issue of Handwoven. Meet her at https://www.lilyhope.com
