September 9, 2020
Weaving Dimensional Mandalas
Anastasia Azure
Anastasia Azure discusses her sources of inspiration for the dimensional weave sculptures and the jewelry she creates. She shares why she creates her artwork and what she hopes to bring to the world. This presentation reveals the cross-cultural, spiritual nature of mandalas as well as the symbolism of elemental geometric shapes.
March 10, 2021
Once Upon a Warp: From the Loom to the Runway
Denise Kovnat
Every year since 2008 I have set myself a challenge: Weave a garment (or two) that will be juried into the Convergence fashion show, part of the biannual conference of the Handweavers’ Guild of America. To date, I have been able to meet the challenge – but there’s more to the story, with lots of ups and downs along the way! Anyone who weaves or creates fabric or designs garments will relate. This lecture, followed by a virtual fashion show, traces my weaving journey from concept to completion of a garment
October 14, 2020
Parallel Threads that Parallel Life
Daryl Lancaster
Daryl Lancaster, artist, teacher, hand-weaver, writer, and professional dressmaker/designer with over 50 years experience will be discussing her views and her perspective on hand-woven clothing, recycled experiences and the creative process. Daryl will talk about her adventurous journey over the years with hand-woven clothing showing images and samples of her fabrics and garments
April 14, 2021
Handweaving.net: From the Beginning, and Into the Future
Kris Bruland
This program will feature an in-depth view of the Handweaving.net site from its beginning in 2004 until now. Kris Bruland, creator of handweaving.net, will discuss the history of the site, major content and feature areas including drafts and digital archive documents. The presentation will include an overview of draft collections, special features such as the common threading search and color editor, some unique and beautiful drafts, future plans, questions and answers, and more!
A live demonstration showing how drafts for the site are produced through specialized software directly from the digitized pages of old works will be included too. This technique has enabled over 70,000 accurate digital drafts to be produced for Handweaving.net from various works on weaving, many of which were previously unknown yet are now being discovered woven throughout the world!
Please join us if you are curious to know more about Handweaving.net, including what the site offers, how it is unique, why and how it was created, and current and future plans!
November 11, 2020
Couture Passementerie through the Eyes of a Fiber Artist
Robyn Spady
From Chanel and Balenciaga to the House of Worth and Ralph Lauren, passementerie has been a way to elevate a garment from something ordinary to something extraordinary. What is passementerie? It’s a French term without an English equivalent. Passementerie encompasses a multitude of techniques used to create embellishments. It includes the creation of buttons, cording, trim, garment closures, braiding, tassels, and much more. Modern day uses of passementerie may be found in couture fashions, like the trim edging on French cardigan-style jackets made famous by Coco Chanel and the fashions seen in period films or shows, like Downton Abbey. Passementerie also appears on historical garments, military uniforms, and in high-end home interiors. In this program, Robyn Spady will share insight into how many couture fashion designers incorporated passementerie into their garments from the perspective of how simple some of the techniques are and how they could be easily recreated and adapted into our own wardrobes.
May 12,2021 (Covid-19 Permitting)
The May Meeting is an annual celebration of the Guild's programs and members. The schedule includes the Annual Business Meeting, Ratings Exhibit and presentations, Awards, the Guild Challenge presentation, a light-hearted Fashion Show, and a Pot Luck Lunch. There are no morning workshops or afternoon speaker.
Woven and photographed by Sally Eyring