August 2021 Guild Meeting

We will be having our meeting Saturday the 21st at the Western Watauga Community Center at 10:30. The program will be a hands on mini workshop on how to wrap an Ikat warp plus there will also be mordant baths there to mordant the warp in preparation for the dye workshop in September. You can bring any natural fiber to do this with: wool, cotton, linen, silk, etc. We will be winding a warp on a warping board and while it’s under tension there, the wrapping technique will occur. Susan Sharpe will show several different techniques for wrapping the warp. Projects might include doing a belt, an Inkle loom warp, a small pillow or a scarf. This is a hands on in person meeting but we will have a Zoom option available if you can’t attend (Zoom link was sent in email). If you are going to attempt this at home, you will need some way to wind a warp under tension such as a warping board, C clamps, or a peg coat rack for instance and can bring your warp to the center to soak in the mordant. Susan used Painters tape as one of the wrapping techniques. Saturday will be the 1st part; the winding and mordanting and the dying part will take place in September. Neither Susan nor I will be available Sept. 18th so we will discuss at the meeting a time for this to take place.

Here is the agenda:

10:30 -11:00 Meet and Greet and Show and tell

11:00-11:15 Discuss our upcoming and outgoing shows and Dye Workshop
• Our show at the Western North Carolina Visitors Center will be taken down on August 30th.
• Whippoorwill Academy is having a Daniel Boone Day on I am thinking will be September 18th. The dates on their website are incorrect and they are looking for demo and perhaps sales? http://www.whippoorwillacademy.com/
• In October there is the opportunity for a show with the Arts Council
• Discuss date for September dye workshop

11:15-12:30 Mini Workshop on Ikat wrapping
• Bring fiber to wind a warp and wrap or do this at home.

July 17th Guild Meeting

We are finally going to meet in person on Saturday for our guild meeting. It’s so exciting. We are having our annual Fiber Swap and Potluck at the Western Watauga Community Center at 10:30 so please join us. Bring something to swap and something to eat or just bring yourself. See you on Saturday.

June 19th Guild Meeting

June Guild Meeting on the 19th at 10:30 am via zoom with Artists live from the Jones House.
 
Since we can’t hold our meeting at the Jones House, we are going to bring the Jones House to you via Zoom. We are inviting all the artists to meet at the Jones House on Sat. to give a talk about their work. Artists can also give their talk from home via Zoom and Susan will show your work from the Jones House for you.
 
10:30-11:30—Zoom mtg from the Jones House with introduction by Beth Reavis and Hope Esteban. Each artist can attend in person and take turns in the gallery discussing their work, or have option to attend by Zoom. Welcome to new members.
 
 
11:30-12:00—Rita Collie will lead planning session for Lost Province event which has been changed to June 26. We have tent & table for this one day event to show and sell fiber craft as well as demonstrate. Spinning wheels, fleece and rigid heddle looms already warped are available for volunteers.
 
12:00-12:30—Susan Sharpe leads planning session for next exhibit at the Western North Carolina Visitors Center in N. Wilkesboro. Jones House artists can enter their work, which comes down June 30. This show will be installed at WNCVC July 1 through August 31. Susan has photos of all display areas and can share at the mtg. She can pick up any work from Jones House June 30 to be included. Register for show on line using guild webpage form.
 
You can access the form here:
http://blueridgefiberguild.org/blue-ridge-fiber-guild-exhibit-form/
 
Volunteers needed on weekends, Friday-Sun spinning wheel, fleece, and floor loom will be on site or bring your own. All fiber demos welcome. Register with Hannah Finklestein.
 

High Country Modern Quilt Guild Exhibit

The High Country Modern Quilt Guild has an exhibit at Edgewood Cottage this week through June 13th and the hours are 10 am – 5 pm each day. Susan Payne just said she sold several wall hangings yesterday so major congratulations to her. Our Banjo Buddies group will be playing there on Thursday at noon so stop by and listen, view the show and say hello.

Lost Province Craft Fair in Lansing, NC

Rita would like to get word out to anyone who would like to participate in this craft fair at Lost Province in Lansing. She has reserved a table and tent for BRFG. The fair runs from 10 am – 5 pm and features many craft vendors, music, and a food truck, etd.

Location: Historic Lansing School lawn – address 9710 NC 194 in Lansing NC

 

Those demonstrating and/or selling may set up as early as 8 am.  Rita will be there at that time.

 

May need to bring extra chairs – there are two with the table,  We have a 10’ x 10’ space.  Please come out – I’d hate to be by myself.

Jones House Show 2021 Preview

Here are some preview photos of our show at the Jones House which opens June 4th and  runs to the end of the month. Please thank Hope and Beth for organizing and hanging the show for us. They did a fabulous job.

Jones House Preview

Upcoming Guild Events

May 15
Field Trip to the Yadkin Valley Fiber Center Yarn Sale. We will be sending out details on time and where to meet soon.

May 22
Spinning & weaving demo @ Saloon Studios Live, W. Jefferson, NC
volunteers needed

June 4-30
Member Group Exhibit @ the Jones House, Boone NC
Volunteers need for installation and spinning & weaving demos

July 1-Aug 31
Member Group Exhibit @Northwest NC Visitor Center, N. Wilkesboro NC
Volunteers needed for installation & spinning & weaving demos

April 17th Guild Meeting

BRFG Agenda, Apr 17, 2021—Zoom Meeting
Rhonda Gladden host

10:30—11:15—show and tell in the order of your sign in

11:15—11:45—new business
BRFG Member Forms Presentation—Rhonda Gladden

BRFG Exhibition Forms Presentation—Rita Collie

BRFG Workshop Proposal–Designing Ikat Warps—Susan Sharpe, presentation and member survey

11:45-12:30—online streaming of BRFG Natural Dye Workshop w/Rita Schwabb, 1993 (we were not successful in showing this last month, but we think we can do it this time!)

March 20th Guild Meeting

Blue Ridge Fiber Guild March 2021 agenda

 

10:30-11:00 show and tell

11:00-11:30 Reports

Janeene Ross—membership/finance

Rita Collie—Lost Province/Lansing festival- booth sale and demos in May/June? TBA

Susan Sharpe—Jones in June—exhibit, demos & reception

 

11:30-12:30

 Natural Dyeing Presentation —First we’ll take a closer look at the Peruvian wool yarns that were donated last year, along with the natural dyestuffs that we have for an upcoming workshop in April. Then we will view a 45 min video of a dye workshop presented to the guild back in the late 80s (or early 90s?) at Hickory Ridge Homestead. (Jane Campbell can possible verify the date as she is a featured participant!) The workshop was given by Rita Schwab, a founding member who has since moved away. The video is very informative regarding the basic process of natural dyeing and is a good place to start planning our workshop.