Weavers and Spinners Society of Austin (WSSA)

felted brown bag with gold flap with butterfly closure

MEETING/PROGRAM ARCHIVES

Previous Programs

2009 below

December 10 -- Holiday Party at Charleen's!

November 12 - Ply spit braiding with Sharon and Eileen. Shorter business meeting and show and tell.

Oct 5-11 - Spinning and Weaving Week. Sponsored by Handweavers Guild of America, Inc.

Oct 8 - The creature from the back of the loom (or spinning wheel)-- horror stories of projects gone wrong, and celebrating weaving and spinning week-- wear something handmade

Sept 10 - Weaving Tips and Tricks. Meg Wilson, presenter

July 9 - Annual Potluck Picnic. 7:00pm at Meg Wilson's home. (directions e-mailed to members). Bring a covered dish. Meg will provide plates, cups, serving utensils, ice tea, fruit punch and a good dish. We'll also have a stash swap. Bring any yarn and/or fiber that you no longer want and swap with others. Anything that doesn't get taken will go into the guild stash for future study groups and demos.

June 11 - Debra McClintock: Looms of Southeast Asia.

May 14 - Deborah Sharp will talk about fiber and her fiber mill.

April 9 - Letitia Rogers will present on color theory.

March 12 - Tissue Paper Dyeing - Meg Wilson

March 26-29 - Contemporary Handweavers of Texas, San Antonio.

February 12 - Felting

January 8, 2009 - We will meet at Meg's home (2005 Arthur Lane) at 6:00. Peter Collingwood extravaganza. Come for two Peter Collingwood videos. The first is an hour long interview with Peter Collingwood about his introduction into weaving and his life as a weaver. The second CD is about an hour of Peter in his workshop demonstrating microgauze weaving and shaft switching: his two primary inventions in weaving. Both of the Peter CDs are stunning and incredibly well produced. Bring tea and/or tea-related snacks.

2008 below

December 11 - Christmas party.

November 13 - cardmaking.

October 9 - Marie Carmel will present on monks belt. We will also discuss plans for WSSA's Maker Faire booth Oct 18-19.

September 11 - We will see a slide show of all of the exhibits that were at Convergence in Tampa in June. Fashion show, yardage, Small Expressions, etc.

July 10 - WSSA members will report on what they learned, saw and bought at Convergence
http://www.weavespindye.org/pages/convergence2008/homepage.php

June 12 - Picnic and voting for new officers. Picnic location will be posted here when determined.

May 8 - We will choose from a set of photos to inspire us for a design challenge and talk about the ways color, structure, pattern, etc in the photos might be represented in our weavings, felting, dyeing, etc. The projects resulting from this challenge will be shown at our Christmas party. A slate of officers for June 2008-May 2009 will be presented by the Nominating Committee.

April 10 - Local Fiber Friends Part Two: CJ will spin fiber from a bunny sitting in her lap.

March 13 - Local Fiber Friends Part One: Pam Murfin discusses goats and mohair; Sharon Bramblett will bring llama fiber and discuss its preparation/uses. And we'll also bring the odd fibers we showed at Maker's Faire.

February 14 - Valentines Day - Love Your Guild-- let's decide on a Guild Challenge or Study Group for 2008, bring your ideas! AND Show and Tell from the folks in the Triaxial Workshop Feb 2-3 weekend. Along with all the usual goodies.

January 10, 2008 - Eileen will tell us about her recent trip to China.

2007 below

December 13 - 6:00 pm. Annual Christmas Party

November 8 - Holiday Ornaments
Marie Carmel will teach us to make yarn-tomtar (xmas elves), swedish woven (braided) hearts, and perhaps roving angels.

October 11 - Sue and Meg will present the 3rd annual weaving tips and tricks session and we'll plan WSSA's demo booth for the MakerFaire.

September 13 - What I Did on My Summer Vacation
Extended show and tell, projects, or fiber related trips you made. Bring your slides. Marie C. will show slides and samples from her summer classes at Sätergläntan in Sweden; Eileen and Marie H. will share their Charlottesville adventures at the One World Cloth display; and Meg will describe her Alaskan fiber finds.

August - No meetings scheduled. Have a nice vacation!

July 26 - Bring materials to weave your rag rug. Connie will be there to help you get started.

July 12 - Connie Creed will present a program on rag twining on a stretcher frame loom. She will hand out instructions and a materials list and go over the procedure. Bring fabric if you want to use her mat and rotary cutter to cut strips. Learn how to make a rug in a day!

June 14 - 6:00 pm. Annual summer picnic. Sue Plattsmier will be our hostess this year. Bring your favorite entree to be grilled and a dish to share. Bring a lawn chair, also, if you can. 3505 Purple Heron, Austin 78746. (map - type in her address)

May 10 - CHT Learning Exchange. Guild members who attend CHT and took workshops or seminars will share their experiences and newly acquired knowledge.

Apr 12 - The Old Oaks Ranch will present a wonderful trunk show. There will be a sampling of goodies offered by Sue Ellen at her new studio and shop. There will also be a door prize, a fabulous surprise! You sure don't want to miss this one!

Mar 8 - Guild yarn Exchange. Remember that yarn you just had to have because it was such a great deal, a beautiful color, it just felt good in your hand? Problem: it's still sitting in your stash. Plan to trade or sell your beautiful but unused yarns. It will be a fun time for everyone.

Feb 8 - CHT is in April and we want to make a our presence known to the multitudes there with our entry in the SPECIAL EXHIBIT: "Shaken, Not Stirred." We will decorate a martini glass in whatever style that suits our fancy. This is an informal contest, with prizes to be awarded after the membership votes on their favorites. Individual entries in this exhibit are also encouraged. Bring your fancy yarns, beads, whatever to decorate the guild entry and your own. Plastic martini glasses will be provided so you can show your personality in your glass!

Jan 11 - Carol Wyche will lead us to better physical enjoyment of our varied fiber arts. She will demonstrate and guide us through stretching exercises that focus on specific muscles and joints affected by those repetitive movements (or non-movements). We make a special emotional connection with the fiber in our lives, and a tuned-in body can make it even better.

2006 (below)
Dec 14 - Christmas party will be at Meg Wilson's home.
Nov 9 - Letitia Rogers will present a program on the Theo Moorman technique. Letitia has been weaving with this technique for about 20 years. She will have a slide show and hands-on samples that correspond with the items being presented. Handouts will be available also. Come see how this technique is woven and how it can be used for decorative pieces and clothing.
Oct 12 - Tips and Tricks - Sue Plattsmier and Meg Wilson
Sue and Meg will give us more tips and tricks for weaving. It is on tools, techniques, and resources as a refresher and knowledge exchange for best practices in weaving. Meg may weave in some learning from Convergence.
Sept 14 - Christmas in September - Eileen Thompson
Eileen will show a variety of ways to make your own textile related Christmas Cards. This will be a "make and take" program where everyone will have the opportunity to make a card. We will have a loom warped for boundweave figures, some small and cardlooms set up, and off loom ideas. If you have them, please bring colorful or interesting thrums, small lengths of yarn (handspun or otherwise), handwoven fabric scraps, pretty buttons or other doodads that could be glued on a card. Your own scissors would be useful too.
July 13 - Gudrun Polak, well known card weaver, will give a slide presentation of techniques of card weaving and bring some of her bands to display.
June 8 - Annual WSSA potluck picnic at Lisa Charbonnet's and show-off of Weaving Poker Guild Challenge entries if you've woven yours.
May 11 - Twill Design with slides and computer drafting by Meg Wilson.
Apr 13 - Cut Your Warping Time in Half and Learn to Warp with Multiple Fibers (including a completed warp give-away by Sandra Doak) Handout
Mar 9 - Boucle and NoveltyYarn Spinning; Refining Your Spinning Skills. Carol Wyche and Eileen Thompson will discuss how to improve your spinning and how to spin novelty yarns. They will follow this up by further practice on the 4th Thursday spinning night.
Feb 9 - What's Hot and What's New in American Weaving (fiber trends in America and abroad) Meg Wilson. Plus the introduction of a WSSA Guild Challenge: Weaving Poker coordinated by Eileen Thompson
Jan 12 - Charlotte Allison; complex weaving, Acadian weaving (details)

2005 (below)
Dec. 15 — Christmas Party at Charleen's at 7:00 pm. Annual Chinese gift exchange, lots of arcane rules but lots of fun and no one leaves without a gift! Bring a present to give, handmade or under $10 please. A-R brings a salad or entree, S-Z a dessert.
Nov 10 — Sandra Doak; Paper Weaving for Christmas. Preparation necessary. See our projects in progress.
October 13 — Connie Creed and Sage McKenzie; The Art of Spinning Cotton
October 1-2 — Workshop on Theo Moorman inlay technique for weaving rugs at Letitia Rogers fabulous new studio in Fredericksburg
September 8 — Meg Wilson and Sue Plattsmier; Weaving Tools, Tips and Tricks from Beginner to Expert
August 25 — Vacation/Spinning Night
July 14 — Elizabeth Adams; Netting. Bring $1 for needles and string. Some full kits will be available for sale.
June 9 — Year-end Picnic. 7pm. We'll party at Lisa Charbonnet's. A-K bring entree or salad, L-Z bring dessert. We'll elect a new Board and brainstorm on next year's programs and workshops.
May 12 — Fashion in Zinacatan. Come hear Lori Benson speak about her 9 years of experience with the Maya and their textiles in Chiapas, Mexico. She's been associated with the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul for many years and has amassed a glorious collection of textiles of her own during frquent visits to Zinacatan. She'll have lots of slides and stories?
April 14 — Help set up CHT at Airport Hilton.
Mar 10 — Elizabeth Adams, non-toxic dyes
February 10 — Knots: Meg Wilson and her patient and talented husband, Fred, will lead us to discover a wide range of knots useful and traditional to the art of weaving. So, limber up your fingers.January 13 — Bring your surplus cleaned fibers: batts, rovings, yarn, cotton, wool, silk, linen—the works, and trade for something different. Bring spare weaving books, patterns, knitting patterns to niddy noddies and let's make a deal. WSSA Board Member-at-Large Elizabeth Adams will also speak to us about forming a group to sell our handmade fiber items at Farmer's Markets and, possibly, other local venues.

2004 (below)
Dec 9— 6:30 pm Come celebrate the holidays with the WSSA. Generous Charlene has volunteered her house.
Nov 11 — Chinese Dragon Box (Christmas Box, if you prefer!)
This project involves wrapping yarn around a cardboard form. By folding the forms you create a five-corner box that is then wrapped top to bottom with the yarn (or narrow ribbon) of your choice. The size of the box determines the size of yarn used.
Oct 14 — Tablet (card) weaving is an ancient, alternate form of weaving on the loom. Intricate, colorful patterns can be created to make belts, hatbands, sashes, trim, wall hangings, purses, etc. Sharon and Eric Bramblett will demonstrate card weaving using the backstrap method and inkle loom, respectively. (see also http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~llama/fiber/cardweaving.html)
Oct 9 — Felting Workshop (Meg Wilson)
Sept 9 — Find some colors vibrate from afar and others just go grey? Confused about color blending with fiber, a wonderful heathered effect or just a muddle? Don't miss Eileen Thompson's mini-seminar on color! We'll explore Deb Menz's new book, Color Works.
July 8 — Trina Das will tell us about her work with textiles in India and at Syracuse University where she is pursuing a MFA. She'll present slides as well as let us touch some of her designs.
June 10 — Party Time! Welcome one and all, members, ex-members, and interested guests. We'll meet at Meg Wilson's home, 2005 Arthur Lane, Austin, TX 78704. For driving instructions go to MapBlast and enter your address. Come join the fun with a picnic to share: A thru K bring an entree or salad; L thru Z bring dessert.
We'll elect and welcome the new Board and brainstorm planning for next year's programs and workshops. We've already had requests and suggestions about tapestry knots, diamond ornament boxes, taproot looms and Nuno felting. What would you like to learn?
May 13 — Come "Tie One On" with the WSSA! Eileen and Meg will demonstrate new ways to tie on to the loom. Bring your own ideas, we'd love to continue the exploration. Eileen will also bring goodies from her trip to New Zealand. Bring your own show and tell too.
Apr 8 — Fibers and dyeing will be our topic this month! We'll be experimenting with natural dyes and a diverse array of fiber including mohair from Pam Murfin and llama from Sharon Bramblett and Karen Conyngham.
Mar 11 — Our very own Drop Spindle Study Group will get a chance to strut its stuff. We're looking forward to hearing about techniques both new and tried and true. Bring $2 for a build-your-own drop spindle.
Feb 12 — Warping Efficiency by Meg Wilson. We'll view Peggy Osterkamp's awesome videotape. It is great for beginners and experts! Please come and share suggestions/methods/problems! (handouts p1, p2, p3, p4, p5)
Jan 8 — Gail Sword will demonstrate her pattern for making a sweater out of our odds and ends of handspun yarn. Gail has a clever, easy way to join the pieces that doesn't require fancy stitches. Bring your bits and pieces with you.

2003 (below)
Dec 11— Holiday Party
Nov 13 — How to spin mohair loopy bouclé.
Oct 9 — Connie Creed will teach us how to make beaded scissor point protectors.
Sept 11 — Patricia Day and Charleen Searight will teach us to make handmade "box books:" great fun, great gift idea and a good way to use your handmade papers. Bring scissors, 12" ruler, pointed needle with an eye large enough to take waxed linen, needle nosed pliers and $1.50 for materials.