HAPPINESS IS HOMEMADE – SHEEP TO SCARF 2024
I want to thank and congratulate our Guild team who competed in the Fleece to Scarf competition at the Garden State Sheep Breeders Festival yesterday. We took SECOND PLACE – $100 Prize!
It was a very fun day and many visitors who came to the festival stopped by to watch our team and enjoy a cookie too. Our theme was ‘Happiness is Homemade’ and we certainly looked the part. The members of our team were Karen Blisnuk (Captain and Spokesperson), Kai Solon (Weaver), Amy Scott (Spinner) and Karen Borga (Spinner and Table presentation and Banner).
Thanks also to Laura Chandler who provided background support to the team by taking photos and preparing our team binder containing info on our choice of fleece and team member bios, helping secure supplies, transporting the loom and making her amazing weaving room available for practice.
A very special thank you also goes to Holly Loza who loaned her 4 shaft loom to the team for practice and the competition, Andrea Peart whose suggestions to our spinners aided in the consistency of the yarn preparation, and Sue Posberg of Windswept Farms for the fleece at minimal cost. I also want to thank my niece Nicole Abbate who created and produced the design for our team aprons and hats. Everyones efforts made our team shine.
Multi-Shaft Group Meeting – June 2024
Our meeting was on June 2nd and we had a great time. We were supposed to end at 4:00 but we actually went until almost 6:00 as we were learning so much had having such a good time. Photos include the new little lambs that were recently born on Laura Chandler’s farm.
Hanging with Friends
Lambs Born!
Warping the Loom
Warping Mill
Warping
More Sheep!
Rigid Heddle Weavers Group Meeting – May 2024
Dianne and Mary working on their projects
The sampling loom set up for members to practice soumak technique
Dianne working on her linen shawl
Our group gathered on Dianne’s front lawn
Alice’s houndstooth scarf with Karen and Barbara in the background
Spinners Study Group – May 2024
Andrea led the group that worked on 4 different types of spins. The spins they addressed are: As Is, Flipped, Fractal, and Drafted Together. These will be made into 2 ply yarns. As not all of the spins were able to be completed, the Study Group will finish up the remaining spins after the June General Meeting and Fashion Show on June 1st.
Flemington Makers’ Day Demonstration
A young visitor weaving a twill pattern on a 4 shaft loom.
Alice’s Lightning Weaver that drew a lot of curiosity.
Alice’s houndstooth scarf that she is weaving on her rigid heddle loom.
Karen demonstrating spinning on her Charkha spinning wheel.
Rae working on her needle felting.
MARCH 2024 GUILD MEETING
Thank you to Anne Choi and Laura Chandler of the NJ Fibershed. They gave a presentation about the fibershed and how it started, why and where it is going. Anne discussed how clothes and fashion affect the environment and how harmful fast fashion can be. Fun reasons to join the orgainization are the the barn crawl, she-shed talks, classes and fiber-along. Use this link to visit their website https://njfibershed.com/
What a great presentation! Hope you are excited to give this craft a try. Andrea suggested using a kit to get started. She explained the process from start to finish, showed us how to thread the needle and gave us an opportunity to try it. Bring your finished pieces to the next meeting – we want to see them!
Anne Choi – NJ Fibershed
Andrea Peart – Needle Punch Demonstration
WINTER RIGID HEDDLE GROUP MEETING
Thank you to all who came to Alice’s for our winter rigid heddle weavers study group. We did discuss pick up patterns using Ideas by Jane Patrick. We had some show and tell. Nekell’s tension got messed up on her project which she aptly fixed. Maggie brought her inkle project – pretty greens. Alice and Sabra worked on their shawls using Brooks bouquet randomly to add some spark. Merideth finished her warp – for a color and weave pattern. Thank you Irene for our presents!! Andrea finished a towel using that amazing colorway of red, yellow and orange and was busy hemstitching. I wove a bit on a scarf using silk for a 3 color houndstooth pattern. ~ Dianne Snodgrass
Andrea working on the hemstitching of her dish towels.
Dianne and Nekell discussing a book on Fiber that Dianne received as a gift.
Alice’s shawl with added Brooks Bouquet sections.
Sabra working on her latest project
Nekell working on her WAL project on her homemade 3D printed loom.
Merideth threading the heddles on her new project
FEBRUARY 2024 GUILD MEETING
Longstanding member Rae Turner gave a presentation on her journey into needle felting and what motivated her to the various designs that she has produced over the years. Rae demonstrated how she begins a project and works her way down from the head to the body adding additional features such as limbs and wings. Rae made recommendations to those who were interested in pursuing this craft along with descriptions of the equipment that she found most useful. We thank Rae for sharing her knowledge and the numerous pictures of the projects that she has created over the years. Thank you! We also had members share their finished pieces and “works in progress”. We had a packed house!
JANUARY 2024 – ROC DAY!
It was great to see so many of you both physically and virtually at our January Guild Meeting last Saturday. I think we all had a lot of fun and enjoyed both the Trivia Contest and our Pirate Pollyanna Gift Exchange as well as all the delicious food that everyone brought to share.
December 2023 General Meeting
The program for the December meeting was Polled Dorset for our breed study. We had a presentation by Sue Posbergh and Andrea Peart.
Rigid Heddle Group November 2023 Meeting
Nekell’s loom is amazing. 3D printer and dowels. Who’d have thunk?!! Her project is, too. Two inkle looms came with Barbara and Maggie with cheery color projects. Andrea and Irene were working on tea towels. Meredith was setting up a log cabin color and weave pattern. Sabra is creating a T shirt loop rug. Alice is making a Christmas scarf and Karen has bright colors on a white background which I think may be a towel, too. I had set up my little Harrisville for practice with pick up patterns.
Our Winners from Rhinebeck 2023!
Amy Scott took First, Second, and Third Place ribbons for her hand spun yarns as well as a Second Place ribbon in the spinning wheel competition. Kai Solon took First Place ribbons in both the drop spindle and spinning wheel competitions. Laura Chandler took a Second Place ribbon for her photograph of her husband and sheep.
Amy Scott
Amy Scott and Kai Solon
Laura Chandler’s Winning Photo
September 2023 Rigid Heddle Group Meeting
OCEAN CITY ARTS CENTER JULY 2023 EXHIBIT
Many of our Guild Members had their pieces selected to displayed in this wonderful fiber exhibit. We attended the Artists’s Reception and enjoyed talking with fellow art lovers!
Unraveled – One Thread at a Time
Meet The Artists!
Rigid Heddle Study Group – May 2023
Our Rigid Heddle Study Group met at Dianne’s House. It was a gorgeous day and we wove in the front yard. We had delicious food, lots of laughter and many curious passersby!
Rachel Snack Of Weavers House – 2023
Rachel Snack of Weaver House shared her journey in building a small textiles and weaving business. She gave us a virtual tour of the Weaver House shop and studio, and answered questions about her woven work, educational experiences, and weaving practice. We all left inspired and ready for a road trip to her store!
New Jersey Sheep and Wool 2019
Guild Meeting Photos 2019
July 10, 2016 – “Country Day” Demo
at Kirby’s Mill in Medford, NJ
June 18, 2016 – Fiber Dyeing Mini Workshop
by the Spinner’s Study Group
Spinners worked with 4 pots from natural dyes: walnut shells and walnut shells with vinegar; cochineal (various shades of raspberry); tumeric for a deep golden mustard color; onion skins for a somewhat lighter yellow. Spinners used 1 glass pan for Kool-Aid dyeing in the microwave: Berry Blue, Grape, Cherry
March 6 – Spin-in / Weave-in
at Barclay Farmstead Museum
February 2016 – Barclay Farmstead / Warping a Loom
Guild Members came together to warp a loom at Barclay Farmstead in Cherry Hill, NJ.
Each participated in their own turn. Some worked on handwork they brought while awaiting their turn or taking a break.
October Workshop 2015 – Color and Weave
The October Color-And-Weave workshop was a success. All participated in a round-robin of samples from 4 and 8 shaft drafts of color-and-weave effects. We all took home one good instruction, memories and a booklet of samples which were woven at the workshop
Rock Day 2015 and Spinning at the Zoo 2015
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