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NEW YORK THREADS The Newsletter of
The New York Guild of Handweavers Box 1623, Madison Square Station, New York 10159-1623
Web: www.nyhandweavers.org e-mail: [email protected] Meeting at The School of Visual Arts September 2016
133 West 21st Street, Room 602C
Social Hour at Noon
Program at 1:00PM
Come to our new location: 133 West 21st Street, Room 602C
(between 6th and 7th Avenues)
For a program with Sally Orgren
“Boost your weaving skills: all about shuttles”
Saturday, September 24, 2016 at 1:00 pm
Not all shuttles are created the same. Depending on the weaver, their loom, and what they are
weaving, a particular shuttle may clearly be the better
choice for their project. Shuttle type, proper bobbin
and pirn winding, and shuttle handling are all things
that can improve a weaver’s experience AND their
selvedges. Sally Orgren will bring in an assortment
of shuttles so we can examine and delve into the
specific considerations of shuttles including shape,
height, length, fiber feed, and special-purpose
shuttles designed for bulky warps, double bobbins,
and end feed (EFS). A fun and informative one page
handout will be included with the presentation.
NEW MEETING LOCATION
A new season in a new home! We are
kicking off the new season by moving
from east to west. Going forward we will
be meeting in new, larger premises.
Though the building is also part of the
School of Visual Arts (SVA), this one is
located on 133 West 21st Street, between
Sixth and Seventh avenues. Our meeting
room will be 602C. See you all there.
(Image: Google Streetview)
MUSEUMS AND EXHIBITIONS
Metropolitan Museum
1000 Fifth Avenue, NYC 212-535-7710 http://metmuseum.org
The second in the Secret Life of Textiles
exhibition series is now on in gallery 599.
Objects on view include wool and hair
fibers from sheep, camelids, goats, yaks,
horses, cows, and other small animals,
silk filaments from both cultivated and
wild silk worms, as well as feathers. The
exhibition also includes reference
materials showing the transformation of
animal fibers through technology, and it
reveals the expertise of conservators in
fiber identification. The exhibition will
continue through February 20, 2017.
Also at the Met, From the Imperial Theater:
Chinese Opera Costumes of the 18th and 19th
Centuries. This is an exhibition, drawn
entirely from the Met’s own collection,
examining these rich textiles from both an
artistic and technical point of view. The
exhibition is organized in two rotations,
the first focusing on costumes used in
dramas based on historical events, and
the second on costumes from plays
derived from legends and myths. Eight
robes will be highlighted, each created for
a specific role, court lady, official,
general, monk, nun, and immortal. The
exhibition will continue through October
9, 2017.
Smithsonian Design Museum Cooper
Hewitt
2 East 91st Street, NYC 212-849-8400 http://www.cooperhewitt.org
Scraps: Fashion, Textiles and Creative Reuse
is the title of an exhibition of the work of
three designers who put sustainability at
the heart of their design process. The
Exhibition offers creative, alternative
approaches to confronting textile waste,
and explores key facets of sustainability,
including efficient use of materials,
preservation of local craft traditions, and
integration of new technologies. More
than forty works will be on display. The
exhibition runs September 23, 2016
through April 16, 2017.
Museum at the Fashion Institute of
Technology (FIT)
Seventh Avenue at 27th Street, NYC 212-217-4558
http://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/
Proust’s Muse, The Countess Greffulhe
exhibits fashions from the legendary
wardrobe of Élisabeth de Caraman-
Chimay, Countess Greffulhe (1860-1952).
The exhibition is based on an exhibition
organized in Paris by Olivier Saillard,
director of the Palais Galliera, Musée de
la Mode de la Ville de Paris, which is the
repository of the countess’s wardrobe.
Among the pieces on view will be the
countess’s famous “Lily Dress” (circa
1896), attributed to the House of Worth.
The exhibition is in the Special
Exhibitions Gallery, and runs September
23, 2016 through January 7, 2017.
EVENTS
Parsons School of Design and Cooper
Hewitt have launched the first ever New
York Textiles Month. It is going on right
now with an extensive program to
celebrate textile creativity and promote
textile awareness. The program includes
an array of activities, from museum
exhibits to lectures to talks and tours,
including tours of Studio Four, where our
very own VP Soraya Shah will be the host
on Saturday September 17. Check out all
the options at
http://www.textilemonth.nyc/events
The Third Star Fibre Artist Guild will be
hosting a weekend-long Fall Fiber Weekend
event in Woodstown, NJ on Oct 22-23.
The event will include two 2-day
workshops by Karen Donde (Weave a
Twill Gamp with Color-and-Weave
Effects), and by Beth Smith (Spinning 3-
in-1). For those who would like to attend
and are interested in staying overnight in
the area, the organizers recommend the
following hotels near Woodstown:
Hampton Inn (856-351-1700), Holiday Inn
Express (856-351-9222), Comfort Inn (856-
299-8282), Super 8 (856-299-2992). More
information about the event can be found
on the event facebook page.
TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
Thinking of traveling abroad? Want to
include textiles in your sightseeing?
There are groups out there that specialize
in organizing textile-focused tours in
exotic places. Here is a sampling of what
is available:
Indonesia: Tribal Weaving of the Lesser
Sunda Islands, a 12-day cruise taking place
May 1-12, 2017, organized by Asian
Textile Studies. More information is
available on their website.
Mexico: Weaving the World, 10-day textile
and weaving tours to Oaxaca, including a
4-day hands-on weaving course with
Zapotec Weavers. Check out their
website for more information.
Japan: Textiles of Kyoto, Japan is a 10-day
tour organized by Esprit Travel & Tours.
See more information on their website.
Norway and Iceland: Knitting and
Weaving: Vikings, Fjords, Trolls, and
Midnight Sun is one of the many tours
around the world organized by Loom
Dancer Odysseys. The next one will take
place summer 2017. Check out their
complete calendar of options at
http://loomdancerodysseys.com/calendar/
Italy: Fiber Tours are organized by Linda
Kirsch. See her Let’s go Italy website at
http://letsgoitaly.com/fiber-tours/
Peru: Textiles/Folk Art/Market tours are
organized by Puchka Peru Cultural
Tours. Find all information at
http://www.puchkaperu.com/
U.S.A. Weaving in Beauty. Don’t forget all
the wonderful things going on right here
in the U.S. of A. This organization offers
Navajo weaving classes and tours. Check
out their website.
SAYING “GOODBYE” TO BEA
We are saddened to learn of the passing
of our dear friend Bea Aubrey, on June 3,
2016. Members of the NYGH will
remember Bea as our one-woman
Hospitality Committee, greeting
members and visitors at the Welcome
Desk, distributing nametags with a smile.
She was the first face you saw at every
meeting. With her sweet personality, she
was perfectly suited for the job. I will
always be grateful to Bea for her
enthusiastic participation in every guild
activity, especially when I first became
president, and felt overwhelmed by the
responsibility; her happy countenance
and cooperative spirit were so helpful. At
our Holiday Party in 2012, we tried our
hands at Swedish Wheat weaving. Bea
mastered the material effortlessly and
guided other members with their own
creations, even though the medium was
totally new to her. At VKL in February
2014, I finally got to see some of Bea’s
weaving — she brought a rag rug sample
to display that she wove from velvet.
Who would think to make a traditionally
“humble” item out of a luxury fabric? I
still think that it was one of the most
creative uses of materials I have ever
seen. I will remember Bea fondly as one
of my first friends at NYGH. She will be
greatly missed. Rest in Peace, Bea. Gail Gondek
APRIL PROGRAM REPORT
At our last program of the previous
season we were feasted on a giant show-
and-tell presentation by Becky Ashenden
of the Vävstuga Weaving School. Our
friend Charlene Marietti wrote a lovely
review of the program on her blog.
Recommended reading! Have a look at
http://www.filamenti.net/2016/05/swedis
h-delights.html
TEXTILE MUSEUMS
In a recent newsletter, Selvedge magazine
published a guest blog by Emma
Davenport about the Queen Street Mill
Textile Museum, the last surviving 19th
century steam-powered weaving mill in
Lancashire, UK. Ms. Davenport describes
in great detail a visit she made to the
Museum, which illustrates the
astonishing history of cotton cloth
production in the region that is also
discussed extensively in the recent book
Empire of Cotton: a Global History by Sven
Beckert. It is sad to think that this
museum too may be closed in the near
future. Click here to read Emma
Davenport’s blog post.
MARKETPLACE
Loom for Sale: 60” Varpapuu loom, a
1970s countermarch loom purchased in
Finland. Traditional mortise and tenon
birch construction, functional and
attractive. It offers up to 12 x 12 harness /
treadle combinations. Underslung beater
is easy to handle and control. Traditional
linen cord tie-up and cotton string
heddles, easily convertible to Texsolv.
Linen aprons on front and back beams.
Breast and knee beams lift out for
dressing and tie-up. Metal pawl/ratchet
brake system. Loom footprint is 72” wide
by 50” deep. It is whisper quiet to
operate, with light harness action and
easy treadling. The countermarche action
produces a wide shed opening. Steady
and sturdy for all fabrics, from rugs to
lace weaves. Included are: a bench and
many accessories/tools. Asking price is
$1,500 or best offer. Pick-up in Central NJ.
If interested, contact the owner at
Book sale: If perchance you cannot make
it to our next meeting, but can go to
Martinsville, NJ, Isa Vogel is having a
sale of books on weaving, dyeing, shibori,
ethnic weaving, art books, embroidery,
knitting and crochet. Among the authors
included are Jack Lenor Larson, Sharon
Alderman, Ethel Mairet, Anni Albers,
Sheila Hicks, and others. There will be
some weaving equipment for sale as well.
The sale date is Saturday, September 24,
from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, rain or shine,
and the address is 1881 Ridge Road,
Martinsville, NJ 08836 (off of Washington
Valley Road and exit 33 from Rt 78
heading towards Martinsville).
Free Loom: LeClerc Nilus counter-
balanced 4 shaft loom, 60" wide.
Located on the Upper West Side by
October 1st. Contact
Free Loom: 12 harness 60” double back
beam Leclerc Countermarch loom with
fly shuttle available for the taking. Lovely
loom for someone desiring quality wide
fabrics, complex weaves, and inter-woven
sculptural works. I am the second owner.
Loom is in Lloyd Harbor, LI, NY.
Contact: [email protected]
UPCOMING PROGRAMS 2016-17
October 29, 2016
Weaving with Color That Moves,
Betty Vera
Warp painting, ikat, and variegated yarns
offer opportunities to take advantage of
color variations, both planned and
serendipitous, in weaving. Using slides
and woven examples, Betty Vera will
present some strategies for working with
these kinds of moving color in both warp
and weft.
December 3, 2016
Holiday Party
January 28, 2017
Weaving Software: 12 Benefits Beyond
the Basics, Carol Steuer
Weaving software is for a lot more than
just planning out your design. From
block substitutions to yardage
estimations, we will explore the
additional benefits of moving from graph
paper to a computer. For those of you not
familiar with weaving software, we’ll
start with a short introduction on how
most programs work. Then we’ll go on to
12 features that could make your weaving
life easier.
February 25, 2017
Show and Tell
March 25, 2017
TBA
April 29, 2017
Exploring the Art of Basket Weaving,
Camille Meade
Camille Meade will provide a brief
history of basket weaving as well as share
several examples of her work using a
variety of basket weaving materials. This
will range from the more traditional
Nantucket Style Baskets using cane, to
Reed baskets as well as those made with
more unique materials like willow, pine
needles, sea grass and painted paper. The
lecture will conclude with a hands-on
experience to allow members to work
with a specific medium and try their
hand at basket weaving.
OFFICERS, BOARD MEMBERS & COMMITTEE MEMBERS General info: [email protected]
President: Carol Steuer,
Vice‐President: Soraya Shah,
Secretary: Gail Gondek,
Treasurer: Tina Bliss,
Membership: Stephanie Chambers,
Newsletter Editor: Ria Koopmans,
Programs: Carie Kramer,
Publicity: Jonathan Miller,
Librarian: Carie Kramer,
Web Master:
Contact any of the above, and more, via
the contact page on our website:
http://nyhandweavers.org/contact
Closing date for the October issue is
October 14, 2016. Please send your
submissions to the editor.