Your guild needs you! Open Board of Directors positions

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Every June we have elections for half of the NVWG Board.   All terms are for 2 years unless noted. This year we will vote on the following positions:

  • Co-Chair
  • Secretary
  • Communications Director
  • Publicist
  • Hospitality (1 year, to fill vacancy)
  • Programs
  • NEWS Rep
  • 2 At Large Members

(Job descriptions for the open positions are below.  All positions are described in our Bylaws document .)

Per our Bylaws, the nominating committee is made up of all of the Board members whose terms are not expiring.  That committee will be headed by Laura.

As our new Bylaws dictate, there are term limits for the Co-Chair and Secretary positions.  This means that Penny and Krista cannot continue in these rolls.  We must nominate new people for these positions.

Please make nomination suggestions to Laura or any current Board member.  The Board usually meets for an hour just prior to our regular Guild meetings, and we generally have a lot of fun.  Please consider joining us!

Excerpt from Nashoba Valley Weavers’ Guild, Bylaws Article IV, Duties

  1. The Chairpersons provide purpose and direction to the Guild, set the agenda for meetings, preside at all meetings of the Guild and the Board of Directors, and delegate and/or carry out other responsibilities as needed. The Chairpersons shall also contribute information to the website/blog, or the current method of Guild Communications, to inspire the Guild body. The Chairpersons will be responsible for the assembly of the Annual Report, based on inputs from the other Board members. The Annual Report will be presented no later than the September Board meeting and will cover the Guild’s previous fiscal year, with final version/approval no later than the October Board meeting
  2. Treasurer
  3. The Secretary will take the minutes of all Board of Directors meetings and distribute them to the Board. The Secretary will conduct all correspondence needed upon the Guild’s behalf and keep an archive of the meeting minutes.
  4. The Communications Director will ensure that all guild activities are posted to the website/blog and/or other current communications channels in a timely fashion.
  5. The Publicist will write articles and submit them to local and/or online publications telling of Guild activities, publicize events, create computer graphics for materials, and conduct related activities.
  6. Historian
  7. Librarian
  8. The Hospitality Coordinator will be responsible for ensuring that refreshments are available for Guild meetings and other special events.
  9. Members-at-Large will assist other board members by taking on specific tasks that
    are mutually agreed upon, and by helping to bring new ideas to the board.
  10. The Program Director will be responsible for coordinating the speakers, programs, and equipment in consultation with the Board. The Program Director will also maintain a list of contacts used in the position and will provide a description of each program for publicity purposes (website, etc.)

This year’s Theme and Challenge:

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This year’s theme:  Out of the darkness, into the white!

As we begin to re-emerge into a new Pandemic-induced normal, we reflect on things we’ve learned during quarantine.  We learned that inclement weather meetings don’t need to be canceled when they are held online.  We also learned that some speakers are willing to “Zoom in” from different locales, giving us affordable access to presentations that are out of our geographical area.  Finally, we learned that many of us appreciate “in person” meetings when it’s safe to do so, especially when Show and Tell is involved!  This year’s program calendar tries to balance all of these lessons.  Check out our upcoming programs here.

This year’s Challenge: Weave something using just one color (color of your choice) and white.  Get as inventive as you like!  What effects can you create?  Which tints of your chosen color do you like best?  Challenge yourself to go beyond your comfort zone, or stay right within it.  Have your piece(s) ready to showcase and talk about at the Annual/Potluck meeting in June!

May 23, 2023 Meeting 7:00 PM Congregational Church, Harvard, MA

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The May Nashoba Valley Weavers Guild meeting will be at the Congregational Church in Harvard, MA. This is an in-person meeting. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM, followed by our presentation with Kristin Kelley-Munoz.

Tapestry Weaving from a Former Multi-Shaft Weaver’s Point of View

After spending over 20 years as a multi-shaft/cloth weaver, and prompted by the pandemic-forced closures of shows such as Paradise City, Kristin changed her weaving practice completely, starting over again as a tapestry weaver. After learning the basics through online classes, she was accepted into the two-year, low residency Foundation in Tapestry program at the West Dean Tapestry studio, one of the last remaining large tapestry studios in the world, located in southern England. In this presentation, Kristin will give an overview of tapestry from its ancient roots through to the current state of the field, and share her experiences in making this change and her studying at West Dean so far. She will bring along samples, books and a few different types of small tapestry looms for Guild members to see and try out, time permitting. She will also provide an extensive list of resources that she has found helpful in her journey – in case anyone else would like to explore the slow art of tapestry weaving as well.

Guild Meeting Tuesday, April 25, 2023, Congregational Church , Harvard, MA

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This is an in-person meeting that begins at 7:00 PM with social and library browsing time. The program–Creative Meditation: Finding Connection through Making with Christopher Croucher starts at 7:30 PM.

Creative Meditation: Finding Connection through Making

Meditation isn’t just about making your mind go blank.  In fact, unless you’re a monk high in the Himalayas, that’s really not the goal of meditation at all.  There are so many ways and so many reasons to practice reaching a meditative state including stress reduction, clearer thinking and even some health benefits.  One of my favorite ways to reach that state is to dive fully into a creative project.

In this workshop we will briefly discuss meditation, what it is and isn’t, and some of its benefits.  Then we will practice together with a guided meditation about connecting with our craft and art.  All you need is an art or craft you’d like to work on, preferably something a bit repetitive or simple like a simple knitting project, spinning, stitching or simple embroidery, sketching or anything that doesn’t require checking on a pattern.

I look forward to sharing this technique with you!

Christopher Croucher is an artist, performer and healer who enjoys weaving (pun intended) those three aspects of his work together to create beautiful experiences for those he encounters.  Chris practices a wide range of arts and crafts including but never limited to spinning and knitting, watercolor painting, sculpting, pyrography, sewing, and in many cases anything else he can get his hands on.  He is a professional dancer and choreographer and is currently growing his meditative dance series called Letting the Land Lead.  He also works with groups and one-on-one clients as a massage therapist and energy healer and teaches workshops based on all of his work.  During whatever time he has after doing all of that, Chris loves to be in nature.  Most of all, he simply loves sharing his passion for the magic of the world.   

March Zoom Meeting, Tuesday 28,2023 7:00 PM

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The March 2023 Nashoba Valley Weavers Meeting Zoom Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 28, at 7:00 PM. Our program for the night is a tour of the Saunderstown (RI) Weaving School historic looms with Norma Smayda.

HISTORY

The Saunderstown (RI) Weaving School was established in 1974 and continues to offer classes in handweaving on floor looms. The school began with two Glimakra looms and a Monica table loom from Scandinavia, two small Harrisvilles’, one big Hammett, and five weaving students. This number quickly grew to between twenty-five and thirty students per semester, year-round. Over the years more looms came in, many were donated, others were bought, new, and used, and occasionally a few looms were left to make room for others. At this time there are about forty-five floor looms, plus several table, tapestry and band looms. Over twenty-five loom makers are represented. Some of the looms are historic, and most have stories to tell. Two looms belonged to Weaver Rose, another was built by Milo Gallinger for his wife Osma, one loom was used in the Bauhaus, another is a specially designed two-legged loom, and one was built by a Hollywood movie actor for his Rockette wife. The weaving school also houses a large library of about 2,000 volumes. This will be a narrated slide show into the workings of the Saunderstown Weaving School.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

Norma Smayda learned to weave in Norway, and occasionally returned there to teach. In 1974 she established and continues to run the Saunderstown Weaving School. In addition, she lectures and gives workshops, especially on her favorite topics–Scandinavian weaving techniques, weave structures, and the work of Weaver Rose and Bertha Gray Hayes. She has written two books: Weaving Designs by Bertha Gray Hayes and Ondulé Textiles: Weaving Contours with a Fan Reed.

Guild Meeting February 28, 2023, via Zoom

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The Guild’s February meeting is two weeks from now. Our program for the meeting is “Setts and All Their Glory” with Susan Conover. This is Susan’s newest presentation and is filled with oodles of pertinent information for the hand weaver when it comes to obtaining the proper sett for your next project.

The beginning of the talk contains reed maintenance (carbon and stainless steel), including storage solutions and rusty reed prevention and repair. Plus, a nifty conversion chart for Imperial vs. metric reed sizing. Susan then moves into the nitty-gritty with:

Mini Squid Towels

  • Reed Substitution Charts
  • The Master Yarn Chart
  • Yarn Wrappings
  • Stretchy, stiff, and handspun yarns-Obtaining the correct sett
  • Number of times that the weft intersects the plane of the cloth in one repeat
  • Firm setts, slippery yarn setts, and drapey setts
  • Calculating your shrinkage in both warp and weft
  • A cameo project will be a sett sampler in plain weave and twill
So mark your calendar now for 7:00 PM, Tuesday, February 28, 2023. This meeting is via Zoom only.

 

NVWG Zoom Meeting Tuesday, January 24, 2023, at 7:00 PM

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Mark your calendars for the first meeting Guild meeting of the year on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, starting at 7:00 PM via Zoom. After a brief business meeting, Carol James will join us for a presentation on fingerweaving. What exactly is fingerweaving, and why would a person want to learn the technique? This presentation shows you the basics of creating cloth without using a loom. Carol James re-traces her path of discovery of this low-tech textile method. We begin with the Quebecois tradition that Carol learned because of her husband’s roots. Carol shows us a manner to create the dense warp-faced cloth known as “ceinture fleche” or arrow belt. We then follow Carol’s path of discovery of this branch of fingerweaving and then some of its many variations. She shares images from around the world reaching back to prehistoric times. Evidence for this low-tech textile method includes bags, belts, shawls, and skirts. Take inspiration from the past, and never again will you have to say, “too bad I can’t take my handweaving with me”.

December 6, 2022, Meeting & Workshop RSVP Required

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Nashoba Valley Weavers Guild
December 6, 2022, Meeting & Workshop RSVP Required
1:00 PM–3:00 PM (in-person only)
Congregational Church of Harvard, 5 Still River Road, Harvard, MA

Fran Levi will present Hemstitching & Friends

On-loom techniques for stabilizing first and last weft rows and really dressing up a piece of weaving. This is a fast paced, hands on review of some of the neglected tools in your weaving toolbox. You will go home with a sampler of techniques for future reference.

Things to bring:
Sewing scissors
Sewing glasses
Selection of tapestry needles
Tie on tags for labeling (I’ll bring some if you don’t have them handy)
Tatting hook or tiny crochet hook (optional)
Knitting needle 12” or shorter any size between 0 & 5 (optional)
Magnification (optional)
Personal work light (optional)

We are asking that those who are planning on attending to please RSVP so that we have an adequate number of kits prepared. Here is the link to the RSVP form.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf20BU0z3oC4CdBzUpEYr_akNAXtgCrlhOlCp-SRe60h3ZGkQ/viewform?fbzx=1794918075375150655

25Oct2022 Meeting

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Come explore handweaving.net with us on Tuesday 25Oct at 7pm on Zoom!

Handweaving.net has multiple useful design and exploration tools to offer weavers of all levels. In addition to drafts, there is a draft editor, a color editor, a digital archive, and more. The base website is available for free. A low cost subscription gives you access to all the tools. Co-Chair Penny Lacroix will lead this Zoom presentation.

The link for the Zoom meeting will be sent out to all members prior to next Tues. Not a member and want to join the meeting? Guests are welcome. Email chair@nvwg.org to request the login credentials.

Reminder: Dues for the 2022/23 year are due by this meeting! If you haven’t paid, please send cash or check for $25 to PO Box 50, Harvard MA 01451.