Weavers in “harness” at fall workshop

3623642Thanks to funding from the Oliver arts council, the Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers are able to invite weaver Alison Irwin from Duncan for a two-day workshop on Pick-Up weaving using 4-harness looms on October 1 – 2 at the Shatford Centre in Penticton.

Alison Irwin lives in Maple Bay and has a weaving studio set up in her home. Irwin WeavingShe teaches beginner courses and more advanced classes both locally and beyond BC’s borders. One look at her handouts and you know she’s got a graphic arts background! Several of her projects have been published in ‘Handwoven’ magazine. Alison also likes to keep a camera close by. Some of the images taken on her walks down to the beach, or out in the yard, or in the studio are then altered a little or a lot in Photoshop.

 

Anyone not yet registered will be out of luck: the workshop is booked solid already. As weaver Barbara Levant explains, “It has sold out because our Guild is quite big and we do have a waiting list. 4_Harness_Loom_mainOur members go from Summerland to the border, so the OCAC funding has been spread over the South Okanagan. The participants are all very appreciative as the cost of the workshop is reasonable for all because of the funding. So again thanks to the Board for supporting this workshop!”

 

 

Tea Weaves

The Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers celebrated their 35th anniversary in fine style on Thursday April 26 with a tea, exhibit, sale, demonstrations, and a special performance by the Oliver Handbell Ringers.  The event was open to the public, and was well-attended. The date  was also picked to coincide with BC Arts and Culture Week, and was one of a number of arty gatherings this week.

Visitors were treated to a sit-down tea with sandwiches and sweets.  The audience  was delighted with the handbell concert, which transformed the event into a multisensory experience!

Many stalls displayed clothing, linens, purses and other accessories, and whimsical items. A collection of spinning wheels stood at one end of the Oliver Community Centre hall where there was also a slide show of various fibre art projects. Weaving and felting were among the live demonstrations. 

At left, Gail Erickson weaves using one of the smaller looms on display. A belt perhaps, Gail?

Felted blossoms and leaves were a sure sign of spring.

Cynthia Jones threads her shuttle, working on the largest loom on display. 

A fancy “tea”  party must have a fancy tea cosy — or is it a teapot? Notice the bead on the spout for a  drip.

Terry Irvine soaps up her wet-felted creation, a sheep tea cosy, while an amused Diane Lindsay looks on. 

And a busy happy throng of weavers, tea-partiers, and curious onlookers!

Photo Credit: Penelope Johnson

Slow Fibre Fest is Fast Approaching

The Desert Sage Spinners & Weavers are busy preparing for their

Slow Fibre Fest
Saturday October 29
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Seniors Centre
2965 South Main St., Penticton
Vendor market, Demonstrations,
Displays, Fashion Show
Free admission – but bring your wallet for purchases!
Refreshments and Lunch available

 

Pictured here, members of the guild are “growing” felted blossoms on willow branches. The finished creation will be a stage decoration during the event’s fashion show.

This guild has some of the most inventive, creative, beautiful … and funny! …spinners and weavers around. The Slow Fibre Fest will be guaranteed to make you gasp with delight,  laugh, and reach for your pocket book so you can take those warm and cuddly creations home with you.  A fun and educational outing for the whole family.

Photo Credit: Barb Hicks

Fab Four Weaving Workshop

It’s not the Beatles, it’s a weaving workshop. And it definitely won’t be a “hard day’s night” to become proficient at these techniques :

The Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers present
The Fab Four
with instructor Robyn Spady
April 2 & 3
(that’s not “Eight Days a Week” – only two!)
Oliver Community Centre
Fee: $125 (incl instruction booklet and lunches both days)
 
Round-robin workshop exploring weave structures including
diversified plain weave, integrated weaves, swivel,
single block bead leno, corduroy, Bedford cord,
deflected supplementary warp and cannele and more.
Info: hhayes@vip.net
 
This workshop is presented with funding made available through
the Oliver Community Arts Council.
The Desert Sage Spinners & Weavers Guild gratefully acknowledge this support.

 Check out the DSS&W website at: http://southokanaganslowfibrefestival.weebly.com

Slow Fibre Festival Wins over Crowd …FAST

The Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers hosted the Slow Fibre Festival in Summerland on Saturday October 9, 2010.  The festival observed a similar principle as “slow food”: focussing on natural fibres and local fibre producers and artisans.  The event, including displays, demonstrations, and sales tables was a huge success. It was a perfect tie-in with the Thanksgiving weekend. Member Gail Erickson says the venue was bursting at the seams with vendors and customers, and they will be looking for a larger location next year.  Take a look at some of the photos from the festival, featuring the busy Desert Sagers at work.

Wish you knew how to do this yourself? Join the Guild! Contact the Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers by visiting our “Contact” or “Groups” pages, or by emailing the OCAC at olivercac@gmail.com to be put in touch with the Guild.

Photo Credit: Roger Richardson

“Slow” Fibre Festival with Desert Sage

The South Okanagan has some of the most creative fibre artists around. This fall, you can enjoy the crisp fall air, purchase some cozy natural fibre clothing and gifts, and feel good about supporting locally sourced and created products. The concept reflects similar principles as the “Slow Food” Movement.  It’s a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving! 

The Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers present
“Slow” Fibre Festival
Saturday October 9, 2010
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Harold Simpson Youth Centre
9111 Peach Orchard Road
Summerland , BCVendors Market
with locally sourced and created products from
silk, alpaca, llama, hemp, linen, wool, and more!
 
Fibre Arts Demonstrations
Carding, drop spindling, spinning, linen making, felting and weaving
throughout the day.
Meet the artisans!

Wish you knew how to do this yourself? Join the Guild! Contact the Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers by visiting our “Contact”  or “Groups” pages, or by emailing the OCAC at olivercac@gmail.com to be put in touch with the Guild.  

Photo credit: Penelope Johnson

"Slow" Fibre Festival with Desert Sage

The South Okanagan has some of the most creative fibre artists around. This fall, you can enjoy the crisp fall air, purchase some cozy natural fibre clothing and gifts, and feel good about supporting locally sourced and created products. The concept reflects similar principles as the “Slow Food” Movement.  It’s a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving! 

The Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers present
“Slow” Fibre Festival
Saturday October 9, 2010
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Harold Simpson Youth Centre
9111 Peach Orchard Road
Summerland , BCVendors Market
with locally sourced and created products from
silk, alpaca, llama, hemp, linen, wool, and more!
 
Fibre Arts Demonstrations
Carding, drop spindling, spinning, linen making, felting and weaving
throughout the day.
Meet the artisans!

Wish you knew how to do this yourself? Join the Guild! Contact the Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers by visiting our “Contact”  or “Groups” pages, or by emailing the OCAC at olivercac@gmail.com to be put in touch with the Guild.  

Photo credit: Penelope Johnson

Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers

jen-and-yarn“Tromp as writ”, “Overshot”, “Throw the shuttle” “Tabby”, “Pickup” — these unusual expressions are just a few phrases to be heard in the Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers Guild. Weaving is an age-old art of forming lengths of yarn into cloth.  In early human society, weaving satisfied the need for clothing and shelter. Garments and dwellings were constructed from woven animal hair or plant materials.  Today, the possibilities are endless with an array of  threads, yarns,  fabrics, dyes, animal hair, plants, and synthetics – and centuries of creative techniques to draw from.  

gail-weaves1

Desert Sage members practice a number of skills including felting, spinning, dyeing, weaving, and knitting to create works of art. Anyone who likes to work with fibres is welcome to join! The Guild’s sixty members span the South Okanagan and the adjoining Thompson valley.

The Guild holds regular drop-in sessions every Thursday, September to June, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Oliver Community Centre.  The monthly business meeting  is on the second Thursday of each month beginning at 10 a.m. (same location). There are frequent workshops, demonstrations, exhibits, and sales.

We’re growing! Currently our membership sits at between 65 and 70 artisans. Between four and six new fabric art lovers join the guild per year. You might be one of them!

 Desert Sage Spinners & Weavers Guild
P.O. Box 1473
Oliver, BC
V0H 1T0
 diane-and-yarn-creations

Our guild is a mixture of ages, backgrounds, lifestyles, skill levels, and artistic preferences. Our common thread is our keen interest in an unusual and somewhat obscure pursuit of yarn and fibre craft. Our crafts are an expression of human ingenuity, a sense of continuity with our past, and linkage with other cultures and generations. The pursuit of excellence in our projects forces us to slow down, pay attention to detail, and allow our creativity to flourish.

 Photos by Penelope Johnson

 

 

 

jen-spinsComing up for the Desert Sage Guild:

The Association of NorthWest Weavers’ Guilds Conference
“Weaving Waves of Colour”
May 29-31
Gonzaga University
Spokane Washington

Visit us at

Summer Studio
July 6 – 11
Opening Reception: Monday 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Displays and Demonstrations: Tuesday – Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Kids Day Activities: Wednesday 10:00 – 12 noon
Studio Building, Quail’s Nest Arts Centre