CHG Weavers

Promoting fiber arts and education in the community

In the Mind’s Eye: 2013 Chattahoochee Biennial of Textiles

In the Mind’s Eye, the 2013 Chattahoochee Biennial of Textiles exhibit, is on view at the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art through June 30, 2013.

iTME-400

This exhibit, juried by fiber artist Catharine Ellis, includes 27 works by 19 fiber artists from the Southeastern United States.

 

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Chattahoochee Handweavers Guild thanks these friends for sending Door Prizes for the 2013 Open House.

Almost 100 guests attended, and some have already registered to learn to weave!

poster for open house 2013

Preparing for the Open House

It is a busy week for the CHG weavers.  We are preparing for our annual Open House, Sunday, February 10.

The Open House committee is rounding up people to demonstrate weaving, spinning, and other fiber techniques.  Someone is checking in the door prizes sent by yarn and equipment vendors and other friends. Our Hospitality Committee is coordinating refreshments. The display cabinet is ready, and weavers are bringing more beautiful handwoven fabrics for you to see and touch.

Bring the entire family!

poster for open house 2013

Annual Open House
Sunday, February 10, 2013
1:00 – 4:00 pm
North DeKalb Cultural Center
Rooms 1, 2, and 4
5339 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road
Dunwoody, GA

Weaving on the Radio: re:loom – Weaving a Difference

Our friends at re:loom – weaving a better life were featured on the December 12, 2012 WABE City Cafe with John Lemley program.  WABE’s Kate Sweeney interviewed re:loom weaver Fred Brown and asked about what he thinks about while he is weaving.  Brown has worked for almost a year at re:loom, a subsidiary of Atlanta’s Initiative for Affordable Housing, Inc.

CHG member and Initiative Executive Director, Lisa Wise, explains how the re:loom programs help homeless and low-income families in metro Atlanta secure housing and break the cycle of poverty.

re:loom rug

A rug on the loom at the re:loom WeaveHouse

Listen to Weaving a Difference.

St. Distaff’s Day: Back to Work

Traditionally, spinners and weavers went back to work on St. Distaff’s Day,  the first day after the Twelfth day of Christmas.   So while the women were weaving and spinning, the men had a few more days off until Plough Monday, the first Monday after Twelfth Day.

17th-century English poet Robert Herrick wrote about the revels in his poem Saint Distaffs Day, or the Morrow After Twelfth Day. Listen to a reading here on LibriVox.

In 2013, Plough Monday and St Distaff’s day fall on the same day, January 7, so everybody is back to work.

Everyone at Chattahoochee Handweavers Guild wishes you a happy and productive year.

2012 Georgia National Fair

The Georgia National Fair hosts competitions in spinning, weaving, felting, and other fiber arts in the Fine Arts Department.

The Chattahoochee Handweavers Guild Award for Excellence in Handweaving went to Bonnie Carter of Savannah, GA.

Congratulations to CHG members for their award winning entries in the
2012 Georgia National Fair

Apprentice Division

Meredith Austin
Weaving and Felting

  • 2nd place Class 8 – Scarves – mixed yarns, less than 10 inches wide
  • 3rd place Class 8 – Scarves – mixed yarns, less than 10 inches wide

Master Division

Linda Jarrett

  • Peachtree Handspinners Guild Award
  • Natural Dye Award

Spinning

  • 1st place Class 1 – Blends
  • 1st place Class 2 – Cellulose – (100%; no blends)
  • 1st place Class 3 – Exotics – (silks, mohair, cashmere,
  • 3rd place Class 6 – Wool – 100% wool, 20 or more wpi
  • 3rd place Class 7 – Wool – 100% wool, less than 20 wpi

Weaving and Felting

  • 1st place Class 2 – Decorative – smaller than 20 inches wide
  • 1st place Class 8 – Scarves – mixed yarns, less than 10 inches wide
  • 3st place Class 7 – Scarves – 100% handspun, less than 10 inches wide

Judith Krone
Weaving and Felting

  • 1st place Class 10 – Shawls or other shapes – mixed yarns, 11 inches or wider
  • 1st place Class 13 – Project completed by two or more people
  • 2nd place Class 8 – Scarves – mixed yarns, less than 10 inches wide
  • 2nd place Class 10 – Shawls or other shapes – mixed yarns, 11 inches or wider

Kim Wall
Spinning

  • 1st place Class 7 – Wool – 100% wool, less than 20 wpi
  • 2nd place Class 1 – Blends
  • Honorable Mention Class 7 – Wool – 100% wool, less than 20 wpi

Paula Vester is the superintendent of the Spinning and Weaving Competition for the Fair.  Sue Gilmurray, CHG Standards and Ratings chair, handles the CHG Award for Excellence.

Spinning and Weaving Week 2012

Spinning and Weaving Week is October 1-7, 2012. The Chattahoochee Handweavers Guild joins with HGA and spinners and weavers all over the world to celebrate our fiber heritage.

As they have done in years past, the CHG evening weaving classes invite anyone interested in weaving to stop by our classes to see the works in progress.  A “Try Me” loom is ready for you to try your hand at weaving.

Stop by Dunwoody’s North DeKalb Cultural Center during the Open Studio hours:

  • Beginners Plus class, Tuesday, October 2, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
  • Continuing Weaving class, Thursday, October 4, 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Read more about Spinning and Weaving Week and how you can organize your own celebration!

CHG Exhibit Awards

Congratulations!  The following work received awards in the Creative Obsessions CHG Members’ Exhibit on view during the month of May.

Functional
Cindy Fox, Skittle Stripes

fox-skittle

Decorative
Ann Doherty, Night and Day

doherty

Wearable
Dianne Totten, Get My Angle

Accessories
Judith Krone, Silent Scrim

Best of More
Christine Stanton, Water’s Edge

stanton

Margaret Mott Award
Helen Johnson, Blue Notes

johnson-bluenotes

Complex Weavers Award
Dianne Totten, Transitions

totten-transitions

HGA Award
Nancy Dugger, Stopping by Woods

CHG thanks the following organizations for awards presented in this exhibit:

All Photos © Laura Klein

Creative Obsessions

In even-numbered years, the Chattahoochee Handweavers Guild sponsors an exhibition showcasing the work of our members.  We are delighted that this year’s Creative Obsessions exhibit is hosted by The Gallery of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Atlanta.  We invite you to visit the exhibit during the month of May 2012.

Creative Obsessions
Chattahoochee Handweavers Guild Members’ Exhibit

May 5 – May 27, 2012
The Gallery of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Atlanta
1911 Cliff Valley Way, NE
Atlanta GA 30329
404-634-5134

Retreat!

A review of CHG’s 2011 Fiber Retreat, contributed by Terri Bryson

Camp Mikell

Camp Mikell, Toccoa, GA

The last week of October 2011 found me talking to myself as I packed clothes, fiber, and looms.  I had ambitious plans.  The weekend loomed ahead with no meals to plan or cook.  No expectations other than relax, hang out with friends, and practice weaving and other fiber arts.  Sounds ideal, doesn’t it?  Well, I wondered, will my attention span tolerate this?  There were no formal classes planned.  Participants could work or not.  Why on earth was I making all the effort to pack up my weaving toys and other things?  I could work here at home.  The lure of not cooking had proven too much.

With hindsight, I am now able to answer my own questions.  The best part of the weekend was the friends and sharing.  Everyone worked on different things: floor loom weaving, rigid heddle weaving, knitting, spinning, photography, tapestry weaving, and, best of all, lots of laughing and talking.  If by some chance you needed a break there were hiking trails and other places to walk and stretch your legs.  The weather was perfect.

In addition to helping each other with project questions, the learning opportunities were ample.  We were offered an impromptu class on weaving a beaded tapestry bracelet.  We explored Zentangle and drop spindle. We had some rather unusual offerings as well.  From “Olympic Rosary Toss” to “advanced needle click” knitting to the “gluteal slide” hiking technique, everyone earned something new.

  • CHG’s Education Committee’s next Retreat! is scheduled for October 4-7, 2012.  More information is in the Fiber Focus newsletter.

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