2020 Swatches
Each year seems to bring concepts and weaves that gel organically. Two of our swatches this year were chosen as a way of honoring guild members and friends who have passed. Many thanks to you for sharing the memories and achievements of these individuals. Some of us may have met them; others can just know how they were valued and the contributions they made to fellow weavers.
Jackson Handweavers and Spinners Guild
The process Martha Town describes in recounting the story of the Jackson Handweavers and Spinners Guild reads like both mystery novel and chemistry textbook. Martha, Mary Fechner and Jan Sheely collaborated to create swatches representing their guild. Makes one appreciate the many steps and great discussion offered, with ideas to continue experimenting.
Weavers Guild of Kalamazoo, Inc
Some of us who were not members of the K-zoo guild had the opportunity to purchase the Weavers Guild of Kalamazoo 50th anniversary book. Could the swatch in the book be one of Esther’s six swatches? Ann Niemi’s description of Esther James and this sample chosen in her honor will keep her name in our thoughts. That in turn keeps her here still, doesn’t it?
The Chicks of Ann Arbor
The other swatch woven to honor a weaver came from The Chicks from Ann Arbor: Nancy Hedberg, Jean Hosford, Mary Underwood, accompanied by wild cheerleading from Pat Peters who was sidelined by a should injury. Ellen didn’t live to see 103 (as Esther did). Her death was untimely and robbed the world of a vital player with still so much to offer. She was an avid fiber arts person and champion of the natural world. A cherished friend. Unfair, but a life well lived. To weave these samples was to have Ellen sharing a loom with us a while longer.
Eastside Handweavers Guild
Cindy Greenfelder took us down Friendship Lane with a draft intended for ‘friendship towels’. Her research into the history of this weave is a gift to us all and a reminder of the many ways we connect via our friendships through fiber. The rewards from diving into the origins of weaves are many and worth the effort. Her documentation of the friendship towel is a delight to read.
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