Class descriptions and conference information

 Midwest Weavers Conference June 15‐20, 2015 Urban Fiber with a Minnesota Twist Registration Information University of St. Thomas Campus Map Map Key 6 Murray Residence Hall 15 Flynn Residence Hall 18 Morrison Residence Hall 19 Koch Commons 27 Anderson Student Center 71 Anderson Parking Garage Please note that a few workshops and seminars are at off‐campus locations. Transportation will be provided. PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE Sunday, June 14 ‐ Preconference 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm Registration 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm Dinner Monday, June 15 ‐ Preconference 7:00 am to 9:00 am Registration 7:00 am to 8:30 am Breakfast 9:00 am to Noon Workshops Noon to 1:00 pm Lunch 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm Workshops 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm Dinner Tuesday, June 16 ‐ Preconference 7:00 am to 8:30 am Breakfast 9:00 am to Noon Workshops Noon to 1:00 pm Lunch 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm Workshops 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm Dinner Wednesday, June 17 ‐ Preconference 7:00 am to 8:30 am Breakfast 9:00 am to Noon Workshops Noon to 1:00 pm Lunch 1:00 pm to 4:00pm Workshops Wednesday, June 17 ‐ Conference 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm Registration 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm Check‐in for Exhibits and Fashion Show 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm Dinner 6:30 pm Transportation leaves for Guthrie Theater Thursday, June 18 ‐ Conference 7:30 am to 8:00 pm Registration 7:00 am to 8:30 am Breakfast 8:45 am & 9:00 am Bus Tours check‐in 11:00 am to 2:00 pm Check‐in for Exhibits and Fashion Show 8:00 am to 7:30 pm Vendor Hall Setup Lunch Lunch on own 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm Guild Exhibits Setup 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm Dinner 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm Teachers’ Dinner 7:00 pm Conference opening, Keynote Address 8:15 pm Ice Cream Social Friday, June 19 ‐ Conference 7:30 am to 9:30 am Commuter Registration 7:00 am to 9:00 am Breakfast 8:30 am to 11:30 am Seminar Sessions 8:30 am to 6:30 pm Exhibits Open 10:00 am to 6:30 pm Vendor Hall Open 11:30 am to 1:00 pm 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm 4:45 pm to 5:30 pm 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm 7:30 pm 8:45 pm to 10:00 pm Lunch Seminar Sessions Special Interest Groups Dinner Fashion Show Rehearsal Fashion Show Reception and Vendor Hall Open Saturday, June 20 ‐ Conference 7:00 am to 9:00 am Breakfast 7:15 am to 8:15 am MWA Leadership Breakfast 8:30 am to 11:30 am Seminar Sessions 8:30 am to 3:00 pm Exhibits Open 10:00 am to 4:30 pm Vendor Hall Open 11:30 am to 1:00 pm Lunch 1:30 am to 4:30 pm Seminar Sessions 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm Exhibits Released 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm Dinner 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm Teachers’ Sales Event 7:15 pm Celebration, Awards, Business Meeting, Closing Sunday, June 21 ‐ Conference 7:00 am to Noon Residence Hall Checkout 7:00 am‐8:30 am Breakfast For the most up‐to‐date news about the conference and additional information on our vendors, teachers, and exhibits, visit our website: www.midwestweavers.org/conference, or our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/mwc2015 Contact information: email [email protected] Or phone Jan Nelson at (651) 695‐1024 Important Dates to Remember January 12 Registration Opens February 1 Scholarship Applications Due March 1 Vendor Applications and Guild Exhibit entry forms due March 13 Early Registration Deadline April 17 Registration Closes May 1 Entry Forms Due (Member Exhibits, Fashion Show) May 15 Conference Bag Items Due 3
The Weavers Guild of Minnesota invites you to Midwest Weavers Conference 2015, Urban Fiber with a Minnesota Twist, in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, June 18 to 20. Preconference workshops will be held June 15 to 17 at the University of St. Thomas (UST) and Textile Center, a national center for textile arts and home of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. Enjoy the Twin Cities’ museums, galleries, and textile arts. UST is in a quiet, safe, residential area. The residence halls are beautiful and comfortable (air‐conditioned), the campus cafeteria provides a variety of good food to meet all dietary needs, and parking is plentiful and free. Keynote Speaker: Catherine Friend Weaving Chaos: A Life of Wool, Writing, and Disobedient Sheep
Thursday, June 18, 7:00 pm A former ‘city girl,’ Friend lives on a small farm in southeastern Minnesota, where she and her wife Melissa raise sheep and cattle. She writes adult nonfiction, fiction, and children’s books. The Compassionate Carnivore won the Minnesota Book Award in General Nonfiction. Her memoir, Hit by a Farm, was selected by the Minneapolis Star Tribune as one of the best books of 2006. Her children’s picture book, The Perfect Nest, was chosen by the Wall Street Journal as one of five best ‘read alouds’ and was nominated for numerous state reading awards. She was awarded a Loft/McKnight Artist Fellowship for Writers, and her adult adventure novels have won awards from the Golden Crown Literary Society and the Independent Book Publishers Association. Friend has an M.S. in Economics and a B.A. in Economics and Spanish. She does chores, teaches writing workshops, and speaks at libraries, yarn shops and fiber festivals, professional organizations, and schools. She’s discovered that farm chores and snowshoes make Minnesota winters bearable, and is especially proud she’s learned how to take the wool from her sheep’s backs and knit it into very cool socks. 4 ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS Founded in 1885, the University of St. Thomas (UST) is a private, Catholic, liberal arts university based in the Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our conference will be held on the St. Paul campus, located at 2115 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota. The 78‐acre St. Paul campus consists of the original 45‐acre campus, five acres of adjacent properties, and 28 acres of the Saint Paul Seminary campus (informally referred to as the "south" campus) that was transferred in a 1987 affiliation between St. Thomas and the seminary. The main campus, built on a farm site once considered "far removed from town," is located in a safe, residential area where St. Paul's stately Summit Avenue meets the Mississippi River. The beautifully landscaped campus has been used as a setting for two motion pictures. UST is a non‐smoking environment throughout the entire campus. www.stthomas.edu/aboutust/campuses/stpaul/ ABOUT TEXTILE CENTER Several preconference workshops and conference seminars will be held at Textile Center (TC), home of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota, just a 15‐minute trip from UST. Now celebrating its 20th year, Textile Center is a dynamic space where people come together to create, learn, share, explore, and be inspired by fiber art. Situated near the confluence of Minneapolis and St. Paul and located across from the Prospect Park Green Line light rail stop, Textile Center welcomes and represents all fiber art forms and serves a membership that includes a broad, vibrant coalition of artists and learners at all ages and levels. Textile Center’s mission is to honor tradition and promote excellence and innovation in fiber art by the creative development of fiber artists and enthusiasts through community resources such as a range of classes, exceptional exhibitions, extensive library, artisan shop, and professional dye lab. On display during the conference: Small Expressions, curated by the Handweavers Guild of America, features contemporary small‐scale artworks by artists from around the U.S. and the world. Free transportation to TC will be provided for participants attending preconference workshops and conference seminars at TC. In addition, we will have FREE shuttle service to Textile Center during the conference on Thursday, June 18, Friday, June 19, and Saturday, June 20, so our guests may visit the Weavers Guild classrooms and office and visit the special Small Expressions exhibit on display. http://www.textilecentermn.org 5
About Weavers Guild of Minnesota The Weavers Guild of Minnesota is proud to celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2015. Since WGM was founded by Hilma Berglund in 1940, WGM has organized and hosted local, regional, and national weaving conferences, was the catalyst in the formation of Textile Center, and has maintained classroom and library space since 1955. This year we celebrated several milestones: the 40th Annual Sale‐Fiber Fair, when our members sell their handmade work during a three‐day sale in November; the launch of the Central Corridor Transit Light Rail in June 2014, a new mode of transportation just steps away from WGM; and 75 years of supporting the community’s interests in weaving, spinning, and dyeing. To celebrate our 75th anniversary, we are publishing a book, A Thread Through Time, which will be available for purchase during the conference. www.weaversguildmn.org/ CONFERENCE HOUSING (Numbers in parentheses correspond to the number of that building on the University of St. Thomas map inside the front cover.) Conference registration and housing check in will take place in Koch Commons (19), which is centrally located among the residence halls and classroom buildings. Campus Housing details: Campus housing is at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul Campus, 2115 Summit Avenue, St. Paul. www.stthomas.edu Conference attendees who utilize UST’s housing will be lodged in Morrison (18), Flynn (15) or Murray (6) residence halls. Most housing available at UST is based on single rather than double rooms, in apartment/suite style format. Single housing means that each person will share a four‐bedroom apartment that has two bathrooms. Double housing means traditional doubles that house two people with a private bath. If the requested double rooms are no longer available, registrants will be put into two single rooms in the same apartment/suite, and registrants will be notified. If you are requesting single rooms, you may list the names of up to three people to share the apartment. All parties sharing should list all names. If you request a double, you and your roommate must list each other’s names on the registration form. If your roommate is not attending the conference, list that person’s name on your registration form. That person must register for the conference as a guest (no conference fee) and pay the double housing and meals fee. Handicap accessible housing is available. Also, please indicate on the registration form any special dining or accessibility needs. The conference registration team will assign rooms and are not able to accommodate specific hall requests. 6 If you are interested in any other options for arrival or departure dates from the options listed on the Registration form, please send an email to [email protected]. Please type HOUSING in the subject line. More about the residence halls: All residence halls are air‐conditioned. Bedding and towels are provided and can be changed out after a 4‐day stay. Items you may want to bring: 
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Hangers Alarm clock Hair dryer Radio The residence halls provide close and easy access to the Anderson Student Center (27) where meals will be provided and many conference activities will be held. Off campus housing recommendations: Refer to the UST website (http://www.stthomas.edu/visitors/default.html for a listing of local hotels. Please mention that you are participating in a conference at UST to receive the special UST rate. UST is a non‐smoking environment throughout the entire campus. CONFERENCE MEALS The View, located on the second floor of the Anderson Student Center, will serve as the main dining facility for conference attendees. The View features five different serving lines including an open‐hearth pizza oven, grill items, main entrée selection, international line, and “Your Call” which serves bowls that are made to order to accommodate gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian selections. All food and beverages must be eaten in The View dining room. Check the conference registration form for details on how many meals are included with each housing and registration option. Additional meals may be purchased for guests. If you are in need of a snack or just want a change of pace, T’s and Summit Marketplace, both located on the first floor of the Anderson Student Center, will serve you well. PARKING AND CHECK IN Parking for those staying at UST: When you arrive on campus to check in, park under Morrison Hall (18) prior to checking into registration. Leave your belongings in your car and take the elevator up to the second floor/skywalk level; go to the Koch Commons registration area to check in. Free overnight parking for conference attendees staying on campus is provided. Parking for commuters and other guests Free parking for commuter attendees is available in the Anderson Parking Facility (71) located at the corner of Cretin Avenue and Grand Avenue. NOTE: this is not the Anderson Student Center. 7
OTHER AMENITIES Other amenities that will be available to conference attendees: 
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Access to the St. Thomas recreation facility, which houses a large modern lap pool and large selection of conditioning equipment. The charge is $10 a day and that pass can be purchased when you arrive on campus. There are three locations of Nice Ride bike stations on campus, great for touring the neighborhood or just getting some exercise. Check out the website https://www.niceridemn.org/ for more details. Summit Marketplace, a small convenience store, is located on the first floor of the Anderson Student Center. Two ATMs are located on campus, one in the Anderson Student Center. Campus security is available 24/7 for questions and escorts. Free wifi is available everywhere on campus. TRAVEL The Twin Cities is served by Minneapolis‐St. Paul Airport (https://www.mspairport.com) NOTE: If you arrive at the MSP airport and use taxi service to UST, please make sure that you are taken to the St. Paul Campus and are dropped off at Morrison Hall for registration and housing check‐in. See map. Driving Directions: Use your own favorite method (on‐line or other) for driving directions to University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105. CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES Monday‐Wednesday, June 15‐17 Preconference Workshops Sign up early for your preconference workshops. Check in on Sunday night. Wednesday, June 17 An Evening at the Theater We have a limited number of tickets available for a performance at the world famous Guthrie Theater in downtown Minneapolis. Transportation from UST and ticket price are listed on the Registration Form. We’ll plan to arrive a little early at the theater to enjoy a view of the river and our famous Stone Arch bridge. Play: Juno and the Paycock, by Sean O’Casey, directed by Joe Dowling ‐ 7:30 pm “One of the great plays of the 20th century, Juno and the Paycock is an epic tale of one 8 family’s survival in Dublin following the Irish Civil War. Jack Boyle, known to his neighbors as the ‘paycock,’ is out of work and determined to stay that way. He and his sidekick Joxer spend their time drinking and playing cards while Juno, the matriarch, attempts to keep their family together. When the family learns of an inheritance from a distant relative, the money is spent before it even arrives. But will they transcend the events that conspire to keep them in their place? Director Joe Dowling’s legendary Gate Theatre production opened on Broadway in 1988 and launched his prolific directing career in the U.S. The New York Times raved ‘Dowling’s Juno is alive at every level – as a boisterous comedy, as wrenching tragedy, as blistering social commentary.’ You won’t want to miss this singular evening in the theater.“ For more information: http://www.guthrietheater.org/ Thursday, June 18 – a day to explore the Twin Cities We recommend one of our four all‐day tours. If you prefer, you can enjoy a beautiful day in the Twin Cities. Here are a few suggestions: 
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Take one of our FREE shuttles from UST to Textile Center (only a 15‐minute trip) to see the classrooms and offices of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota, enjoy the special HGA‐sponsored Small Expressions exhibit in the TC Mondale Gallery, and check out the unique offerings in the Weavers Guild and Textile Center’s shops. Shop at the Mall of America, the country’s largest shopping mall. Metro Transit connections are available from UST (approx. 55 minutes), 20‐minutes to drive, or $25‐$30 cab ride. Stay in St. Paul and walk along the Mississippi River or head to Grand Avenue for some unique shops and restaurants. Ask at the Hospitality desk for ideas and how to make them happen. Check out our links on the website for many suggestions of things to do in the Twin Cities. Thursday Bus Tours We welcome you to Minnesota and invite you to choose one of four all‐day tours (Thursday, June 18) to learn more about fiber in the Twin Cities area! Tour A: The Development of Weaving Arts in Minnesota (Minneapolis Museums Textile Tour) In this tour we will pay homage to the fiber artists and cultural influences that shaped the development of weaving in Minnesota. At the American Swedish Institute we will learn about Swedish American connections with guided tours of the beautiful and historic Turnblad Mansion and the museum’s Scandinavian Textile Collection. Hear the story of Hilma Berglund, daughter of Swedish immigrants, a key local figure in the development of weaving in Minnesota as well as co‐founder of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. For lunch we will savor a Swedish Smörgåsbord at FIKA Café, a popular local dining spot located at the Institute. We will travel to the Minneapolis Institute of Art where curator Nicole LaBoeuf will lead a private viewing of highlights from the textile collection. Then we will follow a Treasure Map in search of selected objects of interest on display throughout the galleries. Finally, a visit to the Midwest Art Conservation Center (MACC) which will give us a rare behind the scenes look at the preservation and conservation facility where high quality in‐lab services are performed on historic and contemporary works of art. You will meet MACC conservators as well as see and discuss projects in process of restoration. Cost of the tour is $75.00, which includes lunch, transportation, entry fees, and gratuities. Tour Capacity is 40 people. Check in time: 8:45 am. We leave St. Thomas at 9:00 am from in front of Flynn Residence Hall. This tour is accessible for all. Please note on your conference registration form any special food or accessibility needs. 9
Tour B: Talking Textiles: Minnesota’s Rich Cultural History in Textiles (St. Paul Museums and Mansion History Tour) Join us behind the scenes with curator Linda McShannock at the Minnesota History Center to view textiles in the permanent collection that illustrate the culture and history of Minnesota, past and present. We will view the current exhibits: We Are Hmong Minnesota/Peb Yog Hmoob Minnesota and Ebony Fashion. After lunch at the History Center’s popular Café Minnesota, we will tour the James J. Hill House, a National Historic Landmark and home of the builder of the Great Northern Railroad. Textile conservator Ann Frisina will discuss how to furnish an historic mansion with period textiles produced by custom weavers nationally and internationally as well as through digital means. Returning to St. Thomas along St. Paul's Summit Avenue, the longest stretch of Gilded Age mansions remaining in the country, our tour guide will share some of the history and architecture of this historic neighborhood. Cost of the tour is $55.00, which includes transportation, entry fees, and gratuities. You’ll select from the many choices and pay for your own lunch at the History Center’s restaurant. Tour Capacity is 45 people. Check in time: 9:00 am. We leave St. Thomas at 9:15 am from in front of Flynn Residence Hall. This tour is accessible for all. Please note on your conference registration form any special food or accessibility needs. Tour C: The Design, Finishing and Embellishment of Good Cloth (From the Goldstein to the Opera and Northrup King) See how many artists have met the challenge of designing, finishing, and embellishing their cloth. First we will examine functional and fine art pieces in the extensive collection of the University of Minnesota’s Goldstein Gallery. Elaborating on our theme, curator Jean McElvain will pair beaded and embroidered bags 10
with period garments from the Victorian era through the Roaring 20’s. These artistic concepts will take on special meaning at the Minnesota Opera House where costumes and scenery must fulfill the artistic and dramatic functions of a theatre production. Our visit to the Costume and Scene Shops will showcase many of these pieces. Then we will enjoy a conversation and studio tour with Kelly Marshall, artist/owner of the nationally recognized weaving enterprise, Custom Woven Interiors Ltd. Some of you may have read her recent book, Custom Woven Interiors, on her work in her Northrop King studio. We’ll gain insight into Kelly's process from colorful design to finished rug in rep weave. We’ll also visit the studios of weavers Kala Exworthy, Ann Masemore, and Nedra Granquist; feltmaker Jill Lynn; and shibori artist Carole Hallman. Along the way we’ll enjoy lunch at the Sea Change restaurant alongside the Mississippi River’s historic St. Anthony Falls. Cost of the tour is $75.00, which includes lunch, transportation, entry fees, and gratuities. Tour Capacity is 40 people. Check in time: 9:00 am. We leave St. Thomas at 9:15 am from in front of Flynn Residence Hall. This tour is accessible for all. Please note on your conference registration form any special food or accessibility needs. Tour D: The Process of Making Good Locally Sourced Cloth (Compare fiber processing in an historic mill with a small modern mill) We’ll travel through the scenic countryside for a tour of the Rachalpaca farm, a fiber‐based alpaca and sheep industry. Here they shear the animals, clean the fibers, and make yarns, socks and other clothing from the harvest. The small, modern mill equipment is specially designed to process and spin alpaca, mohair and other fine fibers. Then we’ll journey to Faribault for a delicious luncheon of locally sourced food at the historic Alexander’s Supper Club. Join a tour of the 150‐year‐old Faribault Woolen Mill to see the process of weaving blankets from raw wool to final product. Century‐old machinery stands side by side with modern technology in this last true vertical woolen mill in America. View the carding and spinning of fleece to the weaving of these remarkable blankets. You will have the chance to embellish a useful item made of genuine blanket fabric under the guidance of LuAnn Heyer, designer of coats and other products from Faribault woolen blankets. There will be opportunities to purchase locally made products such as fleece, yarn, blankets, scarves, and more as we sample some of the attractions of this small historic mill town. Cost of the tour is $75.00, which includes lunch, transportation, entry fees, and gratuities. Tour Capacity is 45 people. Check in time: 8:45 am. We leave St. Thomas at 9:00 am from in front of Flynn Residence Hall. We regret that due to the layout of the farm (walking on unpaved roads), this tour is not accessible for wheelchairs and not recommended for users of walkers. We hope you’ll choose another tour! Remember to note on your conference registration form any special food or accessibility needs. Guild/Study Group Exhibit Theme: Picnic in the Park Put your heads and hands together to show us your version of a picnic in the park. Nature’s beauty provides inspiration to spur your vision for a great summer get‐together. Entry fee: $20.00 Awards: Criteria in selecting award recipients are interpretation of theme, originality and creativity, quality of individual craftsmanship, documentation of guild involvement, and overall appearance. First place will be awarded $100; second place, $75; and third place, $50. A People’s Choice prize will also be awarded. Calendar: 
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Entry form deadline: March 1, 2015 Exhibit setup Thursday, June 18, 2 pm to 5 pm Exhibit teardown Saturday June 20 4 pm to 6:30 pm Non‐Juried Fashion Show Minnesota Twist Minnesota is an elegant tapestry of culture and history woven within its vast landscape of lakes, hills and plains, embellished by the color and depth of its seasons. Join us in celebrating its diverse past, present and future by sharing your twist on the interlacement of life and fiber. Create handwoven, felted, hand‐dyed, knitted (from handspun yarn), and embellished garments to show on the runway in June 2015. The Fashion Show will take place at 7:30 pm on Friday, June 19, in the O’Shaughnessy Auditorium. A post‐show display gallery and reception will be held 8:45‐10:00 pm in the Anderson Student Center. Garments will be on display at this time for closer viewing. The handcrafted apparel worn by the audience at MWC fashion shows has always been extraordinary. We encourage all Fashion Show attendees to dress in their own handmade fashion garments (items not already in Fashion Show). Categories Category 1 Fiber Friends/Collaboration You can see designs crossing Minnesota in the wandering rivers, dots of lakes, clusters of buildings, and the asphalt roads that traverse the state. As weavers we cross from city to suburb to farm. For this category, grab a favorite 11
fiber friend and brainstorm on a garment or outfit for the runway. Anything goes and we want to hear the story line, so write it down! There can be a garment for each of you, and you can walk the runway together. Or one outfit can be designed and created by you both. Don’t forget the accessories! Category 2 Coats and Capes for All Seasons Minnesota has four seasons and a plethora of activities to fill all four. Summer boasts bicycle trails, waterways, and sports. Fall calls for campfires, road trips, and long walks. Winter is spectacular, and when you’re not snowed in and weaving, there’s skiing, snowmobiling, or ice fishing. Spring brings promises for garden club and roof top dining. Not to mention, there is always theater, opera, microbreweries, art galleries, or shopping. From riding a bicycle or attending a Twins game to attending the Opera or book club, create a coat, jacket, cape, capelet, sweater or garment that you’d wear for your Minnesota experience. (Blaze orange welcome) Category 3 One Fine Day With a song in your heart, imagine the best possible day in the place where you live. Write us a note telling us where you’re from, what you’re wearing, and what that day looks like. Weave what you wear for all aspects of your life. Category 4 Twin Cities Lights Get your groove on! The Twin Cities nightlife lights up after dark. Weave with LED lights or reflective tape. Try adding some sparkle with Lurex, sequins, beads, or crystals. This garment should make you smile. Eligibility & Guidelines: 
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Open to all members of the MWA, whether or not in attendance. Each entrant may submit up to 2 garments with an entry fee of $20 for the first piece and $10 for the second. 
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Awards: Cash prizes will be awarded for Theme Interpretation in each category, 4‐or‐less shafts, 16 or more shafts, Judge’s Choice, and People’s Choice. Awards will be presented Saturday evening at the Closing Celebration. Models Custom‐made clothing looks best on the body it was designed for, so we hope you will model your work. However, we will provide models for those who prefer to avoid the spotlight or who need a child model or one of the opposite gender. Models should come prepared to walk the runway in a black dress or top and pants along with black shoes, and bring accessories to complete the look. If you have any questions, please send an email to: [email protected] Please type FASHION SHOW in the subject line. Calendar: 
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Crocheted or knit items must be made of handspun yarns. Eligible garments can be handwoven, but garments that are felted, hand‐dyed, embellished, or created from handspun yarns will also be gladly appreciated. Garments combining handwoven and commercial fabric should be at least 60% handwoven. Garments may feature details or embellishments in any other fiber techniques. All entries must be executed by the entrant and cannot have been shown at a previous Midwest Weavers Conference. A labeled photo of the entry must be submitted with the entry form. Entry form deadline: May 1, 2015 Check‐in for entries:  Wednesday, June 17 (5 pm to 8 pm)  Thursday, June 18 (11 am to 2 pm) Rehearsal: Friday, June 19 (5:30 pm) Member Exhibits All MWA members are invited to demonstrate their weaving and fiber skills by entering this non‐juried exhibit. The exhibit will be judged for awards. Guidelines: 
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Each entrant may submit up to four items. Entry Fee: $15 for one or more items. All items must be made by entrant and may not have been shown at a previous MWC. Entries must be ready for display (i.e. ready to hang). All work must be delivered and picked up by the artist. No work will be received prior to or shipped after the conference. Categories A Splendid Home: Show off your creativity and skill through creating functional or decorative pieces for the home (e.g. dish towels, kitchen items, table runners, linens, wall hangings). Twister Trends: Use natural and synthetics to spin your way to stunning skeins of handspun yarn at least 100 yards in length. Energy Transfer: Transform any handspun yarn into your own creation. Mississippi River Currents: Let the undulating, mesmerizing currents of our Mississippi River inspire you to showcase your items woven using eight or more shafts. Orchestrated Piece by Piece: Think about any of the pieces that make up a complete outfit. Enter your smaller creative wearables and accessories (e.g. hats, scarves, jewelry, shawls). Large wearables (coats, dresses, skirts, tops, ensembles) should be entered in one of the Friday evening fashion show categories. Fiber Improv: Choose this category if your creativity can’t be corralled into any of the other categories. award may be presented. More than three awards may be given in categories with greater than 20 entries. Those winning awards will also receive points toward earning the MWA’s new Fiber Artist of Distinction Award. First place or named awards earn 3 points; second place earns 2 points; and third place, 1 point. The names of weavers who accumulate 25 points will be placed on an honor roll on the MWA website. Calendar: 
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Entry form deadline: May 1, 2015 Check‐in for entries:  Wednesday, June 17 (5 pm to 8 pm)  Thursday, June 18 (11 am to 2 pm)  Entry pick‐up with ID, Saturday, June 20 (4 pm to 6:30 pm) Special Interest Groups Friday, June 19, 4:45 to 5:30 pm Complex Weavers Join fellow complex weavers. This is a great chance to actually meet people you only know through the mail and also for those interested in Complex Weavers to learn what this group is all about. We'd love to have you join us! Rag Rug Show‐and‐Tell Rag rug weavers are invited to a show‐and‐tell meeting facilitated by WGM members Nedra Granquist and Jo Hill. Bring your favorite rugs to share and be inspired by others. TWIST (Tablet Weavers’ International Study & Techniques) The purpose of TWIST is to promote the appreciation of tablet weaving and the development of tablet weaving skills through the journal, an Internet discussion group and website, and exhibitions. Facilitated by John Mullarkey. Awards: Awards will be given for each category. If a category has fewer than five items, only one 13
Spinning Trends Gather for a discussion of what’s happening in spinning. Old Looms Do your weaving interests include antique looms? Are you now, or have you ever been involved in efforts to preserve, restore, or research an old loom? Would you like to restore one? If so, please join us for an informal sharing of interests and information. Discussion leaders Phyllis Dean and Pat Hilts will start the ball rolling with brief slide shows about their various old loom projects. Conference Souvenirs 
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Conference Pin: A collectible pin featuring the conference logo. Additional Conference Tote Bag: Bag with conference logo. Conference T‐Shirt: Cotton T‐shirt with conference logo. Teachers’ Sales Event The Teachers’ Sales Event will be Saturday at 6:00 pm prior to the closing ceremony. Participating teachers will have the chance to offer their wares and will be available to autograph books. Vendors Will you have an opportunity to buy fabulous books, tools, threads and fibers? Ya sure, you betcha! The Vendor Hall is always a highlight of Midwest Weavers conferences, and Midwest 2015 will not disappoint. The market, set up in the Woulfe Alumni Hall on the 3rd floor of Anderson Student Center, will offer a great variety of supplies for weaving, spinning, knitting, dyeing, and other fiber arts. Come prepared to shop! 14
MWA Leadership Breakfast Would your local or state guild like to host the MWA conference in 2019 or beyond? Are there issues you would like to see the MWA address? If so, join us for breakfast and a closer look at how MWA operates. Past and present conference organizers, the MWA board, and other motivated members come together to share ideas and success stories and to offer support to future conference planners. Attending this breakfast is a great way to explore the benefits, opportunities, and challenges that come with hosting a MWA conference. Please check the proper line on your registration form if you plan to attend. The Leadership Breakfast will be on Saturday, June 20, from 7:15‐8:15 am. There is no extra charge for attending this breakfast. Scholarships If financial assistance would make it easier to attend Urban Fiber with a Minnesota Twist, read on! Several scholarships are available from the MWA Board. Three of the scholarships include conference registration fees, room, and board. The Jack Baker Memorial Scholarship, which honors the memory of a long‐time friend and board member of MWA, is given to a weaver with less than five years experience. The other two all‐
inclusive awards will be given to applicants who demonstrate financial need. Several scholarships that cover only the conference registration fee will also be awarded. To apply, submit a letter that explains the role weaving plays in your life and why you would like to attend the Midwest Weavers’ Conference. Please indicate for which of the scholarships you are applying, and be sure to include your name, address, phone number, and email address. Previous scholarship awardees are not eligible. Application deadline is February 1, 2015. Send your application letter to: Linda Ryden MWA Scholarship Chair 3024 ‐ 143 Ave Ct. W. Milan, IL 61264 [email protected] Volunteering Volunteers are needed to assist instructors as classroom aides and to be models in the fashion show. If you’re interested in either of these opportunities, please indicate this on your registration form. Registration We strongly encourage you to register for this conference online. Online registration will allow you to see instantly for which seminars you are registered. If a seminar you want is already full, you will be able to place yourself on a waitlist and register for another seminar in the same time slot. Material lists for workshops and seminars are included in the descriptions online and later in this book. If further materials and information are needed, the instructor will send them to you before the conference. Online registration begins on January 12,2015, at 9:00 am CST. Simply go to: www.midwestweavers.org and click on the "Register Now" button. If you register online, you may pay with a credit card or PayPal. When your registration has been verified and entered into the system, you will receive an e‐mail confirmation. Calendar: 
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Early registration deadline: March 13, 2015 Registration closes April 17, 2015 If you prefer to register for the conference by mail, you may do so using the registration form found in the center of this booklet. (A copy of this form can also be found on our website.) Complete and mail the registration form, along with a check payable to MWC 2015, to: MWC 2015 c/o Bonnie Buzza 4750 E 53rd St #205 Minneapolis, MN 55417 Please make sure you have fully completed the information on the entry form, and double‐
check the information for accuracy. We strongly recommend you keep a copy for your records. Registrations received by mail will be processed in the order they are received. Registrations received prior to January 12 will be held until registration opens on that day. If you have questions regarding registration, please send email, with subject REGISTRATION, to [email protected] Note: You must be a member of MWA to attend seminar sessions. If you are not currently a member, you may join using the appropriate lines on the registration form to pay the membership fee. Guests may visit exhibits and the vendor area. They may also purchase tickets for the keynote address, tours, and fashion show. Guests may not attend any workshops or conference sessions. Children under the age of 18 must have the approval of the teacher and the conference staff in order to register for a seminar. 15
Preconference Workshops June 15‐17 PC101: Doubleweave: 4‐Shaft Basics and Beyond Instructor: Jennifer Moore In this round robin workshop we will explore many different techniques that can be woven in doubleweave on a 4‐shaft loom. Using a versatile threading and tie‐up with two colors we will cover the basic configurations of two layers, folded cloth and tubes, as well as color‐and‐weave effects, stitched cloth, quilting, top layer laces, and doubleweave pick‐up. With other loom setups and colorations we will also weave samples of 4‐
color block rotations, double‐blocks with log cabin, and overshot‐patterned doubleweave. Skill level: Intermediate Prerequisites: ability to warp a 4‐shaft loom according to instructions Students should bring to class: loom prewarped according to instructor’s directions, to follow Materials fee: $10 PC102: Cutting Loose with Tied Weaves Instructor: Robyn Spady Tied weaves allow for different ways to create patterned fabrics with floats of limited lengths. Plus, one threading can provide a multitude of different treadling options – from singles and pairs to dukagang and taqueté. In this workshop, participants will learn the fundamentals of tied weaves and explore a wide variety of treadling techniques to create different results. For weavers interested in understanding terms like summer and winter, single two‐tie, taqueté, samitum, and exploring Quigley or Bergman tied weaves, this workshop 16
is for them! Four‐shaft loom minimum. (Note: This is not a round‐robin workshop.) Skill Level: Intermediate to advanced (and adventure‐seeking beginners) Prerequisites: ability to warp a loom Students should bring to class: 
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pre‐warped loom (four shaft minimum) per instructions supplied six to eight weeks prior to workshop shuttles wefts scissors sley hook Materials Fee: $15 PC103: Tablet Weaving Hat Trick: Three Techniques in Three Days Instructor: John Mullarkey In this workshop you will explore three different tablet‐
weaving techniques. You'll start with Kivrim or Ram's Horn designs, very traditional and authentic designs where you'll learn threaded‐in warping. Next is double faced tablet weaving, a different warping technique and different weaving technique. We'll be weaving figures and letters into our bands using charts, and maybe even designing your own. Last is Coptic diamonds. Learn how to warp and weave bands that were woven by Egyptians over 1000 years ago. No previous tablet weaving experience necessary, but concentration is required. Looms will be provided. Skill Level: Beginner to advanced Students should bring to class: 
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scissors yarn needle four balls or cones of 10/2 mercerized or unmercerized cotton or #10 crochet thread; each ball should be at least 1 ounce; two balls of one color, and two balls of a different highly contrasting color. graph paper and colored pencils Materials Fee: $15 includes pack of 20 cards, shuttle, and documentation. PC104: Finnish Style Cotton Rugs Instructor: Wynne Mattila This workshop is at Textile Center. Using the alternating three‐
shuttle technique, weave a rug with cotton fabric weft on 15‐ply Finnish cotton warp. Design, color blending of fabrics, and craftsmanship will be emphasized. Topics include lashing on, cutting fabric in one continuous piece, tension, using a temple, floating selvedges, shrinkage, end finishes, and more. Floor looms will be warped in plain weave sett at 5 epi in a 10‐dent reed. Project size: 25 x 40 inches. Handouts include ideas and inspiration, photos and fabric samples, information on calculating the quantity of fabric needed, and selecting and preparing fabric. Handouts will be mailed before the start of the workshop. Participants provide their own fabric for weft and purchase warp from list of sources. Warp needs to be wound prior to the start of the workshop. Plan on a shorter lunch break and the opportunity to weave beyond the end of the class day. Skill Level: Intermediate Prerequisites: ability to wind a warp, read a draft, and warp a floor loom independently Students should bring to class: 
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8‐shaft floor looms will be provided at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota for this class. Do not bring your own loom. workshop handouts 
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pre‐wound warp—Kotimainen Liina from WEBS prepped fabric: machine washed and dried, sewn, ironed. For a 25” x 40” rug you will need approximately two pounds (or six yards of 44” wide) quilters cotton fabric. Minimum 3 fabrics required, more preferred for design possibilities. scrap knit fabric for weaving the header – an old cotton t‐shirt will work scrap wool rug yarn for weaving the header calculator scissors or rotary cutter ‐ a few mats and cutting guides will be available graph paper and colored pencils Materials Fee: $20.00 PC105: Ply‐split Baskets and Beyond Instructor: Katherine Buenger Students will explore different ways to use ply‐split techniques to form small baskets and vessels. The teacher will provide pre‐cut cords for students to sample different techniques. During class, students will make cords and learn about adding some novelty yarn into the cords. Students will create their own unique designs. Skill Level: Advanced beginner to intermediate Prerequisites: must know how to ply‐split braid Students should bring to class: 
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scissors grip‐fid tool 5/2 or 10/2 cotton in assorted colors( at least 4 with a minimum of 3 ounces each) other yarn they might like to try. Teacher will have PVA glue and painter tape available for use in class. Materials Fee: $20, grip‐fids will be available for purchase $10‐$12 17
PC106: Warp‐Rep: Warping and Weaving Tips and Techniques Instructor: Donna Hanson This workshop is at Textile Center. The bold and beautiful designs of Rep Weave are always eye‐
catching and you, too, can create one! The focus of this workshop is to learn some special techniques in the warping and weaving processes for this structure. Prior to the workshop, students will receive instructions for winding two warp chains in 5/2 perle cotton, which they will bring to the workshop. In addition to warping and weaving techniques, the instructor will present her method of designing warp‐rep using profile drafts. From the profile draft provided by the instructor, students will have the opportunity to practice their techniques by weaving several small projects; table mats, a small runner, bag, or tablet case, while varying the designs by using a variety of tie‐up and treadling options. Skill Level: Intermediate to advanced Prerequisites: must be able to read a draft and wind a warp independently and understand profile drafts vs. threading drafts Students should bring to class: 
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Eight shaft floor looms will be provided at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota for this class. Do not bring your own loom. prepared warp chains weft materials sharp scissors tape measure sley hook T‐pins Additional materials needed and instructions for winding the warp will be provided prior to the conference. Materials Fee: $10 18
PC107: Surprising Color‐and‐Weave Instructor: Susan Wilson Discover the magic of color‐
and‐weave! Turn plain weave and basic twills into charming repeating patterns by alternating dark and light colors in both warp and weft. In this round‐robin workshop, students will learn color‐and‐weave drafting and designing and explore traditional 4‐shaft and 8‐shaft color‐
and‐weave effects: gingham and houndstooth checks, log cabin, pinwheel motifs, and Scottish district checks. Block weaves that create pattern with color‐and‐weave such as shadow weave, laces, diversified plain weave, and deflected double weave will also be sampled. Skill Level: Advanced beginning to intermediate Prerequisites: able to warp loom with even tension, weave balanced plain weave, and read a draft. Students should bring to class: 
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pre‐warped 4‐shaft or 8‐shaft loom yarns weaving equipment Instructions will be sent in advance. Materials Fee: $3 PC108: Hands‐On Color: A Practical Exploration of Color, Fiber, and Weaving Instructor: Cameron Taylor Brown Hands‐On Color was developed and refined over many years to address the lack of confidence weavers can experience when approaching the academic field of color theory. In this workshop, you will apply color theory to yarns and how yarns mix in a variety of weave structures. Students work in teams and learn to “see” how color actually works in a series of carefully paced exercises. A three‐day workshop allows you to integrate the color theory of day one into your own weaving on days two and three. Many students from years past have said this workshop fundamentally changed how they viewed and used color in their subsequent work! In Hands on Color you will: Dive up to your elbows into big piles of luscious yarns and discover the exciting world of color. Explore the glorious color components of hue, value, and intensity. Create harmonious color compositions. Experience how colors mix in different weave structures. Brainstorm fabric ideas and create an original design with your new color, fiber, and weaving vocabulary. Skill Level: All Prerequisites: basic weaving skills—ability to work on 4‐shaft looms and read a simple weave draft Students should bring to class: 
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loom pre‐warped and threaded in a 4‐shaft straight draw, 10 inches wide, at least 3 yards long, sett for a balanced plain weave. The warp should be any two solid colors except black, white, gray or natural ‐ 5” of color A, 5” of color B. Warp yarn can range from 800 – 3,000 yards per pound. at least two shuttles with a minimum of 15 bobbins plus bobbin winder, OR a minimum of 15 stick shuttles which can be wood or cardboard. pencil tape scissors one bobbin of each of your warp yarns Camera suggested for visual note taking. Note: If anyone wants help with sett, they can email the instructor, [email protected] Materials Fee: $25 PC109: Color Options for Dyeing & Spinning Painted Rovings Instructor: Patsy Zawistowski This workshop is at Textile Center. Wondering how to get the most out of your painted rovings? Would you like to dye your own? This class encourages and teaches you how to explore a variety of options for dyeing and spinning different yarn styles with painted rovings and other color work. Learn to anticipate and spin toward your desired goals. Spin tweedy or colorful yarns, or perk‐up or tone‐down the roving colors. You can create thick or thin or fancy yarns for accents, plus you can spin coordinating yarns for a project. We will explore, spin, and discuss many options. Skill Level: Intermediate and beyond Prerequisites: student should be comfortable spinning and plying basic yarn Students should bring to class: 
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a wheel in good working order lazy kate and 3 bobbins hand cards about a dozen 3X5 cards and sandwich baggies hole punch apron or other dye clothing 1 yard of inexpensive nylon netting tools that may be needed for your spinning wheel optional ball winder small three ring binder Materials Fee: $30.00 19
PC110 Crimp and Create Instructor: Dianne Totten This workshop is at Textile Center. This is an on‐loom workshop taking fiber in a new direction by creating “crimp cloth.” Using a variation of woven shibori for both warp and weft, learn to create fabric with permanently crimped designs that hold their memory even when washed. Participants will draft, weave, and crimp their samples in class to discover the endless possibilities. Learn how the fabric can be used for entire garments as well as for permanent pleating to replace knitted ribbing for a sweater or to add a knit look to the collar area of a jacket. Sewing tips for using this amazing cloth will be included. No dyeing involved. Skill Level: Advanced beginner and beyond Prerequisites: a basic knowledge of weaving and drafting Students should bring to class: 
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a pre‐warped loom (specific instructions will follow) 2 shuttles several bobbins usual items needed to repair a broken warp heddle hook scissors (small with a good snipping point, if you have one) a bobbin winder (we’ll need a few for the workshop, bring your own if you wish) straight pins safety pins tape measure 2 dowels or narrow flat sticks at least 2” longer than the warp width in the reed, but narrow enough to wind onto your cloth beam an extra dowel or stick if you are doing warp shibori Fray Check 
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masking tape or blue painters’ tape can come in handy note‐taking materials a few Band‐Aids (for protection when gathering pattern threads) Materials Fee: $5 PC111: Sewing Your Handwoven Fabric Instructor: Liz Spear Move past the bog jacket and shawl with your handwoven fabric, and learn to cut and successfully sew a jacket, shirt, or vest. Adding fit and stylistic flare to our incredibly beautiful handwoven cloth requires some extra care for results you won't get with commercial fabrics. Using pre‐workshop suggestions/guidelines, you’ll select a pattern appropriate for your fabric. Cutting, marking, seam finishes, pressing, buttons, and linings will be demonstrated as you sew through the steps to your new handwoven garment. Skill level: Intermediate Prerequisites: sewing skills required Students should bring to class: 
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handwoven fabric, finished and of sufficient quantity for planned garment commercial or original garment pattern, PRE‐TESTED FOR FIT AND SIZE sufficient notions for the project: matching thread, lightweight knit fusible interfacing, buttons, lining, if needed, etc. sewing machine, with owner’s manual and extra machine needles serger, (if desired) with owner’s manual and extra needles scissors, large and small, sharpened straight pins, 6" ruler, handsewing needles, extra spool of contrasting thread (For tailor’s tacks) rotary cutter, with new blade cutting mat, (optional) at least 24"x 36" or larger 
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tape measure yard stick (optional) notebook, with note‐taking supplies PC112: I Can Do THAT? Advanced Techniques for the Rigid Heddle Loom Instructor: Jane Patrick Though the rigid heddle loom is simple in construction, students will learn just how complex a rigid heddle loom can be. In this workshop focused on advanced techniques, we’ll explore pick‐
up patterns, learning how to create warp and weft floats, as well as how to create your own pattern designs. We’ll look in‐
depth at finger‐control weaves, expanding the possibilities of the rigid heddle loom even more. Some of the techniques we’ll explore are soumak, leno, Brook’s bouquet, Danish medallions, ghiordes knots, and Spanish lace. Besides learning basic techniques, students will be guided in how they can develop their own variations. Demonstrations on twill and double weave will be presented, as well as finished projects and variations from Jane’s books. Skill Level: Advanced beginner Prerequisite: students should have woven several rigid heddle projects and be familiar with their loom Students should bring to class: 
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loom warped for plain weave. Note: please bring a rigid heddle loom that allows for three positions: up, down, and neutral position. The loom must be in working order and the student familiar with its workings. If you have a question about the suitability of your loom, please contact the instructor at [email protected] reed: 10‐dent warp: 3/2 pearl cotton or sport weight wool (such as Brown Sheep Nature Spun) in a light color.  width: 6‐8”  length: 3 yards. If you are a fast weaver, put on a longer length. weft: The same 3/2 pearl cotton or sport weight wool. Also bring a wide variety of dibby dabs of other yarns, other colors of 3/2, sport weight, and worsted weight cotton or wool. 2‐3 stick shuttles about the width of the warp 2 pick‐up sticks about 2” wider than the width of the warp scissors tapestry needle #5, 6, or 7 crochet hook straight knitting needles in a variety of sizes. Handouts will be provided at no charge. 21
Full‐Day Seminars Friday, June 19 FF101: Intro to Spinning on a Spinning Wheel Instructor: Nancy Preckshot This seminar is at Textile Center. Have you always been fascinated by spinning? Come give spinning a try for a day! You don't have to own a spinning wheel; there will be many for you to try. You will be introduced to the spinning wheel, how it works, and the basics of the process of spinning including basic fiber preparation techniques. At the end of the day, you will leave with a ball of personalized and handspun yarn! The instructor will provide all fiber supplies. Skill Level: Beginner and beyond Students should bring to class: a spinning wheel if you have one. Materials Fee: $5 FF102: Beginner Bobbin Lace Instructor: Kelly Marshall Come explore the historic art of bobbin lace making or “pillow lace”. This is a multi‐
thread lace making technique with many different styles practiced throughout Europe and Asia. In this beginner class we will make a stitch sampler and complete a small project in Torchon lace, the technique used in the Scandinavian countries. Skill level: Beginner Students should bring to class: 
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scissors pencil and paper reading glasses if you need them. Materials fee: A $10 materials fee will cover handouts, thread, use of a pillow and holder. Bobbins are free to use in class or may be purchased from the instructor. FF103: Design Inlay Rag Rugs and More… Instructor: Dianne Totten Learn to add a unique touch to your rag project – whether it is a rug, wall hanging, table runner, or placemats. The first step is creatively piecing together fabric strips to form a fabric block. The block is then cut into weft strips and woven into a plain weave threading. Using fabric paints, you will paint designs and learn an inlay process to make your project special. Fish, flowers, and butterflies are a few design ideas. No special artistic ability is required, as designs can be copied or traced. Skill Level: All Students should bring to class: 
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cutting mat, small is fine rotary cutter straight edge – the type used by quilters. fabric scissors small scissors with a good snipping tip glue stick stick or rag shuttle dressed loom ‐ directions will follow in the workshop preparation information. fabric block – directions will be sent in the workshop preparation information note‐taking materials Materials Fee: $10 FF104: Rigid Heddle Direct Warping Method Instructor: Carol Johnson Learn to warp your rigid heddle loom with the fast and efficient direct warping method. No cumbersome warping boards or threading crosses required. Students will plan a project, prepare the loom, and get ready to start weaving! Skill Level: Beginner Students should bring to class: 
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rigid heddle loom 100 yds 3/2 perle cotton or worsted weight yarn stick shuttle Materials Fee: $8 FF105: Enhancing the Design Capabilities of Your Loom with Shaft Switching and Drawloom Techniques Instructors: Patty Kuebker Johnson, Judy Larson This seminar is at Color Crossing, a 45‐minute ride from UTC. Transportation provided. The seminar focuses on unique warping techniques, tools, and equipment needed to create your designs. After the introduction and demonstrations, you will break into smaller groups and try weaving a few shots on each of the looms set up for the seminar. Judy will demonstrate shaft switching techniques with a tie‐on method and Cranbrook shaft switching mechanism. Tie‐on shaft switching works on jack, countermarche, and counterbalance looms. Patty will demonstrate techniques for creating damask and opphamta (Smaland, skillbragd) with half heddles, long‐eyed heddles, or with a drawloom attachment. A shaft drawloom and a combination drawloom will be available to try. Other looms will be prepared to demonstrate these techniques without the use of loom attachments. Skill Level: Advanced beginner and beyond Prerequisites: none Students should bring to class: 
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writing materials for note taking camera if wanted Materials Fee: $10 FF106: Introduction to Finger Weaving Instructor: Carol James Explore a highly transportable, low‐tech method to create cloth. Classified as a braiding technique, fingerweaving does not use a loom. Warp threads are set up around a pair of shed sticks, and the weaver manipulates the threads with the fingers to form cloth. Examples of fingerwoven bags, scarfs, and belts will be on hand for examination and inspiration. The instructor will present images of finished pieces from museums around the world, including the famous ceinture fléchée (arrowhead sash). Participants will receive a ready‐to‐go warp and instruction on the basic technique of fingerweaving. Key is the manner in which you hold and manipulate the threads, and the instructor will assist you in discovering a method that works for you. A variety of embellishments and finishing techniques will be presented. With their initial instructional piece complete, participants will receive assistance to set up a second project, such as a neck scarf. Skill Level: Beginner and beyond Prerequisites: use of two hands, good eyesight Students should bring to class: paper and pencil for notes Materials Fee $10 23
FF107: A Taste of Tapestry Instructor: Traudi Bestler Spend an enjoyable day learning how to weave tapestry on a simple loom, with emphasis on the easy lines of landscapes and the surprise of color combinations while creating a small piece to remember your time in the Midwest. All materials are provided; the loom is yours to take home. Spinners are encouraged to bring some of their hand spun yarn to add to their work Skill Level: All Prerequisites: none Students should bring to class: 
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scissors measuring tape drawing paper pencils Materials Fee: $15 FF108: Peyote Beaded Buttons Instructor: Jean Campbell This full‐day off‐loom beading workshop introduces a basic sculptural peyote‐stitched button shape. You’ll explore the shape’s possibilities, experimenting with seed bead size, color, pattern, and embellishment. You’ll also learn how to use them to form beaded beads, make sweater buttons, and connect them into larger organic shapes for a necklace or bracelet. Skill Level: All Prerequisites: if you can thread a needle and see small beads, you’re good to go! Students should bring to class: 
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selection of size 15, 11, 8, and 6 seed beads scissors nylon beading thread or FireLine braided beading thread beading needles 
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Vellux beading mat or other beading work surface magnification if necessary Materials Fee: The instructor will provide kits with an assortment of beads for sale ($25) for those who don’t have beads or would like other color options. FF109: Sleying the Warping Dragon Instructor: Donna Hanson This seminar is at Textile Center. Sometimes the warping process can lead to snaggles and hassles! Try warping your loom from back to front! Take this opportunity to warp and dress a loom, learning some easy, but effective, techniques to avoid those snaggles. Participants will have an opportunity to practice the entire warping process, from winding the warp, beaming, threading, sleying, tying on, and spreading the warp to weave, all without hassles. This is a “process” class, so we won’t make any woven project, but when finished you will go home with a whole bunch of bout ties! What are bout ties? Come and find out. After this one‐day class you will be confident that you have the tools and techniques you need to “sley” that warping dragon. Eight‐shaft floor looms will be provided at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota for this seminar. Skill Level: Advanced beginner and beyond Prerequisites: must have had past warping experience Students should bring to class: 
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scissors measuring tape pen or pencil for notes Materials Fee: $10 FF110: Spinning Shimmering Silk Instructor: Heather Winslow This seminar is at Textile Center. The beauty, the mystery, the soft shimmer, and the elegance of silk! Enjoy the tactile pleasure as this exquisite fibre passes through your fingers to become a beautiful, luxurious, and versatile yarn. Its incredible strength allows it to be used for weaving, kumihimo, needle laces, and a variety of other needle arts, as well as for knitting and crochet. Learn the properties and characteristics of silk, and spin several samples of bombyx and tussah silks, and blends of silk and luxury fibres. Skill Level: Advanced beginner to intermediate Students should bring to class: 
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spinning wheel in good working order lazy kate extra bobbins carders small niddy noddy (optional) labels to tag samples yarn to tie samples, 10‐15 sandwich bags one spool brightly colored sewing thread scissors marker pen and paper Materials Fee: $25 for silk fibre and handouts FF111: Tablet Weaving Basics Instructor: John Mullarkey You will learn the basics of tablet weaving by weaving a friendship bracelet. We will start with a discussion on how to read and design tablet‐weaving drafts. Then we will proceed to setting up the cards, weaving the band, and end with a discussion of finishing techniques. Along the way, we will focus on avoiding common pitfalls and sharing tips and tricks for weaving perfect bands. Looms will be provided. Material Fee: $15 includes pack of 20 cards, shuttle, and documentation. Skill Level: Beginner Prerequisites: no weaving experience required. Student should bring to class: 
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scissors yarn needle three balls or cones (at least ½ ounce of each) of 10/2 mercerized or unmercerized cotton or #10 crochet thread in three different colors Optional: graph paper, colored pencils. FF112: Tame the Twist Instructor: Marcia Kosmerchock Are you intrigued by rippled and pleated woven textiles created using overtwist yarns but have been unsure of how to work with these magical and sometimes frustrating yarns? This hands‐on workshop is designed to give you the confidence and the understanding to successfully “Tame the Twist”. Participants will wind a warp and dress their loom with overtwist yarns to create a unique pleated and ruffled scarf. The emphasis during the seminar will be on how to handle the yarn and dress a loom. Weaving will start in the seminar and be completed at home. A wet finishing technique will be demonstrated. The instructor’s extensive sample collection will provide inspiration for future projects. A workbook with step‐ by‐step instructions and tips will be provided. Skill Level: Advanced beginner and beyond Prerequisite: some weaving experience and ability to warp a loom with back to front method Students should bring to class: 
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loom (2 or 4 shafts with at least 6 inches weaving width) reed (10, 12 or 15 dent; we will be using a sett of 30 epi) warping board 25
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empty shoebox with a straight knitting needle threading hook Materials Fee: $30 (includes enough yarn for two scarves) FF113: Trimmings without a Turkey Instructor: Robyn Spady Cord and trim can be the perfect element for finishing your project and for using up leftover yarns. Whether you're making a Chanel‐style jacket and want to make your own trim, looking for different garment and accessory closure ideas, or would like to create jewelry and other personal adornment, this class is for you! In this hands‐on class, participants will be introduced to a variety of simple techniques that may be used to create a wide variety of non‐woven cord and trim. Skill Level: Beginner and beyond Prerequisites: none Students should bring to class: 
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old‐fashioned clipboard scissors leftover yarns Materials Fee: $10 FF114: Felted Slippers Instructor: Jill Lynn This seminar is at Textile Center. Experienced or not, come ready to create the most comfortable pair of slippers you will ever own. Your own foot will be the model. Start with wool fiber, in a couple of colors of course. Add a bit of this and that, wrap in a piece of plastic, sprinkle with some soapy water, then a little upper body workout. Voila! Slippers just for you. No sewing or assembly required. OK, there is a little more to it. Come learn some of the tips and tricks the instructor has for you to be successful. 26
Skill Level: All Prerequisite: ability to be on your feet for quite a bit of the class Students should bring to class: 
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permanent marker sharp scissors ruler optional: small amount fibers, yarns, silk fibers to be used as embellishments Materials Fee: $30 FF115: Words About Color Instructor: Cameron Taylor Brown Experience Words about Color, where poetry will inspire your creative process. Enjoy two delightful poetry books about color, The Very Stuff: Poems on Color, Thread, and the Habits of Women by Stephen Beal, and Hailstones and Halibut Bones by Mary O’Neil. Select a “poetry shard” from one of these poems to guide your choice of materials for a Words about Color mixed media collage or a small weaving. Discover how a poem can inspire our color choices, how a beautiful pile of yarns and paper scraps can bring out the poet in each of us, and how a poem can lead us in new design directions! Skill Level: All Prerequisites: none Students should bring to class: 
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scissors pencil glue stick and clear tape piece of 11” by 14” stiff cardboard or a simple frame loom camera suggested for visual note taking Materials Fee: $10 Full‐Day Seminars Saturday, June 20 FS101: Bouclé ‐ Beautiful Warp Yarn: Plying with Thread Binders Instructor: Patsy Zawistoski Bubbly, bouncy, bewitching, and beautiful! Break out of the spinning doldrums and put some excitement back in your projects. Bouclé yarns add that special spark to your knitted or woven creations. You will be taught techniques to spin wild and imaginative or reproducible and warp‐able bouclé yarns. Explore the possibilities and spin the most expensive, fancy, bouclé‐style yarns. You’ll learn techniques for record keeping, allowing you to repeat the yarns you wish to spin again. Skill Level: Intermediate Prerequisites: students should be comfortable spinning and plying basic yarns Students should bring to class: 
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spinning wheel in good working order (Scotch or Bobbin‐lead preferred, large orifice or art flyer helpful) lazy kate and 3 bobbins very important hand cards hole punch scissors about a dozen sandwich bags and 3X5 cards hand towel 1 or 2 spools of fancy metallic thread other tools that may be needed for your wheel Materials Fee: $15 FS102: Applying Knitting and Crochet to Handwoven Garments Instructor: Heather Winslow Knitting and crochet added onto handwoven fabric can create that “one‐of‐a‐kind” distinction. In clothing it can provide a “finished” edge or join, as well as flexibility, ease of movement, and comfort. This class is not intended to teach you how to knit and crochet, but rather how to add these techniques to your garment designs. You will be amazed at the myriad of options, which you will sample during class. Skill Level: Intermediate Prerequisites: know how to knit and crochet at beginner to advanced beginner level Students should bring to class: 
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American Size D (3 mm) or E (3.5 mm) crochet hook American size 5 or 6 knitting needles (straight or circular) scissors tapestry needle smooth yarns in sport to double‐knitting weight (4.5 to 5 stitches per inch) ‐ these are for knitting and crochet ‐ lighter values are easier to see when learning a new skill fabric (handwoven or commercial ‐ 3 or 4 pieces each about 6"x12") through which you can insert a 3.5 mm (American E) crochet hook. Sew 2 rows of straight stitches within 3/8 inch of cut edges of your fabric to keep it from fraying out when you crochet into it. Materials Fee: $5 for fabric and handouts FS103 Crocheted Basket Instructor: Kristin Nelson Get creative with crochet and go three‐dimensional! Discover how to crochet a basket or container with greater substance and texture that can stand on its own. Students will learn how to crochet with bulky yarn around a rope core to make a stylish, cozy basket or bowl. 27
Kristin will show several basket examples and guide you through the core crochet technique (also known as "clothesline crochet"). The result will look something like a wrapped coil basket that is much quicker to make and allows for more flexibility in the design. You will also plan a second project using fabric, rope, yarn, or other repurposed/recycled materials (wool roving, novelty yarn, wire, fabric). Skill Level: All Prerequisites: none (you do not need to know how to crochet) Students should bring to class: 
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scissors tapestry needle crochet hook size K or M Instructor will provide all project materials. If students wish to bring things to include in project they are welcome to! Materials Fee: $20 FS105: Drafting: Starting at Square One Instructor: Susan Wilson Drafting is an essential weaving skill that often intimidates the beginning weaver. In addition to being a powerful design tool, drafting allows us to communicate with other weavers and to access a wealth of weaving references. This workshop covers structural, profile, and color‐and‐weave drafts. Students will learn to read, develop, and manipulate these drafts for designing their own weaving projects. Skill Level: Advanced beginner Students should bring to class: 
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graph paper colored pencils note‐taking supplies Materials Fee: None 28
FS106: Bias Weaving on a Triangle Loom Instructor: Judy Goebel Triangle weaving is great for handspinners, knitters, and crocheters who want to explore weaving without investing in expensive equipment. This loom offers portability, quick warping, and very little loom waste. Instant weaving gratification! In this class, you will assemble a 16” x 16” x 22” triangle loom, which will be yours to keep, and learn how to use this same construction technique to build additional looms in other sizes on your own. You will learn basic techniques for weaving on your triangle loom, how to correct mistakes, principles of designing projects for the triangle loom, and where to get more information. You will have time to weave multiple triangles during class. Skill Level: Beginner Students should bring to class: 
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small hammer at least 300 yards of worsted to bulky weight yarn in 2 or more colors Materials Fee: $45 – includes kit to assemble loom, afghan crochet hook, class hand‐out FS107 Introduction to Sprang Instructor: Carol James Sprang is an ancient textile method that appears repeatedly in human history as a method to create elastic fabrics. Classified as a braiding technique, the worker stretches threads around a frame and manipulates them to form cloth. For every one row of work, two rows of cloth result. Participants will receive a frame with ready‐to‐go warp and an introduction to the basic interlinking flat warp technique. Emphasis is placed on the basic stitch, as well as error identification, correction, and avoidance. Participants will experience finishing methods as they convert this warp into a small drawstring bag. This initial project complete, participants will receive assistance to set up and work on a second project. The instructor will present images of sprang pieces and discuss shaping issues to form garments such as caps, socks, and vests as well as surface designs, lace patterns, use of color, and decorations in ‘S’ and ‘Z’. Skill Level: Beginner and beyond Prerequisites: good eyesight, use of two hands Materials Fee: $30 includes pre‐warped frame which is yours to keep, as well as yarn for setting up a second project FS109: Peyote Beaded Buttons Instructor: Jean Campbell This full‐day off‐loom beading workshop introduces a basic sculptural peyote‐stitched button shape. You’ll explore the shape’s possibilities, experimenting with seed bead size, color, pattern, and embellishment. You’ll also learn how to use them to form beaded beads, make sweater buttons, and connect them into larger organic shapes for a necklace or bracelet. Skill Level: All Prerequisites: if you can thread a needle and see small beads, you’re good to go! Students should bring to class: 
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selection of size 15, 11, 8, and 6 seed beads scissors nylon beading thread or FireLine braided beading thread beading needles Vellux beading mat or other beading work surface magnification if necessary Materials Fee: The instructor will provide kits with an assortment of beads for sale ($25) for those who don’t have beads or would like other color options. FS110: Ripples, Waves, Bumps, Bubbles, and Pleats Instructor: Marcia Kosmerchock There are many ways of incorporating texture into woven cloth through weave structure as well as choice and combination of yarns. This seminar explores the properties and use of elastic, overtwist, gummed, metallic, and polyester yarns to create collapse structures. The instructor’s extensive sample collection will be used to illustrate weave structures and setts that work well with each of the yarn types. Wet finishing will be discussed and demonstrated. Ideas and suggestions for incorporating these yarns in garments will be shown. Participants will leave with an understanding of how easy and rewarding it is to use these yarns in future collapse weave projects. Skill Level: All Prerequisites: none Students should bring to class: nothing special – photos permitted Materials Fee: $2 FS111: Urban Edgings Instructor: Donna Kallner Add an edgy finish to your handwoven, knit and felt fashions, and home decor items with cross‐knit looping, double Viking knitting, and two‐color cross‐knit. These needle‐made techniques completely enclose and stabilize an edge ‐‐ perfect for your newest project or for refashioning an older piece. Adapt these techniques to make loop closures, pockets, and more. This is portable handwork you can do in fragments of time with just a tapestry needle and thread. Skill Level: All Prerequisites: none Students should bring to class: 
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the eyeglasses you use for close work Materials Fee: $15 includes coaster‐size pieces of eco‐printed wool felt for you to edge, threads, needles, and handbook FS112: Viking Knit Bracelet Instructor: Sue Bye Explore an ancient wire weaving technique and come away with a beautiful bracelet. Learn the basic technique, how to work with wire, and how to finish wire jewelry. Viking knit is not knitting, but results in a knit‐like stitch. You will weave a loose chain around a dowel, then pull it through progressively smaller holes in a draw block to compress and lengthen it. The result is a dense yet flexible wire chain. It can be done with copper wire, sterling silver wire (soft), or colored artistic or craft wire. You will finish your bracelet with a magnetic clasp. Skill Level: All Students should bring to class: 
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15 yards of 24‐gauge wire, either copper or colored artistic or craft wire wire cutters small needle‐nose pliers Materials fee: $8 includes the equipment needed to weave, clasps, and instructions Half‐Day Seminars Friday Morning, June 19 HF101: Using Your Yarns/Stop Stashing, A Look at the Creative Process Instructor: Patsy Zawistoski This PowerPoint program and show and tell offer three questions to help start the creative process for using handspun or commercial yarn. Hints and helps are given to assist as you tame the treasures in your baskets. The instructor discusses several of her own creative adventures and misadventures. Hints will be given on how to do calculations, how to combine yarns and ideas. Take away encouragement and ideas to give your projects a try. Plenty of time given for brainstorming and question and answers These are true tales from a classic fiberholic. She shares her joys and frustrations as she encourages you to stop saving your super skeins and use them. Skill Level: All Prerequisites: TOO MUCH YARN 30
Students should bring to class: two or three skeins of any yarn they would like to brainstorm about how to use Materials Fee: None HF102: Exploring Symmetries Instructor: Jennifer Moore By learning about and applying the basic movements of symmetry to visual motifs you can create beautiful and complex designs from simple beginnings. You will first build a library of symmetry patterns using rubber stamps. You will then create a variety of designs by using movement and repetition with paper and color. Skill level: All Students should bring to class: 
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2 colors of stamp pads glue stick Materials fee: $10 HF103: How Crackle Works and What You Can Do with It Instructor: Lucy Brusic What can you do with Crackle? The answer is almost everything. Using pictures and examples, this seminar will demystify this very useful weave and suggest ways to explore it though creative drafting and use of color. The use of Crackle in liturgical weaving will be covered. You are encouraged to look at the instructor's book, A Crackle Weave Companion. Skill Level: All Prerequisites: knowledge of weaving Students should bring to class: note book Materials Fee: $5 HF104: Intro to Ply‐Split Braiding Instructor: Dianne Stiff Ply‐split braiding is an age‐old craft used by camel herders to make girths, straps, or bridles for their animals. We use this technique to make decorative pieces such as necklaces, belts, straps, baskets, etc. The instructor will discuss the process of cord making. The advantage of making your own cords is that you have color flexibility and various cord design options. You will also make several braids using various ply‐splitting techniques. Cord kits will be provided for the exercises done in class. A tool called a gripfid will be used to create these braids. Gripfids will be available for use in class, and you may purchase one from the instructor. Skill Level: Beginner Students should bring to class: gripfid if you have one Materials Fees: $10 (plus $11 if you want to purchase a gripfid) HF105: Introduction to SAORI Weaving Instructor: Chiaki O’Brien SAORI is different from traditional weaving in that it places more importance on free expression and creativity than on technical skills or regularity of the woven cloth. Students in this class will relax, enjoy, explore, and develop creativity through the SAORI weaving process. The emphasis is on having fun and being yourself rather than on creating a “perfect” woven piece. Students will enjoy weaving with many colors, textures, and in any way their personal exploration takes them! The warp will be prepared for students, so you can start weaving after a brief introduction to SAORI weaving. Each weaver will create a unique piece of art to take home. If you have special weft material(s) you’d like to use for your project, you are welcome to bring them. Skill Level: All Students should bring to class: willingness to explore Materials Fee: $20 HF106: Photoshop for Dobby Weavers: Fundamental Photoshop Techniques and Skills Instructor: Steve Bye This class will demonstrate and explain the skills and techniques required to design weavings for dobby looms using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. You will learn: 
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The best tools to draw a design freehand, or how to create shapes to fill with the Paint Bucket tool Filters to create geometric designs by distorting simple shapes. 31
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Offset Filter to check the joins for discontinuities. Layers‐‐what they are, when to use them, and how to create, merge, and flatten them. File formats, and how to create a proper file to import into weaving programs. With these skills you’ll be ready to efficiently create designs for dobby looms using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. This is not a hands‐on class, but there will be time for questions. Skill Level: All Materials Fee: $3 HF107 Sami Inspired Bracelet Instructor: Katherine Buenger Using techniques from Sami, the native people of Scandinavia, students will learn to make a four strand braid with multiple strands of tin thread. The braid will then be hand sewn onto reindeer leather to create a bracelet. Skill level: All Students should bring to class: 
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scissors optional: reading glasses and a thimble Materials fee $20 HF108: Statement Seams Instructor: Donna Kallner Hand‐stitched seams get a Minnesota twist with inspiration drawn from the melting pot of cultures in the Twin Cities. We'll draw from folk traditions used to connect narrow panels of fabric and stitched embellishments used to protect the wearer, pushing the boundaries from "seam" to "statement.” Skill Level: All Prerequisites: none Students should bring to class: 
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scissors the eyeglasses you use for close work Materials Fee: $15 includes needles, thread, handbook, and practice elements you can complete as a skinny scarf Half‐Day Seminars Friday Afternoon, June 19 HF201: Cordage and Community Instructor: Donna Kallner Learn to make hand‐twisted cordage, which is spun and plied at the same time, using fibers that are easy to find even in an urban environment. You'll make some simple cordage friendship bracelets and learn how to teach this technique to others, including kids. It's a lesson that demonstrates how, throughout time, people of different cultures have shared a tradition of transforming fiber to 32
meet their needs for clothing, shelter, carrying, and more. Skill Level: All Students should bring to class: scissors Materials Fee: $10 includes a variety of prepared natural plant fibers and recycled materials. HF202: Introduction to Ply‐Split Braiding Instructor: Dianne Stiff Ply‐split braiding is an age‐old craft used by camel herders to make girths, straps, or bridles for their animals. We use this technique to make decorative pieces such as necklaces, belts, straps, baskets, etc. The instructor will discuss the process of cord making. The advantage of making your own cords is that you have color flexibility and various cord design options. You will also make several braids using various ply‐splitting techniques. Cord kits will be provided for the exercises done in class. A tool called a gripfid will be used to create these braids. Gripfids will be available for use in class, and you may purchase one from the instructor. Skill Level: Beginner Students should bring to class: gripfid if you have one Materials Fees: $10 (plus $11 if you want to purchase a gripfid) HF203: Introduction to SAORI Weaving Instructor: Chiaki O’Brien SAORI is different from traditional weaving in that it places more importance on free expression and creativity than on technical skills or regularity of the woven cloth. Students in this class will relax, enjoy, explore, and develop creativity through the SAORI weaving process. The emphasis is on having fun and being yourself rather than on creating a “perfect” woven piece. Students will enjoy weaving with many colors, textures, and in any way their personal exploration takes them! The warp will be prepared for students, so you can start weaving after a brief introduction to SAORI weaving. Each weaver will create a unique piece of art to take home. If you have special weft material(s) you’d like to use for your project, you are welcome to bring them. Skill Level: All Students should bring to class: willingness to explore Materials Fee: $20 HF204: Grow Your Own Color! An Introduction to Natural Dyeing and Indigo Instructor: Cassie Warholm‐Wohlenhaus This seminar is at Textile Center. Natural dyes are plants that create beautiful and complex colors – they’ve been used for thousands of years and still inspire us today! Natural dyeing is a great way to explore the intimate connections between our work as fiber artists, the natural world, and the artists who came before us. This seminar is an introduction to natural and indigo dyeing that will discuss the dyeing process, dye plants, and all the basics you need to start harnessing the colors of the natural world. We’ll cover some common garden plants and flowers, Midwestern native plants, and non‐native specialty plants used for dyeing, as well as seed sources and basics of growing, foraging, and harvesting. We will also take some time to explore the environmental impact of growing vs. buying natural dyes, different chemical mordants, and growing native and non‐native varieties in your garden. Join us and explore these unique and historic colors! Skill Level: All Materials Fee: $10 33
HF205: One Warp ‐ Many Fabrics: Treadling Variations Instructor: Susan Wilson Every weave structure is defined by its own threading and treadling, but there is no "law" that says we have to weave in the traditional manner. Drafting exercises will illustrate the basics of overshot, summer and winter, and crackle, followed by a slide‐lecture demonstrating how these familiar weaves can be dramatically altered by treadling in different ways. Samples and projects will be available for examination. Skill Level: Advanced beginner to intermediate Students should bring to class: 
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colored pencils graph paper Materials Fee: None HF206: Overview of Norwegian Weaving Instructor: Robbie LaFleur Immerse yourself in an afternoon of Norwegian weaving. Learn about traditional Norwegian weave structures: billedvev (tapestry); monksbelt; rya; Vestfold; boundweave techniques such as Flesberg and krokbragd; skilbragd; and more. Try your hand at tying rya knots, and at weaving a few shots of telemarksteppe and rutevev (squareweave). Learn about the warp‐weighted loom, of the type used since the Viking era, and about the traditional Sami “grene” still woven on these looms. A warp‐weighted loom will be set up in the classroom. The instructor will lecture on traditional Norwegian weaving techniques and materials. This class will be a combination of lecture and discussion, interspersed with breaks to try out demonstration looms and examine weavings done in the various techniques. Skill Level: All 34
Prerequisites: enthusiasm Students should bring to class: curiosity Materials Fee: $3 HF207: A New Spin on Paper Instructor: Katherine Buenger Explore the possibilities of handspun paper. Learn how to spin newspaper, yellow pages, tissue, or waxed paper and 'paper‐like' materials into yarn. Students will prepare and cut thin strips and create smooth, colorful yarn that can be handled like any other fiber for weaving, crocheting, knitting, stitching, and more. Plus, you will 'recycle,' 'repurpose,' and 'reuse' ‐ very cool! Skill Level: Advanced beginner to advanced Students should bring to class: your spinning wheel in good working condition. Materials fee $5. The instructor will provide a variety of spinning materials as options for you to try ‐ dyed coffee filters, ads from the Sunday paper, computer tape, and more. Half‐Day Seminars Saturday Morning, June 20 HS101: Create Color Wraps to Make Colorful Warps Instructor: Donna Hanson Do you admire beautiful, colorful warps and wish you could create them, too? Whether it is for a rep weave project, towels, fabric, or any other weaving project, you too can design colorful warps! In this hands‐on class, you will expand your experience with color combinations as you create many different color wraps to see the effects of colors as your eye blends them together or how the colors interact when they are next to each other. Try colors you would never think of using together and find some new favorite combinations! Your instructor will guide you through several exercises as well as give you plenty of time to create wraps on your own. A multitude of colors of 8/2 and 5/2 cotton will be available to try both color blending and color patterning. You will go home with a new set of color wraps and many new color ideas for future projects. Skill Level: All Prerequisites: desire to have fun and experiment Students should bring to class: 
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sharp scissors clear tape pen notebook Materials Fee: $15 HS102: The Golden Proportion and Fibonacci Series Instructor: Jennifer Moore The Golden Proportion is found throughout nature, including in our own bodies, and has been known and used by artists for millennia. Because of this, most people tend to find this proportion very pleasing. In this design seminar you will learn how to generate and use the Golden Proportion as well as the closely related Fibonacci Series. Knowing how to work with these tools enables us to create harmonious designs in any medium. Skill level: All Prerequisites: none Students should bring to class: 
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drafting compass pencil and eraser straightedge scissors sketchbook scotch tape set of colored pencils or markers Materials fee: $10 HS103: Integrated Drafts: The What, Why, and How Instructor: Robyn Spady Combining more than one draft together into a single draft can produce some remarkable results and versatile threadings. In this seminar, we will explore a step‐by‐step process for integrating drafts together into a single threading and how to develop tie‐ups and treadling sequences. 35
Skill Level: Intermediate to advanced (and adventure‐seeking beginners) Prerequisites: ability to read a weaving draft Students should bring to class: pen or pencil Materials Fee: $5 HS 104: Kumihimo with Beads Instructor: Traudi Bestler Working an ancient braiding technique on a contemporary disk, participants will learn how to create kumihimo braids and how to add different types of beads to embellish the braids they create. This is a sample class, teaching several ways to combine a variety of threads and bead types. There will be information and samples of several types of yarns to use for braids, and a variety of colors and beads from which to choose. Skill Level: All Students should bring to class: 
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scissors measuring tape or ruler some favorite beads (optional) Materials Fee: $10 HS105: Marketing Yourself in the Online Age Instructor: Becka Rahn Making yourself “findable” in the vastness of the Internet can be an overwhelming task. This seminar focuses on easy and accessible ways to make your own web presence and to help draw your audience to you. Whether your goal is selling your work, having an online portfolio, or creating your own website, we will talk about the technical aspects of popular platforms, how to get started, pros and cons, the costs and expertise needed, and much more. Get the low down on getting started with Facebook, Ravelry, Pinterest and whatever else is the next big thing. Skill Level: Beginner and beyond 36
Students should bring to class: paper and pen for note taking Materials Fee: none HS106: Grow Your Own Color! An Introduction to Natural Dyeing and Indigo Instructor: Cassie Warholm‐Wohlenhaus This seminar is at Textile Center. Natural dyes are plants that create beautiful and complex colors – they’ve been used for thousands of years and still inspire us today! Natural dyeing is a great way to explore the intimate connections between our work as fiber artists, the natural world, and the artists who came before us. This seminar is an introduction to natural and indigo dyeing that will discuss the dyeing process, dye plants, and all the basics you need to start harnessing the colors of the natural world. We’ll cover some common garden plants and flowers, m\Midwestern native plants, and non‐native specialty plants used for dyeing, as well as seed sources and basics of growing, foraging, and harvesting. We will also take some time to explore the environmental impact of growing vs. buying natural dyes, different chemical mordants, and growing native and non‐native varieties in your garden. Join us and explore these unique and historic colors! Skill Level: All Materials Fee: $10 HS107: Nuno Feltmaking Instructor: Jill Lynn This seminar is at Textile Center. Nuno felting is the art of manipulating a small amount of wool fiber through a fairly open weave fabric. The result is a lightweight fabric with beautiful drape. A discussion of the effects of different fabrics when fused with wool will begin class. Participants will then set off to make their own beautiful nuno felted scarf. The instructor will have a variety of hand dyed silk for participants to choose. Skill Level: All Prerequisites: ability to be on your feet for a good part of the class. Students should bring to class: sharp scissors. Materials Fee: $20 eri and muga, angora, ultra fine baby alpaca, ultra fine merino from super‐shepherd Stuart Albry of New Zealand, cotton, and more. Skill Level: Intermediate and beyond Prerequisites: solid spinning and plying skills Students should bring to class (only if you have them or have always wanted an excuse to buy them): HS108 Rigid Heddle: Double Your Fun, Fine Threads Instructor: Carol Johnson The rigid heddle loom is a simple yet surprisingly powerful tool, and often greatly underappreciated in the modern weaving world. In this class we will expand your weaving repertoire by using two heddles to weave with finer yarns and produce lighter fabrics than are normally produced using one heddle. Students will warp their looms and weave a sampler or bookmarks using plain weave and a variety of textured weave patterns. Skill Level: Intermediate Prerequisites: students must know how to warp and weave on a rigid heddle loom Students should bring to class 
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rigid heddle loom two 10‐dent or two 12‐dent heddles 150 yds 8/2 cotton stick shuttle Materials Fee: $8 HS109: Spinning Luxury Fibers Instructor: Anne Burgeson There is a real wealth of fiber available to spin nowadays. Come sample many different “luxury” fibers, with tips and techniques on handling them to their full potential. This is an excellent time to discover which fiber you want to explore further, or if there are some you’d rather not spin again! Among the choices will be cashmere, bison, different silks, including wheel in good working condition cotton cards small combs capable of handling fine fibers small spindle or support spindle fast flyer for wheel small niddy noddy ball winder toilet paper tubes or other storage bobbins. I will have all of these tools with me, but wait times lessen if you have your own. Materials Fee: $30 HS110: Needle Felting Instructor: Nancy Preckshot Needle felting is gaining in popularity and is a fun craft for anyone interested in learning a new way to create. Experience felting the easy, dry way by using needles instead of hot water to create an exotic animal, a decorative pot holder, jewelry, or whatever your imagination suggests! All it takes are colorful wool fleeces, a felting needle, and the proper punching technique and you will be ready to embellish any wool item with your own personal “painted” designs and three‐
dimensional forms. The instructor will provide all supplies, including felting needles and fibers. Skill Level: Beginner and beyond Materials Fee: $5 37
Half‐Day Seminars Saturday Afternoon, June 21 HS201: Crimp Cloth Primer Instructor: Dianne Totten Discover crimp cloth to add to your weaving repertoire. An overview of warp and weft shibori used to create fabric with permanently crimped designs will be presented through lecture and visual presentation. See how the fabric can be used for entire garments as well as for permanent pleating to replace knitted ribbing for a sweater or add a knitted look to the collar area of a jacket. Be inspired by the endless possibilities. Skill Level: Advanced beginner and beyond Prerequisites: understanding of basic drafting Students should bring to class: note‐taking materials Materials Fee: $5 HS202 Explore Rare Breeds Instructor: Anne Burgeson To spinners, many breeds we love to work with are, although readily available to us, rare in terms of existing numbers and breed purity. Writer, spinner, weaver Deb Robson has tracked this evolution for over 30 years, culminating in the wonderful book Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook. This class will provide a sampling of harder to find rare wools with varied characteristics from long luster wools to shorter springier types. Class will include a brief history of each breed included and whether we can help preserve sheep biodiversity. Skill Level: Advanced beginning and beyond Prerequisites: should be able to spin and ply comfortably 38
Students should bring to class (only if you have them or have always wanted an excuse to buy them): 
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wheel in working condition cotton cards small combs capable of handling fine fibers small spindle or support spindle fast flyer for wheel small niddy noddy ball winder toilet paper tubes or other storage bobbins. I will have all of these tools with me, but wait times lessen if you have your own. Materials Fee: $25 HS203: Introduction to Network Drafting Instructor: Robyn Spady Network‐drafted patterns are a method for creating designs with curves. In this seminar, learn the fundamentals of designing network‐drafted patterns and understand what terms like initial, grid, and network mean. After the fundamentals are covered, explore how to apply network‐
drafting techniques into different weave structures – from twills to double weaves and more! Skill Level: Intermediate to advanced (and adventure‐seeking beginners) Prerequisites: ability to read a weaving draft Students should bring to class: pen or pencil Materials Fee: $5 HS204: Introduction to Tatting Instructor: Rosemary MacFarlane Learn the basic stitch that composes all tatting. We will discuss variations and patterns of this basic stitch and how picots are made and used. Patterns and shuttles provided for a small fee. Prerequisites: none Students should bring to class: sharp scissors Materials Fee: $12 HS205: Photo Basics: Working with Digital Images Instructor: Becka Rahn Don’t know your MB from your DPI? This session will help you out with the vocabulary of digital photographs and images. Every publication, juried show, and call‐for‐entry have different sets of requirements for your images. Learn how to re‐size, crop, and rename your images to fit the requirements for submitting them and especially to translate and understand the requirements with confidence. We will do a number of practice exercises and have time for questions and discussion. Skill Level: Beginner and beyond Prerequisites: none Students should bring to class: 
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an example of photo/image requirements that you have questions about optional, but encouraged: Your laptop or tablet computer. Please make sure that it is in good working order and that you know all passwords etc to be able to access it, join the wifi network etc. There are no specific software requirements (i.e. you do not need to have Photoshop). Materials Fee: none HS206: Pin Loom Cozies Instructor: John Mullarkey Learn how to weave on pin looms such as the Zoom Loom or Weave‐it. Create a cozy for your cell phone or iPod while learning joining and construction techniques for these addictive little handheld looms. Looms will be provided. Skill Level: Beginner Student should bring to class: yarn needle. Materials Fee: $5 yarn and documentation HS207: Simply Stripes: Essential Patterns for Woven Cloth Instructor: Cameron Taylor Brown Stripes are an integral part of textile design throughout human history. The instructor will show woven samples and images from her own collection as well as from the Cooper Hewitt in New York, the Textile Museum in Washington D.C., the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Nuno, Lena Rahoult, and others. Examine the design elements of color, texture, weave, and proportion in stripes, and explore these ideas in your own quick compositions with yarns, pastels, and colored paper. Discuss how these “sketches” could be translated into woven cloth. Skill Level: All Prerequisites: none Students should bring to class: 
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pencil clear tape scissors glue stick 12‐inch ruler with metal edge 6‐8 pieces of letter or legal –sized paper camera suggested for visual note taking Materials Fee: $5 39
HS208: Be Inspired in Your Cotton Rug Weaving Instructor: Wynne Matilla In this seminar the instructor will share her passion and process for using inspiration, fabric, and color to its full potential to create beautiful rugs. She will walk you through her process of creating designs‐‐from ideas to rugs. Her goal is to increase participants’ confidence in color choices and promote awareness of color in their daily lives. The instructor will demonstrate her specialty of color blending fabrics using the alternating three‐
shuttle technique. Participants are encouraged to bring fabric samples to use in a color exercise. Skill level: All Students should bring to class: note‐taking materials Materials fee: $3 HS209: Not Just Blocks‐ Designing in Rep Weave Instructor: Kelly Marshall This workshop will encompass a lecture covering the unique characteristics of rep weave, color blending, and design inspiration. You will learn how to read and draft two shaft and multiple shaft designs and play with creating your own rep weave project. Bring a laptop if you like to work in a weave program or Excel. Instructor will bring many examples and books to stir the imagination. Skill Level: Intermediate to advanced Prerequisites: rep or block weave experience Students should bring to class: 
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mechanical pencil graph paper colored pencils Materials Fee: $2 Instructor Bios Traudi Bestler Traudi teaches weaving and fiber arts at Minnetonka Center for the Arts, North House Folk School in Grand Marais, and the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. Her focus lately has been on tapestry, inlay, and other ways of creating imagery in hand weaving. Any fiber art and its history fascinate her and keep her traveling down new roads with old crafts. Lucy Brusic Lucy is a writer and a weaver. She has been weaving for over forty years and has spent much of that time experimenting with the crackle weave. She is the author of A Crackle Weave Companion (Kirk House, 2012) and, with Joyce Harter, of Handweaving for Churches and Synagogues (Robin & Russ, 1998). Katherine Buenger Katherine has a degree in studio art from Macalester College. She has been a member of the 40
Weavers Guild of Minnesota since 2001. She enjoys many fiber related arts, and always likes finding something different and fun to do with her crafts. Spinning the yellow pages, coffee filters, computer tape and other non‐traditional things and finding ways to weave, knit and ply‐split with them has been a fun challenge for her. She is not afraid to break the rules and try something new, and encourages others to do the same. Anne Burgeson Anne loves every step of the process from “sheep to shawl”, which includes washing raw fleece, dyeing, carding, combing, spinning on either a spindle or a wheel, felting, and knitting. Her goal when starting a new spinning project is simply to make yarn. Her teaching goal is also simple: for spinning students to make yarn in an encouraging and creative environment. Anne teaches with a heavy emphasis on technique for two outcomes: 1) to spin without pain, and 2) to maximize the beauty of the fiber. She believes that there are few “rules” for spinning, although some guidelines do exist! The end results are as varied as the spinners and the fibers themselves, which is the beauty and the power of making yarn. Steve Bye Steve teaches Photoshop and photography classes at the Minneapolis Photo Center. He became interested in weaving applications for Photoshop when his wife, a weaver for 30 years, bought a 32 harness Louet Megado loom, got The Woven Pixel, and started asking Photoshop questions. Sue Bye Sue has been making jewelry since the early 1980s, starting with just stringing beads and progressing on to more complex beadwork, wirework, and fused and hammered silver. She is also a weaver, knitter, and braider. When her Swedish grandmother was visiting, she always kept Sue’s hands busy, and Sue still feels guilty watching TV without knitting or beading at the same time. Jean Campbell Jean, an author, teacher, and designer who's got a thing for shiny bright objects, has written and edited more than 45 books on jewelry‐making with a specialty in off‐loom beadwork. Jean is a Create Your Style Crystallized Elements Ambassador for the Swarovski Company and is a contributing editor to BeadingDaily.com. She is the senior (and founding) editor of Beadwork magazine and conducts lectures and teaches jewelry‐making workshops internationally. Judy Goebel Judy lives and works in Richfield, Minnesota, where she creates, exhibits, and sells textured handspun yarn, coiled baskets, three‐dimensional needle felted figures, and paintings. She has won awards at the Minnesota State Fair for handspun yarn and coiled baskets. Judy is particularly interested in exploring traditional art and craft techniques and integrating them with modern equipment and materials. She teaches fiber art classes at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota and Richfield/Bloomington Community Education. She is committed to finding and teaching ways that fiber enthusiasts can inexpensively construct fiber tools and equipment. Donna Hanson Her mother, a professional weaver, introduced Donna to weaving on a rigid heddle and on a floor loom in the early 1970's. A former special education teacher, Donna began teaching at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota in 2009 and now teaches an average of seven classes each trimester, including beginning and advanced techniques on floor looms and rug looms as well as lecture classes in design, color, block theory, and computer design. She has a particular interest in experimenting with color in her weaving, no matter the structure, and thoroughly enjoys the creative design process. Her work has been displayed at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota, Midwest Weavers Conference, and the Minnesota State Fair, earning many ribbons, including the Sweepstakes in weaving. Carol James Carol has examined sprang and finger‐weaving articles in collections across North America and Europe, and has created accurate replicas for organizations such as the US Parks Service and George Washington’s Mount Vernon. A very patient teacher, she has taught workshops in Canada (Olds College, Alberta), the US (HGA Convergence), England, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. She has written articles for FibreFocus, Handwoven, and Spin‐Off, and is the author of two books: Fingerweaving Untangled and Sprang Unsprung. Carol Johnson Carol’s desire to create cloth stems from an early interest in sewing. She gradually found herself focusing less on the item she was making and more on the fabric itself. She felt compelled to learn more and to weave the cloth herself. She took her first weaving class in 1997 and was instantly hooked. Seeing the cloth come into existence as the shuttle is passed back and forth never ceases to fascinate and inspire her. 41
As a professional weaver, she creates functional art‐‐unique textiles that can be used and enjoyed every day. She also finds joy and inspiration through teaching and helping others in the process of creating their own handwoven textiles. Color Crossing—Patty Kuebker Johnson and Judy Larson Color Crossing, a yarn shop in Western Wisconsin, specializes in weaving, spinning, knitting, and crochet. The collection of looms includes a 10‐foot Glimakra Sojourner, 8‐foot Cranbrook, 6‐foot Glimakra, many Glimakra Standard looms (two with drawloom attachments), Schacht, Harrisville, and Louet looms. Judy Larson and Patty Kuebker Johnson are studio artists who share their knowledge of weaving through classes and individual work. Patty has been weaving for 23 years, focusing on designing and weaving a variety of household items. She is the owner of Color Crossing and is known for her expertise with looms. Judy has been weaving for 12 years, creating rugs, scarves, and blankets. She teaches weaving to children and adults. Donna Kallner Donna is the author of New Age Looping: A Handbook For Fiber Artists. Older than weaving or knitting, looping is an ancient technique with many names, countless variations, and exciting contemporary applications. Donna teaches workshops around the country and produces video‐based looping courses she teaches online. Learn more about how she fuses ancient techniques and modern technology at donnakallner.com. Donna lives in rural northern Wisconsin. Marcia Kosmerchock Marcia threw her first shuttle in 1972 and has been weaving on and off ever since. She is intrigued with collapse weave and using new and unusual fibers. As a self‐confessed sample junkie, her journey has resulted in a wealth of experience, mistakes, a large stash of collapse related yarns, and several hundred samples that she enjoys sharing at guild and conference programs. Marcia 42
is the co‐chair of the Complex Weaver’s Collapse, Pleat and Bump Study Group. Her creations have appeared in Handwoven and Complex Weaver’s Journal. She has had garments and yardage in several Convergence and Complex Weavers juried shows and The Blue Ridge Fiber Shows. Marcia has also received three HGA awards for her collapse weave creations. Robbie LaFleur Robbie, from Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been following a thread of Scandinavian textiles since she studied weaving at Valdres Husflidsskole in Fagernes, Norway in 1977. She has continued her study with Scandinavian instructors at workshops in Norway and the U.S. Recent projects include interpreting Edvard Munch’s “Scream” painting into a variety of textile techniques and weaving tapestry portraits of her relatives. She was awarded the gold Medal in Weaving from the Vesterheim Norwegian‐American Museum in 2006. Robbie coordinates the Weavers Guild of Minnesota Scandinavian Weavers Study Group and is on the board of directors of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota Jill Lynn Jill is a felt maker who uses wool fibers as a sculpting medium. This can be seen in her seamless garments and vessels, which have been juried into numerous shows and exhibits. Since 2006 Jill has been introducing students to wool fibers’ transformational ability through her workshops and classes both locally and nationally. She can be found most days enjoying her studio at the Northrup King Building in Minneapolis. Rosemary MacFarlane As a child, Rosemary would dream that she was in a room full of wonderful cloth. This led to a lifelong love affair with fiber and the textile arts. She is a weaver, knitter, spinner, dyer, and lace maker, and has dabbled in just about everything textile. She also has a keen interest in native vegetation. Every year Rosemary and her husband are hired by the Minnesota DNR to look for rare ferns in the Botrychium species. On any given weekend they can be found traipsing the woods of Minnesota and have added over 500 new locations for this species to the Bell Museum’s natural history collection. Kelly Marshall Kelly is recognized for combining rep weave’s rich texture and linear structure into extraordinary textiles inspired by the aesthetics of the Arts & Crafts movement, contemporary design, and traditional Scandinavian weaving. She has a BS degree in Applied Design‐Textiles from the University of Minnesota and studied design and weaving structure for a year in Forsa, Sweden. In 1992 she founded the Minneapolis‐based company Custom Woven Interiors Ltd, and her textiles are exhibited and marketed nationally through galleries and fine art craft shows. Her beautifully illustrated book, Custom Woven Interiors: Bringing color and design home with Rep weave, published in 2012, includes projects, design inspiration, technique and tips to weaving Rep. Kelly learned the art of bobbin‐lace making during her studies in Sweden and through various workshops. She has been teaching Torchon and Swedish laces for 24 years. Wynne Mattila Wynne is a fiber artist who designs and weaves one‐of‐a‐kind rugs, which are contemporary expressions of Finnish and Scandinavian textiles. The basis of her design starts with color–the way colors blend, the way she sees them, how they make her feel. She is preoccupied with the ever‐
changing play of light and color in nature and needs to create something tangible which embodies beauty and spirit. Her rugs are in many homes and the permanent collections of the Minnesota Historical Society, Goldstein Museum of Design, and Finnish‐American Heritage Center of Finlandia University. Wynne’s cotton rugs, one as a how‐to project, are included in the book Weaving Contemporary Rag Rugs. Two of her rugs are featured in Best of Handwoven: Top 10 Rugs on Four Shafts, a 2013 eBook. Wynne teaches design and rug weaving at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. Jennifer Moore Jennifer holds an MFA in Fibers and specializes in exploring mathematical patterns and musical structures in doubleweave wall hangings. She has exhibited throughout the world, receiving numerous awards for her work, and has been featured in many weaving publications. Jennifer lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico and travels extensively to teach workshops in doubleweave, color, and geometric design. She is the author of The Weaver’s Studio: Doubleweave, published by Interweave Press. John Mullarkey John has been tablet weaving and spinning for almost a decade. He has had works displayed in the Missouri History Museum and has won awards from Interweave Press for garments submitted to Handwoven magazine. He is the primary author of A Tabletweaver’s Pattern Book and has two DVDs on tablet weaving available through Interweave Press. Kristin Nelson Kristin has been exploring the fiber arts since the tender age of five years old and learned to crochet from her grandmother around age eight. She also spins, weaves, knits, sews, and dabbles in dying. Kristin especially enjoys the creative process that starts with, “What if I…,” being inventive with materials adding a new twist on traditional ways of doing things. She is currently a spinning, rigid‐
heddle weaving, and basket‐crochet instructor at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. Chiaki O’Brien Chiaki is a SAORI Certified Instructor. She started taking classes in 1996 at the SAORI Head School in Osaka, Japan, and graduated from a yearlong course at the SAORI Head School. After successfully completing the certification process, she had the good fortune to work at the SAORI Head Office/School. She moved to Minnesota from Japan in 2004 and has been instructing SAORI around the Midwest anytime the opportunity arises. She has taught at not only fiber‐related events such as Shepherd’s Harvest 43
(Minnesota), Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival, and Michigan Fiber Festival, but also at schools, facilities for people with disabilities and senior citizens, as well as facilities in Australia and Senegal. This self‐expression medium and weaving style taught her not just how to weave, but also the joy of creating, which she never dreamed would be the result. She loves SAORI because it allows her to just be herself when she weaves. Jane Patrick Weaving has been Jane’s passion and profession for over 40 years. She first learned to weave while an exchange student in Iceland and knew then that weaving would be a part of her life. After moving to Boulder in 1976 she decided that she wanted to make her livelihood through weaving. Jane was an editor at Interweave Press where she edited books as well as Handwoven magazine. After leaving Interweave, Jane joined her husband Barry Schacht as Creative Director of Schacht Spindle Co. In her spare time Jane has authored three books, with a fourth due out in 2015. The recent book, Woven Scarves, is co‐authored with Stephanie Flynn Sokolov and showcases the breadth of what can be achieved with a rigid heddle loom. Jane has appeared on Craft Daily and Interweave videos; she has given lectures and weaving workshops throughout the United States. Nancy Preckshot Nancy is a weaver, spinner, etc., and engineer. She approaches the fiber arts from a technical angle and is surprised when something pleasing results. She is never without something new to investigate and make. She has taught fiber arts techniques of various kinds for 20 years and continues to learn along with her students. Becka Rahn Becka is a computer geek, artist, and award‐
winning designer. Her fiber‐art work includes original designs and manipulated photographs that are digitally printed onto fabric. She has co‐
authored a book on digital fabric design, which will be released by Abrams Books in Spring 2015. She has been a project contributor to several sewing and craft books and online publications. She is the 44
former Director of Education at Textile Center, where she taught and developed fiber art curriculum for more than 10 years. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her husband and two black labs. You can see her work and more at www.beckarahn.com Robyn Spady Robyn learned to weave over 40 years ago and completed HGA's COE‐W in 2004 with a specialized study in loom‐controlled stitched double cloth. She has taught throughout North America and in Europe and has authored several publications and numerous articles. She is fascinated by the infinite possibilities of crossing threads and loves coming up with new ideas to create fabric and transform it into something that has never existed before. Robyn is interested in sharing with the weaving world advanced and uncommon weave structures on as few as four shafts. More recently, she has been studying and researching how various forms of passementerie (e.g., trims, cords, and more) are made and used in interiors and fashion. Liz Spear Liz is a weaver of cloth and maker of classic, comfortable garments. She has been a full‐time studio craftsman for over 30 years and has based in Western North Carolina since 1992. After completing the Professional Crafts Program at Haywood Community College in 1995, she developed a line of handwoven clothing marketed through the Southern Highlands Craft Guild, Piedmont Craftsmen, Inc., and Carolina Designer Craftsmen Guild. In addition, Liz teaches weaving and sewing of handwoven fabrics at various craft schools: Penland, Arrowmont, John C. Campbell Folk School, and Appalachian Center for Craft. Dianne Stiff Dianne lives in Woodbury, Minnesota. She has been a member of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota since 2001. Her interest in ply‐split braiding started after taking a workshop from Linda Hendrickson. She has also taken classes from Julie Hedges. Over the past years she has studied various patterns in Peter Collingwood’s Techniques of Ply Split Braiding and worked through various designs by Julie Hedges. Adding her own slant to these patterns, she has entered pieces in the Minnesota State Fair and has won blue and red ribbons. Dianne has also written directions for a hex basket pattern and a chevron pattern. She currently teaches Introduction to Ply‐Split Braiding at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. Cameron Taylor‐Brown Cameron has immersed herself in the worlds of fiber, education and commerce since the 1970s. She studied fiber art at the University of California, Berkeley, with artist Ed Rossbach, and textile design at the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science. She worked in New York City as a stylist of upholstery and home furnishing fabrics, taught textile design at the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science and worked as an exhibition curator. Since 1985, Taylor‐Brown has lived in Los Angeles where she maintains a studio and is active in several arts organizations. She was a founding board member of the Textile Group of Los Angeles, and is a past President of California Fibers and Designing Weavers. She recently founded ARTSgarage, a textile resource center in Los Angeles. Her work is widely exhibited and was recently featured in American Craft Magazine and in Shuttle, Spindle and Dyepot. She teaches color and design workshops at schools, guilds, museums and conferences throughout the United States. Dianne Totten Dianne, a weaver for 30 years and teacher for fifteen, uses a variation of woven shibori to produce what she calls “crimp cloth” to create one‐of‐a‐kind garments with the heat‐set fabric. Her expertise in sewing complements her passion for weaving. In addition, she enjoys creating whimsical rag rugs and wall hangings with design inlay in an attempt to use up her fabric stash. Dianne’s award‐winning work has appeared nationally and internationally. She teaches at John C. Campbell Folk School and Harrisville Designs as well as nationally for guilds, at Convergence 2012 and has been published in SS&D, Handwoven, Weavers, and Vävmagasinet. Väv chose her crimp jacket as “Best in Show” in its category at the Swedish National Convention Fashion Show. Cassie Warholm‐Wohlenhaus Cassie has been knitting for most of her life, but it wasn’t until she discovered spinning a decade ago that she truly discovered the fiber arts world. Since then she has worked extensively with natural dyes and many different fibers. Her drop spindles have traveled the world with her, through Europe and Scandinavia and even to the Caucasus during her Peace Corps service! She seeks out local fiber, forages and grows natural dye plants, and loves to share her passion for plant dyes with anyone who will listen. Cassie is a librarian by trade, teaches natural dyeing classes at Textile Center and Weavers Guild of Minnesota, and serves on the board of the Weavers Guild. Susan Wilson Susan received the HGA Certificate of Excellence in Handweaving, Master Level, in 1990, with a specialty in crackle weave. Her book, Weave Classic Crackle & More was published in 2011. She has published articles in Weaver's, Handwoven, Shuttle, Spindle, & Dyepot magazines, and Complex Weavers Journal, and her crackle sample was featured on the cover of A Weaver's Book of 8‐Shaft Patterns edited by Carol Strickler. Susan has lectured and taught workshops throughout the U.S. and at several Convergences and regional conferences including the Midwest Weavers Conference. A weaver for more than 40 years, Susan enjoys pattern weaving, sampling to explore woven structure, and creating household textiles and clothing accessories. 45
Heather Winslow Heather is a fibre artist specializing in nature‐
inspired, classical handwoven clothing. She envisions her garment designs as three‐
dimensional sculpture, using subtle simplicity to adorn the body in a positive way and make the wearer feel “special” by the very act of putting it on. She loves teaching and does so locally, nationally, and internationally. Heather is head of the textile department of The Fine Line Creative Arts Center in St. Charles, Illinois and the author of MORE ON MOORMAN: Theo Moorman Inlay Adapted to Clothing, and many articles in fibre magazines. 46
Patsy Zawistoski Patsy is an innovative International teacher and lecturer throughout the United States and Canada. In 2013 she completed a 10‐week teaching tour in New Zealand and Sydney, Australia. For more than 30 years, Patsy has created spinning and weaving classes using her teaching background to present classes at large and small conferences including MFF, Convergence, SOAR, SAFF, and North Carolina’s John C Campbell Folk School. She teaches by DVD, writes in various national and international magazines, and also reviews new books and DVDs. She continues to explore the “What if?” questions; while constantly clarifying and refining her own spinning and teaching techniques. Workshops and Seminars MWC 2015 Instructor Bestler Brusic Buenger Burgeson Bye, Steve Bye, Sue Campbell Color Crossing Goebel Hanson James Johnson Kallner Kosmerchock LaFleur Lynn MacFarlane Preconference Monday to Wednesday Ply‐Split Baskets and Beyond Warp Rep: Warping and Weaving Tips and Techniques Friday Morning
A Taste of Tapestry
How Crackle Works
Sami Inspired Bracelets
Friday Afternoon Saturday Morning
Kumihimo with Beads
Spinning Paper
Spinning Luxury Fibers
Peyote Beaded Buttons
Enhancing the Design Capabilities of Your Loom with Shaft Switching and Drawloom Techniques Sleying the Warping Dragon
Intro to Finger Weaving
Rigid Heddle Direct Warping Method
Statement Seams
Tame the Twist
Cordage and Community Viking Knit Bracelet
Peyote Beaded Buttons
Bias Weaving on a Triangle Loom
Create Color Wraps to Make
Colorful Warps Intro to Sprang
Rigid Heddle: Double Your Fun, Fine Threads Urban Edging
Ripples, Waves, Bumps, Bubbles and Pleats
Overview of Norwegian Weaving
Warm Feet for Cool Peeps
Nuno Feltmaking
Intro to Tatting
Not Just Blocks‐‐Designing in Rep Weave Be Inspired with Your Cotton Rug Weaving Beginner Bobbin Lace
Finnish Style Cotton Rugs Mattila Patrick Preckshot More Double Weaves on Four Exploring Symmetries
A Tablet Weavers Hat Trick I Can Do That? Advance Techniques For the Rigid Heddle Loom Tablet Weaving Basics
Cutting Loose with Tied Weaves Trimming without the Turkey
Sew Your Handwovens Hands on Color Crimp and Create Intro to Ply‐Split Braiding
Words About Color
Design Inlay Rag Rugs
Surprise! Color and Weave Effects Color Options: Spinning & Dyeing Painted Roving Spinning Silk
Creativity using Your Yarns
Golden Proportion and Fibonacci Pin Loom Cozies
Crocheted Basket
Intro to Saori Weaving
Intro to Saori Weaving Intro to Spinning on a Spinning Wheel
Needle Felting
Marketing Yourself in the Online Age Integrated Drafts: The What, Why and How Rahn Spady Spear Stiff Taylor‐Brown Totten Warholm‐
Wohlenhaus Wilson Winslow Zawistoski Exploring Rare Breeds
Intro To Photoshop
Marshall Moore Mullarkey Nelson O'Brien Saturday Afternoon
Photo Basics: Working With Digital Images Intro to Network Drafting
Intro to Ply‐Split Braiding Simply Stripes
Crimp Cloth Primer
Grow Your Own Color Grow Your Own Color
One Warp, Many Fabrics Drafting: Starting at Square One
Crochet and Knit Edges
Boucle Spun for Warp
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