Summer is here and many of our guilds take a break, allowing their members to concentrate on family and outdoor fun. Fairs are a big part of the season and they are the perfect place to enter your creations and demonstrate your skills. This is called “outreach” which is part of every guild’s mission.
There are other ways that guilds reach out to the general public and I would like to hear about these projects. Do you offer instruction through your guild? How do you mentor new weavers? Does your guild have a pet project that everyone is encouraged to join? Do you knit caps for newborns or those going through chemotherapy? Do you weave blankets for a children’s home or weave afghans for Afghans? Tell me what you and your guilds are doing and I’ll publish your projects.
It is also time to think about CNCH 2012. The organizers have put out a call to use the fabric woven for 2010 in garments in 2012. Now is the time to get inspired. The deYoung and the Legion of Honor in San Francisco have major shows highlighting fashion. These shows are great places to see other artists’ work and find out how they approached designing.
By now, you probably have figured out that the Fall issue of CNCHnet (coming out August 1) will focus on guild activities that let the public know that weavers, spinners and dyers are productive and creative in the 21st Century. There also will be more articles on types of specialty looms and specialty weaving. If you ever have had the urge to write about these subjects, now is the time to do it. If you have an idea for an article , but aren’t sure how to go about it, contact me and I can help you with development.
For those of you that are brave enough to cut into your yardage, tell us what you find important when doing so. What do you look for in a commercial pattern or do you make your own? How do you determine if a material is appropriate for the garment you have in mind? Do you weave material for a specific purpose or do you go to your stash to find material that will work. Do you sell your garments or do you just do garments for you and your family? Weaving Wearables will be the subject for CNCHnet’s Winter issue (Publishing date- November 1) and I’m sure there are many of you that can share hard earned knowledge.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you,
Judy Fisher, Editor
editor(at)CNCH.org