Galleries

COVID-19 Update

It was with great sadness that we made the decision last month to cancel CNCH 2020. At the time, we had only an inkling of what life would look like during the conference weekend. We hope that you are weathering this storm and we look forward to gathering together at future fiber events.

We will miss seeing all of the wonderful creations and ideas. Their titles and descriptions conjured a garden of delights. We hope that you will consider entering your item(s) at a future CNCH conference.

We hope that you find time to continue to create during these trying times and we look forward to seeing the results.

If you can, post pictures of your CNCH entries on social media and tag them with #CNCH2020 and we can share a virtual gallery experience.

Post to our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/cnch2020
Or tag us on our Instagram account @cnch2020.

Guild Challenge – Stashbuster Special

Release your inner artist!
Color outside the lines!
Take a risk!

Whether it is Rembrandt’s rich colors and contrast, or Jackson Pollock’s wild, splattered abandon, let something shine through that may surprise even you. For this gallery, we want you to expand your world while connecting with fellow weavers and recycling a bit in the process.

Most of us have planned a project, obtained the yarn, and watched our vision become reality. For this challenge, we want to turn that on its head. Swap your stash wallflowers with fellow weavers. Take a yarn that you wouldn’t normally seek out. Maybe it’s not your color. Maybe it’s a bit too loud. Maybe it’s not a “weaving” yarn. Maybe two yarns seem to clash. Embrace them. The “wrong” yarn can often add an indescribable “pop” that makes a good palette even better.

Weave them into something. Submit it for the gallery. Share your surprises.

That’s it.

When CNCH 2020 co-chair Barbie taught weaving at an elementary school, the school received a huge donation from a knitting store. These were not your conventional weaving yarns: eyelash, ladder yarns, boucle, metallics, mohair. The students used them for warp (gasp!).

Here are a few of them to pique your interest and jump start your imagination.

Yardage Gallery

You’ve planned it, you’ve warped it, you’ve woven it! Bring it to CNCH and let us share in the delight of your woven yardage. Yardage must be a minimum of 14” in width, and may be any length. Please include a sample for handling, between 3”x3” and 12”x12”.

Youth Gallery – Our Future in Textiles

Show us the future of weaving. Share your work with the weaving world of Northern California.

Here is an opportunity for the younger members our textile community to make a splash. It’s also a chance for the more experienced members to be inspired by fresh ideas and to recollect their own early textile efforts as they see what is being made today.

We would like to welcome young weavers, spinners, felters and basket makers to enter their recent works for display at the 2020 Conference of Northern California Handweavers (CNCH 2020 for short). Your entry will give you and one adult free entry to the Marketplace and Galleries and CNCH 2020. You will be able to see your work on display and see the wide world of weaving and other textile arts in Northern California.

Here are the details:

This gallery is for youth up to the age of 18, in weaving, basketry, felting or spinning.
Pieces entered must have been made within the past four years
Items will not be judged, but you have the option of having a tag available for other participants to indicate their appreciation with a sticky dot.
Entries must be mailed by March 4, 2020.
Entries must be picked up at the Hyatt Sequoia Room between 4 pm and 6 pm on Sunday, April 5, 2020

Return to Sender

CNCH 2020 Return to Sender Fiber Pack This gallery has a longstanding tradition at CNCH. Every even numbered year conference makes fiber available for sale in the conference colors for that year. Beginning November 22, 2019, these will be sent to you directly via U.S. Mail.

When they have been converted to a different form by spinning or felting, they are sent back in as gallery entries.

The fiber is 2 ounces of Romney x Targhee x Dorset cross, dyed and processed by Morro Bay Fleece Works.

Here are the ground rules:

Fiber packets are 2 oz of delightfully spinnable fleece, processed with love by Morro Bay Fleece Works. Colors are green (for the San Francisco Bay), blue (for the California sky) and red (for the art in our hearts).
You may add an equivalent amount (by weight) of some other fiber of your choice.
Cost is $15 per packet, which includes shipping directly to you.
Fill out an order form for your submission and mail the check according to the instructions on the order form.
Packet quantities are limited and they usually sell out.
Bear in mind that CNCH 2022 will be looking for these in their Return of Return to Sender. So you might want to consider spinning with a weaving or knitting project in mind.

Return of Return to Sender

So you have spun a bunch of lovely yarn from that colorful packet from a couple of years ago. You have a great idea of what to make with it. This is the gallery for you.

There isn’t a hard and fast rule for how much of your new project needs to be made from your former Return to Sender yarn. Use your own judgement for what will set off your RTS yarn.

We love seeing the variety of ways that a single set of fibers can be transformed. This gallery is an education about the amazing variety of textile techniques and the creativity of our participants.

People’s Choice Appreciation

We encourage active participation in all areas of the conference. Giving feedback about what we see provides a chance for interaction between the creators and the viewers. Each registrant will receive a number of sticky dots. There will be opportunities to give a dot of appreciation to pieces that tickle your fancy.

Gallery Submission Instructions

Entry is open to members of CNCH guilds and all CNCH 2020 Registrants. Youth entries are open to all. Categories are explained in registration booklet and at cnch.org. Each person is limited to a maximum of 3 items.

Please complete a separate gallery entry form for each item you submit. Please retain a copy (or photo) of the completed entry form for your records.

Forms must be postmarked by March 4, 2020. No late entries accepted.
Items must be delivered to the CNCH Registration Desk by 10:00 am Friday, April 3.
Youth Gallery items can be mailed in advance to the address below.

Payment: $5 per item. Please make your check payable to Conference of Northern California Handweavers and mail to the address below:

CNCH
c/o Barbie Paulsen
509 San Benito Ave.
Menlo Park, CA 94025