News

Early Spring 2021 News

Nelly DeVault Spinning Workshop:
When: Sunday, March 21 at 11:00 am
Location: Our storefront at the College Mall in Bloomington, Indiana
Cost: $75.00 plus $10 for supplies payable at class
Spaces available: please contact Mary Buschhorn – [email protected]

The BSWG Study Group continues to meet on Mondays at 6:00 p.m. at the College Mall store.  Everyone is welcome.  Members share items they have made or are working on as well as use the Study Group time to work on fiber-related activities.

BSWG November 2021 Show: Are you interested in helping us with the show? We need to know! Please contact Kerry Conway at (812) 876-5933 for more information.

The Beginning Tapestry Workshop with Nancy Crampton has been rescheduled for September 18-19, 2021.  Any questions, please contact Mary Buschhorn.

Study group and workshops; showcase your work; and membership dues

We are excited to begin cautiously starting some group fiber activities. All activities will follow state, local, and mall policies to protect the health of all. So face covering, hand sanitizers, social distancing, and limited group size guidelines are being followed at the time of the events. We urge members to keep your own best interests at heart when deciding how much you want to  participate in.

The Monday night study group has been meeting at the store in the mall. Contact Mary Buschhorn about details and so she can keep the group size within guidelines.

Next, Mary has arranged for a Spinning Workshop with Nelly DeVault for September 26 from 11-5:00.

Then, on November 7 we have a new workshop called Fall into Summer and Winter: All-Day Weaving with Barb Gallagher.

Our November show and sale has been cancelled this year but if you would like to list a link on our webpage so that buyers can find you or your website, please contact Karen Ellis. Also, the store windows in our store can be used to display work with a way to contact the vendor for no charge to current members. We can’t leave store lights on when we aren’t in the building but the mall lights will still show your work nicely. Let us know so we can work out a time slot for you to set up a few samples. Note that these will be samples; you aren’t selling from the store but from your stash.

Another option the store gives us is to rent studio space for $50/month or a small storage area for your supplies for $15/month. So far, we have rented one of each to members.

A few have begun sending in dues, before we even asked. That is great! Our new program year is now underway so we will ask you to renew your commitment too. Dues are $30 per year and may be paid through the PayPal link on our Membership page. If you find that increase is difficult this year, please send us a request a scholarship of $10 for one year and send us the $20 rate.

New Workshops and more!

The Program and Workshop Committee has been at work planning a full calendar of meetings, events, study groups, and more for 2019-2020. Highlights include a Rug Hooking Workshop with artist Jean Haley in November, and a Beginning Tapestry Workshop with artist Nancy Crampton in March. November is a particularly busy month, beginning with our Guild Show and Sale, followed by a show of guild member’s work at the Meadowood Art Gallery, and capped by a presentation on Ikat Weaving by the internationally-recognized and local artist, Chinami Ricketts. Learn more about these and other events and meetings in our Calendar.

Buy and Sell at the March 19 Guild Auction!

The Guild Auction is a fun event and a chance to re-home yarn, fiber supplies and equipment. Perhaps you have a partial cone or two of weaving yarn that is languishing on a shelf or knitting yarn that just wants to be used by someone else. Now is the time to take a look at your fiber crafting supplies and see what still sparks joy to you and what should move on to someone else.

To participate in selling your items, mark your items clearly with the form sent to members by email on March 5, 2019, or contact us to request the form. Please be kind to our treasurer and price your items in even dollar amounts. Two options are available for selling your items. The first is a “buy-it-now” price—the price you would like to receive if someone wants to purchase the item before the auction. The Minimum auction bid is the minimum amount you will accept as a sales price if the item goes to the auction format. In the past, many items have sold before the auction using the “buy-it-now” price.

Please be at the church with your items to sell between 6:15PM and 6:30PM. If you are selling items, please check in with the treasurer and provide your current mailing address so you can get your proceeds.

To purchase an item at the “buy-it-now” price, remove the item from the table and add your name to the sales slip. Circle the “buy-it-now” price. Any items purchased at auction will be handed to the purchaser to complete the purchaser’s name and the winning auction bid. At the end of the evening, please total your purchases and write a check for the total. You may pay in cash, but no change will be available.

The auction is a great way to buy and sell fiber craft items. The Guild takes 10% of the purchase price of items sold. If you have sold items, a check for the sales proceeds minus 10% will be mailed to you.

April Workshop: Freeform Design on the Loom

Imagine weaving freeform designs, like damask or brocade, using a 4-shaft loom, with no pick-up stick! Create your own two-dimensional design patterns using a simple threading and unique treadling system.

In this two-day workshop, April 12-13, 2019, Nancy Marsh will teach the fundamentals of freeform twill, design theory, and how to make and use a cartoon. Once you know it, you can apply this technique to hand weaving everything from lightweight fabrics to heavy rugs.

Learn more and register for this workshop today!

Open to members and non-members. Students need basic weaving skills and to be able to warp a 4-shaft loom. 

Meeting Reminders and Unravelings

The Guild Show was a big success! Many, many thanks to coordinators Marla Dawson and Karin Lauderback, and all the volunteers for making our part such a huge success. This was one of our best shows.  Show committee chairs: please bring your binders to the January 21 meeting.

The November 10 felting workshop with Martina Celerin was a huge success!  Martina posted the workshop on her blog: martinacelerin.blogspot.com. Check it out!
The guild’s meeting on Monday, November 20, included a program on clasped weft or finger manipulated weaving on a rigid heddle loom.