Author: Harmony Weavers Guild

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NOVEMBER PROGRAM

November 12, 2020

Anastasia Azure will present a program entitled   Weaving a Story:  Personal Expression in Handwovens

Weaving a Story is a design-oriented approach towards creating self-expressive and meaningful handwoven cloth. As weavers we often focus on the end product, however there is an alternative approach that allows higher creativity to lead the way. Anastasia will share step-by-step exercises that can connect you to artistic weaving.

Anastasia earned her MFA in Textiles at the Rhode Island School of Design in 2011 and BFA in Jewelry Metal Arts at the California College of the Arts in 2005. She has participated in many artist residencies and travels the globe teaching imaginative textile and jewelry workshops. Presently she is developing a fair-trade, woven jewelry collection that will provide economic empowerment to Mayan women weavers in Guatemala.

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EXPLORING UNCONVENTIONAL MATERIALS WITH KATHLEEN REMSA

OCTOBER 8 , 2020

Exploring Unconventional Materials is a presentation that examines the work of several fiber artists who have challenged the concept of what a textile is or have incorporated unusual or nontraditional materials in their work. The presentation is designed to encourage weavers to think “outside the box” and perhaps embark on their own material exploration. As weavers we often become complacent with traditional materials and all of the pre-determined constraints associated with them. Essentially, our creativity becomes confined to working “inside the box”. Undertaking an unconventional material exploration can free us to work without pre-conceived ideas or restraints, reinforce the creative process and spark new creativity in our approach to using traditional yarns and materials.

Kathleen Remsa is a member of Harmony Weavers Guild and South Jersey Weavers Guild. She is a fiber artist currently living in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. She attained a Bachelor of Science from Cook College, Rutgers University in Plant Science and a Master of Science in Textile Design from Philadelphia University. After recently concluding a fifteen-year career designing and styling jacquard woven fabrics and collections for the residential and outdoor markets for Sunbury Textile Mill and Glen Raven Corporation, Kathleen now devotes her full attention to creating fiber art and instructing others in the design process and textile explorations.

NOTE: Guild members who would like Kathleen to consider particular unconventional materials they are interested in are invited to send her their ideas in advance of the meeting. They can email her at kbremsa@aol.com.

You can join the program beginning at 9:45 am.
The presentation will begin at 10, and will be followed by the business meeting.

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Amanda Robinette with Tai Chi for Fiber Artists

March PROGRAM
MARCH 12, 2020
AMANDA ROBINETTE–TAI CHI FOR FIBER ARTISTS LECTURE AND WORKSHOP* Amanda Robinette is a professional weaver and Tai Chi instructor residing in Mechanicsburg, PA.
She has published several articles in Handwoven magazine, taught at The Mannings Handweaving School and as a guest at weaving guilds, and spoken at the Weaving History Conference at the Thousand Islands Arts Center and Handweaving Museum, as well as at weaving guilds across the U.S.
Amanda shares her interest in all kinds of weaving and clothing recycling on her blog at westernsakiori.com. Through combining her knowledge of weaving and Tai Chi, she also developed Tai Chi for Weavers, a program dedicated to teaching weavers how to use the principles of Tai Chi to improve their weaving ergonomics and stamina. She has taught the program at The Mannings Handweaving School and at weaving guilds, and in 2017 released the program on DVD.
Her current work is focused on continuing to extend the possibilities of rag weaving, yarn recycling and Tai Chi programs for other fiber artists. She lives with her husband and two children (and lots of looms and rags) in central Pennsylvania.design process and textile explorations.

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Kathleen Remsa on Sophisticated Color

February Guild Meeting
ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON CHURCH
345 BEAR-CHRISTIANA RD (RT. 7)
BEAR, DE
Thursday, February 13, 2020

Color is usually the first thing one sees. It is a very powerful and influential element of design. Color can be symbolic, subjective, emotionally evocative and very complicated. Using color successfully in woven textile design can be an especially daunting challenge. This presentation examines the basic principles of color theory, addresses what makes a color palette sophisticated and offers tips and techniques to developing a more discerning color sense and the confidence to design with color.

Kathleen Remsa is a fiber artist currently living in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. She attained a Bachelor of Science from Cook College, Rutgers University in Plant Science and a Master of Science in Textile Design from Philadelphia University. After recently concluding a fifteen year career designing and styling jacquard woven fabrics and collections for the residential and outdoor markets for Sunbury Textile Mill and Glen Raven Corporation, Kathleen now devotes her full attention to creating fiber art and instructing others in the design process and textile explorations.

To learn more about Kathleen Remsa, please visit her website https://kbrwovens.com

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Harmony’s Holiday Party

We are having our Holiday Party on Thursday, December 12th at Vulcan’s Rest Fibers
on Route 213 near Chesapeake City, MD.

We will be gathering in their nicely appointed room upstairs starting at 10:30. Our meeting will begin at 11:00 with Show and Tell to follow. Please bring a favorite dish to share at our potluck luncheon. After lunch, please plan to browse around Vulcan’s Rest
Fibers to see what they might have to add to your knitting and weaving stash!

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The Theo Moorman Technique

Joanne Gretz will share her experience with the Theo Moorman technique starting with some background and the basics of the weave.  Then she will show you some of her own experiments and finished pieces hopefully giving an idea of how versatile this weave structure can be.

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Fine Threads Workshop and Program

Last fall, Sue wanted to experiment weaving with fine threads. She had some in her stash, but ordered a few more from Habu Textiles and Colourmart. She enjoyed working with these yarns and after sharing my samples at one of the guild meetings, offered to lead a program and workshop on fine threads.
The program will focus on what may be learned while warping and weaving with yarns of a very fine grist, types of yarns available, sources for fine threads/yarns and a review of the different sizing systems used for yarns.
Sue will bring woven samples and some of the different yarns used. Participants who have signed up for the workshop will be provided with over 30 different fine threads to sample. We look forward to learning and sharing what may be learned working with fine threads!

Fine Threads Exploration Workshop InstructionsDownload

The October guild meeting and the workshop will be held at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Bear, Delaware.

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JADE PAPA, CURATOR, THE DESIGN CENTER, JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY

MAY 9, 2019
ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON CHURCH
345 BEAR-CHRISTIANA RD (RT. 7) BEAR, DE
JADE PAPA, CURATOR, THE DESIGN CENTER, JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY

The Textile and Costume Collection also has under its care hundreds of items from the Philadelphia Civic Center, which closed in the early 2000s. These objects represent commercial textile and costume production from around the world in the late-19th and 20th centuries and are a rich, new area for research. Holdings include textiles made for export in Eastern Europe, China, and India, a remarkable collection of woven straw hats, and much more.
Jade Papa, Curator, of the Design Center, will bring samples of items from the collection and talk about the Design Center’s work and mission.

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April Program

April 11, 2019
ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON CHURCH
345 BEAR-CHRISTIANA RD (RT. 7) BEAR, DE
Nancy Middlebrook: Woven Panels in Doubleweave
Nancy creates woven panels with her hand dyed yarn using the doubleweave technique, nancymiddlebrook.com. With this weave structure, she develops patterns and colors with surprising depth.
Her work has been featured in many magazines; she has exhibited work nationally and at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show. Her work is in many private collections including Jack Lenor Larsen’s Longhouse Reserve.

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We Weave: A Sampler from the Art Studio

We are very appreciative of the support, encouragement and help of members of Harmony Weavers Guild in getting the “We Weave” exhibit hung at the Hockessin Public Library. It’s been very exciting to see all the pieces woven by members of the Weaving Studio and to see everyone who came out for the Opening Reception on Saturday, February 2. The exhibit will continue until March 6, 2019.