2024-2025 Program Calendar


Programs will be in person and on Zoom. Members will receive an email with the meeting info and a link a week before the meeting.

Didn’t get the email link? Email us at info@harmonyweaversguild.org

Catherine Weber
Effective Use of Materials and Color

Catherine’s lecture with images will help you think of creative ways to plan and execute woven projects of mixed yarn types and colors that you might have thought would never go together technically or visually. Spend a little time with me thinking, “What if…?” And then dig through your yarn closet for hidden treasures waiting to be woven.

Dinah Kirby
Interfacing

Dinah will present a demonstration of ways and whys of use of interfacing with handwoven
materials. Dinah is an experienced seamstress who will bring us samples and show us how and when to apply interfacing for our projects.

Carol Ireland
Natural Dyes

Carol is a long time member who has been exploring and using natural dyes in her fiber art. She will bring examples of naturally dyed projects and dyestuffs that she has used. Should be a very interesting topic!

Holiday Party
Sustainable Holiday Decorations

Our annual winter holiday party and gathering! Bring a dish to share plus any donations for the food bank (see our newsletter for details). Our group activity will be using recycled wrapping paper to make stars and creating ornaments by using a small embroidery hoop as a frame for your leftover handwoven pieces. So bring your appetite and be prepared to have some fun!

Catherine Ellis
Woven Shibori

Catherine will present her deep dive into woven shibori. Woven Shibori is a process of weaving and resist that Catharine Ellis developed in the early 1990’s and has continued to evolve both technically and artistically. Catherine is also the author of the definitive book on the subject – “Woven Shibori” – an updated version including her exploration of natural dyes was published in 2016.

Dr Kedron Thomas
Sustainability Project with UD

Kedron Thomas is a cultural anthropologist who studies the way clothes are made and worn in diverse parts of the world. She began her career by studying the weaving traditions of indigenous Maya people in Guatemala and the production of knock-off fashions in Central America.

Her more recent work examines the efforts of fashion industry professionals in the United States and United Kingdom to make clothing more environmentally sustainable. She will speak to us about her current involvement in a collaborative partnership with other scholars, policy experts, and industry leaders to develop a circular textile economy for the Delaware region. She teaches courses on fashion, culture, environmental sustainability, labor rights, and indigenous rights at the University of Delaware.

Marian Bruno
Chesapeake Fibershed

The Chesapeake Fibershed follows the Chesapeake Watershed, encompassing the greater
Washington D.C. – Baltimore metropolitan areas and extends through portions of Virginia,
Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. It is working to create a regional network between fiber producers, mills, dyers, artisans and enthusiasts in our area. Marian will introduce us to how this works and why it’s so important to connect the dots in the local supply chain and how it seeks to promote environmentally sustainable practices.

Tour of Textile Design Department, Thomas Jefferson University

The tour will be hosted by Marcia Weiss, Interim Dean, School of Design and Engineering and Professor, Textile Design.

Join us on April 4 at Thomas Jefferson University’s East Falls campus (formerly Philadelphia Textile) for a tour of their textile and fashion studios and labs.  The studios are equipped with extensive hand equipment as well as state-of-the-art industrial machines.  Marcia Weiss, professor of textile design, and the interim dean of the School of Design & Engineering will share the exciting work of her students

She has put in a request for us to visit the archives, but has not yet received approval so can’t promise that for now.

Debby Greenlaw, Textile artist and Instructor.

Presentation on the history, structure and common motifs of Krokbragd Weaving, a tradition originating in Scandinavia. The name is Norwegian and translates to “crooked path” or “crooked weave”. It was originally used for anything requiring thickness and warmth, like bed coverlets and rugs.

Workshop on Krokbragd taught by Debbie Greenlaw

In this 3-day workshop, participants explore the history, structure, and common motifs of krokbragd. Author of Krokbragd: How to Design & Weave and Krokbragd Patterns, Debby Greenlaw, shares tips for color and yarn selection, selvage management, and finishing techniques. Participants weave a krokbragd sampler during the workshop. The finale includes inspiration pieces and guidance on the planning and design of projects. It is a fun-filled weekend!

Participants should have basic weaving skills, including winding a warp and dressing a loom.

The workshop is presented via Zoom, with morning and afternoon sessions of 2 1⁄2-3 hours each. The sessions will be recorded and available to registered participants for one month following the live event.

Guild member Elisabeth Schelp will share her experience of earning the Certificate of Excellence from the Handweavers Guild of America.

Spring Picnic
Fair Weather Farm

Join us for our annual end of year picnic at Nancy’s farm. Nancy Bentley has been raising Gotland sheep since 2015 and will be letting us picnic in her bucolic setting. Bring a dish to share and don’t forget our annual auction of fiber arts equipment, supplies and yarns!