Friends, Food and Fun

There are many benefits to joining a guild.  Guild members learn from each other in a formal sense but we also derive support in terms of inspiration, encouragement or even cautionary tales.  Sometimes the goal of a get together is just to have fun and that can conclude eating more than we should without guilt.  Pictured here, is a guild group that have just finished a delicious pot luck lunch and are now sharing a laugh.  Yes, often our artistic efforts do involve humorous stories.  (Or at least they seem humorous after the fact.) 
Our guild suspends regular meetings during the summer months so we wrap up the season with a pot luck lunch and an exchange or sale of excess items.   What fun shopping and eating!
 One artisan's trash can be just what the other needs to complete a project.  So, Marie got that mohair to complete a blanket in browns.  Margaret has more room and money to buy more stash while Vivienne got some lovely lime green yarns.  Pat got rid of the pale blue wool she has been meaning weave for ages so she does not feel guilty about purchasing it.  Mabel got rid of rovings and Cathy has some beautiful fleece to spin.  Wendy decluttered her studio and made people happy at the same time.

 Show and tell is always a part of any get together of guild members.  Two members brought items that were inspired by the recent workshop on lace weaves.  Jude wove this runner with a lacework centre stripe for her friend.  The colours match a swatch of fabric provided by the friend.
Mary wove a block version of huck lace using a neutral coloured cotton.  She then went on to use the same block pattern and threading but different treadlings to create several different weave structures using a "tied weave" principle.

The weavers appeared to have been the most productive in the group this past month.  Perhaps it is because of the weather or maybe it is because they have summer deadlines in mind.  Linda tried her hand at rep weave with this table runner.  She has been outfitting her house with towels and rugs and table linens.  When asked how she managed to produce a steady stream of weaving she indicated that she had a pent up desire to weave that was unleashed when she retired recently.

Marie has been weaving tea towels and exploring different colour combinations with stripes.  The colour in the photo does not do this purple/lime green combination justice.

Jackie has been weaving blankets.  This one has a simple but effective stripe pattern.  It is made of "found" yarn.  You know, that yarn that we find in a thrift shop.  Yarn of unknown grist so the proper sett is a mystery and the content is always just an educated guess.  Looks pretty good for "found" material.

 

Thus ends our regular monthly meetings until September 16th.  But we will still be out and about over the summer.  Look for us at the centennial celebration of the Macmillan School House in Parksville on June 15th.  We are planning a display of antique fabrics as well as modern work.

We will also be found at the Art in Action event presented by The Old School House Gallery in Qualicum Beach on July 27 and for our final event we are planning a big display with demonstrations at the Bow Horne Bay Community Fall Fair in Bowser on August 31st.