WGRI Minutes 5/5/18
By Joy Beeson, Secretary
Janet Cooper started the meeting at 9:38.
WELCOME to visitors from New York - weavers Victoria Bork, Paul Bork, Barbara Bork.
They don't have a weaving guild in their area and are interested in how we run our guild.
Welcome back to Norma, who is feeling much better.
Welcome to Manon Pelletier and Judy Schaefer who will be doing the program today.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Janet has a half-dozen handouts about yarn wrapping from our great program last
month by Barbara Herbster. See her if you want one.
If you are not getting email from Janet, please let her know. She managed to drop four
members from the email list by mistake. All should be working properly now.
The end of May is the conclusion of our program year. Since you are here, it is easy to
write your check to WGRI for $30 and give it to our Treasurer, Gretchen White. We
appreciate your support to keep us going. For administrative reasons, we no longer take
PayPal. If you do not pay Gretchen today, please send your check before the June
meeting.
Our June meeting will be at Mary Brunell's Turkey Haven Farm. For planning, we'd like
your RSVP. Janet has the current list. Please let her know if your are planning to attend,
but have not given your RSVP yet.
MINUTES: Minutes of the April 7, 2018 meeting were sent to you via email. It was
moved and voted to accept as they were sent out.
PROGRAMS: Mary Brunell
June 2, 2018 meeting is starting at 10:30 a.m. Rain or Shine. Please bring a
main dish, salad, or desert to share. Also bring your finished weavers' challenge. Mary's
Farm is: Turkey Haven Farm, 1085 Hill Road, Pascoag, RI. Be sure to RSVP.
Mary is finalizing letters of agreement for speakers for next year. It will be
completed prior to the annual meeting in June.
Mary has been working with Janet and Pam Rathmell on our new website on
Squarespace. She has been transferring and adding information from our current site.
The address will be the same: www.wgri.org. If there is anything you would like to see
on it, let her know. It will be published in the next week and Janet will send an email to
let you know.
Mary and Janet will meet with Alicia Skaggs, Middle School Art Teacher,
Wickford, RI, to discuss a program with her students and the guild next year. Her
students had the art exhibit outside this room last month including some woven pieces.
OLD BUSINESS:
We are still looking for our second NEWS representative. Linda Rhynard and
Ginny Walsh are attending the Spring NEWS meeting in Northhampton, MA, today.
They will report at our June meeting. Our responsibility for NEWS 2019, is the faculty
show. More to come on their progress next month. Please see me or contact Linda
Rhynard if you are interested in volunteering or if you need more information to decide.
We are looking for a newsletter editor and hospitality chair. See me or Norma if
you are interested.
WEAVERS' CHALLENGE: Margaret Moone
Please bring your finished weaving to the June meeting at Mary Brunell's house.
NEW BUSINESS:
Next month is our annual meeting. We will elect a new slate of officers.
They are:
President, Mary Brunell
Vice President, Lynn Morriseau
Secretary, Liz Hill
Treasurer, Gretchen White, will serve another year as is stated in our By laws.
No other new business.
Report on RISD Scholarship Luncheon: Joy Beeson
I represented the guild at the annual RISD Scholarship Luncheon, held April 27
at The Hope Club in Providence. There were around 100 people attending - students
and donors. The donors include alumni, families of students, small businesses, or art
organizations. A few examples of donors: I met one man who set up a memorial
scholarship for his stepson's father (who had been an alumni of RISD). I also spoke to
two sisters who's father had studied at RISD and set up a textile business which still
functions today. They created a memorial scholarship for their father, which is paid by
the business he established. This group makes up $3-$4 million, which does not include
large businesses.
RISD president, Rosanne Somerson (alumni from 1970's) spoke about how
appreciative the students and school are for the donations. Besides fees, they also fund
student's art supplies if they need help. They also give a stipend so scholarship
students don't have to work all the time. This allows students to accept internships, even
though internships do not pay. The internships are good for resumes.
There were two student speakers: Ben, who does documentaries about the poor
and the impact of housing costs. His father got cancer and was unable to help his son
go to RISD, so before he died he went to RISD to ask for a scholarship for his son.
Elaine was orphaned when her father was deported to Mexico. She was in the
foster system until age 18. She thanks a high school teacher for inspiring her. She got a
scholarship for her undergrad years. She then studied and taught in Italy for 4 years.
She is getting her advanced degree in Architecture and fine arts. She wants to set up a
program to assist talented students in foster care.
Carolina Jimenez was our recipient. She sat next to me at the luncheon. She is
from California and is very friendly. She is inspired by colors and architecture of Mexico
when she visits her grandmother.
She is on a graduate deadline. She is weaving large pieces on the Jacquard
loom and the floor loom. She will then use the fabric to sew some clothing to be shown
at the RISD Graduate Show at Providence Convention Center - May 23 to June 2, 12
noon to 6 pm daily. She has some beautiful and interesting weavings on her web site.
Carolina's web site: Carolina-Jimenez.com
I talked with Amanda Wright about our desire to outreach and invite students to
the guild.
I enjoyed the experience and was very inspired by the young people I met and
spoke to.
Janet adjourned the meeting at 10:05 a.m.
PROGRAM: MAY 5, 2018. WEAVING FABRIC FOR GARMENTS: GETTING STARTED.
By Manon Pelletier and Judy Schaefer
Many questions come to mind when an idea for a hand-woven garment is
formed. Choosing the best fiber, weave structure, and pattern are all important points to
consider. Sometimes these questions are answered at the beginning of the process -
the planned approach. Other times at the end, or the unplanned approach. These two
approaches are both creative and challenging - this talk will explore each method and
provide a foundation for those interested in garment construction to move forward in
creating their own unique clothing.
Manon Pelletier is a Master Seamstress with more than 40 years experience in
garment construction. Judy Schaefer is a seamstress also with more than 40 years
sewing experience and with teaching credentials from a major sewing manufacture.
Both Manon and Judy are weavers and guild members whose passion and focus is on
handwoven cloth for garment construction. Manon's approach to a project is mainly from
the planned perspective; whereas Judy's creativity comes from the unplanned angle.
Either method produces beautiful one-of-a kind garments.
Inspiration:
Fashion - current trend
Style - what works for you, what you feel good in.
Creative - imagination or original ideas
Where to get ideas -
Catalogs
Department stores
Internet
Marjorie Wheeler showed the vest she made from patchwork of handwoven cloth
- 3 different pieces, cut up and put together like a stained glass window.
Planned method - Manon
Start with your finished clothing - then find colors, fiber, paper pattern - draw to
scale to determine yardage. Weave a sample (gives you the weight).
Unplanned method - Judy
Left over from baby blankets - make a vest. Uses stabilizer on back (fused). She
ran out of bamboo7 and had to adapt pattern so she could use what she had. Hand
dyed a silk lining.
Silk organza is suggested for a pressing cloth. Apple Annie's in Seekonk, MA, has lots
of fabrics for clothing. Rhode Island has a Master Seamstress program.
SHOW AND TELL
Astride Drew - showed a colorful rag rug she made from left over weaving projects.
Quite impressive. She also showed a lovely rayon chenille scarf she made in a course.
The rayon chenille was from Peter Patchis.
Norma Smayda showed a colorful piece of cloth from Guatamala made into a small
dress for a water bottle doll. She also showed a lovely cotton scarf from Guatamala.
Joy Beeson showed 2 small, colorful pouch necklaces. She also showed a Navajo
weaving from Arizona. The pattern is a variation of Two Gray Hills.