PFAG January – February 2020 -- Page 1

January-February 2020

Newsletter

From the President Gail Hamill Dear Guild Members

Welcome to the New Year! We start off with an exciting opportunity to show our creations in January made from materials acquired at our December 2018 guild market. Please come, and mix and mingle! Thanks to Sallye Mahan-Cox for heading this up. We have five remaining workshops between now and summer break with offerings in paper, felt, weaving, embroidery and crochet. Don't miss out on trying one of these to expand and experiment with your talents.

I'm looking forward to seeing you and gaining from your expertise.

2020 Workshops Here’s an intro to upcoming workshops. To register and

receive the Guild discount, you must logon to the members only area of the PFAG website. https://potomacfiberartsguild.org/

There are no workshops in January 2020. Feb 8, 2020 An introduction to Joomchi, with Jiyoung Chung. Mini Workshop: (3 hours). Joomchi is a

unique traditional Korean way of making textured handmade paper by using water and eager hands. This workshop offers an opportunity to become acquainted with its history, practice and role in Korean society, as well as the hands-on techniques and reinterpreted adaptations into contemporary art form.

Supply List: 1 big trash bag or 2 kitchen bags and masking tape; two 3″ cheap flat paint brushes and a water bucket; 1 towel; 1 scissors or paper cutter; 1 awl or paper punch. Optional: waterproof apron, thin gloves.

Materials Fee: $12.00 (2 Korean mulberry papers at $6 each) Feb 9-10, 2020. Joomchi and Beyond with Jiyoung Chung. Workshop (2 days). This workshop offers

participants the opportunity to learn more in depth of Joomchi’s history, practice and role in Korean society, as well as the hands-on techniques and reinterpreted adaptations into contemporary art form. Joomchi creates strong, textural and painterly surfaces by layering and agitating Hanji (Korean mulberry papers). Its uses are diverse and it can be incorporated into surface design, collage, new way of drawing, wearables, unconventional body ornament or sculptural objects. Results can be 2-D or 3-D, either functional or fine-art oriented.

Supply List: There is an extensive supply list. See the link to view or print the list. https://potomacfiberartsguild.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/February_2020supplies.pdf

Materials Fee: $30.00 (5 Korean mulberry papers at $6 each)

Don’t forget the Hospitality Table: for January it is members with birthdays in odd numbered months.

2019-20 Meetings St. James Episcopal Church

11815 Seven Locks Rd. Potomac, Maryland

10 am - Meeting & Program 12:00 noon - Social Hour/library is open

1-4 pm - Mini-Workshop Jan 11, 2020 - Made With What I Bought at the

2018 Guild Sale Feb 8, 2020 - Traditional Art of Korean Handmade

Paper with Jiyoung Chung Mar 14, 2020 - Mixed Media Embroidery with Jodi

Colella Apr 11, 2020 - Swedish Weavers: Their Weaves,

Looms, and Traditions with Joanne Hall May 09, 2020 - Pictorial Crochet in Landscapes

Portraiture with Jo Hamilton Jun 13, 2020 - Feltmaking: It’s in the Bag with

Kathleen Cescenzo

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Mar 14, 2020. Embroidering and Embellishing a Personal Business Card with Jodi Colella. Mini Workshop (3 hours). Use Found Objects with needlework to rework and repurpose them into a business card where the psychological is made physical in the way that one form materializes from another.

Supply List: There is an extensive supply list. See the link to view or print the list. https://potomacfiberartsguild.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/March_2020supplies.pdf

Materials Fee: $10.00 Instructor will supply a paper foundation to stitch on–a postcard, or handmade paper sampler, etc.

Mar 15 – 17, 2020 Mixed Media Embroidery (or Embroider

Anything) With Jodi Coella. Workshop ( 3 Days). Do you like to juxtapose unlikely materials and processes to create compelling imagery and objects; to honor memory and place while working with your hands? Join us and learn how to embroider on the fragile surfaces of prints, photographs and other unusual objects. The properties of paper are different from fabric and require adaptations to traditional embroidery methods. We will cover how to approach this as well as how to embroider on unlikely surfaces like goose eggs, boxes, or any other object that allows us to puncture holes for stitching. I will share my methods with demos and samples. Beginner-level experience with embroidery is helpful but not necessary.

Supply list: There is an extensive supply list. . The link above has the list for both workshops

Materials Fee: $20.00. Instructor will provide paper, threads, fabrics, silks and other mixed materials; assorted embellishments like artificial flowers and collage items; cork pad; awl; goose eggs; tissue paper; extra imagery, photos etc.

Apr 11, 2020 Swedish Band Weaving with Joanne Hall. Mini

Workshop (3 hours). Students begin to weave a plain weave on pre-warped bands. They will then return the bands and will take a band that has a pick- up pattern. Some bands will have 5 pattern warps, but there will be 7-, 9-, and up to 15-pattern warps for those with more band weaving experience. Joanne will demonstrate warping and will bring warp thread, so students can warp their own heddle reeds either in the class or at home.

Materials Fee: $30.00. Joanne will provide all supplies for the mini-workshop that will be provided to participants prior to the meeting date.

Supply List: Students should bring to the workshop the previously provided bands, scissors, and measuring tape. If the students have slender Swedish boat shuttles, quills or temples they should bring them.

Apr 8-10, 2020. Swedish Pattern Weaves with Joanne Hall. Workshop (3 Days). Each participant will warp

their own portable loom ahead of time for use in a round robin workshop using Swedish pattern weaves. Students will learn to weave at least eight different kinds of Swedish pattern weaves.

Materials Fee: $45.00 Joanne will provide all supplies for the workshop to include wound warps in time for students to pick them up at the March 14, 2020 meeting. She will supply wefts, handouts, warping thread and the use of some personal equipment, as well as a heddle reed and shuttles. Joanne will use warping pegs attached to tables.

Supply List: same as the mini workshop.

Officers and Board Members President Gail Hamill Vice President Nissa Westerberg Secretary Esther Asaki Treasurer Ruth Quah Membership Dolly Perkins Librarian Becky Dahlman Newsletter Editor Val Hildebrand Outreach Chair Julie Haifley Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery Merle Thompson

Immediate Past President Floris Flam

Committees Equipment Mary Napier Hospitality Teresa Zotikos Librarian Becky Dahlman Membership Dolly Perkins Newsletter Val Hildebrand Outreach Julie Haifley Programs/ Work- Nissa Westerberg shops Stacy Cantrell Registrar(s) Laritza Rodriguez Floris Flam Study Groups Berrye Fishman Yearbook Janet Stollnitz Website Kristine Kingery

Representatives Artisans United (AU) Peggy Greenwood Creative Crafts Council (CCC) Dominie Nash Handweavers Guild of America (HGA) Janet Stollnitz Mid-Atlantic Fiber Association (MAFA) Diana Guenther Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) Linda Guild

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May 6 – 8, 2020. Pictorial Crochet: Crochet Cityscapes with Jo Hamilton. Workshop (3 Days). Each participant will create a two-dimensional cityscape from crocheted yarn, using practical and creative design to create color, depth, and perspective in their work. Participants will learn ways to transform a printed image into a representational crocheted art, learning how to “paint” with yarn using color, line, texture, and stitches and row direction, using their own vision and ideas as additional sources of inspiration. Students can expect to complete a small or medium-sized piece by the end of the workshop. You should be proficient in basic crochet.

Supply List: Bring a printed image of a building, street scene or skyline with two extra copies if possible. This can be a jpeg printout, photograph, painting, magazine clipping, etc. Bring a variety of yarns to interpret the piece; a variety of yarn types and thicknesses eg. cotton, wool, or acrylic should be used. Bring a variety of crochet hooks, both in the 3.25 mm-4 mm range and larger hooks for chunkier yarn along with scissors and yarn needles.

Jun 13, 2020. Sculpting Wool into Small Cases with Kathleen Crescenzo. Mini Workshop (3 hours). Materials Fee: $25 Kit includes: pool noodle & ties, heavy bubble wrap, thin plastic, piece of tulle fabric, resist

and mold, heavy merino prefelt, handouts, and hardware. Supply List: plastic dishpan or bowl; towels and dish cloths; bar of unscented pure olive oil soap; large

wooden spoon; plastic grocery bag. Jun 10-12, 2020. The Felted Handbag with Kathleen Crescenzo. Workshop (3 Days). Participants should

have experience wet felting around a flat resist. Materials Fee: $35 Kathleen will provide handouts, resists, heavy weight prefelt, molds, hardware, leather,

rivets. Supply List: There is an extensive supply list. Visit the website to view or print it.

Felt with Katia Val Hildebrand

Because of technical difficulties we were unable to display the presentation by Katia Mokeyeva at the November meeting but shown here are a couple of pieces of her work that she brought to the meeting. Both are from dresses she made with her technique of using pre-felted pieces that get absorbed into the final product. The neckline of the piece on the right with the luscious lime-like elements just makes my mouth water.

Below are a few pieces from her website. For more images of her fantastic work visit

https://www.feuer-und-wasser.com/

You can view the Membership Directory online or download it and print it.

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Why Not Go For a Spin Carla Gladstone

On the third Thursday of every month, a group comes together at the Palisades Library in Washington, DC to turn fluff into yarn. We practice one of the oldest known technologies: spinning yarn.

We’re an easygoing group, without specific assignments or goals. We arrive at each meeting with one or more textile projects in hand, usually, but not exclusively, related to spinning.

Some of us spin fiber that has been processed at a mill, but others are more ambitious and buy fleece just as it comes off the sheep. Over the years we’ve shared lots of information about washing, combing, carding, and dyeing wool. Often meetings begin with someone asking “How do I …?” and continue with one or several of us giving a demonstration, an explanation, or a hands-on tutorial.

Although wool is the most popular fiber, we have also explored the pelage of other animals: goats, yak, qiviut, alpaca, and even dogs. We have learned about the many types of silk and how silkworms create it. Cotton and linen show up occasionally.

The Third Thursday Spinning Study Group has been meeting for over ten years. The original members wanted a spinning group open to people who work on weekdays. We began in a member’s living room, but there wasn’t enough room to set up all the spinning wheels. Then we moved to the public meeting rooms at the Palisades Library, which has been very supportive of our unusual activity. Three regular members grew to five or six (not always the same people). At a recent meeting we had nine around the table. The pictures show the variety of spinning (and other) activities that night:

With a hand-spindle

With a spinning-wheel With a tiny electric spinner

A blending board and a charka cotton spinning wheel

Carding rolags of wool/canine undercoat for spinning

If you’ve been wondering what spinning is all about, please consider joining us on a future Third Thursday!

For details, contact Diane Pavek (plants4parks@gmail.com).

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An Embroidery Feast Val Hildebrand

If you were lucky enough to get The Washington Post on Nov 24, you were treated to a most spectacular spread of embroidered artwork. The pieces were featured alongside The Post’s Book World multipage spread for the Best Books of 2019. The pieces (there were 6) depicted books and people reading books in many permutations. They were done by fiber artist Sarah K. Benning, who is a practitioner of the art of contemporary embroidery.

In the paper they were a lovely giant size but I foolishly neglected to save that paper and had to resort to the web for the images shown here. These are much smaller and have less dramatic effect but what a delightful and original way to complement the best books of 2019. I am grateful to the Washington Post for their support and beautiful display of this art.

The piece shown above was the cover piece for the article. The

smaller piece at left accompanied the selection of best children’s books. Both are just scrumptious, as were all of the pieces. For a look at all six, check the Washington Post on line article for Nov 17. Better still, for a comprehensive look at all six together and for a fascinating discussion by the artist on how she “got the gig”, go to this Craft Industry Alliance article: https://craftindustryalliance.org/how-i-got-that-gig-creating-embroidered-illustrations-for-the-washington-post/

Fiber Events It’s not too late to register for the Handweavers Guild of America Convergence in

Knoxville, July 23-30. The conference includes workshops, seminars, and tours covering nearly all aspects of fiber arts. Although some of the workshops and seminars are full, there are still spaces in many. Also, check the website for prospectuses and deadlines on exhibits to enter. Not all the exhibits require that you register for the conference. For more information, go to https://weavespindye.org/

Registration for The Complex Weavers 2020 Seminars will open in February. CW Seminars will also take

place in Knoxville. The dates are July 19-22. The Seminars are geared primarily to weavers. If you plan to attend both conferences the day between the two is a great time to explore the various exhibits in the Knoxville area. For more information go to www.complex-weavers.org.

Kristine Penhoet will have a solo show called “Entanglements” at Mount St. Mary’s

University. While the pieces are literally made through the entangling of fibers and textiles the work asks the viewer to think about the entanglements and complications in our modern lives including but not limited to betrayal, abandonment, confinement and isolation. The show will open on January 23 and run until February 22. Beginning in January, she will be a member of the Foundry Gallery in Washington, DC, with a small group and a solo show.

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BlackRock Center for the Arts invites artists to submit entries for HANDCRAFTED: FIBER ART + TURNED WOOD, a biennial regional fiber art exhibition The Call for Entries is open to artists from Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia who use traditional and/or non-traditional materials and textile techniques which include weaving, quilting, embroidery, beading, felting, crochet, knitting, lacework, hooking, sewing, spinning, tapestry, surface design, and mixed media along with current innovations. The entry deadline is Jan 19, 2020. For more information visit the website

Workhouse Arts Center is proud to announce a Call for Entries for the 3rd

Biennial Fiber National Exhibition! Fiber National showcases the best in contemporary fiber art from around the United States and highlights exciting, innovative artwork utilizing both traditional and non-traditional techniques. The exhibition is open to all artists 18 years and older. All work must be either primarily made of fiber or use fiber techniques. Entry Deadline: March 1, 2020. For complete information visit http://www.workhousearts.org/event/call-for-entries-for-3rd-biennial-fiber-national-exhibition/

PFAG will be the featured guild at Artisans United in March-April 2020. Any member may show their work.

We sure would like to show our Guild to best advantage so please consider participating, esp. PFAG gallery members. Entry details to follow (inventory sheet and tagging instructions). There are several ways to get your pieces to AU: bring them the last week in February during gallery hours 10-4; bring them to the February 8th Guild meeting (someone will take them to the show) or prior to February 5 deliver them to Peggy Greenwood’s house (6436 Walters Woods Dr., Falls Church, 22044. C: 703-405-7103.

Communal Art Val Hildebrand

Good things can happen when people participate in communal art projects. That’s what Catherine Kapikian revealed during her presentation at the December meeting. During her career, she discerned a set of insights that enabled her to achieve some spectacular results working with people committed to an artistic vision.

This work, in a chapel at the University of Maryland, illustrates some of these insights. The first insight is to observe in such a way so as

to discern what the need is, and only then try to fill it. And fill she did with this magnificent tree.

The smaller image of the full tree gives you a sense of the original space in the chapel which was a large expanse of brick wall with only a small rectangular gold wall hanging lost in the middle of it. Catherine saw immediately that the setting needed something that would complement the colors of the brick but fill the space with color and symbolism. The tree motif composed of several layers of plywood with spaces filled with colorful needlepoint leaves fit the bill. It manages to convey a sense of unity for the non-denominational chapel that encompasses the space without overpowering it. The close up image at right gives a better idea of the intricacy of the work.

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To bring the tree into fruition, Catherine turned to another of her insights: seek the gifts of the resident community. In this case she had two communities, one was a group of woodworkers who constructed the various layers of the tree from plywood and a group of needle workers who plied their skills in the time consuming task of making the 52 needlepoint leaf sections. The complexity of the colorwork is shown in the completed needlework section in the photo at left.

In order to bring a project like this into being Catherine often finds that a leader or “liaison person” in the community will come forth to help guide the work. A truth that becomes another insight: to trust the inspiration of the liaison person. Here the Guild’s own Soozie Brendler

became this person, communicating the artistic vision to the needle pointers and organizing the efforts of 65 people all told. With so many dedicated participants, it would not be uncommon to arrive at Catherine’s last insight on how participation in the process often has a therapeutic benefit for some. Catherine’s wise parting message was to honor that aspect of the work because isn’t that what art is meant to do at some level? Provide us with solace for our inner well-being.

At the PFA Gallery Carol Bodin

Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery announces the opening of its juried show, "Repetitions", on January 7, 2020. The show will close on February 9, 2020. Repeated patterns, repeated themes, repeated textures and repeated colors all lead to interesting and exciting pieces. Themed work will be eligible for recognition by the jurors. Non-themed work will also be exhibited.

The Gallery is located in the Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 North Union Street, Studio 29, Alexandria, VA 22314. Hours: 10:30 am to 5:30 pm daily and weekends, and 10:30 am to 9:00 pm on the second Thursday of each month. Admission is free.

From the Librarian While Becky is busy updating the library shelves, we dip into the archives for a few reviews from past issues.

Here is a book by talented Canadian fiber artist Carol James. In Fingerweaving

Untangled: An Illustrated Beginner's Guide she teaches what is actually a form of braiding. No specialized equipment is required, just the patience to manipulate threads by hand. Her directions are very clear and include detailed discussion of how to fix the most common problems and mistakes. The instructions begin with narrow, simple bands and gradually work up to the skills required for the magnificent “voyageur” sashes. The book is illustrated with line drawings and very clear pictures.

Kumihimo – the Japanese art of making narrow braids on special braiding equipment

– is very old. Making braids with the same techniques, but with wire instead of silk thread, is very new, and no one has explored this concept more than Giovanna Imperia, whose Kumihimo Wire Jewelry was published by Potter Craft in 2011. Her introduction to braiding includes directions for using inexpensive foam disks as well as the traditional wooden stands and is worth reading even for experienced braiders.

She describes the characteristics of different types of wire and gives very detailed instructions for attaching clasps to the ends of braids. She also uses both photos and line drawings (which I hope is a trend). Her projects are rated for difficulty (beginner, intermediate, and advanced) and contain a variety of ingenious techniques. Many of her projects use beads in addition to wire. I hope someday to see objects produced by some of our guild members combining bead crochet with wire kumihimo.

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Getting Out and About Val Hildebrand

I have an ongoing fascination with the many and varied ways fabric is depicted in artworks. The exhibit at the National Gallery called The Touch of Color: Pastels at the National Gallery of Art on view thru the 26th of January has some extraordinary examples. The medium of pastel seems to lend itself extremely well to presenting various kinds of fabric. Below are some snippets from a few works in the show: Camille Pissaro depicts the rough cloth of a peasant woman’s dress; Maurice-Quentin de La Tour renders a gorgeous brocaded chair; Jean-Étienne Liotard’s image of a handmitt in blue velvet seems to melt onto the canvas; Jean-Baptiste Perronneau cravat comes to life with what look like mere scribbles of white chalk while Adélaïde Labille-Guiard displays a woman’s lace fichu in almost the opposite technique with minute meticulous strokes of the crayon to show gauze.

While this is only a tiny fragment of what The Touch of Pastel is all about, it was fascinating looking closely at how versatile pastel is for fabric—like icing on the cake. The exhibit is well worth a visit before it closes.

Since Last We Met Below are some stunning pieces of show and share brought to recent meetings: weaving, stitching, lace and

needle point and a Suzi Click workshop scarf.

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Membership If you know someone who would like to join our guild, please invite them to a meeting or refer them to our

website, http://www.potomacfiberartsguild.org/guild. For answers to membership questions contact membership@potomacfiberartsguild.org

Outreach Our Guild promotes excellence in design and fine craftsmanship in the fiber arts. Part of that mission is to

provide educational opportunities to the general public to promote a better appreciation of the fiber arts. Contact outreach@potomacfiberartsguild.org with your ideas and suggestions. We like to feature these Community Outreach opportunities in the newsletter, so please also send information and especially photos of your participation to newsletter@potomacfiberartsguild.org . Financial support, in the form of a mini-grant, is available to members to help fund outreach projects. For more info contact Julie Haifley, Outreach Committee Chair.

Hospitality Teresa Zotikos of the Hospitality Committee thanks those who have brought treats for past meetings. As a

reminder, members with birthdays in odd numbered months, bring finger food to share for the January meeting (month 1). The even numbered birth month folks are on for February (month 2).

Newsletter The Newsletter is posted to the PFAG website and is accessible via the link in the email sent to Mailman

subscribed members. To access the current issue of the newsletter, click the emailed link. You can also view it by logging in to the Members area at our website. Click the big green oval that says click here for the latest issue.

Newsletters are published just prior to the meeting month of the current issue. Send your fiber experiences, workshop impressions and more. Email the editor at newsletter@potomacfiberartsguild.org.

Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery The Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, VA is located diagonally across from the

Café in studio 29. We invite new members from the guild to display their art. Please contact Marisela Rumberg at membership@potomacfiberartsgallery.com for information and an appointment to be juried.

Inclement Weather Policy In the event of a severe weather emergency affecting a PFAG monthly meeting, program or workshop (mini and extended), the Guild will follow the closing guidelines issued by Montgomery County Government for

events involving Community Use of Public Facilities (CUPF). (Please note this is not Montgomery County Public Schools). If severe weather threatens, please visit the CUPF Emergency Closing Information website.

If CUPF facilities are closed and/or events are cancelled or delayed, PFAG events will be cancelled.As with any endeavor, members should be guided by their own best judgement in deciding whether to venture out in difficult weather.

Inspiration Corner Val Hildebrand

This month’s inspiration is a photo by Rob Kesseler, of a many times magnified plant called Salix Caprea, better known as the pussy willow. One of those pods is the tiny, tiny speck at the end of one strand of “fuzz” that makes up a pussy willow fuzz ball. And isn’t it just a wonderful inspiration for a felted art work.

For more information go to this is colossal.

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Don’t’ forget to see what’s trending on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PotomacFiberArtsGuild/

A crochet depiction of Picasso’s Guernica.

Guild Meeting Location

St. James Episcopal Church 11815 Seven Locks Road,

Potomac, Maryland. • From I-270: Take the Montrose Road exit

(westbound). Take Montrose Road west to the first traffic light. Turn left (south) on Seven Locks Road. St. James' is one-half mile south on Seven Locks on the left-hand side.

• From Tuckerman Lane: Take Seven Locks Road north from Cabin John Shopping Center. The church is 0.7 miles north of Tuckerman on the right side.

• The building has ramps and disability-accessible doors.