Welcome to the 2023 ANWG Conference Website

The Weaving Guilds of Oregon (WeGO) are excited to host the 2023 Association of Northwest Weavers’ Guilds (ANWG) Conference in Oregon.  We’ll use this website to provide information leading up to the conference, keeping you updated on how our venue search and plans are progressing, along with details about events, workshops, seminars, and other exciting aspects of the conference.  As soon as we have new dates it will be announced here.  The new website  https://anwgconference.org/archive/2023/  is up and running now, the 2021 website information is redirected to this site.  Please update your bookmarks and we’re happy to say that all of you who have signed up to receive the blog will automatically transfer to the 2023 site blog list.

You can learn about the conference theme, Fiber Connections, and how it celebrates the connections that are made as a result of the coming together of people and fibers. You can also read about the significance behind the conference colors, and how they have been chosen to represent the host state of Oregon and what it is that connects us to the other states and provinces of the ANWG.

It is our hope that the information provided on this website will encourage you to make plans to attend this exiting conference. In addition to traditional events such as the ever-popular fashion show, spirited juried and open shows, wide-array of guild booth displays, lively market hall, and inspiring keynote address, we’ve also lined up unique events and amazing new shows.

As we move closer to summer 2023, we’ll rollout out more information about the conference and events on this website, so stay tuned! Or better yet, if you’re interested in receiving email updates, sign up and we’ll send information to your inbox as it becomes available.

Sue Walsh & Linda Gettmann, Conference Co-Chairs

Columbia Gorge Museums Hold Textile Treasures

There might be some unknown textile treasures in your nearby History or Pioneer Museum. Members of the Gorge Handweavers Guild and Columbia Fibres Guild discovered several of these treasures in Oregon.

It all started when some guild members were asked by the Hood River History Museum to help plan a textile exhibit. The museum had some textile holdings that were rarely seen by the public. While examining the textiles, it became apparent that a “loom in every home” was ending because of industrialization during the 1800’s.  The weavers became interested in telling the story of pioneer times to the present.  There were, and still are, many old handwoven textiles donated to local historical museums by family members.

The Hood River Museum has a fragment of an old coverlet, but little information about it other than it came over the Oregon Trail. The fragment was studied and eventually replicated. This spurred the group on to wonder what textile treasures might be hidden in other museum holdings.

Several local museums in the Columbia River Gorge were contacted, and a few had textiles to examine and catalog. Whole and partial woven pieces were examined, more replicas were woven, more knowledge gained, and a wonderful appreciation for past weavers was renewed!

Although most museums are closed now due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hopefully many will be ‘open to the public’ by the time ANWG 2023 rolls around.  If you have time when visiting Oregon in 2023, visit the Hood River History Museum, Fort The Dalles Museum, Cascade Locks History Museum, and Columbia Gorge Heritage Museum in Bingen, WA. Sue Walsh visited the Fossil, OR, museum and documented a lovely coverlet there. The study group also analyzed the weave structures of coverlets belonging to them or to friends. These historic textiles have been the inspiration for several “new” textiles woven by guild members.

Hidden textile treasures abound!  See you at the 2023 ANWG Conference in Oregon —

Kathy O’Hern, Gorge Handweavers Guild

Stay updated

The Weaving Guilds of Oregon conference steering committee is very busy planning for the upcoming ANWG Conference in Oregon in 2023. Please continue to visit our website for information and conference updates. If you would like to receive information delivered to your inbox, please subscribe to the conference blog .

2023 ANWG Conference Update

Dear Fellow Fiber Enthusiasts,

We hope this blog finds you all well and in good health as we say goodbye to a very challenging 2020 and welcome in a brand-new year.

In an effort to keep everyone informed regarding the rescheduling of the ANWG 2023 conference, we wanted to provide you with a general update.

Over the last few months, the committee has been proactively looking at a wide-range of venues. This has been quite a challenge as we must take into consideration everything from the location, size and availability of the venue, as well as the specific needs of the conference. At this time, we are continuing our efforts to narrow down the most suitable choices and have not yet determined an exact date or location.

So for now, please continue to weave, spin and create fiber art in the conference colors. We will keep you updated with our progress toward the 2023 conference in periodic blog posts and on the website as we work on securing a date and location for our summer 2023 ANWG conference.

Stay tuned!

Your 2023 ANWG Conference Steering Committee

ANWG Conference Rescheduled

Dear Conference participants,

On August 29, 2020, the 2021 ANWG Conference Steering Committee met via Zoom video conference to discuss the future of the conference. As comments and ideas were put forward, a key issue of concern was the impact of COVID-19 and if we would be able to move forward with the event.  After careful consideration, the committee unanimously approved the recommendation to move the conference to the summer of 2023. This decision was made after considering a number of issues regarding the pandemic, mandates for public gatherings, and nationwide health concerns.  On September 10 and 11 the ANWG and WeGO boards voted unanimously to concur with the rescheduling recommendation.

For those who are unaware, the 2021 ANWG Conference venue, Willamette University (WU), has been closed to the public since March and conference organizers have been unable to visit the campus. As a result, WU is unable to provide organizers with any certainty about when or if the campus will reopen to visitors or whether the conference in June 2021 would be permitted. These factors and other health risks led to the decision to reschedule the conference to the summer of 2023.

Over the next few weeks the committee will be in close contact with Willamette University to determine if they have availability in their summer 2023 calendar for the conference. Communications will be sent to all parties involved as soon as a new date and possibly a new venue are determined.

We are saddened to reschedule the conference but feel this is the prudent course of action for the ANWG membership and conference guests.  Now you have more time to weave, spin and create fiber art in the conference colors!  We will keep you updated with our progress toward 2023 in periodic blog posts and on the website.  So stay tuned, we’ll be working on moving everything forward and hope you will join us.

2021 ANWG Conference Steering Committee

Headlining 3 More Outstanding Instructors

The Education Committee continues to roll out teasers for next year’s conference workshop offerings — Linda Davis and Judith Rees

CHARLENE VIRTS is a pine needle basket maker extraordinaire! In her 35 years of fiber arts she made her home in a variety of locations in the West and has always been captivated by the feel and tradition of functional craft and artwork rooted in each region. From saddle blankets in Nevada’s cowboy country, to wearable art in California’s Sonoma Valley, most of her work has been focused on weaving. When she moved to Central Oregon, she began exploring the history of pine needle baskets and creating her own. Each of her coiled baskets are unique, made of Ponderosa Pine needles collected near her home. She has found a few special trees that have exceptionally long, beautiful needles. Many of her basket centers are of sagebrush and juniper branches collected in Central Oregon. Other accents (beads, wire, stones), she has collected over the years knowing they would come in handy some day. Her workshop on pine needle basketry is sure to be a delight.

JOHN MARSHALL hardly needs any introduction!  He has been immersed in Japanese textiles for 50 years and has taught at many ANWG conferences; his classes are almost always sell-outs. He has been featured in Japanese national magazines and NHK broadcasts, as well as featured in the Textile Museum in Washington, DC, and shows sponsored by the US State Department, Kodansha, and the Embassy of Japan, to name just a few. His passion is teaching and sharing all the wonders of Japanese textiles that he has encountered over the decades. In 1988, he published Make Your Own Japanese Clothes through Kodansha, and has since gone on to publish Salvation Through Soy (soymilk and dyeing), Singing the Blues (fresh-leaf indigo dyeing), limited edition TADEAI–Fresh-Leaf Indigo Dyeing, A Collectors Guide to Japanese Indigo, A Field Guide to Japanese Textiles, and many more books and textile collections. In spring of 2020, John launched a series of online courses focusing on Japanese textiles and culture. At the 2023 conference, he will teach a workshop on Tsujigahana – this may be the new dyeing technique that you have been longing for.

LAURA VIADA is a handweaver and fiber artist who creates works of art in natural fibers. She employs many different weaving techniques and structures, including diversified plain weave, double and triple weave, and mesmerizing transparencies. For the past 25 years, Laura has been an active member of Texas’s fiber art community. Her work has been exhibited nationally and has won numerous awards. She spent 9 months in 2008 as an Artist-in-Residence at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft.  Laura believes in giving back to the fiber art community. She has served as president of Contemporary Handweavers of Texas, chaired the organization’s biennial conference in 2017, and held numerous board positions in Contemporary Handweavers of Houston, including president. Laura also served on the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft’s Artist-in Residence Selection Panel from 2013 to 2015. She is currently a member of Archway Gallery, Houston’s oldest artist-owned-and-operated gallery. Laura will teach a workshop on creating handwoven transparencies – so come be mesmerized.

Stay updated

The Weaving Guilds of Oregon conference steering committee is very busy planning for the upcoming ANWG Conference. Please continue to visit our website for information and conference updates. If you would like to receive information delivered to your inbox, please subscribe to the conference blog .

Open Show and Juried Show Exhibits

Greetings! The 2023 Fiber Connections Conference is less than two years away and we’re excited to share some early information about entering your work in the open and juried shows at the conference.

First, the open show chaired by Anne Kramer and her team.     

This non-juried show is designed to encourage new weavers and spinners to take the big step of putting their work out on display. Please give some thought to entering as it is always exciting to see new weavers and spinners participate.

Here are some of the criteria for entering:

• Limit 1 entry per person or group.
• If more than one person is collaborating on a single item, all parties must be acknowledged.
• Items must be original and have been completed within the last 2 years.
• Sorry, but we will not be accepting knitted or crocheted items.

Acceptable items are:

• Items made from handwoven fabric
• Handwoven yardage
• Handspun skeins
• Items made from handspun yarn, woven or felted
• Felted items
• Hand dyed items
• Basketry, Inkle and tablet weaving, kumihimo braids.

Entries will be accepted for the open show from March 1, 2023 through May 1, 2023. ** Subject to conditions at the time.  Click here for more information. We look forward to seeing your work!

The juried show is chaired by Cindy Fowler.

Now’s the time to start thinking about that incredible item you are going to submit to the juried show. From past conferences, we know that there are exceptional fiber artists in the Northwest and this is the perfect venue for you to showcase your work. Our theme is Fiber Connections which reads: “Fiber Connections celebrates all the connections that are made as a result of the coming together of fibers and people”. Show us what that means to you!

Here are some things to consider:

• Entries will be accepted between January 15, 2023 and May 1, 2023 ** Subject to conditions at the time
• Twenty-four awards will be given
• Entry fee per item is $10.00 US and must accompany the entry
• There are 18 categories to choose from in weaving, spinning and the “ever-popular ‘Other’ category” so you have no excuse!
• All items must be original and have been completed within the past 2 years
• Collaborations are accepted
• Photos must be submitted via email in JPG format.

Additional information is available on the juried show information page. Please visit the Conference website for more details on how to enter these and other conference exhibits, as well as the fashion show.  We will also share the selected jurors for the juried show. Communications will be sent out when this information becomes available.

We look forward to seeing your talent and to recognize your efforts.

Best,

Cindy & Anne

Stay updated ~~ The Weaving Guilds of Oregon steering committee is very busy planning for the upcoming Association of Northwest Weavers’ Guilds Conference. Please continue to visit our website for information and conference updates. If you would like to receive information delivered to your inbox, please subscribe to the conference blog.

Fiber Connections Marketplace

“Fiber Connections, celebrates all the connections that are made as a result of the coming together of fibers and people. We weave for our families and friends, connecting us socially. We weave for sale, connecting us with clients. We weave for fun to connect with our inner child, and we weave to connect with our creative selves. Without fiber connections you would have no spun yarn, no weaving, no felting, no braiding and no wonderful fiber arts guilds to bring us all together.”
–2023 Fiber Connections theme description

Charlene Virts, Marketplace Coordinator

I love this description of our 2023 conference theme. It reminds me of a time when I watched a young girl in a toy store marvel at the dolls and other toys she saw in the shop. She was so excited she could barely stand still as she exclaimed, “Look at that, mom. I want one!” When I attend weaving conferences, I must admit that I’m not all that different from that girl I saw that day in the toy store. Yarn, looms, dyes and finished artwork; astoundingly creative finished products that put a great big smile on my face. The plans for Fiber Connections in 2023 continues this time-honored tradition of bringing us all together – connecting us with the love and appreciation of the fiber arts, creativity and beauty. At the conference, we are expecting hundreds of participants, more than 35 vendors and an exceptional group of over 30 instructors to be present.

As the coordinator of the conference marketplace, it’s my role to bring together the vendors and all conference participants as we share in the appreciation of the fiber art that connects us. From vendors sharing their wares with appreciative fiber fans, to conference participants having an opportunity to talk with folks attuned to their art and craft, we hope you will include a visit to the marketplace while attending the 2023 conference.

The marketplace will be open to conference participants only on Thursday June 15 for a special “Shopping Extravaganza” and to the general public on Friday and Saturday. The good news is that the vendors themselves will be present for the entire marketplace schedule – Thursday through Saturday. The marketplace will include yarn, fiber, looms, spindles, shuttles and most anything you can imagine. My memory is jogged as I look back on past fiber-related events. “Look at that! I want one!” My husband asks me, “How much more do you need?” The truth is “just a little more than I have.”

If you are a vendor, the 2023 conference is a spectacular opportunity for you to spend time with folks who are looking for your products and insight, and I hope to encourage you to reserve a booth space. Vendors from past conferences have been genuinely pleased with the support that ANWG has provided, offering a breakroom, presentation space and a room full of fiber enthusiasts as we appreciate your involvement with the craft.

We hope you will join us. And, feel free to get excited because we’ll be smiling right along with you!
2023 Marketplace Vendor Packet. (Note: Updated 2023 packet will be available soon.)

Stay updated ~~ Please continue to visit our website for information and conference updates. If you would like to receive information delivered to your inbox, please subscribe to the conference blog.

2023 ANWG Conference Keynote Speaker, Events & Activities

The 2023 ANWG Conference will present a number of opportunities to meet friends, learn something new and have fun. In addition to our highly anticipated keynote speaker, Jeanne Carver, many member guilds of the Weaving Guilds of Oregon have volunteered to coordinate several other events to make the conference experience one to remember. Here’s a preview of some of the events the Conference Committee is planning for your enjoyment June 11-18, 2023.                      Ila McCallum, Events & Activities Chair

 Keynote speaker – Jeanne Carver, person extraordinaire

Jeanne and her late husband Dan have been the force behind Imperial Stock Ranch since the late 1980’s. She and the Imperial Stock Ranch became the face of Ralph Lauren’s ‘Made in America’ Olympic uniform program for the 2014 Winter Olympics, and for the 2018 Winter Olympics, Jeanne was again their voice for American Wool. Her latest effort, Imperial Stock Ranch – Shaniko Wool Company, is bringing the only fully traceable U.S. wool supply certified under the Responsible Wool Standard (https://textileexchange.org/responsible-wool/) to the needle arts, apparel and home fashion industries.

Jeanne is a dynamic person who will not only be our keynote speaker, but you will see her throughout the conference.

Interesting local venues – Salem Fiberarts Guild

Local museums and heritage sites abound in the Central Oregon area, as well as internationally known craft brewers, wineries and wonderful shopping. In addition, the Cascade Mountains and the Pacific Ocean are just a short drive away. We will have maps, directions and lots of fun ideas for places you will want to explore during your stay in Central Oregon.

Demonstrations/Spin-in, Knit-in, Weave-in – WeGO

Demonstrations of all types of fiber arts will be held at the Conference Thursday-Saturday, June 15-18. Bringing people together to share fiber arts during a special time devoted to their favorite fiber pursuit is the goal of informal gatherings. This will be a special designated area, or several areas, where people can come, sit and enjoy each other’s company.

Door prizes – Klamath Spinners & Weavers Guild

Door prizes are fun for everyone. Be sure to get your name in for the prizes and hopefully take home one you will love. These prizes are provided by our sponsors and vendors and are sure to please.

Conference Colors Exhibit – Central Oregon Spinners & Weavers Guild

This event is a chance for ANWG members to be creative and use conference colors in original ways weaving towels, yardage, making garments, etc. The colors are fun to work with and harmonize beautifully. For information on the exhibit and colors, go to the website https://anwgconference.org/archive/2023//conference-colors-exhibit/

Shuttle Race – Clatsop Weavers & Spinners Guild

A shuttle race is a soap box derby-type race using shuttles as cars. These are not regular shuttles; these have been made into super fun little cars that run down a ramp to the cheers of onlookers. You will not want to miss this fun event!

Towel Exchange – Saturday Handweavers Guild, Rogue Valley Handweavers

The towel exchange is looked forward to by attendees with towel weaving beginning months in advance of the event. Consider making a unique towel for the exchange and take a special towel made by another fellow weaver home with you.

Textile History of the Gorge – Gorge Handweavers Guild

The Columbia River Gorge is a geographical highlight of the Pacific Northwest and has a lot of fascinating textile history. We hope to have a wonderful exhibit from the many museums of the Gorge area.

Other events planned for conference:

In addition to the many fun events noted above, we are planning for the ANWG History Group to meet and members of Complex Weavers are also planning a meet-up. There will be opportunities for you to participate in Bonnie Cashin’s Noh Coat Challenge https://anwgconference.org/archive/2023//noh-coat-challenge/ ; the juried and open shows, and the fashion show https://anwgconference.org/archive/2023//fashion-show/ . Guild Booths will be there for viewing https://anwgconference.org/archive/2023//guild-booths/ located in the lower level Exhibit Hall of the Riverhouse Convention Center along with the fabulous Marketplace.

Stay updated ~~ Please continue to visit our website for information and conference updates. If you would like to receive information delivered to your inbox, please subscribe to the conference blog.

ANWG is ALL About Education

An Uplifting Message from Linda Davis and Judith Rees, Education Co-Chairs:

The ANWG Education Committee is pleased to announce an exciting and diverse lineup of workshop and seminar leaders covering a wide range of fiber-related topics. While weaving is foremost, spinning, dyeing, felting, basketry and other fiber-related topics will also be included. In 2018, Co-Chairs Linda Gettmann and Sue Walsh toured Oregon guilds to hear what instructors and topics people wanted to see at the conference and the Education Committee endeavored to match as many of those interests as possible.  At the end of April a full list of workshop and seminar leaders will be announced on the website’s Education section, but to give you a sneak preview, we are introducing two of them here in this blog.

Francisco Bautista                

Francisco Bautista is an amazingly talented Zapotec rug weaver who was born in Teotitlán del Valle, a Zapotec village in Oaxaca, Mexico. Francisco, along with his wife and son are all weavers, and moved some years ago to Sandy, Oregon where he established himself as a renowned weaver of Zapotec and contemporary rugs and tapestries. He shows his work throughout the U.S. and has won several prestigious commissions and awards, including the Best of Show Award for the Weaving Guilds of Oregon traveling show in 2018. He will be teaching workshops on Zapotec rug weaving and traditional natural dyes.

Giovanna Imperia

Giovanna Imperia of Houston, Texas has introduced weavers to the use of non-traditional materials in the many workshops and seminars she has taught at Convergence, regional conferences and internationally. At the conference, she will teach two 2-day workshops. The first workshop will acquaint students with a range of fibers such as polyurethane, thermoplastic, metal, and elastine as well as a wide variety of funky and futuristic yarns to create interesting and unusual loom-controlled pieces. The second workshop will focus on weaving with wire and exploring various structures including doubleweave and tapestry techniques. Her woven pieces – yes, on shaft looms – are nothing short of unbelievable.

Stay tuned for more information on the 2023 workshops and instructors in future conference blogs. At the end of April a listing of all the instructors and their workshops will be on the website in the Education section.

Stay updated

The Weaving Guilds of Oregon conference steering committee is very busy planning for the upcoming ANWG Conference. Please continue to visit our website for information and conference updates. If you would like to receive information delivered to your inbox, please subscribe to the conference blog.

Plan Now to Weave and Sew for the Show!

Fashion Show Chair, Karen Sieradski

The best part of the 2023 ANWG Fashion Show and Exhibit is seeing how fiber artists bring their skills and imagination to fruition in wearable creations. I can hardly wait to see what Northwest weavers send in!

We have structured the fashion show awards to encourage entries using any number of shafts with a specific category for 4 or fewer shafts. Of course, the structures you can achieve with more than four shafts are also stunning, so we want to see those too!

The premise behind the fashion show is sharing the love of weaving with others. For me, my affinity for textiles was a genetic gift from my mother who excelled at sewing and knitting. She taught me how to thread a needle and I would raid her fabric stash for scraps to turn into simple garments for my dolls. Through my school days and career years I made blouses, trousers, skirts, dresses, coats and suits. I took sewing classes and participated in shows and competitions. And although I never won an award, I enjoyed the process and loved seeing everyone’s garments.

Over the years, my sewing production decreased as time got scarcer. I would often tell my friends, “In my next life, I’m going to be a textile designer!” Well, guess what? After I retired and took a weaving class and my passion for textiles was rekindled and redirected in the most satisfying way. What fabric stores were for me in the past is what the local textile shop is for me now. That’s where I find my guild, fibers, teachers and my inspiration.

A perk of guild membership is sharing items at meetings, and wearables are especially fun to see and share. Which is why the fashion show is a highlight of the conference and all entries will be deeply appreciated by fellow weavers.

Categories for the 2023 Fiber Connections Conference Fashion Show Awards

• Best in Show
• Best garment made of handwoven fabric with 4 shafts or fewer
• Best garment made of handwoven fabric with more than 4 shafts
• Best garment made with felted fabric
• Best garment made with handspun yarn
• Best scarf or shawl knitted with handspun yarn
• Best garment construction
• Best use of design
• Best scarf or shawl handwoven with 4 shafts or fewer
• Best scarf or shawl handwoven with more than 4 shafts
• Most innovative garment (unusual materials, structure, color and/or design)
• Best interpretation of conference theme
• Best use of conference colors
• Judge’s choice
• People’s choice

I hope you will plan now to weave and sew for the show!

Karen Sieradski
Chair of the 2023 Fiber Connections Fashion Show and Exhibit

How to Enter the Fashion Show
Eligibility Requirements
Calendar
Contact Information
Entry Form

Stay updated

The Weaving Guilds of Oregon conference steering committee is very busy planning for the upcoming Association of Northwest Weavers’ Guilds Conference. Please continue to visit our website for information and conference updates. If you would like to receive information delivered to your inbox, please subscribe to the conference blog.