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New Registration Information-Conference Updates

The opening of registration for the 2023 ANWG Conference is imminent!

January 17,  Tuesday,  7 AM Pacific Standard Time

New Information:

The Conference Package price is $395 and includes:

• Three half-day seminars, conference bag, woven nametag, conference booklet
• Admission to the Thursday Marketplace Reception and Shopping Extravaganza sponsored by Heddlecraft Magazine, Robyn Spady
• Banquet and Keynote address on Friday
• Saturday Fashion Show and Reception sponsored by Lunatic Fringe Yarns.

Liz Moncrief has canceled due to a family illness and her 3 seminars have been eliminated from the schedule.

A la carte registration begins March 27 for single purchases of seminars and evening event tickets.  This is subject to availability.  If events and classes are sold out, they will not be available.  We do have limits on all aspects of the conference with the instructor maximums per class, facility space, etc.

A la carte pricing will be:

• Individual in-person seminar — $90
• In-person attendance at a virtual seminar — $30/hour
• Thursday reception and shopping extravaganza — $60
• Friday banquet and Keynote address — $75
• Saturday reception and fashion show — $60

Registration Instructions:

Janis Johnson, Registrar 

We have created a new webpage with screenshots of the Registration Pages .  Please review this information prior to beginning the pre-registration process.  You are now able to enter your personal information, set a simple password, and indicate your interest in activities and meetings from Jan. 10-15.  January 17 is the first day you can purchase workshops and the conference package that includes 3 seminars and the evening events.

Some of the terms used in the registration system might seem odd for our purposes. The system we’re using is rsvpBOOK, and in its terminology:
“sessions” is used for our workshops, seminars, and admission to evening events
“speaker” is used for an instructor
“ticket” will be used with a la carte purchases, (not available until March 27) and for the surcharge for a     Conference Package for someone who is does not belong to an ANWG member guild.

The little box at the bottom left corner of the screen allows you to save information without completing the registration. This includes all class selections you have made so far. Please complete those soon, preferably on the same day, or the holds will be removed.  The system will give you 15 minutes to complete your registration.  Please save your information periodically through the process so you don’t lose any classes if it does time out.  You will be able to sign back in and complete your registration. Please be sure to click on the complete registration button at the bottom of the page. After registering you will receive an email confirmation from events@rsvpbook.com. It includes a link to view your complete confirmation, and from there you can click a link to edit your registration without using a password.  If you do not receive a confirmation, please contact the registrar.  Check your junk or spam folders as this new email address may have landed there.  The charge to your credit/debit card will be identified as “Weaving Guilds O, The Dalles”.

Wait lists are a bit tricky with our four days of 1-2- and 3-day workshops and with four slots of half-day seminars. If you’re on the wait list for a session and a space has opened up, the registration system will move you into it and will remove sessions with timing conflicts, perhaps including some you want to keep. Contact the registrar for help if that happens.  If you try and purchase a wait listed class, please move to your second choice as we don’t anticipate many cancellations that would potentially open a seat.

We are encouraging everyone to go into the system between January 10-15 to enter your personal information, set your password, and sign up for meetings and activities you want to attend.  It’s helpful to use the planning worksheet to plan your schedule for the week.  This will save you time on the day you register between January 17 and March 19.  The registration system will be closed for approx. 24 hours on January 16 before opening in the early morning of January 17.  We will continue to add information to the FAQ’s and Registration webpages as we discover more issues to notify attendees.

As the conference registrar I’m new to this and it’s possible I’ve made mistakes in setting up the online registration system. If you run into problems, please let me know right away so I can fix them or find a way to work around them. Send me an email at registrar@anwgconference2023.com  and let me know the best way to get back to you.

We hope to see you at the 2023 Fiber Connections Conference in Bend June 11-17.

Stay updated
The Weaving Guilds of Oregon steering committee is very busy planning for the upcoming Association of Northwest Weavers’ Guilds Conference at the Riverhouse Hotel and Convention Center in Bend, Oregon June 12-17, 2023. Please continue to visit our website for information and conference updates. If you would like to receive information delivered to your inbox, please join the 920 already subscribed to the conference blog.

Registration for Fiber Connections Will Open Soon

Registration dates are:

All conference workshops and seminars are listed online in several formats.  Look under the “Learn” tab at the top of each webpage and find listings by instructor, seminar schedule by day and time, sessions by subject, workshop schedule by day and time, and workshops and seminars by experience level.  https://anwgconference.org/archive/2023/

Please review the conference week schedule  to see when all events and activities are happening throughout the week of June 11-17.  You will be able to sign up to attend several meetings and events in the registration system.  We encourage you to do that so we have a good idea of how many to expect and can accommodate all who are interested in participating.

We strongly encourage you to use the planning worksheet  to record your workshop and seminar choices before signing into the registration system.  Many of these sessions will fill quickly and it’s good to have a back-up plan or two or three!

Registration-Worksheet-11-26-2022.pdf (anwgconference2023.com)

Prices for workshops are $125 for one-day, $250 for two-day, and $350 for three-day workshops. Most seminars are $90 each; the exceptions are the three shorter virtual seminars, with participants in the classroom and a remote instructor, priced at $30 per hour. The price of a Conference Package will be discounted for each 1- or 2-hour virtual seminar you choose as part of your Conference Package. The cost of the Conference Package depends on the final food pricing that we haven’t yet received from the convention center but will be announced before registration opens.

All payments will be via debit and credit cards through the registration system.  Cards accepted are Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.

There will be another blog post shortly before registration opens with screen shots of the registration system, more answers to Frequently Asked Questions, and an explanation of wait lists for classes that are full when you register.

Janis Johnson, Conference Registrar

2023 ANWG Conference Cancelation Policy

The Conference Committee understands that unanticipated events are a fact of life and plans may need to change.  The Committee has tried to balance the needs of individuals with the obligations of the Conference through the following Cancelation Policy:

 Conference Package and Workshops:  Canceling by April 10, 2023:  Individuals who have purchased a Conference Package or workshop may cancel and receive a refund LESS a $50 processing fee.  The deadline to cancel and be eligible for a refund is 11:59 PM on Monday, April 10, 2023.       Cancelations are processed by the conference registrar. To request a cancelation please send an email to her at registrar@anwgconference2023.com.

 Canceling after April 10:  Individuals who have purchased a Conference Package, workshop or seminar are no longer eligible for a refund.  As a courtesy to other conference attendees please contact the Registrar immediately so the seats can be made available to others.

 A La Carte Purchases:  A la carte purchases are available for sale beginning March 27, 2023 and are eligible for a refund through April 10.  They are not transferable.  Please contact the Registrar if you need to cancel so the seats can be made available to others.

 A New Tab on the Website:  Registration

You’ll find the latest information about registration at the new tab “Registration” at the top of every webpage.

Stay updated
The Weaving Guilds of Oregon steering committee is very busy planning for the upcoming Association of Northwest Weavers’ Guilds Conference at the Riverhouse Hotel and Convention Center in Bend, Oregon June 11-18, 2023. Please continue to visit our website for information and conference updates. If you would like to receive information delivered to your inbox, please join the 874 already subscribed to the conference blog.

Share Your Knowledge!

Opportunities to Demonstrate Fiber Arts at the 2023 ANWG Conference

By Donna Wilson and Cynthia Newman  

We welcome you to share your passion and knowledge by demonstrating a variety of fiber arts at the 2023 ANWG Conference next June in Bend, OR.  We are looking for individuals and small groups of like-minded friends to demonstrate a technique or skill for one or two hours. Demonstrating is a great way to enhance the conference experience for everyone and to provide outreach to the public. There will be indoor and outdoor space available for demonstrations.

Demonstrations are scheduled for Friday, June 16^th and Saturday, June 17^th from 10 AM to 5 PM.  To make it easy, we will be looking for people to demonstrate for morning and afternoon sessions.

There will be a place to indicate your interest in demonstrating during the online conference registration process, or you can let us know now that you are interested by emailing Cynthia Newman  cjn.weave@gmail.com or Donna Wilson  donna2549@gmail.com

The fiber arts that we would like to showcase to attendees and the public are:

•    Weaving:  Floor, table, rigid heddle, tapestry, frame, inkle, card weaving
•    Spinning:  Great wheel, spinning wheel, drop spindle, electric spinner, prep for spinning, blending board
•    Felting:  Wet, needle, nuno
•    Other:  Do you have a unique fiber technique you want to share?

Thank you for helping make this a fantastic Conference experience!  See you in Bend next June.

Conference Registration

By Janis Johnson, Conference Registrar

Registration for Fiber Connections, the 2023 ANWG Conference, will open in mid-January.  In the meantime, here’s information to help you make plans.

Conference registration will have two stages. During the first stage, you can register for/purchase workshops and the Conference Package, which includes:

• Three half-day seminars
• Admission to the Thursday Marketplace Reception and Shopping Extravaganza sponsored by Heddlecraft Magazine, Robyn Spady
• Banquet and Keynote address on Friday
• Saturday Fashion Show and Reception sponsored by Lunatic Fringe Yarns.

You can also indicate your interest in volunteering, demonstrating, and attending various meetings and activities.

The second stage begins in mid- April when you can purchase individual seminars and tickets for evening events that were previously only available with a Conference Package.  All available seats in workshops, seminars, and activities will be offered.  Online registration will be open during the conference itself for options that are still available at that time.

This worksheet can help you plan your Conference week. Please fill it out ahead of registration to speed up your online selection process.  Keep in mind that:

• There’s a wealth of information on the conference website – look there for answers to your questions   Conference FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) – 2023 ANWG Conference (anwgconference2023.com)
• Some workshops and seminars will fill up quickly, so have second and third choices ready.
• A couple activities conflict with afternoon seminars, see the worksheet.
• The price paid at registration does not include materials fees, which the instructor will collect at the workshop or seminar.

Instructors have specified the final day to register for each workshop or seminar so they and their students will have time to prepare. After that date has passed a session will no longer be listed in the registration system.

The online event registration system we’re using is rsvpBOOK, which supports conflict blocking for workshops, seminars, and other activities; support for multi-day workshops; and waiting lists for workshops and seminars.  It also allows returning to the registration system to make changes and add new sessions.  You can also save the registration choices you’ve made so far to avoid losing your choices after 15 minutes of inactivity in case you’re interrupted while registering.

Many of the meetings and free activities require registration via the conference website. Indicating your interest for these in the registration system allows us to get an idea of how many people are attending so we have room for everyone.

December blog posts will include exact dates for registration, prices, and a FAQ for registration issues.

Stay updated
The Weaving Guilds of Oregon steering committee is very busy planning for the upcoming Association of Northwest Weavers’ Guilds Conference at the Riverhouse Hotel and Convention Center in Bend, Oregon June 11-18, 2023. Please continue to visit our website for information and conference updates. If you would like to receive information delivered to your inbox, please join the 840 already subscribed to the conference blog.

Opportunities to Support the Conference!

Michelle Lee & Carrie Gordon
Volunteer Coordinators

As you look at what all the conference has to offer in the way of workshops, seminars, shopping, shows, and other fun activities, we would like you to consider volunteering for a few hours during your stay in Bend.

While we have a steering committee to organize everything, we need a lot of help during the conference week. Volunteering is a great way to meet more fibery like-minded folks! There will be opportunities to volunteer in hospitality, vendor and exhibit areas, the fashion show, and as a class assistant. It’s an opportunity to work closer with your favorite teacher.

When you register online for the conference beginning in mid-January 2023, you will be able to select a volunteer area you’d like to help with. More detailed information about volunteer needs will be forthcoming as we finalize plans.

Remember, it does take a village! See you in Bend next June.

ANWG Dues Reminder: Your guild’s membership dues to ANWG need to be paid by 12-31-22 to avoid a $50 additional fee to attend the conference. Contact your Guild President and Treasurer to make sure they have sent in the membership form and payment to Linda York, Membership Chair before year-end. https://northwestweavers.org/about/membership

New on the Website
We have added Maps of the Riverhouse complex, the classrooms, and a Bend map showing the area around the Convention Center, Downtown, 2 yarn stores, and Central OR Community College. You can find them under the “Places” tab at the top of each webpage. They are downloadable so you can bring them with you. Also review the FAQ pages as new information and questions are added regularly.

Participate in an Event or Show

We would like to encourage all attendees to participate in conference events and shows that will soon be accepting entries January 16 – May 1, 2023. You will be able to enter the fashion show and juried show exhibit beginning January 16 until March 31. The Open Show and Conference Colors Exhibit will accept entries from March 1 – May 1. Check out the requirements for entry on each of the show webpages.

The line-up of events continues to grow. We will have the Johansen Tapestry Exhibit in Bend at the Rotunda Gallery of Central Oregon Community College in June and July 2023. We are working on a special Monday night reception for conference attendees to view the exhibit. More on this later.

The Marketplace Shopping Extravaganza sponsored by Heddlecraft Magazine will be on Thursday from 5-9 PM. An opening reception with a no-host bar, door prizes and special shopping coupons from our fabulous vendors will be available for all conference package holders. Additional entry into this event will be made available during the `a la carte purchase period beginning in April and subject to availability.

Friday’s Banquet and Keynote Speaker will be in the Riverhouse Convention Center ballroom beginning at 6 PM. Seating for this event is limited to 630. All `a la carte purchases will be subject to availability in April.

The towel exchange will have a display in the Convention Center lobby Wed. – Sat. Drop off your towel Wed. Noon – Friday evening. Pick up your new towel on Saturday, Noon-5 PM.

A variety of demonstrations and book signings will take place Friday and Saturday in the Convention Center and Riverhouse Hotel. Stop by to check out what’s going on.

Last chance shopping in the Marketplace will be Saturday 9-5 PM, as well as viewing the guild booths and other special displays we have for you in the lower-level exhibit hall of the Convention Center.

Saturday’s reception will be held in the Convention Center beginning at 6 PM. The tea room fashion show sponsored by Lunatic Fringe Yarns will be at 7:30 PM. This event also has a seating limit of 630. Any `a la carte purchases will be subject to availability in April.

Other fun events are the Noh Coat Challenge and Shuttle Race. Several groups are holding meetings during the Conference:
• The ANWG Annual Membership Meeting will be held on Friday morning, June 16, 7:30-8:30 AM.
• Rebecca Winter is hosting a HGA COE gathering for weavers on Friday, June 16 from Noon-1 PM.
• The Complex Weavers Meeting will be on Saturday morning, June 17, 7:30-8:30 AM.
• The ANWG Historical Weaving Study Group Meeting will be Saturday, June 17 from Noon-1 PM.

Stay updated
The Weaving Guilds of Oregon steering committee is very busy planning for the upcoming Association of Northwest Weavers’ Guilds Conference at the Riverhouse Hotel and Convention Center in Bend, Oregon June 11-18, 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.

Seminars, Virtual and More

Looking and feeling like fall now, must be just 8 months until conference week!

We’d like to highlight our outstanding presenters for the 4 virtual seminars offered on Friday and Saturday, June 16, 17, 2023.  These intriguing seminar topics will be presented in a large classroom in the Riverhouse convention center for in-person attendance.  You can choose these as part of your 3 seminars in the conference package.  They will also be available to purchase as a Zoom only option for those not attending the conference.  This option will be available during the a la carte registration period opening mid-April.  Any available in-person seats will also be sold during this period.  We are very excited to offer you access to these widely acclaimed instructors and hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to learn from them.

Stacey Harvey-Brown from France will present her seminar:  Optical Effects with Log Cabin, Shadow Weave, and Deflected Doubleweave. Learn how to create complex woven optical effects using these weave structures. 3 hours.

Denise Kovnat will provide a hands-on seminar making Dorset Buttons.  This seminar is limited to 30 attendees in person, as you will be making a button along with Denise and our in-room assistant.  Supplies needed are listed online.  3 hours. Check it out!

Cally Booker from Scotland is presenting Exploring Double Huck. What can two layers of huck lace do?  Come to her fascinating seminar and find out for yourself.  2 hours.

Jane Stafford from Canada will present a lecture-slide presentation on the Weavers of Sabahar. This amazing World Fair Trade organization employs more than 700 artisans in the preservation and sustainability of woven textiles in Africa.

Jane will also be hosting a School of Weaving Meet-Up for members world-wide.  Come in person at the Riverhouse convention center or join us on Zoom to say hi to Jane, meet other members, and see what all the fuss is about!  Saturday afternoon, June 17, 2:30 – 4:00 PM FREE

This month we’d also like to highlight a couple of in-person seminars being presented at the conference by Jannie Taylor Echoes & Iridescence: Designing Rainbows – and Judilee Fitzhugh Mythbusting Indigo and Natural Dyes.

For weavers looking to up their game, sign up for Jannie’s Designing Rainbows seminar on Saturday.  It’s an in-depth look at how to achieve iridescence and designing with weaving software.

Judilee’s seminar on natural dyes will open your dye pot to exciting possibilities and give you the information you need to try natural dyeing at home.

Just a taste of what’s to come next June at the Fiber Connections ANWG Conference in Bend, Oregon.  We hope you’ll check out all the special workshops and seminars we have scheduled.  They are listed by day and time here:  Workshop Schedule – ANWG 2023 Conference (anwgconference2023.com); Seminar Schedule – ANWG 2023 Conference (anwgconference2023.com)

Online registration opens mid-January 2023.  Be ready with your first and second choices for all classes.  We expect them to fill up quickly!

Stay updated

The Weaving Guilds of Oregon conference steering committee is very busy planning for the upcoming Association of Northwest Weavers’ Guilds Conference at the Riverhouse Hotel and Convention Center in Bend, Oregon, June 11-18, 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.

Conference Show Award Donations

Hello 2023 Conference Followers:

Weaving Guilds of Oregon (WeGO) is honored to be hosting the ANWG 2023 Conference at the Riverhouse Hotel and Convention Center in Bend, Oregon, in June. We have been busy the last five years planning a special experience for conference participants and are anticipating a sizeable turnout.

Each conference gives awards to outstanding entries in the fashion show, juried show, open exhibits, and guild booth displays. The ANWG member guilds sponsor many of these awards. Some guilds sponsor awards in the name of a member they wish to recognize or memorialize, while other guilds make a cash donation to be used for a more general award. Some people may also elect to individually sponsor an award.

We are now soliciting cash donations to be awarded to winning entries. You may specify where your donation is to be used. If you wish to donate money in memory or in honor of someone, please indicate this in your return response. Or you can allow us to award your donation to a deserving entry. All donors will be recognized at the conference.

To donate, you may complete the attached form and mail it, along with a check payable to Weaving Guilds of Oregon, to Dorald Stoltz, 1168 Willow Creek Dr NW, Salem OR 97304. Or go to the conference website  https://anwgconference.org/archive/2023//conference-awards-donations/  to electronically complete and submit the form and pay through PayPal in US $ please.

I have included a list of awards so you can tell us how you would like your contribution used.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at dorstoltz@msn.com or 503-371-7177.

We look forward to meeting you at the conference. Thank you for your generosity.

Yours,

Dorald Stoltz, Conference Award Donation Chair

Award Sponsorship – 2023 ANWG Conference

Fiber Connections

Name __________________________________________________________________________________

City, State/Province __________________________________________________________________

Donation Amount US$___________

Category for your Award* ___________________________________________________________

Wording of the Award* ______________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

*Complete only if you have a specific request. If you do not specify, your donation will be awarded where needed.

Please make your US$ check payable to Weaving Guilds of Oregon and mail it by March 31, 2023, to

Dorald Stoltz
1168 Willow Creek Dr NW
Salem, OR, 97304

Thank you for supporting the fiber arts

2023 Fiber Connections Award Categories

Open Show Awards  

All conference attendees will be given 1 “people’s choice” vote.
Votes will be tabulated and the top 3 will be awarded People’s Choice Awards on Sat. at noon.

Juried Show Awards

Best in Show
People’s Choice – C. O. Spinners & Weavers Guild in honor of Linda Davis, Sponsor
Judge’s Choice
Collaborative

Spinning

Skein – spindle spun
Skein – wheel spun
Wearables
For the Home
Best Interpretation of conference theme
Best Interpretation of conference colors

Weaving

Woven on 4 or fewer — Threadbenders in honor of Laurene Chapman
Woven on more than 4
Wearables — Desert Fiber Arts
For the Home — Salem Fiberarts Guild in honor of Dorothy Golik, Sherrie Kuhns, Donna Stor
Wall Hangings
Best Interpretation of conference theme — Seattle Weavers in honor of Virginia Harvey
Best Interpretation of conference colors — Seattle Weavers in honor of Virginia Harvey
Excellence with Complex Structure – Complex Weavers sponsor

Other
Felting
Dyeing
Basketry
Tapestry — Whidbey Weavers Guild
Wearable
Best Interpretation of conference theme
Best Interpretation of conference colors

Fashion Show Awards

Best in Show
Best garment made of handwoven fabric with 4 shafts or fewer –Skagit Valley weavers in memory of Nancy Bjerke
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 — Whidbey Weavers Guild
Best garment construction
Best use of design
Best scarf or shawl handwoven with 4 shafts or fewer – Portland Handweavers Guild sponsor
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

Conference Colors Exhibit Awards

Best in Show
Best of Conference Colors Exhibit Weaving
Best of Conference Colors Exhibit Spinning
Best of Conference Colors Exhibit Felting
Best of Conference Colors Exhibit Other Fiber Art — Seaview Weaving and Fiber Arts Guild

Guild Booth Awards

Best in Show — Whidbey Weavers Guild
Best interpretation of conference theme
Best interpretation of conference colors
Most creative
Best booth by guild with 30 or fewer members
Judge’s Choice
People’s Choice

Spotlight Education 2023

Drum roll please. . . .
We have a great lineup of workshops and seminars at next June’s 2023 ANWG Conference in Bend, Oregon. Our schedule includes something for everyone with:

• 9, 3-day workshops
• 13, 2-day workshops
• 17, 1-day workshops, all happening Mon.-Thurs.
• 44 seminars with in-person instructors on Fri.-Sat.
• 5 virtual seminars to attend in person or by Zoom on Fri.-Sat. 

Kudos to our hard-working Education Committee for coordinating this wonderful array of fiber arts learning opportunities. Thanks to our talented instructors who will be participating in this long-awaited conference.

Our Website Administrator, Dan Steves of the Portland Handweavers Guild, has taken this information and made a variety of easy-to-read webpages that display the information in a variety of ways: Workshops and seminars by day and time, subject matter, experience level and by instructor. You can find all this information on the conference website under the top menu “Learn” on every page. Take a look and start planning your conference week activities.

We will be building our registration system over the next 4 months and anticipate online registration will open mid-January for workshops and the conference package. The conference package will include 3 seminars of your choice on Friday and Saturday (including in-person access to the virtual seminars), and admission to our evening events that include:

• Thursday Marketplace Shopping Extravaganza and Opening Reception, sponsored by Heddlecraft®  Magazine, our good friend Robyn Spady
• Friday’s Banquet and Keynote Speaker, Jeanne Carver
• Saturday’s grand finale Reception and Fashion Show sponsored by Lunatic Fringe Yarns.

Hotel reservations are now open for our three conference hotels: Riverhouse on the Deschutes, Red Lion, and the Element. Links to individual hotel information and their reservation system is found under the top menu “Places” on every webpage, on the Home page, and on the Location page.

The 2023 Conference Committee is excited to host you, your guild friends, and anyone interested in fiber arts instruction and exhibition next June 11-18, 2023 in Bend, Oregon.

Come join in the fun! Now’s the time to plan your trip, book accommodations, and be ready with your first and second choices for all the classes when registration opens in January 2023. See you next June!

Hotel Reservation Information, FAQ Pages Online

The 2023 Fiber Connections Conference Committee is pleased to announce the hotel information for the 3 conference hotels in Bend for next June.

The primary conference location, Riverhouse Hotel and Convention Center, has a large block of 4 different types of rooms, some with river views and various bed configurations.  You can book online for the dates June 11-17, 2023.  The conference room rates are also available for 3 days before and after the conference, but to add those dates to your reservation requires calling the hotel.  The information/reservation page for the Riverhouse is here:  https://anwgconference.org/archive/2023//riverhouse-hotel/
Riverhouse Reservations Phone:  888-919-9148

The Red Lion Hotel is across N. Hwy 97 from the Convention Center.  We have 2-queen rooms there for conference attendees.  The conference rate is available only for the week June 11-17, 2023.  The information/reservation page for the Red Lion is here:

https://anwgconference.org/archive/2023//red-lion-hotel/    The phone number is 541-388-4114

The third hotel we are using for one conference instructor and her two workshops is the Element by Westin.  This new hotel has one meeting room where Linda Kubik will be teaching her workshops.  We expect that the students registered for Linda Kubik’s 3-day sewing workshop “Tailoring a Handwoven Jacket” and perhaps her 1-day workshop “Homemade vs. Handmade”, tailoring seams and finishing edges will want to stay in this hotel.  Her 2 seminars on Saturday will be at the Riverhouse Convention Center.

The hotel is 1.3 miles from the Riverhouse Convention Center.  Walking time is about 25 min., driving is 5 minutes.  There is a map on their reservation page.  This hotel is 3 blocks from the heart of downtown Bend and features a full kitchen in each room.  The rate is available June 9-19. The information/reservation page for the Element is here:

https://anwgconference.org/archive/2023//element-hotel/      The phone # is 541-585-7373

Take a Spin Around the Conference Website

A new feature on the conference website is our Frequently Asked Questions page where you can find answers to many of the questions you may have about Planning/Registering, the Location/Venue, Travel info, Events, Volunteering, Marketplace Vendor Hall, and more.

https://anwgconference.org/archive/2023//conference-faq-frequently-asked-questions/

This link is listed at the top of each webpage under the Home tab.  Find information at this tab on the Conference Colors, Theme, Conference Colors Exhibit, FAQ’s, Location, and Keynote Speaker.

Click on Community and you will find webpages on: Keynote Speaker ;  Conference Committee; Marketplace Vendor Listing.

The Participate listing includes these topics:  Conference Colors Exhibit; Fashion Show; Guild Booths; Juried Show; Noh Coat Challenge; Open Show Exhibit;  Marketplace Vendor Hall and just added information on the Towel Exchange.

We have added a new tab Places that features our Marketplace Vendor Listing.  This list will be updated regularly as we add more vendors in the coming months.  A great variety of shopping opportunities awaits you with those we’ve received commitments from already!  The Bend Visitor information is also available at this tab.

The Blog tab will take you to all the blogs published since our pre-pandemic beginnings in 2019.  It’s been a long and winding road to get here, but our efforts are paying off with the fabulous educational opportunities and fiber arts exhibits being scheduled for you in Bend next June.

The Home page announcement with links is updated frequently, so visit often.

We can’t wait to see you in Bend June 11-18, 2023.

 Stay updated ~~ The Weaving Guilds of Oregon steering committee is very busy planning for the upcoming Association of Northwest Weavers’ Guilds Conference at the Riverhouse Hotel and Convention Center in Bend, Oregon June 11-18, 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.

Conference Keynote Speaker, Events & Activities

The 2023 ANWG Conference is less than one year away. Are you making plans to participate and attend?  The Conference Committee is looking forward to greeting you in the beautiful Riverhouse Convention Center venue in Bend, Oregon.  This blog post will again introduce our Keynote Speaker, Jeanne Carver, and tell you a bit about the activities available for you at the conference in June 2023.  Ila McCallum, Events & Activities Chair, 2023 Fiber Connections Conference Committee

Jeanne and her late husband Dan have been the force behind Imperial Stock Ranch since the late 1980’s.  In 2017, the Imperial Stock Ranch became the first ranch in the world to be Responsible Wool Standard certified. Ralph Lauren chose Jeanne Carver’s wool (Imperial Stock Ranch – Shaniko Wool Company) for the last three Winter Olympics Team USA Uniforms.

Jeanne is a dynamic person who will not only be our keynote speaker on Friday evening, but you will see her throughout the conference.  Look for her at her Shaniko Wool booth in the Marketplace.

Photo Copyright Paul Thacker

To learn more about Shaniko Wool Company, click here https://shanikowoolcompany.com/.  Information on Imperial Stock Ranch can be found here https://imperialstockranch.com/.

There will be many activities and events to keep you busy during conference week.

Are you a member of Complex Weavers, ANWG Historical Weaving Study Group, or Jane Stafford’s School of Weaving?  These groups will have meetings at the conference, in addition to the ANWG Annual Membership Meeting. Rebecca Winter is hosting a meet up of HGA COE in Weaving participants. The School of Weaving will be meeting virtually with Jane on Saturday afternoon, June 17.

You will want to spend some time in the exhibits room.  You will find the Conference Colors Exhibit, the Juried, Open, and Instructors show exhibits. Information for all these exhibits can be found at the conference website:  https://anwgconference.org/archive/2023//

Some other activities to plan for are fiber art demonstrations; we will be seeking demonstrators for Friday and Saturday. Door prizes will be awarded Thursday-Saturday of conference week.  If you want to sit and chat for a while working on a project, there will be a Spin-in, Knit-in, Weave-in corner with chairs and tables for you to use.  Bring a towel for the towel exchange Wed-Sat. and pick up a different towel on Saturday.  Do you like to watch decorated shuttles with wheels compete for a prize on a track?  The shuttle race is for you.

Events off site include the Johansen Tapestry exhibit at Central Oregon Community College library in the beautiful Rotunda Gallery.  Margaret Johansen was an internationally known tapestry weaver who lived in McMinnville, Oregon, and her art hangs in churches and other venues in Oregon.

If you would like to see some of the ranch life in the area, we are planning to offer a bus trip to the Crescent Moon Alpaca Ranch, in Terrebonne, north of Redmond on Highway 97.  This is a beautiful ranch where you can feed the alpacas and shop in their delightful boutique store for alpaca themed items and yes, YARN.

If you and your family would like to learn more about the area for vacation possibilities, look at these websites: Travel Oregon at https://traveloregon.com/ and Visit Bend at https://www.visitbend.com/.

We look forward to hosting you and your fellow guild members at the long-awaited 2023 ANWG Conference, Fiber Connections.

Hotel Reservations  ~  Information and reservation links to the 3 conference hotels will be available in a special blog in early August. Sign up now to receive the information first.

 Stay updated ~~ The Weaving Guilds of Oregon steering committee is very busy planning for the upcoming Association of Northwest Weavers’ Guilds Conference at the Riverhouse Hotel and Convention Center in Bend, Oregon June 11-18, 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.

More Workshop & Seminar Offerings

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 September, a full list of workshop and seminar leaders will be announced on the website’s Education section, but to give you another preview, we are introducing four of them here.  –  Ginger Kaldenbach, Judith Rees – Education Co-Chairs

Judilee Fitzhugh is a textile artisan who specializes in natural plant dyes and couture sewing. Her finely crafted work combines natural objects with vintage fabric remnants, hand weaving, and surface design to portray a single moment in history.  A tour of duty in Japan with the U.S. Navy led to a profound Japanese influence on her work and her lifelong affection for indigo and plant fibers.  She gained her Certificate in Craft at the Oregon College of Art and Craft in 2002 and taught in the BFA and Studio School programs until the school’s closure in 2019.  She now teaches workshops at Oakshadow Studio in Molalla, Oregon.

In her workshop Poetic Thrift, you will learn the meditative art of hand sewing, or “slow stitching”, which gives you a chance to relax and enjoy the rhythmic dance of needle and thread.  So here’s an opportunity to enjoy all those precious fabric scraps you’ve been saving or use some of Judilee’s vintage stash by making a useful and beautiful drawstring bag.

Margaret Coe was born and raised in Bradford, Yorkshire, the center of the English worsted wool industry for 100s of years, Margaret doesn’t recall a time when weaving wasn’t part of her life. Her mother was a “burler and mender”, and Margaret, herself, worked in a mill as an office worker for a brief time.  In the United States, with no mills in sight, she became a managerial accountant—a fortuitous event because it introduced her to computers in the early 1970s. When PCs arrived, she immediately started exploring their use in handweaving.

In the late 1980’s Margaret presented the first class on computers at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. Later she studied graphic and digital design, including an independent study in integrating Adobe® Photoshop® with weave

design. Her explorations have resulted in 4 books:  Fit 2 be Tied; Designing 4 the Future; 2 be Tied or Not 2 be Tied; and 4-8 . . . Weave! More recently Margaret has launched online courses focusing on teaching weavers how to create their own designs. Her weaving and technology worlds united!

Bring your laptop computer and learn new methods to create exciting designs in 4-8 . . Weave! or the magic of combining weave structures in Parallel Paradox-The Corris Effect

Melissa Weaver Dunning, who lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, is an avid tartan & linen weaver, a skilled spinner and a compulsive knitter.  She is a traditional hand-weaver working on antique equipment to produce 18th and 19th century style textiles and has had the great good fortune to study with Scottish master weaver and singer Norman Kennedy since 1980.  Melissa is a singer of traditional ballads specializing in the music of Ireland, England and Scotland; her powerful and clear unaccompanied singing brings the old story songs to life and weaves vibrant pictures of life

in another age.   She is dedicated to carrying on some of the wealth of tradition gleaned from this apprenticeship both in weaving and in music.  She loves to share the history and context of traditional textile arts and pass on the efficient techniques of time-honored skills.

Won’t you take this special opportunity to come and join her in a workshop on Acadian Weaving, highlighting fabrics and techniques for a handwoven dowery from the early French settlers in maritime Canada that were carried along to Cajun Louisiana; or Shaker Linens, highlighting the various weave structures and fibers that the Shakers, early settlers in New England, preferred for towels?

Jane Stafford started weaving at 21, purchasing a new Fanny loom with the help of a chattel mortgage on her 1976 Chevette. Before two years had passed, Jane was accepted as an ambitious – though possibly under-qualified – student at the Banff School of Fine Arts. In another two years Jane was a teaching assistant at the Banff Centre; after a few more she was an instructor there. In the years that followed Jane has had the great fortune of earning a livelihood based on what she loves most—weaving and sharing her passion for excellence in cloth.

In earlier years, Jane was a production weaver and sought-after workshop instructor, introducing countless weavers to the possibilities of colour and design in cloth, while at the same time consulting closely in the design of the Louet Jane Loom and helping thousands of weavers learn to use Louet looms on instructional DVDs.

For many years Jane taught exclusively in her studio on beautiful Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. Weavers came from all over the continent to attend JST’s famous weaving retreats, which contributed to Jane being named Teacher of the Year by Handwoven magazine in 2014.  In 2016 Jane created the Jane Stafford School of Weaving, formerly known as JST Online Guild, a stream-able weaving resource viewed by thousands of weavers around the world; allowing anyone, anywhere access to Jane’s workshops from the comfort of their own home.

Jane is one of 5 virtual seminars offered during the Fiber Connections Conference.  She will be presenting a 1.5 hour Zoom lecture on the Weavers of Sabahar Ethiopia, followed by a Meet-Up for School of Weaving/Online Guild members everywhere.  Come and visit with Jane, ask questions, and meet other weavers emersed in Jane’s School of Weaving.

Stay updated ~~ The Weaving Guilds of Oregon steering committee is very busy planning for the upcoming Association of Northwest Weavers’ Guilds Conference at the Riverhouse Hotel and Convention Center in Bend, Oregon June 11-18, 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.