Gorge Handweavers Guild Report for 2025
Click here to read full report with photos
Gorge Handweavers Guild held a three day workshop with Krokbragd Weaving. It was held on November 15 – 17 2025, by Debby Greenlaw and was delivered by Zoom.
What a wonderful introduction to this Scandinavian weaving technique which produces weft face
fabric! It is woven on 3 shafts as a point twill with a 4 thread repeat (1,2,3,2). Always treadled
in a constant repeating sequence of 1,2,3 and 3weft picks = 1 row of pattern.
The results are amazing. Many motifs can be made and depending on sett and yarns many
different effects are the result.
Debby was very thorough with her explanation and was easy to listen to.
We had a full class (20) which we opened to other guilds, so our workshop included three students from
Canada.
Click on the link, above to see a few photos of the samples that workshop students made. The Sample was all the same, just different yarns and colors.
Cheryl Richardson
WeGO Rep, Gorge Handweavers
Rogue Valley Handweavers Guild Report for 2025
Click here to read the full report with photos
Our guild deliberated for a long time regarding how to use the WeGO Scholarship we were awarded in November of 2024. We decided on our project after hearing a presentation by Su Rolle, Director of the Over-the-Top Free wigs and scarves program run through the Access community center in the Rogue Valley. Our guild members unanimously agreed that we could make it a long-term project and get it started by using the Scholarship money. With the scholarship funds in mind, we purchased sew-in tags with our guild’s name and ordered hang tags for laundering information. We also purchased a wide variety of yarns suitable for weaving, knitting or, crocheting scarves, shawls, hats, and lap rugs. We are working on the details for accountability such as a sign out for yarn, checking in finished items, labeling and tagging, and delivery to Access. Most all of those details are now in place. We have three members that have committed to two months each, per year, taking responsibility for yarn check out, label application, and delivery.
To read the full report, and see the photos, click on the link, above.
Many thanks to WeGO!
Respectfully submitted by Lisa Krebs, WeGO Rep.
Saturday Handweavers Guild Report (from extended 2023 scholarship)
Click here to see the report with photos
The Saturday Handweavers Guild, in Jackson County, would like to thank WeGO for the $500 scholarship awarded. The scholarship provided the opportunity to host Nadine Sanders, “The Singing Weaver” who presented a three-day workshop, “Painting with Yarn-Exploration of the Theo Moorman Weave” November 7-9th 2025.
Nadine began with an introduction to Theo Moorman, the woman accredited for development of this technique. The Theo Moorman technique allows pictorial/abstract images to be “painted” on the surface of a woven ground cloth using inlayed yarns. Nadine then gave credit to another important artist Joyce Harter who mentored Nadine and co-authored the book Theme & Variation More Weaving that Sings. This book was the outline for the workshop and provided as part of our materials fee. Using 4-shaft looms we wove 4 to 6 samples using multiple techniques but, most importantly, we learned about creating designs and the use of cartoons to aid in the design process. Nadine asked many thought-provoking questions to help the weavers realize their design potential. She provided warps and tools for the workshop, gave a PowerPoint presentation, and displayed many samples including garments which members strutted about in an impromptu fashion show. Nadine has an enthusiastic, positive personality that made for an impowering and fun workshop. Nadine is a musician as well, providing singing and instrumentals throughout the three days.
Following the workshop samples will be shared at our guild meeting to introduce and mentor others and included in the displays we assemble at our local libraries to thank them for providing a meeting space. Many of us came to the workshop without any clear understanding of what the Theo Moorman technique was, but all vowed to incorporate the technique into their future weaving repertoire.
Respectfully submitted,
Deb Keberle
Saturday Handweavers Guild
Salem Fiber Arts Guild Scholarship Report 2025
Click here to see the report with photos
Salem Fiberarts Guild used the 2025 $500 grant to fund three monthly guild programs.
Pine Needle Basket Weaving
Presenters: Marcia Graciosa & Linda Houton
Marcia and Linda brought several samples of their completed baskets, as well as supplies that are
used for basket weaving – natural pine needles, dyed pine needles, various threads and base pieces.
After their presentation, they invited us all to attend their weekly meeting at Center 50+ (Salem,
Oregon Senior Center) where they meet weekly as a basket-weaving group.
SFG has already scheduled a basket weaving workshop for October – and has a wait list!
Threadbender’s Guild of Union and Baker Counties Scholarship report 2025
Photos from the Threadbender’s Dyeing workshop – 2025
On August 16th, 16 members of our guild gathered at the Pleasant Grove Grange in Summerville to learn to dye warps. This workshop was highly anticipated, and did not disappoint.
The Grange was a perfect setting with a large working area, tables, and a kitchen to mix dyes and do clean up. (Although the morning rain changed our plans for working outside.)
We are very grateful to our instructor, Liz Moncrief, for coming to our area and sharing her expertise. She brought some beautiful woven samples of her own dyed warps which were a great inspiration to us. Liz discussed the dying process, safety concerns, and answered questions while our first warps soaked in the Soda Ash solution. Then she demonstrated how to lay out our warps on the tables and apply dye while the next warp was soaking. Liz helped where needed and demonstrated different dying techniques for the different warps.
The time went by quickly and it was a fun, inspiring experience. Many (if not all) of us are anxious to continue experimenting with dyes for our weaving projects. We are all grateful to Liz Moncrief and WeGO for supporting our guild and making this experience possible.
Thank You WeGO!
Respectfully,
Maureen Kelly – WeGO representative
Aurora Colony Handspinners Guild 2024 Scholarship Report
Click on the link, above, to view the report and many photos.
In October, we offered classes that would appeal to a broad range of spinners, either to help them learn how to spin, or how to use their beautifully crafted yarns in new ways. The WeGO Scholarship of $500 helped fund an offering of seven classes to 63 participants!
Sincerely,
Willemijn Ilcisin
Chair of ACGH Fall Workshops 2024
Columbia Fibres Guild Sept. 2024 Scholarship report – dyeing mushrooms and lichen
To view photos, click on the link above.
Teacher bio: Cheshire is a botanist, mycologist and lichenologist. She manifests her love of mushrooms and lichens by using them to dye yarn and knit it into whimsical mushroom patterned hats. She got started into dyeing while doing a lichen display at the Mt. Pisgah mushroom show in Eugene, Or. The common comments was “I hear you can use lichens for dyeing”. About that time, a new book on lichen dyeing came out, she used this book “Lichen Dyes, a new sourcebook,” to teach herself lichen dyeing and got hooked. She went on to study mushroom dyeing and using local plants for dyeing. She teaches lichen, mushroom and local plant natural dye classes at Eugene Textile Center. She has taught dyeing at North American Mycological Association (NAMA) annual forays and “Fiber in the Forest”. She focuses her work on ethical collecting and use of lichens and mushrooms and conitinues to experiment. She is a member of the international fungus and fiber federation, founding member of Cascade Mycological society and a board member of NAMA. $500 was used for helping class cost be more affordable for our members. We had a 1 day class with 7 participants and 2 day class with 11 participants. Learned a lot and lots of fun.
Thanks so much,
Cheryl Richardson
Taming Fancy Fibers – Heritage Textile Arts Guild
Instructor: Susannah Day (ETC), March 12, 2024
Thank you so much for the WEGO grant of $500. Our Guild had a wonderful workshop with
Susannah Day of the Eugene Textile Center. The impetus for this class was the donation to our
guild of many bags of novelty yarn that were left over after the liquidation of our local yarn store.
We were able to use the free community room at our local fire station which worked perfectly for
our class. One of our members also donated the use of her guest house for Susannah to use
the night before the class.
Susannah was well prepared and gave us great information ahead of our workshop. We had 13
participants signed up (with a limit of 12) and two were unable to attend at the last minute. We
had a mix of looms, two floor looms, a number of rigid heddle and table looms. Our wonderful
Linda Partsch brought in 10-12 bags of the novelty yarns that she’d stored for us. We used a
variety of warping methods to get our looms warped with suggestions from Susannah. As you
can see from the photos, the variety of warps and finished scarves were amazing. We all
learned new methods, tricks, and tips. It was great to learn together and try out some weaving
materials that were in many cases new to us. We really appreciated the scholarship grant from
WEGO that helped us do this workshop and we’re looking forward to sharing this new
information with the rest of the weavers in our Guild.
Janet Tilton
Class costs:
$450 for Instructor fee
$30 for Instructor travel
Photos From the Taming Fancy Yarns class
Rigid Heddle Workshop – Threadbender’s Guild
Rigid Heddle Workshop ReportOctober 1st & 2nd 2022Threadbender’s Guild of Union and Baker Counties in Eastern Oregon wish to thank WeGO for the help sponsoring our Rigid Heddle Workshop given by Patty Huffer on October 1st and 2nd at Cook Memorial Library in La Grande, OR. We had been anxiously waiting for over 2 years to learn about the Rigid Heddle and it was definitely worth the wait.
We had 8 participants, over the suggested limit of 6 because we had such a large facility. There were three new beginning beginners who had never used a Rigid Heddle loom before, let alone woven anything except paper placemats in kindergarten, the rest were self-taught active weavers who wished to learn more advanced techniques about the amazingly versatile Rigid Heddle.The instructor, Patty Huffer, was prepared for us at all levels. Her handouts were simple and easy to understand and yet there were some advanced techniques for those that were ready and she demonstrated them for us. Before starting, Patty moved around the room checking every loom, adjusting them as needed and making sure everyone was ready to roll. After her introduction, which included a demonstration of how Rigid Heddles can use a warping board for efficiency, we dove right in to warping our looms. Right away we were hooked on the expediency and ease of warping our Rigid Heddles. As the class progressed, Patty gave both whole group and individual lessons and demonstrations as needed. When our advanced weavers were weaving, she was able to concentrate on our beginners. What was truly amazing to our new weavers, was that they were able to keep up with everyone else in the class and produce products just as well woven as the rest of the participants. What a sense of accomplishment and pride they were given from Patty’s expert help! She answered all questions with the same amount of importance and respect, giving answers that went beyond our expectations, filling us with knowledge we were thrilled to receive. There were quite a few epiphanies. Whenever there was a problem, she gathered everyone around for “Teachable Moments” that were taken back to individual looms where they were used by each weaver as needed. That process saved time for the weavers and the instructor. We all wove a beautiful scarf the first day, with Patty instructing us on finishing techniques and washing instructions. We then warped our looms a second time, in order to put the skill into our long term memories, to weave rag mug rugs, which require different techniques to weave and finish. Everyone happily took home their warped looms to complete the second project.Because of Patty’s skill as an instructor, we have three new weavers in our Threadbender’s Weaving Guild that are extremely motivated, enthusiastic and ready to weave. We are all hooked on using our Rigid Heddles more often – we can complete a marvelous project in a day! Even our advanced weavers had smiles and tired minds at the end of the workshop on Sunday. This workshop was such a success and was just what Threadbenders needed as a foundation to recruit new members and support more advanced weavers. Patty Huffer was the perfect instructor for the job!This type of supportive workshop was definitely a valuable and inspiring experience that should be done again.Respectfully,Lisa R BushmanPresident of Threadbenders Weaving GuildWeGO Representative
Mathemagical Design and Geometry in Textiles (Zoom Presentation)
As a forgetful person who doesn’t particularly care for Zoom, I had not previously managed to attend any of the virtual meetings and presentations this winter. I am glad I managed to get my act together for this one! I had a general idea of what the Golden Ratio and the Fibonacci Sequence were, and how they could be used in design, Jennifer explained not only the fascinating history of each, but also how they are mathematically related. Later she moved into tessellations and fractals as well. The myriad examples shown in her slides were both varied and illustrative of her points. There were baskets and weaving, and even a few other art forms. The slides ranged from her own contemporary uses of the concepts in her brilliant double weaves to items from around the world and through time. One advantage to watching from home, is there is no need to crane your neck to see around others to the slides! Jennifer’s warm personality case through and she seemed quite at ease with the format. While there is much I miss about live presentations, I thought this was quite fun really, and just as informative. In fact, it was probably easier for me to focus without the distractions of other actual humans around. Also, I appreciated that she allow EWG to record the session so that people who actually work on a Monday morning could see it as well, for a change. I am definitely going to make an effort to remember to attend the next one.
Swedish Art Weaves Workshop with Joanne Hall
At the Fall WeGO meeting in Astoria, 2019, our guild, RVHG was one of several other guilds to have the luck of the draw for the $500 WeGO scholarship.
Our guild already had plans to hold a Swedish Arts Weaves workshop with Joanne Hall at some point during 2020, and getting the scholarship was perfect timing.
We contacted our neighboring guild – Saturday Handweavers – and we agreed to hold back-to-back workshops with Joanne if she was available. We contacted Joanne and found out that she had enough time in her schedule to do the six days of workshops (3 for each guild) in October of 2020.
Then COVID hit……
The October workshop had to be postponed, and Joanne decided that a full year would be long enough. Our workshop was held on October 18-20, 2021, and we still had to wear masks! Who would have thought it back in 2019?
The workshop was attended by 16 people, two of them from around Santa Cruz, CA, and three from Klamath Falls Spinners and Weavers. Joanne sent each of us a pre-wound warp and we prepared our own looms ahead of the workshop so we could jump right in to her instructions. The pace was fast, but Joanne was very patient with anyone needing extra instruction and /or time.
Joanne provided us with some necessary tools to work with the wool creating the Swedish weave structures. She made a long pick-up stick for each of us, as well as letting us use her set of quills for small amounts of the Faro wool used in the patterns. We borrowed her small boat shuttles that worked well with our sometimes-smaller sheds, and she showed us how (and gave the materials needed) to make half heddles on dowels to use as supplementary shafts. Her Handouts were very good, and we all had fun.
Several of the attendees were able to take their weaving sample off of their loom by the end of the workshop, but many of us will bring our workshop-warped table looms to our November guild meeting to show the members what we have accomplished and invite them to try a few picks and see what it’s all about.
Our workshop included: Rolakan (tapestry), Dukagang, Halvkrabba and Krabba (laid-in weaves) and Munkabalt (monk’s belt).
Joanne’s instructional fees were $450/day, @3 days = $1350
Transportation costs were split with our neighboring guild, SHG = $250
Here is a snippet of Joanne’s Bio from the Glimakra website:
For most of her weaving years Joanne has been interested in Swedish weaving. Her interest comes from her Swedish heritage as well as a respect for the high quality of weaving in Sweden. A workshop from Hans Krondahl, a Swedish art professor who wove commission tapestries inspired her in the early years.
After eight trips to Sweden, a[ending four weaving conferences in Sweden, taking weaving and language classes, touring Swedish weaving factories and shops and meeting many Swedish weavers, Joanne enjoys teaching Swedish weaving techniques.
Twills and Parallel Twills – A virtual presentation by Robyn Spady
18 guild members participated
This workshop began with an overview of twills so that all weavers present – beginners, intermediate,
and advanced – would be on the same page as the presentation proceeded to the more complex subject
of parallel twills.
Basic twill information included a review of:
Difference between plain weave, twills, and satin weave structures;
Straight, point, extended point, and broken twill;
Balanced and unbalanced twills, advancing twills;
Defined by diagonal lines which can lean left, right, or a combination; and
Requirement of three shafts for twills.
A short break was taken, then the presentation continued with Parallel Twills, Echo Weave, and
Corkscrew Twills.
Robyn explained that these techniques begin with a single threading that is then integrated with
another threading. Other terms that refer to this process are “double drafting”, “parallel” threading,
“manifold” drafting, and “interleaved” threading. Apparently, weavers have many words for the same
thing.
These techniques require a close sett and threading can be cumbersome. The advantage is that only one
shuttle is needed for weaving a complex-looking textile. This is especially true when a color sequence is
added, which is usually the case. A short overview of using the color wheel to choose colors for this
technique. Robyn used Fiberworks to show drafts, color changes, tie-ups, and treadling.
A 24-page handout was sent to all participants after the informative presentation.
Columbia Fibre Guild – Judith MacKenzie Lecture
When early man learned to make thread, it allow him to move out of the cave. The cave as the best protection from the elements before that time. When threads were combined they were strong enough to make rope and nets. The nets made fishing possible and the rope slashed leaves and branches together to make shelters away from caves. Spun fibers and weaving made sails possible.
Fibers to not survive when buried, but the tools to make the fibers do. Spindles, whorls, stones with holes in them for spinning, are found over the world. They are all alike. The principle is basic and each culture developed their own, but all are indistinguishable from one another.
The northwest coast has no dye culture for fibers. It has no clay soils to make pots necessary to use dyes.
Dogs were bred for their fiber. The early ones were called “wool dogs. Vegetable fibers were first used for spinning: milkweed, bear grass, all long fiber grasses and celery. Animal fibers, came later. Pliny the elder listed 2,500 types of fiber, but only four will go on being used in the future, because they are so good: two vegetable – cotton and flax; and two animal: wool and silk.
Leg spinning was used before tools were developed.
Notes by Linda Frizzell – Columbia Fibre Guild
wegoregon.org 