New Addition

We have now added a For Sale area on our website
Located on the bottom of the webpage you will find a listing of articles for sale

Valley Voices Choir

The Valley Voices, Almonte's community choir, invites you to their 'Sing We Now of Christmas' concert on Sunday, November 28, 7:00 pm at the Almonte United Church (partial proceeds going to the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum). Under the direction of Becky Sweizer, the choir has been rejuvenated with a grand group of new singers lending their excellent voices to the group. The selection of music is outstanding – beautiful songs to put you in the mood for winter and for the Christmas season - songs such as ‘The Snow Begins To Fall’ and ‘Winter, Fire and Snow’. You’ll love the calypso beat of ‘The Stars’. There’ll also be several familiar Christmas carols that will get you humming along.

Invite a friend - invite several. We guarantee an evening you’ll enjoy. Five Dollar tickets are available from choir members or at the door. For information call Amanda 613-256-0134.

The Valley Voices will also be performing ‘Brother Heinrich’s Christmas’ along with the Valley Players at the Mill of Kintail on Saturday, December 11 during the day.

"A Tribute to Canada's Military - Textiles and Artifacts from members of the Ottawa Valley Guild of Stitchery"

The MVTM invites you to an exhibit that will be a tribute to the men and women of the Canadian military in war and peace, with the focus on remembrance of the two World Wars. The textiles include the sampler on loan from the Embroiderer's Association of Canada Heritage Collection,samplers and other stitching with a patriotic theme from members of the Ottawa Valley Guild of Stitchery, and other textiles, such as cigarette silks and other printed textiles included in tobacco products at the time, all owned by the Ottawa Valley Guild of Stitchery members.

To provide context, there are also a number of other items owned by Guild members and their families such as artwork, military helmets,china, books, commemorative plates, photographs and much more.

This exhibit will demonstrate how textiles played an important role at times of crises and should prove to be an excellent reminder of sacrifices men and women made for Canada during the World Wars.

Exhibit on display at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum from:
Saturday November 6 - December 18th, 2010
Mississippi Valley Textile Museum
3, Rosamond St. E.
Almonte, Ontario
K0A 2X0
613-256-3754
Tuesdays through Saturday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Admission $5.00
Children under 12 are always free and museum members are admitted
without charge

Celebrate Christmas with Mr. Fezziwig!

MVTM Offers a Victorian-Themed Holiday Gathering with Character(s)!

Come and Experience a holiday party in a venue just like Mr. Fezziwig’s workplace: a Victorian factory akin to the one in which the kind, jolly man entertained his workers and friends. As we know, it made Scrooge reminisce longingly for the joyous times of Christmas past and helped to rehabilitate his character!

Building on the success of last year’s event, organizers of Mr. Fezziwig’s Christmas Celebration are getting ready for another great party on November 27 starting at 6 pm at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum (3 Rosamond Street East in Almonte). Last year party-goers out did themselves by turning up in period party attire. There was much merriment and singing along with the Valley Voices, who appeared as Victorian carolers, and The Barley Shakers, who kept everyone’s toes tapping. A most amazing array of Dickenson characters, including Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig and Father Christmas, enlivened the festivities. Like last year, this year’s party will include a groaning board of old-fashioned party treats and the biggest, most inspiring Christmas tree you have ever espied.

In addition, there will be a dramatic presentation of a classical Victorian holiday story. The audience will feel like they have stepped into a pop-up book as the Little Match Girl involves everyone in her story.

Enjoy a cup of good cheer while you celebrate the holiday spirit. Tickets are $25 each and can be reserved by calling 256-3754 x11 or emailing info@mvtm.ca As a Fezziwig party goer remarked at last year’s celebration: “This event is destined to become a much anticipated holiday event in the Valley.”

Artist talk at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum

Exhibition: TEXT-ING et al

Artist: Karina Bergmans

Date & time: Saturday November 13, from 2 pm to 4 pm

Admission: $5

Karina Bergmans invites you to create your own text messages in the exhibition TEXT-ING et al at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum. The exhibition has appeared as public interventions, a pangram, text messages, and general pillow play since 2007. In a time in which text messaging is a direct and common form of instant communication, TEXT-ING as a sculptural project is a much appreciated diversion in our relationship to text.

As a multi-disciplinary artist, Karina Bergmans works in the mediums of fiber art, sculpture, installation and designs/manufactures the KBergmans.com clothing line. What unifies her diverse artistic practice is the use of reclaimed textiles. Bergmans’ work has been exhibited at Dumbo Arts Festival, Brooklyn, (2009), Stride Gallery +15 Window Space, Calgary (2010) and a solo show at the Mississippi Mills Textile Museum in Almonte, Ontario, (2010). Karina has received grants from the Ontario Arts Council and the City of Ottawa. Bergmans artist profile was recently featured in the September/October 2010 FiberArts Magazine. Karina resides in Ottawa, Ontario.

The exhibition TEXT-ING et al is on exhibit at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum until January 22, 2011. For more information please contact the museum at info@mvtm.ca or 613-256-3754 x15.

Step right up get your tickets!!

Come and solve the mystery of the “Prints of Darkness” by the Mississippi Mudds and enjoy a gourmet meal at the MVTM. Buy a ticket, or invite your friends and buy a whole (or part) table of 8. Tickets are $45 each.

Joan's pick of the week

Joan found a pattern that she would like to share with you. It is called Noro Sillk Garden Scarf. It is a free knitting pattern from Noro. The website is

http://www.angelyarns.com/free-patterns/noro-scarf.php

Mississippi Valley Textile Museum

Take a look around. The MVTM has created a new website. Check out the events calendar so you don't miss any of the new and upcoming exhibits. There are sure to be displays that suit anyone's tastes.

http://www.textilemuseum.mississippimills.com/mvtm/Exhibits.html

100 years of Military Uniforms .........Postponed........

Please note that this exhibit has been postponed to a later date
We will repost once a new date has been established!
Thank you !

Mississippi Valley Textile Museum invites you to:

MERA PRESENTS

www.meraschoolhouse.org





The Creative Spark - A series of Lectures by well known Canadian Artists. Held at McMartin House, 125 Gore, St. E.,Perth, On.

For further information please email meraschoolhouse@bell.net
Or by Phone 613-278-0388

OVWSG - 30th Annual Exhibition and Sale

A fun day was had by all!

Richard and Shirley were most kind in allowing our guild to tour their home front operation. From raw wool to finished product the process was explained and time take to show the different procedures applied towards the finished product. A quaint little retail shop filled with home spun and knit items ranging from wraps, sweaters, hats and socks. All of the store's wares had that oh so personal touch with head knitter " Mom " behind the cash.

This is truly worth the trip from Ottawa.Even if it is just to imagine how one member of the family enticed her family to start up their own business. One that is unique to the area let alone the province!

15th Annual Fibre Festical

15th Annual FIBREFEST at MVTM, Almonte

September 11-12, 2010

This year we will continue to hold Fibrefest at two

Locations: in the Norah Rosamond Hughes Gallery at the

MVTM, and at the North Lanark Agricultural Hall at the

Fairgrounds. On Friday evening, September 10th, the

MVTM will be hosting an opening gala, and the opening

Night presentation of the play "Quilts From Hell" by Fern

Martin. This play will be staged by the Almonte Valley

Players on Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday afternoon

And evening. The Friday evening gala will be held in the

Wool Hall Gallery (upstairs at the MVTM), and the cost of

This event ($20) will include wine and cheese. The cost to

See the play on Saturday and Sunday is $15. The cost to

Enter Fibrefest is $5. Both locations feature vendors of

Fibre arts supplies and finished goods, and throughout

Fibrefest, local guilds will be on hand to demonstrate the

Arts of knitting, lace making, smocking, weaving, spinning,

Quilting, penny rugs and more. The Friends of the MVTM

Will be providing refreshments at the Agricultural Hall

Site.

Ten Reasons for Buying Yarn

Salute to Husbands!

Midsummer Herb Festival, Almonte.

This was a must attend event for those interested in herbs, gardening, cooking and living a healthy lifestyle held on July 25th at ALmonte's Herb Garden. Shown below are some of the "Fibre Arts" demonstrations

Mad Hatter Party

July 25th, 2010. Rain date is August 1, 2010


Bring your lawn chair and join us!

You and your spouse are invited on July 25th, 2010 to Sandra and John McManus "Mad Hatter Tea Party". The party will be held at the McManus family home.


The Itinery is as follows"

2pm for games, golf-ish, boating, croquet-ish, zipline

3pm for tea- Don't Forget your hat!

4pm for launching model rockets, planes, potato canons, kite flying if windy,(bring 'em if you got 'em)

Dress -- casual but necessary, shoes for grass

ESSENTIAL: A "mad hat"

Address: 140 Sneddon Rd., Pakenham, ON, K0A 2X0



RSVP may be directed to:
Sandy at (613) 256 2892 or
fam.mcmanus@sympatico.ca or
snail mail @ 140 Sneddon Rd.,
Pakenham, ON
K0A 2X0

Quilt Show

Get your party hat out!!

Mississippi Valley Textile Museum celebrates 25th anniversary

Victorian Garden Party!

Step back in time and join us for tea at a Victorian Garden Party to celebrate The Mississippi Valley Textile Museums 25th anniversary. Held in the gardens of the Hugessen Residence at 81 Queen St., Almonte on June 26th 2010 from 2-5pm.

Admission is free as well as complimentary tea, lemonade and cucumber sandwiches. Other festivities include a strawberry shortcake stand, ice cream and popcorn stand, the appearance of Sir John A McDonald and Queen Victoria. Volunteer awards and a Baker Bob birthday cake will be presented. Get your photo taken in period dress and dance to the music of The Mill Workers Band (aka The Barley Shakers).

For more information regarding this event please visit the museum website at www.textilemuseum.mississippimills.com or contact MVTM by phone at 613-256-3754 ext.10. Period dress is encouraged.

Michael Rikley-Lancaster
Curator
Mississippi Valley Textile Museum
613-256-3754
mvtm@magma.ca
www.textilemuseum.mississippimills.com

I'm dreaming of a..................

Dream Catchers were the theme of the day at the West Carleton Guild meeting. With various ribbon and soft wreath shapped branches the base of the Dream Catcher was formed. An assortment of embellishments were then added and left to the imagination of the creator.

Traditionally, the Ojibwa construct dream catchers by tying sinew strands in a web around a small round or tear-shaped frame of willow (in a way roughly similar to their method for making snowshoe webbing). The resulting "dream-catcher", hung above the bed, is used as a charm to protect sleeping children from nightmares. As dream catchers are made of willow and sinew, they are not meant to last forever but are intended to dry out and collapse as the child enters the age of adulthood

Felted Figures

From short to tall, big to small, we made them all!
Whether it was a fair maiden, a damsel in distress or a crotchety old fellow guild members put their talents together. With felting needle, tufts of wool we shape, we sculpt and we try not to stab ourselves with the sharp barb felting needle. A two day workshop was held by the guild for members who wanted to try their felting creative skills. With lots of laughter the students had a great time and a great product to take home.

Say It In Red’ May 5 to July 3, 2010

Say It In Red’
May 5 to July 3, 2010 at the
Mississippi Valley Textile Museum
3 Rosamond Street East
Almonte, ON
613-256-3754 x15
Artists: Mary Young & Marilyn Crawford
Exhibit opening: May 8th 2 pm to 4 pm

With the 2010 Olympics still a recent memory, it seems appropriate to continue the ‘sea of red’ theme with this celebration of Redwork embroidery. Preparation for the Vancouver Olympics took several years.The artists preparation for this exhibition began exactly ten yearsago. It was in the spring of 2000 that Marilyn Crawford and her daughter, Anna, toured Britain in a little red rental car. Marilyn chose to capture those memories in redwork. Marilyn shared herenthusiasm for this medium with Mary Young and so their adventure began.

The first piece was based on familiar. Mary drew some of the lovely buildings and landmarks in Perth where she lives. She was pleased with it and Marilyn and Mary decided to extend their vision to Lanark County and its heritage. Following their Eastern Ontario piece, Marilyn made a wall hanging of flowers and birds of the area. They shared their knowledge with the members of the Lanark County Quilter’s Guild and many of them are still ‘redworking’. Because they were frustrated by the Australian and U.S. content of the patterns available for purchase, they decided to design patterns with Canadian images. Demand for these patterns across Canada was very satisfying. Many of the contemporary pieces in the display were made from our patterns. Mary would like to give credit to her daughter, Janet, who inherited a ‘drawing gene’ that she does not possess and
captured many images on paper that were in her head. You will recognize her distinct, sometimes whimsical style, in several of Mary’s pieces.

Over the years the artists have had the pleasure of speaking to quilt quilds from Cornwall toPeterborough along the St.Lawrence River system and from Arnprior to Ottawa along the Ottawa River system as well as guilds located between the two.They have had the honour of displaying their pieces at the Quilt Gallery in St.Jacob’s and at the Perth Museum as well as the Festival of Quilts in Perth.

Their collection of antique redwork pieces is a delight, giving the viewer an insight into women’s work and attitude to life in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They embroidered on cloth vignettes and images that were important to them as we are doing today.

Although they are no longer producing patterns, Marilyn and Mary are still capturing red embroidery threads, life as we see it. Like photographs they are stitching memories for their children and theirs. We hope you enjoy the exhibition, ‘Say it in Red’.

For more information:

Michael Rikley-Lancaster
Curator
Mississippi Valley Textile Museum
613-256-3754
mvtm@magma.ca
www.textilemuseum.mississippimills.com

‘Weaving a Different View’

‘Weaving a Different View’,
May 5 to August 8, 2010,
Mississippi Valley Textile Museum
Almonte, On

The exhibitors are members of “Weavers Unlimited” who love to explore structure and complex designs and like to present these concepts in innovative approaches to weaving.
Their exhibition is meant to stretch the boundaries of weaving through a series of garments and wearable art, all using handwoven fabric. What they aimed for is to weave with a different view, which the artists chose as the title of the exhibition.

Participating members are Jean Bair, Jean Down, Hilfried Friedericy, Karin Hendriksen, Ruth Jarvis, Deb McKay, Roberta Murrant, Francesca Overend, Anne Rombeek, Pam Theilmann and Irene Cox (in memoriam).

For more information on displays or exhibits please contact:
Mississippi Valley Textile Museum,
#3 Rosamond St. E.,
Almonte, Ontario,
613-256-3754;

Or visit their website at :
www.textilemuseum.mississippimills.com

Please markyour Calenders for this important event

15th Annual Fibrefest

Sept. 11-12, 2010
This three day fibre art festival features fibre art vendors, demonstrations, a quilt and weaving exhibit, fashion shows, historical reenactments, plays and a textile appraisal fair and much, much more.

For more information please refer to the following website

http://www.textilemuseum.mississippimills.com/events.htm

OR
Michael Rikley-Lancaster
Executive Director/Curator
Phone 613-256-3754 Ext. 10
Email mvtm@magma.ca

Beads Beads Everywhere

Knitted Bead Necklaces were the topic of the day as Jean Winter instructed us on the skill of necklace making. With a pair of fine knitting needles, meters of beads as well as a supply of strong string/cotton on which the beads were strung, we were well on our way to masterpieces.





For other beaded necklace free patterns here is a link for you!
http://www.freepatterns.com/list.html?cat_id=465&source=021FRP

Felted Art

The Northern Light felted scape shown is a masterpiece by one of our own WCFG members, Jean Ling. This piece in particular will be auctioned to raise money for a charitable organization.The Artist presented her piece today at a Guild Meeting and explained how she performed her skill.

All in knots?

Gertrude Thibeault a local Bobbin Lace artist, introduces her passion to the West Carleton Fibre Guild in February. Gertrude participates in many demonstrations throughout the Ottawa Valley

Mississippi Mills Textile Museum Presents

March 6-April 4

Unraveled (Wool Hall Gallery)

Photo exhibit documenting the decline of the Appletex Mill.

By: Alison Ball

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Saturday March 6, 2 pm - 4 pm

Guest lecture and slide show by Appleton artist Alison Ball

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March 18, 2010

March Break Fun! (Home Craft Room & Mary Lettner Textile Research Centre)

Come out for an afternoon of Fun from 1pm to 4pm. There will be weaving, crafts, for ages 9-11

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April 11 – April 25, 2010

Naked in the House (Wool Hall Gallery)

Photography exhibit of the interior architecture of the museum with nude model.

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April 15, 2010

Bayeux Tapestry (Norah Rosamond Hughes Gallery)
Guest lecture by artist Raymond Dugan

****************************************************************************

For further information please contact:

Michael Rikley-Lancaster
Curator
Mississippi Valley Textile Museum
613-256-3754
mvtm@magma.ca
www.textilemuseum.mississippimills.com

Please join us ...

Hello friends and fellow hookers

Another of my "Hookings" is taking place on Saturday, February 20th, 2010. It will be at my house at 23 William St, Carleton Place, from 10.00am- 3.00pm. I will provide coffee, tea and munchies, and if you like bring your own lunch.

If you have friends that would like to see what hooking is all about they also would be very welcome.


I will look forward to seeing all those who can come, even for a short time.

Elaine Tigges

Applerug Supplies

613 253 8657

Knit 1, Purl 1...

The West Carleton Fibre Guild Knitting group will now be meeting on the 4th Tuesday of each month at the home of Melodie Summers, 4727 Torbolton Ridge Road, Woodlawn, Ontario.

For your interest...................Snow Dying

An article on snow dying, it can be found by scrolling on the website:
http://dianemblog.wordpress.com/

Great fun, Great food, Great People

A great time was had by the fourteen members of WCFG who attended the Potluck lunch Jan. 12th 2010 at the home of our president Roberta Murrant, who was as usual a wonderful hostess. The food was spectacular as always.
The scarf challenge was shown off, all attendees entered, and everyone won a prize for some part of the event. The entries were truly beautiful.
Next year's challenge was decided on and is to be leg warmers, made in any manner one might choose.
Much laughter and a general good time by all!
Thank you Roberta for hosting at short notice, due to Melodie having a worrisome eye infection, from which she is now recovering.