Knitting as You’ve Never Seen It Before!

From October 22 to December 21 the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum (MVTM) will be hosting the exciting exhibit “Unraveling Tension,” which features the works of Bozica Radjenovic a sculptor who lives and works in Ottawa. She has had several solo and numerous group exhibitions in Canada and abroad. Born and educated in Belgrade, Serbia, she moved to Canada in 1993.

For the works in this show Radjenovic has traded the sculptor’s traditional tools for knitting needles and fibre. The results are sometimes huge works in vibrant yellows, reds and blues that take the everyday and turn it on its head.

The material itself, as well as the names of some of the knitted sculptures, aims to create a feeling of the organic, of warmth, the safety of a nest, a mother’s hug, clothes as protection, and a wrapping of people in material that is symbolic of tenderness, care and safety. Adjusting to a new country, the sculptor sometimes feels that she has lost a firm footing, her safe refuge, and thus some of her sculptures hover in space, interacting with even the slightest air flow.

“My mother used to knit,” says Radjenovic. “Her skilful hands made hats, sweaters and socks. I was always amazed by what she was able to do with a single thread. Most of my current work has been inspired by knitting and unraveling, or making and destroying. Two forces equally strong, or are they? The hand that’s creating is also the hand that’s destroying, and this is a limitless and endless revolution. I believe that there is energy in every object and every stitch made by human hands. The motivation for this exhibition is to bring to light the way in which contemporary sculpture can challenge craft.”

Come see this wonderful work and be challenged and delighted.

A vernissage will be held on Saturday, October 26 from 2 to 4 p.m. The MVTM is located at 3 Rosamond St. E. in Almonte. It is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m and Sunday from 1 pm to 4 pm.

Knitting is a way to materialize, with the finest threads, the dreamed and imagined, to express longing, not to forget the past and to create the new… The world of knitting that grows like by cellular division contains vitality and regenerative powers, interweaving of memories of traces of the previous life into everyday life.”

For more information


Michael Rikley-Lancaster
Executive Director / Curator
Mississippi Valley Textile Museum
613-256-3754
curator@mvtm.ca
www.mvtm.ca

For anyone interested

Ontario Handweavers and Spinners
The Spin at Warp Speed Electronic Newsletter
September 2013
Notices and Events

Resource Directory Online
The OHS is updating the Instructors Resource Directory. This will be now be located on our web site rather than in print. This way we can update it more frequently and distribute it further. Please let us know the details of the educational opportunities that you offer, ie. workshops, lectures or programs, how far you are willing to travel, and any other special requirements that you might have. To be included you must be a member of the OHS.
Please complete the attached form or online form available under the Workshop Leaders tab on the Web site, and return it to list coordinator Bridget Lewis at (cblewis@bell.net).

Found
A quantity of wool fibre for spinning was found at the NAV Centre after the conference. Please contact sandi.nemenyi@gmail.com if you think this may be yours.

Nominations
There are still a some positions available on our board, as well as opportunities to volunteer on various committees. You can make a contribution by offering your time and talents, Find out how you can help by contacting Jo Mills, Nominations Chair.

Memberships
Memberships and renewals are now available online! http://www.ohs.on.ca/members-section/memberships

5 Counties (Midwest Region) Seminar, One Thread, Many Ways, takes place on Saturday, September 21. Hosted by the Burlington Handweavers & Spinners Guild, the event takes place at the Burlington Arts Centre. $45. Please see Fibre Focus, spring issue 2013 for more information, or click here.

October 5, 2013 Central Region Seminar: Paddle Your Own Canoe, hosted by the Peterborough Handweavers and Spinners Guild. Held at The Canadian Canoe Museum, Peterborough, ON. Keynote Speaker Andrea Graham will take you on a visual paddle through her artistic journey as a feltmaker and innovative artist. Enter your own decorative pillow into the Pillow Challenge for People’s Choice awards. For more information and seminar registration see the Spring 2013 issue of Fibre Focus or visit www.ohs.on.ca

Woodstock Fleece Festival
October 19, Woodstock, ON. Visit the Fleece Festival website for more information.

Creativ Festival
October 25-27, Convention Centre South Building, Toronto. Please contact Sarah Craig if you would like to volunteer at this event.

Learning Opportunities

Weaving Certificate Unit 15 – Eight Shaft Double Weave
Learn to design, draft and weave multishaft double cloth and gain an understanding of Backed Cloth and Pique
Instructor - Pat Zannier
Date – October 26 & 27
Location - To Be Determined
Contact – Bridget Lewis (cblewis@bell.net) for more details.

Haliburton School of the Arts

OHS Spinning Certificate Program
Please let us know if you are interested in beginning the 6-level program in 2014,
at the beautiful Haliburton Campus of Fleming College. Courses are scheduled to take place in the month of August. Participants must be familiar with a spinning wheel and able to spin a simple thread.
createit@hsta.ca 1-866-353-6464 www.hsta.ca

If you know of upcoming weaving and/or spinning classes for the fall, please let us know about them:
info@ohs.on.ca

From our Partners
Textile Museum of Canada latest news. The show, Ancestry and Artistry:
Maya Textiles from Guatemala runs May 29 - October 13, 2013. Please see the following for more information about this and other events at the Textile Museum of Canada. http://www.textilemuseum.ca/dispatch/version2_0/June.html

Fall Sales

Simcoe County Quilt, Rug and Craft Fair, Sept. 20-22, Simcoe County Museum, 1151 Hwy 26, MInesing, Ontario. Featuring Huronia Handweavers and Huronia Spinners Guilds.

Huron Tract Spinners & Weavers Annual Sale - Sat., Nov. 2 10:00 am – 5pm and Sun. Nov. 3 12:00 am – 4 pm at the Huron County Museum, 110 North St., Goderich ON. Unique traditional and modern weaving, basketry, beading, spinning, knitting and felting. For more information go to:
www.huronspinandweave.webs.com
or contact Kerry Price519-238-6452 or price@hay.net

Seasonal Wrapsody - Nottawasaga Handweavers and Spinners and friends. Fri, Nov. 1, 6pm - 9pm and Sat., Nov. 2, 10am - 4:30pm. Gibson Centre, 63 Tupper St. W., Alliston. http://www.nottguild.ca/

To Enter

Carnegie Craft 2013, Nov. 1-24, 2013. (Dundas, Ontario) Please see call for entry:
http://www.carnegiegallery.org/call-for-entry-carnegie-craft-2013/
Innovations in Fibre Art VI, International Juried Fiber Art Exhibition (Sebastopol, California)
http://www.entrythingy.com/www.sebarts.org

Stitches Across Time
Dufferin County Museum & Archives presents Stitches across Time, a unique juried show of contemporary fibre art pieces together with an exhibit of rarely seen textile pieces from the Museum’s collection Deadline for entry, April, 2014 http://www.stitchesacrosstime.com/

Looking for fabric on the cheap to construct your work of art?

http://networkedblogs.com/OYfaA

If you are looking for some nice fabric but don't want to pay wholesale prices, here is a sale for you.
Enjoy a leisurely drive to the Brockville area to look at the wares for sale
Have fun!

Support your local Fair

http://www.carpfair.ca/150th-celebration



The Carp Fair is in our backyard. It is celebrating it's 150 year with a Mural unveiling ( pictured above). From Farmers Market, musical enlightenment, judging of livestock, culinary delights,and crafts.The Carp Fair is sure to entertain you. Check out their website before you head out....and don't forget to purchase your raffle tickets. You could be that lucky ducky winner!

http://artottawa.ca/galleries/orleans-gallery


The Ottawa School of Art has several gallery sites. I have chosen one link above to display what the Orleans Campus has in their collection. Tour the website to find other galleries, locations and what is up and coming at the School of Art

What is on in your area?

http://www.artistsincanada.com/artist/browse/textiles-ontario-ottawa/?cat=65536&prov=10&city=Ottawa


Check out the link and familiarize yourself with local artists. On the left sidebar of the linked webpage is a rolling list of exhibits in Ontario

Spin in Public welcome.......................

Spin-in Public Day, Sept 21, 2013 on Bate Island from 10:00 to 3:00. This is another free-wheeling opportunity to meet other wool-heads to discuss our shared affection for spinning straw into gold. We might pick up a new skill but most important of all we can get to know one another. Some of you did not participate last time because of the weather. Bate Island has a very nice sheltered picnic area that works if the rain comes, so I'll be there rain or shine.

This is not a guild sponsored event. Bring along or tell anyone else who might be interested. It is also not exclusive to spinners. If you have a project on the go that needs a little "sit down" time, time to weave in those dangling threads, finish the fringe, stitch it together, this is the perfect opportunity.
You’ll need to bring a Wheel, fiber, project, lunch, beverage, chair, conversation, or just chair and conversation – the rest we can work out.

Fibrefest 2013

18th Annual Fibrefest

The Mississippi Valley Textile Museum’s highly anticipated Fibrefest is returning for its 18th annual event on September 7th and 8th, 2013, and it will be bigger and better than ever. At three locations—the MVTM, the Almonte Arena and the Almonte Curling Club—visitors will find more than seventy vendors, coupled with demonstrations, exhibits and much, much more—a full two-day festival of textiles and fibre arts!

Throughout Fibrefest, local guilds will be on hand to demonstrate the arts of knitting, lacemaking, smocking, weaving, spinning, quilting, penny rugs, and more. The Friends of the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum will again be providing tea room services, featuring homemade goodies, beverages and sandwiches all available at a reasonable price.

The Ottawa Valley Button Club is again hosting Button Mania. As well as having vendors selling a huge variety of buttons and button-related items, the club will mount displays of beautiful glass buttons and historic uniform buttons. Bring your old buttons to the button ID clinic to find out the history of your special items!

New this Year: Vintage Clothing Show and Sale!

We are very excited about this new addition to Fibrefest. The Almonte Curling Club will be the site of a vintage clothing event, which will include a museum-quality display—The History of Fashion—designed to raise appreciation of the beauty, workmanship and creative potential of vintage and collectible clothing. Thirty juried vintage clothing dealers will also be offering quality fashions for viewing and purchase. This is a unique opportunity to enjoy a huge variety of vintage fashions all in one location.

Featured Artist: Noelle Hamlyn – Textile Artist

Noelle is intrigued by the possibilities of textiles—of using textures and fibres to evoke emotion. She believes that our sense of touch is one of our most powerful, and is therefore drawn to things with strong tactile qualities. Using a wide range of unusual materials, she creates works that explore concepts such as memory and attachments, as well as cultural, family and personal narratives.

“Sweetness of the Work” is a collection of pieces created in homage to hand work—usually completed by women—that seeks to showcase the accumulated stitches, labour and hours invested in traditional women’s hand work. Many pieces have been washed and treated to encourage the formation of salt crystals that are like the sweat and salt tears of the seamstress—a gentle meditation on the loss of these traditional skills, the repetitive nature of hand work, and the social role of women.

The “tools of the trade,” from sewing machines, spinning wheels, and scissors, to buttons, bobbins and pins are cast with Japanese gampi paper to create ghost-like references to the hands that used and abandoned these “old fashioned” methods.

Graduating from Sheridan Institute’s Crafts and Design Program (Textiles), and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Noelle has represented Canada at the International Craft Biennale in Cheongju, South Korea and the Love Lace International Lace Competition at the Power House Museum in Sydney, Australia. She showed at the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad and has work in the permanent collections of the Cambridge Art Gallery, the Peel Board of Education and the Cleveland University Hospitals. In March she mounted a small show at the Art Gallery of Mississauga and participated in the Biennale Internationale Du Lin de Portneuf in June.

At the Museum: Two World-Class Exhibitions

While Fibrefest is in full swing, the gallery at the Textile Museum will be featuring “Inner Vision,” a display of vibrant modern tapestries by prize-winning Peruvian artist/weaver Maximo Laura, along with “Naked Coptic Dancers” a collection of Christian Egyptian tapestries from the 3rd to 12th century. You won’t want to miss a chance to see these outstanding collections.

I Say, Don’t Miss the Tweed Ride

Local cycling enthusiasts will again be donning their poshest period biking duds (plus fours encouraged) to create the spirit of a bygone era in Almonte’s Tweed Ride. Riders will meet at the Fairgrounds on Saturday September 7 at 11 a.m. and will take a merry jaunt around town to the various Fibrefest locations. While any bike is acceptable, classic models are naturally encouraged.

Tweed Rides are a worldwide phenomenon that began in London in 2009 to celebrate the bike and raise money for a good cause. Proceeds from the Almonte Tweed Ride are directed towards education in Haiti.

Whether you are interested in art, history, clothing, textile crafts, or just a great day out and about, Fibrefest will have something of interest for everyone.



Admission to Fibrefest is $5.00 per day, which includes access to all sites. Fibrefest runs on Saturday September 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday September 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Almonte, just 45 minutes west of downtown Ottawa. Venues are the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum, located at 3 Rosamond Street East in Almonte; and the Almonte Arena and Almonte Curling Club, located at 182 Bridge St. For more information contact the Museum at 613-256-3754 ext. 7 or info@mvtm.ca

Multi-Purpose Room Now Available at MVTM

On Friday August 16 the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum (MVTM) officially opened its new multi-purpose room. Measuring 24 ft. by 23 ft., and with a 10 ft. high ceiling, the room features a large three-basin sink and can accommodate up to ten folding tables (provided). A wall of windows also provides lots of natural light, making it an ideal space for art and craft workshops and classes.

The new room is also one of the only spaces in the area that is fully equipped with a high-definition projector and drop-down screen for presentations, video and wifi access, as well as a podium. It can seat up to 50 people, which makes it a great spot for meetings, lectures or conferences. Those attending meetings and workshops will also enjoy the museum’s permanent exhibit and the exciting installations in its gallery.

The multi-purpose room can be rented for $25 per hour or $150 per day. For more information contact the MVTM at 613 256-3754 x7.

Mississippi Mills Textile Museum presents...........

27 August, 2013 @ 7 pm ~ 9 pm Vernissage at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum

Maximo Laura is considered a living national treasure in Peru. An award winning practicing tapestry weaver from generations of artisan weavers, Maximo Laura is dedicated to preserving and promoting the craft of his land.

2013 INTERNATIONAL TRIENNIAL OF TEXTILE ARTS - WORKSHOPS

Throughout the 2013 International Triennial of Textile Arts in the Outaouais, Moon Rain Centre is offering a spectrum of workshops taught by renowned international textile artists and presented in partnership with the Conseil Régionale de la Culture de l'Outaouais.


FAMILY WEAVING
- Kathryn Pannepacker (USA)
Parent/Child –family fun with weaving!!!
In this exciting workshop with textile/visual artist, Kathryn Pannepacker, participants will be newly introduced to the wonderful world of pattern and texture and color all around them in their daily lives. Each participant will weave a ‘make & take’ beautiful piece for themselves on the cardboard loom provided. This user–friendly, fun workshop is great for all… a wonderful introduction to making something beautiful from ‘everyday’ materials! Bring misc. strings, ribbons, & any pliable material you want to add to your weaving. Plenty of other yarns, materials and options will be provided.
August 31
$35 per person, materials included
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



FROM FIBRE TO FABRIC
- Lucie DuFresne (ON. CANADA)
Explore textile techniques from their origins through their evolution, investigating cultural influence and geographical migration... With anthropologist and textile artist Lucie Dufresne we will explore some of the questions we might not have known we had, for instance, how did the technique of knitting begin and evolve? how did knitting techniques spread geographically the way it did?
September 1
$85 materials included
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



3 DIMENSIONAL TEXTURES & RESIST FELT-MAKING TECHNIQUES
- Ali Rabjohns (UK)
This workshop will focus on creating hollow forms, texture and other 3D techniques including rolling tubes and needle-felting embellishment
September 1
$105 materials included
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



BEGINNER TAPESTRY - COLOUR IN WOVEN ART
- Thomas Cronenberg (UK)
Colour in woven textiles and tapestry, a workshop on approaches to colour, including design considerations, colour blending, texture and use of materials.
September 2
$95 materials included
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



ADD, MORPH, MULTI-PLY
- Kathryn Pannepacker (USA)
Free up your creative self and explore the world of textile materials.
In this workshop participants will step outside the 'structure' of creative 'routine', putting aside our intentions for end-results, letting go of attachments to outcome, we will rediscover art as play and liberate our creative inhibitions.
September 2
$95 materials included
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



WENSLEYDALE LACE & NUNO
- Ali Rabjohns (UK)
Felt-making - Cobwebs, Wensleydale lace and nuno.
Create beautiful samples and scarves with this fine felting technique
September 3
$105 materials included
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



RAISING THE PROFILE OF TEXTILE ARTS
- Thomas Cronenberg (UK)
An interactive presentation and portfolio analysis exploring how we present ourselves as textile artists; what our own portfolio contributes to the collective perception of textiles and discussing what we as artists can do to raise the profile of textile arts.
September 3-4
$165. materials included
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



SCULPTURAL KNITTING - KNIT ANYTHING: NOT CLOTHING
- Adrienne Sloane (USA)
Explore contemporary knitting and expand your vision of what a little knitting can do. Over the course of this class participatns will develop a personal language of forms by experimenting with knitting fundamentals to uncover the enormous possibilities of three dimensional knit. By manipulating stitches and solving knitting geometry, participants will learn to “think knit”. We will explore the use of non-traditional materials and cover a range of dimensional techniques to help create shape and stability while also taking advantage of knit’s natural tendencies. Techniques for creating protrusions and bulges will be introduced. Through a slide show we will explore the work of artists who use knitting techniques as a means of creative expression and we will address the ways in which knitting has recently exploded into the public space through the current international wave of guerilla and graffiti knitting.
This class is geared towards students with strong fundamental knitting skills who want to escape the tyranny of pattern knitting.
September 6-7
$165
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



PLANT DYEING - HOW TO GET 25+ COLOURS FROM THE PRIMARY RED, BLUE & YELLOW
- Grete Bodogaard (USA)
Explore natural dyes for wool, cotton, linen, silk, paper or synthetic nylon in just a few simple steps. Using cochineal for red, indigo for blue and goldenrod for yellow, we will begin with the primary colours, by over-dyeing we will produce the secondary colours (orange, green and violet), with further over-dyeing we will achieve the tertiary colours and so on.
September 7-8
$190 materials & equipment included
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



KNITTING WIRED
- Adrienne Sloane (USA)
Expand your knitting horizons and get wired! Wire is a wonderful flexible medium to use to make delicate and interesting sculptural art and jewelry. In this class we’ll cover the basics of working with wire and make simple but beautiful pieces that can also be embellished with beads. the class will cover resources and materials and various techniques for successful wire knitting and crochet.
Knit and Crochet Skills are necessary.
September 8-9
$185 materials included
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



PRINTING AND SURFACE DESIGN USING DISPERSE DYES
- Sylvia Naylor (ON. CANADA)
In this fun class students will be introduced to Transfer Paints often called Disperse Dyes. Transfer paints work the best with fabrics having a high synthetic content such as polyester satins, synthetic suede, felt and interfacings. fibre artists will enjoy the wonderful results which they can create. you will explore the effects of applying the paint with different items such as brushes and sponges, working with resists and printing. Transfer paints can produce lovely sky effects and colourful unpredictable backgrounds for your future projects. You will be shown lots of samples suggesting ideas for your own painted fabrics. Class requirements are an open mind and a desire to experiment.
September 12
$115 materials included
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



FELTED WOOL PROPERTIES
- Diane Lemire (QC. CANADA)
Explore wool types through felt and create a unique felted sample book.
In this workshop we will explore various wool types used in felt making. Our finished felt samples will be made into a wool reference book to be treasured.
Because there are tons of uses for felt, once you have your sample book, you can better choose which wool to use for making hats, slippers, carpet, vests, just to name a few.
September 14
$105 materials included
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



LUCET CORD-MAKING - PLAIN AND FANCY MULTICOLOUR CORDING
- Lucie DuFresne (ON. CANADA)
Since Viking times, lucet forks have been used to make strong, non-elastic laces, garters and drawstrings. Sailors still use them today to make sennets. Historically, cords could be plain or fancy, silk, linen, or wool. This hands-on workshop is an exploration of fancy cord making in more than one colour using a lucet. A collection of different historical lucets from Viking museum reproductions to Victorian bone dainties will be shown. All materials and instructions will be provided.
September 14
$85 materials included
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



ART AND THE SACRED
- Lynne Bedbrook (QC. CANADA)
Artists (and we are all artists of our lives) will bring their own materials and supplies to participate. A minimum of sketch paper and pencils would be required, and any medium an artist is comfortable with for this explorative workshop.
By entering a meditative space we will deepen our interface with the underlying voice we choose to embody in our art. This is an experiential entrance into the ancient Star Maiden Wheel in order to better enliven our link with our Inner Sacred Spirit.
September 15
$75 Bring your own materials
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



FIBRE TRANSFORMATION
- Claire Guérette (QC. CANADA)
In this course on the preparation and transformation of animal fleece and other fibers we will learn about methods to use fleeces and other fibers for fibre art. Discover their uses in creative processing. Learn the methods of preparation and transformation of raw sheep wool and other fibres. Learn to sort a fleece and identify the best parts, the rudiments of washing, combing, carding etc. identify different kinds of fibre, the storing and care for the wool
September 15
$105 materials included
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



WOVEN TAPESTRY - WORKING FORWARD IN TAPESTRY
- Archie Brennan & Susan Martin Maffei (USA)
An intensive workshop focusing on process, both technical and creative, catering to the individual needs of each student regardless of experience. Daily slide presentations and discussions aide understanding. Students will produce some small tapestries that will explore and enhance their skills. Students are encouraged to bring in small bits of their favorite material for weaving as well as works already created for sharing and critique.
Recommended for intermediate levels.
September 20-21-22
$255 materials included
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



FELT LACE
- Claire Guérette (QC. CANADA)
Learn a new way of felting that creates a lacy fabric. Each student will make an original art piece or a lacy fabric that may be incorporated into an art project. learn techniques for making lacy felt with spun wool or other kinds of wools, learn to identify characteristics of the threads of spun wool or pure commercial wool to make this technique, prepare and felt little samples of felt lace by using spun wool and pure commercial or carded wool, learn to incorporate decorative elements with the felting needle, practice by making a project with this new felted lace technique.
September 21
$105 materials included
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



RENAISSANCE WIRE LACE
- Lucie DuFresne (ON. CANADA)
Two bobbin lace making workshops introducing basic lacemaking techniques (starting, cross, twist, 3 strand plait, 4 strand plait, picot, windmill crossing, finishing) using find copper and brass wire and glass beads to replicate simple 16th-17th century lace patterns. Students will complete a pendant and a bracelet.
September 22
$95 materials included
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



RESISTS, BATIKS AND NATURAL DYES
- Caroline Gamiette (QC. CANADA)
Explore the use of mordants and natural dyeing using roots and barks as well as resist dyeing using cold wax and direct application of colours to fabric; learn to identify indigenous dye plants on site.
September 26-27
$190 materials included
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



TAPESTRY ON DESIGN - A STEP-BY-STEP INTO THE CREATIVE PROCESS
- Ixchel Suarez (ON. CANADA)
Design is a process of ideas put together for a certain purpose. Discover fun and interactive ways to approach an idea using basic principles of composition, texture, colour and the inspiration from the surrounding world. Apply this towards tapestry weaving while exploring the possibilities of altering the plain surface of tapestry weaving by adding 3-dimensional volumes using varied materials.
September 27
$110 materials included
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



SPIRIT MASKS AND SHIELDS
- Lisa DuFresne (ON. CANADA)
A hands-on discovery and exploration of personal images of power and sacredness using the medium of masks and shields. Each participant will create a mask and/or shield using fibre sculpture techniques (off-loom weaving techniques, crochet and needle weaving) with natural fibres, recycled clothing strips and found natural objects.
September 28
$95 materials included
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



SILKSCREEN PRINTING EXPLORATION
- Caroline Gamiette (QC. CANADA)
During this hands-on workshop participants will explore the interplay of color and image overlays using silkscreen printing methods on fabric and paper. Day 1 will be an opportunity to experiment with printmaking using stencils, block and monotype printing on paper and fabrics; day 2 we will explore large scale printmaking techniques on fabric. This is an opportunity for everyone to explore new ways of representing the world around them and share their creativity.
September 28-29
$190 materials included
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



BRINGING FORTH THE FOREST MANITOU
- Lisa Du Fresne (ON. CANADA)
In this workshop participants will be guided in the realization of a collective public art project. Participants will work together in the creation of a 3 dimensional sculpture, a giant puppet that will be animated and brought to life by participants.
September 29
$90 materials included
http://moonrain.ca/workshops.html



The 2013 International Triennial of Textile Arts in the Outaouais is organized and presented by Moon Rain Centre.

Since 1999, Moon Rain Centre has been dedicated to artistic excellence in the textile arts through creation, education, exhibition, exchange and cultural resourcing.

Moon Rain Centre for Textile Arts in the Outaouais is recognized internationally as an innovative leader in collaborative textile art projects that creatively empower communities and for the presentation of professional textile arts events that connect artists, environment and the public.

Moon Rain Centre, the centre for textile arts in the Outaouais
105 de la savane, Val-des-Monts (Quebec) Canada, J8N 3B6
819-457-9711
www.moonrain.ca

Stone Threads- on the fringe in Fergus, ON

Is offering some interesting workshops. Listed in the website below you will find various classes.

http://www.stonethreads.ca/upcoming.asp

Are you interested in Fibre Art and looking for some venues?

http://www.ohs.on.ca/events/full-list-of-events/


The Ontario Handweavers & Spinners is a vibrant organization that encourages, inspires, enables, and sustains the unique work of handweaving, spinning and related fibre arts. Please find the website address listed above to view the events in your area..

http://www.festivaltwist.org/en/




TWIST is a unique fibre festival in Québec, Canada, bringing together the most important players in the field.It is an annual event that serves as a showcase of the fibre world and is intended for the general public, enthusiasts, fibre producers, fleece animal breeders, transformers, artists, artisans, professionals and semiprofessionals. A 2-day event featuring dozens of workshops, activities, a textile art exhibit with a modern twist and over 80 exhibitors from all trades of the fibre industry.

Check out the enclosed website!

2013 Lanark County Quilters Guild

http://lanarkcountyquiltersguild.wordpress.com/shows-sales


Please visit the webpage above for times and dates for an August weekend full of traditional and contemporary
quilts and wallhanging displays not to mention various Rug Hooking and other demonstrations

Fabri-Licious Retreat

June 14-16, 2013 at Algonquin College, Ottawa Ontario-


Please visit the website

http://www.figurativeartistsconsortium.com


To View the wonderful Retreat that will take place in June




For $125 (plus the cost of $48 per night for a Residence room) delegates get to take part in:



A laid back opening night event. You get to enjoy a great meal and to mingle and meet the other doll artists. And there will be door prizes!Access to the Creative Play Station where you can experiment and play to your heart’s content. Access to a Hospitality Suite where you can meet and mingle.

Challenges? Yes! And there will be prizes! So read up on the challenges.

Learning Circles
You will have a series of Learning Circles to choose from all day Saturday and Sunday morning. See the Learning Circles Page for new pictures illustrating some of the techniques to be taught.

Treasure Hunts
On Friday and Saturday nights there will be an opportunity to purchase or swap materials. Those interested will open their rooms for an hour each evening to shoppers and traders.

Show and Tell Display
Everyone is proud of their creations. Well, this is the place to share tips, advice and proud moments. Enchanted Garden Evening.After the Treasure Hunt on Saturday night we will gather in Hospitality for a bit of fun celebrating our Fabri-Licious Retreat’s garden theme with games and contests.

Raffles
Many wonderful prize packages containing some of the most desired figurative and fibre art resources, as well as garden themed items. We even have a felting machine! See the pictures on the Opportunities page.


Live Auction
Beautiful banquet table dolls created just for this event and interpreting the conference theme will be auctioned during the evening. See photos of two of the gorgeous centerpieces to be auctioned on the Challenges page.


And so much more!

It is never too late to prepare!

http://mvtm.ca/museum/?page_id=2675



Mark hour calenders for this Fibre Feature. The Mississippi Valley Textile Museum’s highly anticipated annual event, Fibrefest, is returning for the 18th time on September 7th & 8th, 2013 at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum and the Almonte Arena

Fibre Show Schedule

Check out the various shows, workshops in Ontario

From Rug Hooking to spinning and weaving there is a listing for you!





http://rosehavenfarm.net/content.php?id=16

Textile Museum Offers “Travels in Textiles” Course with Artist Anne Kelly

Commemorate that fabulous trip or significant personal milestone, for yourself or someone else, with a unique piece of art handmade by you. On April 13, fibre artist Anne Kelly will conduct a workshop at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum where you will discover new art and textile techniques and processes and use them to create a unique and meaningful record of a journey, holiday, or memorable event. Using photographs, paper souvenirs (e.g., photos, postcards, brochures, maps) and other memorabilia from a recent trip or event, you will create a folding book or collage as a permanent memento. Anne will teach bonding techniques, printing and simple stitch methods with which to make this object.

The afternoon will begin with a look at contrasting ways to commemorate a journey or event, and ideas and plans for individual pieces will be discussed. This will be followed by a practical session to experiment with various techniques that can be used together to create a finished piece. Participants should be able to leave the course with the basis of a complete work, which they can continue to add to.

Anne will provide the bonding medium, some items for printing, and paper and fabric remnants to use as a base for your book or collage. It is recommended that you bring copies of photos, paper items, and brochures from the place/event that you are using as your theme, as well as any old domestic (not valuable) fabrics or scraps that can be recycled in your piece. Poems or words that express the feeling of your place would also be useful.

The cost for this workshop is $25.00 and $10 for a materials pack, if needed. Register now for an afternoon of creativity and fun by calling the Textile Museum at 256-3754 x6 or info@mvtm.ca.

150 Years of Canadian Weddings

The Mississippi Valley Textile Museum has several remarkable wedding dresses tucked away in its collection. When the Museum’s curator attended a local fashion show that featured only wedding dresses, inspiration struck, and a new exhibit was born. “150 Years of Canadian Weddings” showcases a unique selection of gowns, representing the decades from the 1860s to present day and will be at the Museum from March 19 to May 18. At the vernissage on Saturday, April 6 from 2 to 4, Rev. Heather Kinkaid will give a talk on the evolution of marriage.

Rev. Kinkaid owns the earliest dress in the collection, a brown two-piece ensemble from 1865, which is in remarkable condition. Another highlight is the Rosamond family wedding veil and dress, worn by several generations of brides from the family that originally owned the woolen mill which now houses the Museum. A beautiful hand-made dress from the 1920s was never worn, the groom leaving for the west when his future bride was too ill with the measles to meet him at the altar. Although most of the dresses in the exhibit are delicate shades of white, there are some very attractive coloured styles, representing the more practical decades of the ‘30s and ‘40s. A stunning dress from the ‘50s was worn again in the ‘80’s by the daughter of the original bride.

The Museum is open from 10 am to 4 pm, Tuesday to Saturday. Admission is $5 and members are free.

Don’t miss your chance to see these vintage gems. For those planning a wedding—come and be inspired!

“Rare Reflections” opens at the Textile Museum on March 19 and runs until May 18, with a vernissage on Saturday March 23 from 2 to 4 pm.

The Mississippi Valley Textile Museum is thrilled to present an exhibit by award-winning textile and mixed media artist Hilary Rice. Rice lives near Belleville, Ontario, and her work has been featured in galleries and at quilt shows across the country.

“Rare Reflections” is her personal reflection on the term "thin places"—where the veil between different worlds nearly disappears, and we become aware of the sacred. The aim is to create art as an oasis with the potential to transform. Each piece acts as a bridge to the holy, drawing the viewer in, to dwell with and seek a deeper relationship with the divine.

While in keeping with an intensely complex layering of materials, the majority of these pieces predominantly use a palette of gold and silver combined with understated dyed or painted materials. Many are graced with touches of jewel-like colour. The use of labyrinth images is a repeating motif, together with subtly placed text. There is a richness in the metallic applications, which may be viewed as the illuminated areas found on ancient manuscripts. As is true of these illuminated texts, the rich gold and silver reflect the light, revealing the holy one's mystery.The hope is that the intangible imagery will prompt a hidden message that is written in the minds and hearts of all—the message will sing within the soul of those who see.

Are you looking for ......

In the Ottawa area

Here is a listing of a few that may interest your talents

http://www.equarelle.ca/index.htm








Check out and download the latest newsletter to see the available workshops in the Ottawa Area

http://www.out-of-the-box.org/newletters.html




Please flip through this website from ARTIST interview, to galleries, exhibits and workshops you will not be dissappointed

Have you checked recently?

Don't forget our links and articles for sale at the bottom of our website...
There are multiple links for all your fancy!

Have you registered for the Ontario Spin- Off?

http://www.alpacaontario.ca/fibrespinoff.html
Check in to see details of this and previous years spin off's.

Spin Off Competitions are an attribute to the artist who takes the fleece from it's virgin state to a fine hand spun yarn. Appreciate and educate yourself on the process of the spinners abilities and the judging that take place to evaluate the spinner that places in this competition

The spin off competition is a wonderful opportunity to have your prized fleece transformed into a hand-spun sample; to learn about the attributes the spinner values for preparation and spinning and the final assessment of the resulting hand spun yarn.

http://www.alpacaontario.ca/fibrespinoff.html

Are you interested in a Spin Off Retreat?

http://www.cvent.com/events/soar-interweave-spin-off-autumn-retreat-2013/custom-40-28eabd2f403d42ad852280c743f6b2d1.aspx

As a comparison to Canadian Spin Off the USA has a dedicated Spin Off scholarship.
It's goal is to encourage fiber students to expand their interest in spinning, to share valuable information within the spinning community, as well as to preserve, expand, and promote spinning in the community at large.

Visit the website link above to expand your knowledge of the Illinois Spin Off

Mark your Calenders

The Ontario Handweavers & Spinners is a vibrant organization that encourages, inspires, enables, and sustains the unique work of handweaving, spinning and related fibre arts.

You may want to check out the site and see what events are unfolding for the year 2013!

Check them out at http://www.ohs.on.ca