Now before you all holler in unison "YES!!," let me preface this by saying I'm a relatively new weaver with a four shaft loom who aprires to more complex weaves than my knowledge base and loom will allow. The local guild I'm thinking of joining is 1.5 hours away and is for all fiber artists, plus I'm looking into the Handweavers Guild of Americal. I also work overnights as a nurse, and am painfully shy, so the chances of me actually attending a meeting are pretty slim.
I really enjoy "lurking" here at Weavolution and am awed by some of the projects. I've also been pointed toward some amazing weaving blogs. Maybe some day I'll be able to increase my shaft count and try some of the patterns I lust after!
Let me know your thoughts.
Thanks!
Karen
Are you a visual learner? Would a hands on workshop really be a good boost for your weaving? Or are you okay learning from books? There is so much for a newbie weaver to benefit from by joining a guild, but you must attend to get them. So it comes down to a committment and carving out that time for you and weaving.
You can find friends, potental teachers, workshop opportunities, tool and equipment rentals, access to library of books and magazines, community events. Especially if you want to branch out from 4 shafts to?
Joining and just getting a newsletter simply won't work... I feel that a local guild would be more benefial for you right now and HGA will come in time. One day you'll want to attend Convergence!
If you are okay learning from books, then there are no end of good ones to choose. There are also online teachers like Laura Fry and may others here. Lots of blogs to read and learn, even You Tube....but it will be a slower process for you *possibly*
You may have heard this before: "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear"......
All the best, Susan
(Yes, I'm affiliated with guilds, both local and national)
I learned to weave and spin in isolation many moons ago. I didn't even know there were such things as Guilds, and no one to tell me. Once I discovered Yahoo groups online I was delighted, they were really good for learning new spinning techniques, but to begin with I found the weaving groups a bit intimidating. I then found a local fibre group near me, but there is only one other weaver there, and I don't know who was the happier to find someone speaking the same language! Its great having someone who knows what I'm talking about, even if her tastes in weaving are completely different to mine.
Weavo here is unique, in that it allows all members, regardless of experience and skill level, to participate. We can post pictures, PM each other, and swap stories and techniques and ask for help. Its better than a local Guild that isn't interested in weaving, but not as good as having an active guild you can visit regularly, because you miss out on the personal contact with other weavers and this is so important for your growth as a weaver. The internet is great, but it's not that perfect, so your progress will be slower, but its not an impossible situation, and might be the better solution for you at the moment.
Things may well change in the future, but for the moment, an online Guild is far better than nothing, and Weavo here is great! It will keep you in contact with other weavers, may introduce you to weavers close by you, and allows you the interaction you need. Use it as a building block to increasing your knowledge, but keep an eye on local developments too. If your "local" guild has an open day, and you can get to it, see what its like. You may find another weaver to share with and there may be an affiliated group that is more suitable to your needs.
All the best, it can be lonely at times!
When I first got my loom, i did not have any active weavers to talk to. I learned from books and joined online email lists. After about a year, I really needed to see what other weavers were doing. I didn't know what I wanted to weave, and didn't understand what was easy and what was hard.
I found an active guild in Williamsburg,VA, about 1/5 hours from my home. Just seeing show-and-tell each month and sharing triumphs and frustrations has helped me to know what I want to weave and has been a great source of inspiration. Doing demos together and sharing warping experiences is really invaluable. I initially thought that I would be unable to attend each meeting, but I now feel really deprived if I have to miss a single month.
I sympathize with you. Maybe another idea for you is find somewhere, where you can go for a week (or two) and do a full time course? That has worked for me. I learned to weave on one such 10m years ago,and found that once you understand the basic idea, a lot of it is about simply learning by doing. Since then I have attended two such one-week courses, and it is great to spend a whole week with weavers! They are such nice people that you will forget all about being shy :-)
I do not know of where to find such courses, but think I have seen them mentioned as adverts in Handwoven Magazine sometimes. Here in Denmark where I live they would be in a "folk high school"
Hope the best for your weaving future.
Ellen
I went to my first guild meeting a few months after I learned to weave. I felt like such an idiot and understood very little. The first 2 programs were on shadow weave and summer & winter, if I remember correctly. But the terms I heard stuck in my head and were reinforced by what I read in books and on the various weaving lists I joined. And I felt smarter and understood more every meeting I went to. It takes me a while to warm up to groups, too, so at first I was very quiet but these folks have become very good friends. Guilds are also a great way to find out about workshops, too. In fact, I'm taking a workshop with Bonnie Inouye later this month.
And it's really good to volunteer to present a program for your guild. I was so nervous for the first one I did, which I actually did with another weaver, and I thought I was a complete failure. But everyone said I did a good job, so I volunteered to do another one last year. And I'm doing another in November. It's really increased my self-confidence.
After writing to you earlier today I received the weekly e-newsletter from Handwoven, and they actually start out with mentioning where you can find places to attend weaving-courses and workshops.Might be a good idea for you to have a look at them. I also looked at the project you have entered and seen that you are already a competent weaver! :-)
Wow, thank you all so much for your kind and considered advice! I almost don't know where to start.
I think I am the kind of learner who likes to read first, then see it done, after which I have to do it or it goes right out of my head. I find that very true in my nursing profession, when new equipment or procedures are introduced. So far, I've been able to teach myself what weaving I know, and people around me seem to really like my results, but of course, I tell myself that they only like them because they aren't seeing what "real" weavers can make! I do follow a weaving thread on Ravelry and have found the members' opinions very valuable at times. I
I think part of my problem is my attraction to some of the beautiful items woven shown here and on blogs that were done on looms with many more shafts, tThe beautiful twills and intricate details call to me) and my efforts seem quite plain. Plus, the time it takes me to measure and dress the loom seems quite daunting, though I know that it will quicken with time. I should be content with what I have and what I'm doing, but my drive to improve doesn't sleep!
I will look into some more online avenues, and perhaps join the more local guild. Living in Maine certainly is beautiful, but has its challenges, distance being one of them. I have already learned alot from what I have read online, especially recently, Susan, when I found your Thrums blog. I have no grasp of color theory (yet), or designing my own drafts. But hope springs eternal...
If you would like to see other examples of my weaving to date, you could look at my etsy store ( I can't seem to post the link here - look for Threadbare Designs). I have more pictures on Flickr, but not as many have been edited to correct photography glitches. I usually only get a chance to check here on Weavolution at work (when it's quiet), so I haven't posted most of my pictures here, since they languish on my computer at home. I will have to make more of an effort to visit often.
Thank you all again for your words of wisdom. I truly appreciate it.
Karen
Hi Karen,
Well it sure seems to me that you are on the right track! I will visit your Etsy store and see what you have been up to. :)
Please remember that the weavers who are making all those 'really interesting' items *all* started as beginners, most on 4 shaft looms and had to learn the ropes. I recall one older woman telling me as a newbie that I wouldn't weave anything really worth much for the first year. That comment stunned me and I moved quickly to prove her wrong!
My first weaving mentor and dear friend said the only way to truly progress myself was to weave a mile!
If you have found my blog, please visit this one too. Lynnette has great tutorials and is currently teaching her daughter who is a co- blogger with her mother.
Yup, we 're good friends and I'm going to see her shortly. :)
Cheerio, Susan
Karen, there is a big deference between a "Fiber" group and a "weaving" guild. As one person said you go and there is you and one other person. The programs are not geared for the weavers. ME has lots of weavers, at the resources heading on this web site you will find a list of weaving guild, there is no listing for ME at this time. You can find 29 fiber/weaving/spinning groups at this web site: http://fiberarts.org/directories/guilds/Maine You could post a message here calling for ME weaver. I know of two in South ME. Just remember the road belongs to the "MOOSE" I have inlaws in "Down East Maine"
Michael
Penfield, GA
Hi Karen, I'm in MA and know quite a few weavers in ME. There are some small weaving-focused guilds you may not have found. Mainely Weavers which meets in the Bath area is probably the largest. Further north try the Wee Weavers in Enfield. Many of the ME weavers also carpool to the large guilds in NH (Concord area) and WGBoston (Westborough, MA, just off 495). The advantage of trekking to a bigger guild is that they offer more in the way of classes and study groups within the weaving focus. Another advantage of joining a guild even if you can't get to meetings is that you can try their ratings programs, which step you through a series of requirements from easy (Apprentice Level), to more involved (Journeyman), to in depth study (Master). Each step is juried so you get feedback on how you are doing and where you might improve. WGBoston's ratings program is here: <http://www.weaversguildofboston.org/RatingsProgram.htm> Even if you can't attend meetings, you may be able to join a study group to learn and exchange with other members or find a mentor through the guild. From your interests, you might enjoy Complex Weavers at some point <http://complex-weavers.org/index.htm>
Let me know where you live and I may be able to help you find other weavers nearby.
happy weaving!
Laurie
Thanks for all the nfo Laurie. I'm from St George, which is about an hour north of Bath. A big problem with me joining just about anything is the fact that I work nights, on a rotating 2 week schedule, so I can't go to evening events much of the time.
Karen,
No one has mentioned that we have a growing lisi of guilds from around the world right here on Weavolution in the Resources section. You may be able to find a guild near you that meets on Saturday. My local guild meets Saturday mornings and most workshops are on the weekends. Several of the Study groups of our local guild meet during the day which may make it easier for you to attend.
You can also do an advanced search (Look under the seearch box at the top of the page) for someone on Weavolution who lives near you and see if they belong or PM them and see if they are interested in getting together around your schedule.
I agree with all the above comments, it's a personal choice but you may enjoy having feedback from another weaver.
Claudia, Weavolution co-founder
Karen, I posted (with permission) the information for Mainely Weavers under the New England Weavers group, under fiber events, here:
http://www.weavolution.com/node/5305
They meet during the day, so might work with your night work schedule. If not, contact Jayne Flanagan whose info is listed and she can help you connect with more weavers nearby (I know several good people in that area). Their next meeting is 10/7.
Laurie
