Handweavers Guild of BoulderA TEXTILE AND FIBER COMMUNITY |
For more information on when and where the meetings will be held, please see Meetings
If you are not a member and would like to visit one of our meetings, please email president@handweaversofboulder.org for the day meeting and eveningchair@handweaversofboulder.org for the evening meeting.
Video recordings from past HGB Presentations are available on the HGB YouTube Channel
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In-Person MeetingsDay Meeting Presentation: I Hear Your Voice: Art Inspired By Listening To Marginalized WomenAfter almost 8 years volunteering in the women’s prison and currently going in as a visitor, Susan has learned to listen to the women, their stories and the longing in their hearts to be whole and healthy. Her art has been profoundly influenced by women she has met not only in prison, but women who have been trafficked, fighting cancer battles, in the struggle to realize their value, as well as refuges raising their families in hostile lands. Evening Meeting Presentation: The Healing Art of Hand StitchSusan will take us on her journey of learning the art of hand stitch and how it led to a deeper and more profound experience. She will share her own vulnerable family history and how long periods of stitching made the connection between the eyes, hands, head and heart ultimately leading to personal freedom. |
Susan Brooks is a textile artist, writer and teacher who is highly sought after for her workshops. Her work has been displayed in many places and her workshops are very popular.
Creating art using fabrics and papers provides the opportunity to build layers giving a sense of protection, safety and security. I create my own fabrics through dyeing, botanical printing, resists and painting and then am able to add dimension and detail through the use of stitches. I have focused on the elements in plants to imprint the images of leaves and flowers to create another layer of delicate beauty and interest. Differing techniques are used to express differing emotions. Deconstructed silk printing is used for a very organic look. The use of painting thicken dyes on plastic has been used for my women monoprints. The morphing of the dyes give a feel of surrealism. Botanical dyeing, plant based dyes and prints, introduce the beauty of nature into my work. The love of the stitching, connecting threads, to hold the pieces together. The tactile feel and visual beauty of fabric has been a motivation to creativity. As a child, I was fascinated by the possibility of transforming a flat piece of cloth into a uniquely crafted article of clothing. After a journey of making dolls, garments and quilts, I am now driven to experiment with new techniques in dyeing, painting and embellishing fabric. I enjoy sharing my passion with others by teaching these techniques and broadening my own exploration in fabric art. My aspiration is to tell a story, engage the viewer in a dialogue and challenge them to a deeper emotional experience. https://susanbrookstextileartist.com |
September Workshop - Susan Brooks |
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Eco-dyeing and PrintingEnjoy two days of learning and working with fellow fiber artists as Susan Brooks teaches the basic of transferring plant images onto paper, fabrics, and sketchbooks. You will learn about:
Note: A third workshop day can be arranged with the class, directly with Susan at the workshop to turn your work into a Journal.
Equipment/Materials Provided by Participants
Materials provided by Instructor
To register online, click here. If you cannot register online, you can download the registration form here. Mailed forms may take 2-4 weeks to process. |
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In-Person MeetingDay Meeting Presentation: Shimmering Colors: The Magic of IridescenceFabrics that appear to change color as the light and angle of view change seem almost magical! You don’t need gossamer threads or just plain weave to create iridescence in handwoven fabrics. Learn a variety of color, thread, thread size, and structure options to achieve the effects. The amazing possibilities include analogous colors, multiple colors, layered fabrics, warp- or weft-faced fabrics, and even iridescence in black and white! This talk explores and illustrates many common beliefs, and why there are exceptions to all of them. Evening Meeting Presentation: Twined Rag RugsThis technique makes extremely durable and beautiful rugs using fabric for both warp and weft, requiring only common household materials and equipment. Hand-manipulated twining on a simple frame (or even without a frame) produces an astonishing variety of patterns not found in most other rag rugs, and which would be considerably more difficult to weave on a loom. Illustrated with examples from museum collections and embellished by stories of longtime rug twiners, this talk covers the worldwide history of this old folk craft. You, too, can join the twined rag rug revival! |
Bobbie Irwin is a weaver, weaving teacher, speaker and published author. Bobbie's interests include weaving with iridescence, transparencies, rags, |
October Workshop 1 - Bobbie Irwin |
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Shimmering Iridescent ScarvesEnjoy one day of learning and working with fellow fiber artists as Bobbi teaches the use of iridescence in weaving. You will learn about using open double weave on four or six shafts, you can weave scarves that glow throughout with four colors. This magical, color-shifting fabric might be the ultimate example of iridescence, incorporating both light reflection and light transmission through the layers! Your warp will be enough to weave two short cowl scarves, each weighing less than an ounce. At the same time, you will be learning about factors that influence and enhance iridescence, for later reference.
Equipment/Materials Provided by Participants
*Please note: HGB does rent a limited number of looms to HGB members. Contact equipment.rental@handweaversofboulder.org at least three weeks in advance of workshop to inquire on availability of equipment. Workshop fee: $150 due on registration. HGB provides workshops to members at cost as a membership benefit. To register, click here: Shimmering Iridescent Scarves Workshop. If you cannot register online, you can download the registration form here. Mailed forms may take 2-4 weeks to process. |
October Workshop 2 - Bobbie Irwin |
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Twined Rag RugsSuitable for adults and youth ages 9+ Enjoy a half day of learning and working with fellow fiber artists as Bobbi Irwin teaches twined rag rugs. You will help to revive a disappearing folk art as you make a hot-pad sampler on a small frame, using fabric for both warp and weft. This sampler incorporates three pattern variations and gives you the expertise to make full-sized rugs. Twining makes extremely durable and beautiful rugs and requires only minimal equipment.
Equipment/Materials Provided by Participants
Materials cost payable to instructor
To register, click here: Twined Rag Rugs Workshop. If you cannot register online, you can download the registration form here. Mailed forms may take 2-4 weeks to process. |
Day Meeting | November 14, 2022 |
Zoom - My Journey as a Fiber Artist |
Evening Meeting | November 15, 2022 |
Zoom - Materials and Techniques |
Day Presentation: My Journey as a Fiber ArtistBoisali will describe her journey from an eclectic school in India where nature and every form of art was entwined in the way of life. That experience had a significant impact on her life and art. She has experimented with various techniques within the fiber medium combining her love of weaving and surface designing with fabrics. She will describe and present her different genres of mixed media fibers through the years and share examples of her work and exhibitions. Evening Presentation: Materials and TechniquesBoisali loves to upcycle throwaway objects and give them a new life. She rarely goes out to buy materials unless she absolutely needs something and tries to conceive her work based on what is available in her studio. She will describe how she chooses materials and explain her techniques. She will show us her mixed media and functional weaving including wearables that she has created. She will highlight her process from choosing materials to the gorgeous, finished work. |
Boisali Biswas is a studio artist working in mixed-media fibers, born and brought up in India. Her formative undergraduate years were spent at Visva-Bharati University, founded by Rabindranath Tagore at Shantiniketan. The essence of that profound experience has stayed with her throughout her educational journey and continues to influence her work. She completed her MFA at Bowling Green State University. Living in this country for over 30 years and adapting to Western styles and inspirations in concert with her background, has made her art into a cauldron of multicultural assemblages that are unique and a feast for the eyes. https://www.boisalibiswas.com |
Day Meeting |
December 12, 2022 | Holiday Celebration Buffet and Ornament Exchange - 9:00 am Set-Up |
Evening Meeting | December 13, 2022 |
Holiday Celebration Buffet and Ornament Exchange - 6:00 pm Set-Up |
In-Person MeetingThe celebration starts with food -- of course!
Day and Evening ProgramsJan McAtee - Estate Planning for CraftersHGB Board Member and retired attorney Jane McAtee will share a brief presentation on best practices for making sure your tools and stash do not end up at Goodwill, or worse in the dumpster. Ornament Exchange - A White Elephant TraditionThe HGB holiday white elephant is a handmade fiber art related ornament exchange, each participant brings one wrapped handmade fiber related ornament to the Holiday Celebration.The ornament exchange is a long-standing tradition leading to many laughs and a few quick steals! Come join in the fun -- or watch the commotion! The choice is yours! |
Ornament Exchange - A White Elephant Tradition
The ornament exchange is a long-standing tradition leading to many laughs and a few quick steals! Come join in the fun -- or watch the commotion! The choice is yours! Do I need to participate in the Ornament Exchange?
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Day Presentation: From Virgins to Spaceships - A Visual Voyage through Norwegian TapestryEvening Presentation: Frida Hansen - A Norwegian Art Nouveau Artist in WoolRobbie LaFleur, from Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been following a thread of Scandinavian textiles since she studied weaving at Valdres Husflidsskole in Fagernes, Norway in 1977. She continued her study with Scandinavian instructors at workshops in Norway and the U.S. She was awarded the Gold Medal in Weaving from the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in 2006. She was a fellow with the Scandinavian American Foundation in 2019, and traveled to Stavanger, Norway, to study the wool transparency technique of famed artist Frida Hansen. She recently completed a commission through a grant from the Nordic American Churches Preservation Project. Four tapestries for the Valley Grove Preservation Society in historical billedvev (Norwegian tapestry style) celebrate two historical churches in southern Minnesota. Robbie coordinates the Weavers Guild of Minnesota Scandinavian Weavers Study Group and is the editor and publisher of the quarterly Norwegian Textile Letter. https://robbielafleur.com/ |
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Day Presentation: Meet the MakerLaura Nelkin will take us on the journey of her career, from weaver to fashion designer to knitter and teacher… along the way she will highlight her knitting with an emphasis for her penchant for knitting with beads. Laura Nelkin is a prolific and innovative knitwear designer and pattern maker. She is known for her complex but accessible designs that challenge knitters to think about their stitches in a new way.Taking inspiration from her home in the gorges Finger Lakes Region of Upstate New York, Laura loves incorporating elements into her designs that reference the landscape around her. She is an expert on knitting with beads and has taught many how to use beads in their knitting. https://www.nelkindesigns.com/ |
February Workshop - Laura Nelkin |
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Knitting with Beads Made Easy - Beading 101Want to add beads to your knitting, but not sure where to start? Then this is the class for you! Join knitwear designer Laura Nelkin as she walks you through the basics of knitting with beads and introduces you to the joy of adding bling to your knitting. Along the way, we’ll learn multiple techniques for working with both placed and pre-strung beads. She is an expert on knitting with beads and has taught many how to use beads in their knitting.
Equipment/Materials Provided by Participants
Materials Fee: None Workshop Fee: $25.00 To register online - Click here |
February - Evening Program - Denise Perreault |
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Evening Presentation: Tools & Techniques for Creating Two and Three Dimensional Beaded FabricBeadwork Magazine once said that 97% of beaders create only jewelry and wearable accessories. But beading also lends itself to exciting possibilities beyond accessories, where translucent window panels, vessels, and sculptural elements can be created using just beads, beading needle, and thread. Beading becomes boundless once you realize that almost anything can be used as an armature to create sculptural beadwork using a few key stitches. Denise will share images of her dimensional beadwork along with those of other artists she admires. Tips and tricks she's learned in her 25 years creating large-scale beaded window valances, as well as the best materials, tools, and bead stitches for sculptural beadwork will also be covered. An overview of glass seed beads will be included, as these offer the greatest variety of sizes, colors, and finishes for dimensional beadwork. Members are invited to bring beaded work to the Show & Tell portion of the presentation. |
Denise Perreault's 40+ year textile art career encompasses weaving for interior design, and many types of decorative and functional beadwork, often using reclaimed materials. She is the sole proprietor of Denise Perreault Beaded Art and Restoration, where she's restored beaded bags, clothing, and collectible artifacts for the public since 1998. Denise founded Boulder's Art Parts Creative Reuse Center in 2011, and retired as their Executive Director in 2020. Denise will serve as the 2023-2024 HGB Board President. https://deniseperreault.com/ |
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Day Presentation: Extra/Ordinary Craft and Contemporary Art - Behind the ScenesMaria Elana Buszek will take us behind the scenes of her book Extra/Ordinary and how it came to be and why it is such an important topic. The book's contributors are described as “artists, critics, curators, and scholars [who] develop theories of craft in relation to art, chronicle how fine-art institutions understand and exhibit craft media, and offer accounts of activist crafting, or craftivism. Some contributors describe generational and institutional changes under way, while others signal new directions for scholarship, considering craft in relation to queer theory, masculinity, and science. Encompassing quilts, ceramics, letterpress books, wallpaper, and textiles, and moving from well-known museums to home workshops and political protests, Extra/Ordinary is an eclectic introduction to the “craft culture” referenced and celebrated by artists promoting new ways of thinking about the role of craft in contemporary art. Evening Presentation: Craft in the CommunityCraftivism is a term attributed to Betsy Greer and throughout history craft has been used as activism. The last third of Extra/Ordinary is devoted to this topic. Professor Buszek will talk about the history of craft in the community and the special projects she has seen. |
Maria Elena Buszek, Ph.D. is a scholar, critic, curator, and Professor of Art History at the University of Colorado Denver, where she teaches courses on modern and contemporary art. Her recent publications include the books Pin-Up Grrrls: Feminism, Sexuality, Popular Culture and Extra/ordinary: Craft and contemporary art; contributions to the anthologies Punkademics: The Basement Show in the Ivory Tower and Design History Beyond the Canon; catalogue essays for numerous international exhibitions; and articles and criticism in such journals as Art in America, Art Journal, Flash Art, and TDR: The Journal of Performance Studies. With Hilary Robinson, she edited the 2019 anthology of new writing, A Companion to Feminist Art. She has also been a regular contributor to the popular feminist magazine BUST since 1999. Her current book project, Art of Noise, explores the ties between contemporary feminist art and popular music. Dr. Buszek is also a prolific independent curator, who has previously worked at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Recent exhibitions include Danger Came Smiling: Feminist Art and Popular Music at the Franklin Street Works, Inner Ear Vision: Sound as Medium (with Raven Chacon and Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe) at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, and Sensitive Content (with Alayo Akinkugbe and Helen Beard) at Unit London. In 2022, Dr. Buszek was inducted into the fellowship of the University of Colorado’s President’s Teaching Scholars. The President’s Teaching Scholars Program honors faculty from the university’s four campuses who “embody teaching, scholarship, creative work and research with excellence in all. |
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Day Presentation: Bark Fiber: An Eco-Art Story Jill Powers creates art with bark fiber and many natural processes. Jill’s art revolves around the aesthetics and science of ecosystems. She has created art in response to ecological changes, finding ways to explore ocean and forest ecologies, drought, flood, insects, and geologic changes. Jill gets involved in her subjects in a deep way, exploring her subjects through curiosity and artist research, inspired by learning about the latest science and discoveries. Through her unusual art, she draws people into the stories through the beauty and intrigue of her materials and approaches, and follows up with fun and engaging public programs to extend the impact of the work. Jill’s latest work is about mycelium and mushrooms! In her slide talk, she will take us on the journey of her work, and bring some samples to show. Evening Presentation: Bark Fiber Process Jill will introduce bark fiber and show samples of her work and how it relates to bark cloth from around the world. Jill will show the results of her innovative techniques. She will speak about the qualities of the interaction of water and bark fiber, and demonstrate what happens when bark fiber becomes malleable and fluid. |
Jill Powers is a contemporary fiber and environmental installation artist living in Boulder, CO. She works with many natural materials and processes, especially bark fiber. Jill focuses on ecological changes and finds inspiration in creating art around the latest scientific discoveries. Jill has shown her work in major galleries in Santa Fe, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia,and Boston, as well as being invited several times to show at the International Fiber Biennial. She has taught in many places, including Naropa University Visual Arts, the Honolulu Museum of Art, the Denver Botanic Gardens, the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, and the Museo De Las Americas.
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April Workshop - Jill Powers |
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An Introduction to Bark FiberInnovative Techniques for textured surface designers, weavers, stitchers, fiber collage artists, papermakers, + basketry artists Learn about the unique history of bark fiber, how to cook, prepare, and create with it. After learning the basics, participants will choose between making one or two of the following: Long, straight or wavy linear elements for textural weft material or basketry pieces Shaped patches (sturdy or gossamer) to be added to silk panels, wall quilts, or surface design projects (only projects that will not be need to be wet or further washed!) Shaped Substrates for stitching into later (hand embroidery, or sewing machine) A follow up extra day could be arranged for interested participants to explore 3D casting techniques with bark fiber. |
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Day Presentation: My Felting Journey - Creativity, Community, ConnectionsBeth will talk about her felting, how she became a felter, what she enjoy making and why, how to style her garments, where she gets her inspiration accompanied by a slide show and a trunk show of her garments and accessories Evening Presentation: Having a Bowl with BethFor 25 pre-registered HGB members, and many observers, Beth will teach us how to make a shallow bowl without using a resist. Participants will need to bring their own wool roving. Beth will also have her trunk show available and will present and ask questions. Details |
Beth Marx has been a felt maker for over 15 years and is still fascinated with the process. Beth can’t remember when art was not part of her life. From the little girl who played art school in the basement of her Ohio childhood home to majoring in art at The Ohio State University, Beth has had her hand in many art mediums but has always had a real affinity for textiles. With an eclectic sense of style and keen eye, she fulfills her passion by creating wet felted garments and accessories in the studio behind her 1920’s bungalow that she has affectionately named Studio 907, the same number as her street address in Long Beach, California. Beth is internationally known for designing and creating her own style of fashionable and sophisticated felted garments & accessories. She teaches extensively and has created a method to demystify the necessary shrinkage calculations. Her garments are sold in high-end boutiques and galleries in upscale locales, have walked runways, been published in books and magazines, and worn by a major theme park character. Beth creates organically in an intuitive process letting the piece evolve in a collage style by infusing wool roving with the likes of hand dyed & hand-painted silks. There is no sewing involved and her seamless garments are strictly held together by the affinity of the wool fibers as they migrate through the fabric and entangle creating incredible textures. Her style exudes a worn patina and an earthiness rich with layers, textures, shapes and colors. For Beth, felting is a creative, challenging, tactile process rich with fascination and excitement in the resulting alchemy. Her pieces are one of a kind, made one at a time. https://www.studio907.com/p/about-me.html |
May Workshop 1 - Beth Marx |
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The Textured HandbagThis textured cross body bag is the perfect accessory to complete your outfit or gift it to your favorite friend or relative. Once you learn this technique, you’ll want to make more and more of these gems. Beth will guide you step by step through the wet felting process as you create your very own unique cross body handbag. In this one- day workshop you will learn:
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May Workshop 2 - Beth Marx |
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Felted Pull Over Top or PonchoTake your felting to the next level in this intensive but fun two-day garment workshop. If you've ever wanted to learn to make a seamless felted garment using a resist, make your own patterns, de-mystify shrinkage calculations and learn how to use Beth's "Easy Peasy Shrinkage Calculation Sheet", then this workshop is for you. Learn Beth's method for pattern making which doesn't involve taking any body measurements or using complicated math. After you have created a sized-up pattern to allow for shrinkage, Beth will teach you how to make a beautiful, stylish and wearable felted garment including how to professionally finish the open areas like the armholes and the hemline and how to shape and size your garment for a flatteringly fit.
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Past programs can be found on the Programs Archive page. |