Pin Weaving Fiber Jewelry

What's more appealing than a beaded tapestry necklace that can be made with a few simple tools and threads and yarns from your stash?

At the March meeting of the Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild, members and guests were treated to a program that showed how the simplest of weave structures, the plain weave (over one, under one), could be used to elevate coordinating yarns into an opulent piece of jewelry when combined with a few select beads.

The process started with a design drawn on gridded paper which was then attached to a foam core board. The placement of beads, pins and any color changes were mapped out on the design.

Pins held the warp threads in place and beads were added on the warp as prescribed by the design diagram. The weft yarns were threaded through tapestry or long yarn needles to facilitate the weaving process. Joining and changing colors of weft threads, and options for adding beaded fringe were discussed.Pin weaving requires minimal equipment and is very portable. Supplies are both economical and readily available. For this necklace, the design, shape, size and color possibilities are wide open. Small amounts of yarn left from other projects can be used to create a coordinating piece of jewelry. Beads, a unique pin, bauble or other embellishments can be attached during or after the weaving to create a striking piece of wearable art.

Finished tapestry woven necklace.

Fiber Fun at Yarn Fabrication workshop

The Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild hosted a wearable art Vest Workshop with Veronica Hofman Ortega this past weekend. Several guild members spent the day creating a one-of-a-kind vest using Veronica's "yarn fabrication" technique.A base layer of yarns served as a background for additional color or yarn embellishments. Machine stitching in blending or contrasting threads added another layer to create visual interest, depth and color to the piece.
Demonstrations and discussions on garment construction, adding buttons, buttonholes, and shaping were covered in the workshop. Ideas for combining yarn fabrication with other textiles opened the doors for many creative garment possibilities. We hope to see these wonderful pieces at future guild meetings and Show and Tell.

Pick your Pocket

Pockets in Knitwear was the program at the February Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild meeting. Dora Sowell, an accomplished knitter, knitting instructor, and a long-time member of the Chattanooga area TogetherKnits knitting guild, presented various pocket treatments for knitted garments. Guild members were taught the steps for an inset pocket and created a knitted pocket sample using the technique.

In keeping with the topic of "pockets," guest speaker, Diana Ferguson, provided information about the 2010 Tennessee Does Textiles show and event. To be held November 13, 2010, the event will feature contemporary folk artist, Rachel Clark, along with a wearable art runway show, an artists' showcase, lunch and a mercantile of fiber art vendors. Wearables from previous years' shows were on hand at the meeting to illustrate the variety of one-of-a-kind artwear pieces that will be seen at the show.

In conjunction with the theme of Tennessee Presents Textiles, "The Power of the Pocket," the Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild has issued a Guild Challenge to its members. The entries from the guild Challenge are scheduled to be unveiled in September.

How do your pockets empower you? Stay tuned ...






A woven shawl (below), made from Japanese paper, is one of the unique textile pieces from Tennessee Presents Textiles that was on display.

Wearable Art Vest Workshop

A Wearable Art Vest workshop is being sponsored by the Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild on Saturday, February 20. The instructor is Veronica Hofman Ortega and she will be teaching her Yarn Fabrication technique. Students will learn this easy, no-knit stitching technique while creating a wearable art vest.
Garment pieces are easily assembled using flat seams and additional texture and color can be achieved with contrasting yarns, trims, threads, embellishments, buttons or beads. This soft-sculpt vest can be customized for any occasion. See Veronica's blog at www.FiberAnticsbyVeronica.com to see other artwear garments that were created using this technique.

The vest workshop will be held on Saturday, February 20, at Alexian Brothers/Senior Neighbors, 10th and Newby Streets, in Chattanooga. It is a full day class from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost of the workshop is $45 per person ($35 for guild members). Make checks payable to "Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild." To sign up for the workshop, send an e-mail to veronicaquilts@gmail.com.

Guild Challenge: a call to Pocket creativity

With the beginning of the new year comes new inspiration, programs and a Guild Challenge for the Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild.

At the January guild meeting, stitch patterns and techniques for knitted lap afghans were presented for the guild's community service project. Members have the option to knit sampler-style strips using several "reversible" stitch patterns or to knit strips with an overall texture.

Guild members were also invited to kindle their creativity with participation in a Guild Challenge. Inspired by the theme for the 2010 Tennessee Presents Textiles wearable art show, the guild's "The Power of the Pocket" Challenge issues a call to action—and originality—with the creation of a wearable art garment.

Who can argue with a few of the Top 10 Reasons for Participating in a Guild Challenge:

• It's an opportunity to try a new technique, material, pattern, etc..
• It's fun! You can be as creative, conventional or unconventional as you want.
• It sharpens your analytical as well as your artistic skills.
• It gives you a reason to do your "fiber thing!"
• It provides "justification" to buy more yarn, thread, fabric ...
• And, it offers one of the greatest motivating factors for making and completing a project—a deadline!

Show and Tell at the January meeting included knit, woven and felted scarfs, garments and wall pieces.

Inspiration to start the New Year

The Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild [Chattanooga, TN] is the place to be for year-round fiber art inspiration. The guild officers, along with member teams, are planning creative and informative programs and activities to get members and visitors excited about working with interesting fibers, discovering new techniques or shining a new light on classic needle and fiber arts.

If you’ve been away from your needles, hooks, looms, hoops, sewing space or studio, join the Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild for renewed interest, encouragement and inspiration in fiber, fabric and the needle arts. Drop in at a guild meeting and see what we're all about. New members are always welcome.

Start 2010 with a new outlook and zeal for the fiber arts!

[photo: detail of free-motion machine quilting by guild member, Veronica Hofman Ortega]

Inkle Weaving with Ann Mullican

This weekend, Ann Mullican (seated left) shared her excitement for weaving and her expertise with the inkle loom at a workshop sponsored by the Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild.

Starting with special graph paper and colored pencils, participants designed weaving patterns in preparation for warping tabletop inkle looms with 3/2 pearl cotton threads.

Inkle weaving creates a warp-faced weave in which the long, colored warp threads are what create the pattern of the woven fabric. Narrow bands are produced which are commonly used for belts, trims, handbag straps, cuffs and bands. For this workshop, the woven strips were sewn into a tetrahedron to form a doll or pincushion.

Designing with colored pencils and graph paper.

Measuring string used for the heddles.

Warping the inkle loom.

Checking the warp threads.

One up, one down, up, down . . .

Workshop participants hard at work.

Inkle woven "dolls with character."