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 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."

Chilly weather at Ketner's Mill fair

Riverbend Fiber Arts guild members braved overcast skies and the 40-degree temperatures this weekend to demonstrate and promote spinning, weaving and other fiber art techniques at the Ketner's Mill Country Arts Fair.

Spinning, weaving and carding demonstrations on the porch of the old Mill and at the vibrantly color clad Riverbend Fiber Arts tent generated lots of interest in the fiber arts, the unique and beautiful hats, scarves, gloves, children's items, Christmas ornaments, quilted journals, yarns and rovings as well as upcoming guild activities (see Inkle Loom workshop). Shown here is guild member, Josie, who is spinning bluefaced Leicester wool roving on an Irish Castle spinning wheel.

Hot chocolate, hot fried apple pies, soup and other country fair cookery helped to keep fingers warm enough to work the wheels, loom and fibers.

Riverbend Fiber Arts tent at the Ketner's Mill Fair.

Mary Lou weaves on a table-top Inkle Loom (left). Star spins alpaca fiber into yarn while Susan cards the fibers.

Pat begins the drafting and spinning process with multi-colored roving.

Inkle Loom Doll with Character workshop

Join the Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild for an Inkle Weaving workshop with Ann Mullican, on November 14-15, 2009.

With colored pencils and graph paper, participants will learn how to design the warp-faced Inkle fabric for their doll. Color and design combinations will begin to develop the doll’s "character." Simple warping techniques are used to thread the Inkle Loom and personalities emerge as beads, feathers, lace, fabric wings and found objects are used to fashion the right ‘attitude’ of each Inkle Woven Doll.

This is a great introductory class for beginners and fun for the experienced weaver. Everyone is welcome!

The cost of this 2-day workshop is $60. To reserve your place, contact MJ Levine at mjmlevine@comcast.net and send a check, payable to "Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild," to MJ Levine at 17 Minnekahda Place, Chattanooga, TN 37405. A $10 kit fee is payable to instructor at the workshop. Registration fee is non-refundable.
The workshop will be held from 10 am to 4 pm (Eastern Time) on Saturday and Sunday, November 14-15 at the Bachman Community Center, Signal Mountain, TN.