September 23 to October 14, 2016, Sandhills Handweavers Guild celebrates Fiber Arts

The Sandhills Handweavers Guild exhibition has become something of a tradition at Boyd Library on the campus of Sandhills Community College. This will be our fourth year, but instead of holding it during just the first two weeks of October, we will start one week earlier. So, this year look for our tribute to Fiber Arts on the bulletin board and in the display cases at Boyd Library from September 23 to October 14.

A couple of months ago Guild members sat around and brainstormed themes for this year’s exhibition—good suggestions all, but nothing quite carried the day. However, a common thread emerged: our wholehearted enthusiasm for all kinds of fiber arts. And suddenly we had our theme —Sandhills Handweavers Guild celebrates Fiber Arts.

And then we had such a surprise! Nancy did some research on the internet, and some interesting facts about fiber arts emerged: For example, the term was not even in use before the end of the World War II; and that in the 1970s it got co-opted by the feminist movement and academia, where discussions centered round domesticity verses freedom of expression through Fiber Arts. And, thus, Fiber Arts started to lean more towards artistic expression and less towards the utility of the end product.

But our exhibition will embrace it all. (We have nothing against the domestic arts of yore and we’re all for freedom of expression!)

So, if you are in the area, please stop by Boyd Library on the campus of Sandhills Community College between September 23 and October 14 to see our Celebration of Fiber Arts.

A note to members: Please bring your labeled exhibition pieces to the August 16 meeting and join us on September 23 at 10:00 in Boyd Library to build our exhibition.

Thanks.

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September/October 2015

Preparation on our third annual exhibition in Boyd Library at Sandhills Community College is underway. This year’s theme will be last year’s challenge! Every year at Rock Day we are issued a fiber challenge to be completed by the following year. Last year we were challenged to interpret a piece of art in fiber. And the results were truly spectacular!

Guild members will get together on Monday morning, September 28, to arrange the display cases and the enormous bulletin board at the entrance to the Library. Wednesday, September 30 we will hold a reception in the reading room adjacent to the Library from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., during which some of our members will demonstrate a variety of fiber crafts. Please come, bring friends and introduce them to our wonderful world of fiber.

We will take it all down on October 12th. Many thanks to the administrative staff at Boyd Library for giving us this terrific opportunity to publicize all that talent that makes up the Sandhills Handweavers Guild.

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October, 2014

Sandhills Community College’s Boyd Library invited the Guild to display its handwork again this year. The Exhibition ran from October 2 through October 13, 2014, and coincided with The Handweaver’s Guild of America’s National Spinning and Weaving week. Please check out the Exhibition link. It will take you to the Forum–Let’s Talk page where there is an illustrated article.

The Exhibition Committee decided that since we have held several Lace Weaving Workshops during the past couple of years, the focus of this year’s display should be woven lace. There are, however, many ways of producing lace other than weaving it so we included as many different ways as we could, including bobbin lace, crocheted lace, tatting and knitted lace.

In addition to the display cases, Nancy filled the bulletin board opposite the library’s entrance with photos and profiles of our Guild members–who we are and what we do.

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October, 2013

Sandhills Community College allows us to use a beautiful classroom free of charge. So, last year, by way of saying thank you, the Guild organized an exhibition called, “From Fiber to Fabric” in the College’s Boyd Library. The exhibition was planned to coincide with National Spinning and Weaving Week during the first week of October. However, the exhibition ran from the end of September through the middle of October. We filled an enormous bulletin board with samples of different animal and plant fibers. Then we traced the processes involved in creating fabric through all its various stages. Additionally, we filled three display cases with examples of our members’ weaving to show how the various fibers could be used. The highlight of the whole event was the kick-off reception, held in the beautiful reading room adjacent to the library. Guild members demonstrated weaving, spinning, Inkle loom and tapestry weaving. Then there was the food…. I’ve never met a guild that couldn’t put on a feast at the drop of hat!