Vida Nueva and Fiber Rhythm Craft & Design

The 2013 ANWG NW Weavers Conference Marketplace Mall will be June 20-22, Carver Gym, Western Washington Univeristy, Bellingham, WA.  During the next few weeks we will be featuring some of our outstanding merchants on our blog.

This week we are featuring our Marketplace Mall merchant  --Vida Nueva and Fiber Rhythm Craft & Design.

Vida Nueva Women’s Weaving Cooperative

Vida Nueva is a group of Zapotec women from Teotitlán del Valle, an indigenous Mexican community in Oaxaca with centuries of weaving history. Their patterns and techniques have been passed from generation to generation, and each tapete (rug/weaving) expresses their culture. The area was known for cotton textiles before the Spanish introduced wool and large wooden looms. 

At first only men were permitted to weave, but since the era of intense migration women have also become highly skilled weavers. Despite their numerous creative, social, and political contributions, it is still difficult for women to gain equal respect and recognition. Therefore, in 1996 this women’s cooperative was formed to provide economic opportunities, serve the community with environmental and social projects, and preserve Zapotec heritage.

Despite a very labor intensive daily life and many religious and community responsibilities, each member finds regular time to weave on her own loom at home. Members gather, grow and use native plants and insects to create natural dyes. They buy raw wool from nearby towns and wash, card, spin and dye it, boiling it in large vats over a wood fire, working together to share the cost and lighten the load.

Designs are generally based on ancient patterns depicting forces of nature, animals or geometric forms that represent such concepts as liberty, protection, continuity, strength.

Ginny Darvill helps Vida Nueva by buying at full fair price and selling at cost in the Northwest. She is happy to host them at the conference.
 

 

Fiber Rhythm Crafts & Design

Fiber Rhythm Craft & Design is the creative outlet of Dawn Seymour, knitwear designer and owner. Dawn discovered her love of Bamboo yarn while working on her TKGA Master Knitter sweater. In 2006, Bamboo yarn was found mainly as a cone yarn and wasn't widely available. To work the project Dawn purchased six 20-oz cones of the yarn. Even after doubling, most of the yarn remained for 5 out of the 6 colors. It begged the question, “Why can't you buy just the amount you need?”

That is when the custom cone was conceived.  

Custom cones are purchased by the ounce. We wind off just that amount of yarn onto cardboard cones or cores. You save money. Custom cones are offered in Bambu 7 and Bambu 12 and have been very popular with hand weavers.

Another popular item is Retroglo, a reflective tape yarn that is manufactured by Metlon Corporation (it is a 3m product). It consists of thousands of tiny glass beads glued onto a nylon strip and comes in three widths. Use it to add a safety element to your project. 

We won't have our winding equipment at ANWG, but will have cones “as is” for weight at the booth or will take orders for smaller amounts to be delivered after the show. (Free shipping over $25.)

For pre-show orders, please contact us at info@fiberrhythm.com and we will make every attempt to accommodate! 

Visit us online and at booth 29 and have a great conference!

The public is invited to shop during all Marketplace Mall open hours.  The Marketplace Mall open hours will be  Thursday, June 20 - 12 noon—6 p.m.,  Friday, June 21 - 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, June 22 - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Teresa Ruch Designs

The 2013 ANWG NW Weavers Conference Marketplace Mall will be June 20-22, Carver Gym, Western Washington Univeristy, Bellingham, WA.  During the next few weeks we will be featuring some of our outstanding merchants on our blog.

This week we are featuring our Marketplace Mall merchant  -- Teresa Ruch Designs.

Teresa Ruch Design

I have a passion for color. I express this in hand dyed yarn that can be used in weaving, knitting and fibers for spinning. I started dyeing yarns because I could not find full saturated colors that I wanted to weave with.

I found that I enjoyed the instant gratification I received with dyeing while weaving takes longer for the end results. I soon had more yarns that I could weave so I started selling. 

I specialize in dyed tencel fibers. Tencel is a fiber from junk trees that grow in poor soil with little water and uses a chemical to process. This chemical must be filter and reused to qualify for the tencel/lyocell name. It is considered to be renewal and environmental friendly product. I import this white yarn from Canada in bulk, skein and dye it in my SE Portland, OR studio. I carry several weights, 3/2, 5/2, 10/2 and 20/2 (for knitters this is DK/Sport weight to a lace cobweb). 

My yarns are painted/dyed in shades of one color or multiply colors that create a dappled look in knitted lace or an ikat impression when woven. As a special introduction I am offering 6 yard warps that can be woven into 2 scarves and weft that will blend with them. Living in the Pacific Northwest I feel we need color in our lives. I also have bamboo, silk, wool and various spinning/felting fibers. Come join the fun.

The public is invited to shop during all Marketplace Mall open hours.  The Marketplace Mall open hours will be  Thursday, June 20 - 12 noon—6 p.m.,  Friday, June 21 - 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, June 22 - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 

Glimakra and Japanese Handmade Etc.

The 2013 ANWG NW Weavers Conference Marketplace Mall will be June 20-22, Carver Gym, Western Washington Univeristy, Bellingham, WA.  During the next few weeks we will be featuring some of our outstanding merchants on our blog.

This week we are featuring two Marketplace Mall merchants  --Gilmakra and Japanese Handmade Etc.

Gilmakra-USA

The weaving and loom building traditions in Sweden have an unbroken history and the knowledge about weaving and looms has been past down from one generation to another. A grandmother taught her granddaughter and an aunt taught her niece. Weaving has always been an important part of the Swedish culture and there usually was a woodworker in the neighborhood who was the loom maker.

Glimakra Swedish weaving equipment follows a long line of proven construction techniques. Sturdy and functional design gives you the equipment that works well and will serve for generations. Glimakra Products make your weaving easier and more comfortable. Ease of operation is a primary feature of our looms and products.

Glimakra-USA works very closely with the GAV-Glimakra factory in Sweden. Glimakra-USA maintains a large warehouse in Montana (largest in the world outside of the factory in Sweden). We also maintain an inventory of Swedish threads, yarns and weaving kits. Visitors are welcome. So, if you happen to be in Montana or in Helena, the capitol city of Montana, give a call to get directions. MapQuest works too.

Our Glimakra-USA web site contains a lot of information on weaving and looms, from a glossary of terms to detailed weaving information and free weaving project instructions. You can also use the contact information,  request a catalog and price list, get information on ordering, download a price list and ask your weaving and loom questions.

Contact us when you have weaving and loom questions. Have fun. Joanne. 

Japanese Handmade Etc.

 Japanese Handmade Etc started in 2003 when I moved to my husband’s country hometown on the northern island of Japan, Hokkaido. My mother, who taught me how to sew, encouraged me to combine my Industrial Design background and the use of the Internet to sell my handmade creations. She was concerned about me going from “city mouse” to “ country mouse”.

In 2006, I found Etsy and started listing my handmade pouches. Through a well-known sock knitting blogger, my sales increased and I was given much needed exposure. It allowed us to move back to the States in time to care for my mother. Every sale was encouraging and good news to my mother as the cancer ate away at her frail body. She could see she left a legacy with her described ‘diamond-headed’ daughter.

After moving back to the States, sewing bags with Japanese influence has a special meaning. It allows me to hold on to the wonderful memories of my long time stay there, while keeping the memory of my mother alive.

Trail and error of craft shows led to a focus on fiber shows with larger bags for the fiberholic needs. My Etsy site concentrates on smaller items like pouches, but fiber shows focuses on big bags. I finally stamped my bags with a label of my name. Participating in this fiber show means much to me, stepping into a community who also love and appreciate all things handmade. Thank you for this opportunity.

The public is invited to shop during all Marketplace Mall open hours.  Marketplace Mall open hours will be:

• Thursday, June 20 - 12 noon—6 p.m.
• Friday, June 21 - 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Saturday, June 22 - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Eugene Textile Center

The 2013 ANWG NW Weavers Conference Marketplace Mall will be June 20-22, Carver Gym, Western Washington Univeristy, Bellingham, WA.  During the next few weeks we will be featuring some of our outstanding merchants on our blog.

This week we are featuring our Marketplace Mall merchant  -- Eugene Textiles Center.

Eugene Textile Center is the regional center for classes in all levels of weaving, spinning, dyeing, felting, surface design, and embellishment techniques. We have a fully equipped dye studio available for individual and group rental.
 Eugene Textile Center carries weaving yarns, spinning and felting fibers, dyes and fabrics, and all the unique tools of the crafts. And, we love special orders for yarns and equipment so, please, just ask.
We proudly present looms,  wheels and equipment from Schacht, Kromski, Leclerc, Louet, Cleme and Clemes, Acadia, and Ashford as well as “try-before-you-buy” rentals.Our selection of new and previously loved looms and spinning wheels ensures you will find the perfect match for your needs and budget as a purchase or rental.

We are happy to arrange special events, classes on request, and activity parties for children and adults.
The Eugene Textile Center Fiber Arts Gallery showcases regional artists and groups expressing the traditional and exciting new trends in fiber arts. We invite you to enjoy the current show in our Fiber Arts Gallery while you are browsing our fine selections.

 Our special retreat, Fibers in the Forest, May 17–19, 2013, is a wonderful opportunity filled with outstanding teachers, fun, fibers, friends, and food at the rustic Camp Myrtlewood in the beautiful Oregon Coastal Range.

 See our web site, EugeneTextileCenter.com for our latest class listings and specials. Open 10–5:30 Monday through Saturday at 1510 Jacobs Dr., just off Hwy 99N, Eugene, Oregon. 541-688-1565.

The public is invited to shop during all Marketplace Mall open hours.  The Marketplace Mall open hours will be  Thursday, June 20 - 12 noon—6 p.m.,  Friday, June 21 - 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, June 22 - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Above the Fray and Morrison Creek Alpacas

The 2013 ANWG NW Weavers Conference Marketplace Mall will be June 20-22, Carver Gym, Western Washington Univeristy, Bellingham, WA.  During the next few weeks we will be featuring some of our outstanding merchants on our blog.

This week we are featuring two of our Marketplace Mall merchants:  Above the Fray and Morrison Creek Alpacas.

Above the Fray: Traditional Hilltribe Art

Art ventures to the hill-tribe region of Laos and Vietnam and personally selects hand-woven silk, cotton, and hemp textiles and other authentic tribal arts directly from local artisans in the region’s villages. Our diverse selection of fine-quality shawls, scarves and wall-art, new and older, is woven of locally-raised materials using traditional looms. 

 Over our years of exploring the region, we have had the pleasure of developing wonderful friendships and business relationships with the hilltribe seri-culturalists, dyers and weavers and their families who live in the mountainous jungles of Laos and northern Vietnam.   Above the Fray passionately supports the artisans and the diverse skills and cultures of this remote region, and we are eager to share with our audience not only their world-class woven art, but also our pictures, stories, and knowledge of these traditional peoples. 

During our travels, we also collect authentic traditional hand-made baskets, tools, jewelry, shamans’ masks and other ritual art.  Many of our items carry the rich patina of years of actual village wear and use.

Above the Fray is a family business owned by couple Maren Beck and Josh Hirschstein, with “home-base” in Eugene, OR.  They have two sons: Ari, currently at Earlham College, and Zall, our photographer and teen-sherpa.

 15% of Above the Fray’s profits are donated to Mines Advisory Group, a Nobel-prize winning organization which, in this region, helps eradicate the unexploded ordnance left from the Vietnam War that kills hundreds every year and restricts local economic growth.

Morrison Creek Alpacas

While visiting from Washington State, we were looking for a “retirement” property on Vancouver Island and found exactly what we were looking for in Courtenay on acreage with Morrison Creek running through it.  Morrison Creek Alpacas was born when we visited an alpaca ranch and Sophia looked up with her big brown eyes and nuzzled my husband’s nose with hers. We then built a farm business with lots of sweat equity and an award winning alpaca herd.  Chinook, our herdsire has produced progeny that has it all – crimp, staple length, fineness and density.

Spring 2013 is the debut of our own carding company powered by a John Heigh and Sons 24inch sample carder capable of producing 6 to 10 lbs per hour. We offer superior alpaca fiber backed by ten years of selective breeding, strong genetics, and solid fleece/fiber education.  Our aim is to demonstrate how versatile alpaca and alpaca blend fiber can be when processed and correctly milled by matching form to function.

Our success is a testament to the vitality of the fiber artisan community on Vancouver Island and the guild members of Vancouver Island have all played and will continue to play an irreplaceable role. So, at this time Morrison Creek Alpacas gives special thanks the Victoria and Qualicum guilds for actively supporting local fleece/fiber of all species.

The public is invited to shop during all Marketplace Mall open hours.  Marketplace Mall open hours will be:

• Thursday, June 20 - 12 noon—6 p.m.
• Friday, June 21 - 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Saturday, June 22 - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.