Welcome

The Weavers Guild of Miami Valley, Inc. was organized in 1949 to promote interest in handweaving.  Today the Guild is a non-profit, educational organization promoting handweaving, handspinning and the textile arts.  The Guild offers educational programs in fiber techniques and processes and encourages artistic awareness and excellence in the textile crafts through lectures, discussions, exhibits, workshops and demonstrations.

Whig Rose small coverlet – Penny Marsh

The President’s Column

Greetings Guild Members,

Hello everyone!
The fiscal year is winding down as the temperatures outside continue to increase, and I think we have our full slate of officers! I’m excited for this upcoming election and for this next group of folks to take the reins and head for the future.

Upon moving, I decided to take on the task of organizing all my yarn that I’ve accumulated between: generous members of the Guild, outside friends, and my own spending habits. I didn’t realize a) how easy it was going to become to spot certain fibers and b) how adept I can become from smelling a certain fiber as it’s burning. I recall one specific yarn that I cut and as I smelled the smoke and watched it burn, I said, “smells like cotton for sure.. but it isn’t burning quite like cotton. I think it’s a mix. Linen maybe? More cotton than linen though” and rotating the cone gives me the answer that I already knew! 60% cotton, 40% linen. I’m probably about halfway through my stash (physical space requirements and storage containers for the different mixes are holding me back). And I’m excited to share pictures of my  storage space once it’s all labeled and collected properly.
The towels that I had mentioned from the previous newsletter have indeed been completed. My new struggle includes learning how to be even on multiple items of the same warp, and how to get a good even sew line. I decided to do the hem before wet finishing, which ended up giving the towels a very nice hourglass figure. They’re wonderful, don’t get me wrong! But they are certainly not store-bought straight by any means. The waffle weave was interesting – I felt that the floats were just a little bit too long and those individual warp threads could’ve used some additional tension that was not an easy project, but overall I think the towels came out wonderfully. 

What projects have you all fallen into lately? Weaving? Housework? Something else totally
crazy? Be sure to share it with us at the next April Meeting!

Best Regards, Jarrett Eckhardt
WGMV, President 2025 – 2026