February Meeting
Hemstitching and Fancy Finishes
Saturday, February 22, 2025
9:30 am - 12:00 pm
Plain (classic) hemstitching? Italian hemstitching? Ladder hemstitching - or maybe zig-zag?
So many choices for finishing a woven piece. Most of us just think about hemstitching as what we do to secure the warp ends of our projects and make a nice finished edge. It's that - and so much more. Hem stitching can be as decorative as it is functional and this month, we'll introduce you to some of the functional and fancy ways to finish your projects. Just remember - it's much easier to do while the project is still on the loom! Feel free to bring a project you're finishing if you want to practice.
Meeting Location: Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse Ave, Memphis, TN 38104
Free parking in the garage in the back rows and upper levels; the first rows have a fee after 2 hours. Once in the building, take the Central Atrium elevator to the 7th floor, turn right, and enter through the Parcels office.
Middle Tennessee Fiber Festival
March 6-8, 2025 - Dickson, TN
The Middle TN Fiber Festival features classes in a variety of fiber arts Thursday evening through Saturday afternoon, and over 40 vendors on Friday and Saturday. The festival is held at the Dickson County Fairgrounds in Dickson, TN, about 40 miles west of Nashville. See more at tnfiberfestival.com.
Midwestern Weavers Conference 2025
The regional weavers' conferences are always held in the odd years and this year the midwestern conference is being held in St. Louis (at Washington University). Preconference workshops begin on June 9 - June 11 with Conference Workshops and Seminars on Friday and Saturday (June 13 - 14). Registration hasn't opened yet, but the website says it should be opening soon. Information is here. St. Louis is an easy road trip from Memphis so think about attending.
Membership
Enjoy the benefits of guild membership for $20 annual dues (Yes, this is a reduction in annual dues so be sure to take advantage of it this year!).
- Monthly meetings with educational programs or social gatherings, or extended workshops
- Participate in the guild booth at the Pink Palace Crafts Fair demonstrating craftsmen's tent
- Library of books, media, and equipment available for check-out
- Information on looms for sale (local area)
- Weavers who are always ready to help answer questions or lend a hand!
Monthly Meetings
Monthly meetings include a short business meeting, educational program, and viewing of members' work.
Meetings are typically at Crosstown Concourse (7th floor in the Patio area of the Parcels office) from 9:30 - 12:00 on the 4th Saturday of the month - however dates do change around the holidays (November and December meetings).
Guild History
The Memphis Guild of Handloom weavers was founded in 1947 but Viola Joyce Quigley and fellow students from the Memphis Academy of Art. Since then, the guild has held art shows, workshops with internationally reknowned instructors, classes for the public, and sales of handwoven goods.
We continue to promote the time-honored craft of handweaving into the 21st century.
Guild Library
The guild keeps an extensive library of over 300 books and videos on a wide variety of weaving topics. Members may check out media from the library.
The guild also owns 10 looms and a colections of smaller equipment and tools.