Conference of Northern California Handweavers
Weaving, spinning, dyeing, felting—if it has to do with fibers, the Conference of Northern California Handweavers is interested in it. Our purpose is to provide you with information about the craft of weaving and other techniques of fiber construction. This is accomplished primarily through presentations at our annual conference.
http://www.cnch.org
Conference Seminars, May 3 & 4, 2008
COLOR. COLOR? COLOR!
Curious? Frustrated? Learn the basics of Color Theory: Hues, Tints, Shades, Tones, Contrasts and Harmonies. As a group we will look at examples of your work that you think are successful, and examples that do not work as well.... We'll figure out why. Make you work come alive!

DRAFTING FOR BURNOUTS
Burnout or devoré is a mild chemical process that dissolves or "burns away" certain fibers in the cloth only where you print or paint it. On silk backed velvet it leaves transparent areas with no pile. On 100% cotton it will leave holes. Finding fabric that works with this process is difficult and often expensive. You can create your own fabric so burnt out areas leave behind just the weave structure you want. How about leaf shapes of twill in the middle of a crepe fabric? Double-weave polka dots in crepe? Learn how to design and draft your own fabrics to use with commercial (FiberEtch) or home made burnout. You'll get the recipe and learn how to successfully design and process the cloth.

Post Conference Workshop: May 5-7, 2008
MORE WEAVING: TEXTURE! PLEATS, BUMPS, HOLES AND LUMPS!
We'll explore fibers, structures and finishing techniques to change flat fabric into dimensional surfaces. Double weaves and simple twills can make pleats, deflected weaves create holes, woven shibori techniques gather the cloth and combinations of fibers and non-chemical after- treatments permanently set the textures. Depending on the facility we can also explore a safe chemical burnout technique that removes certain threads in your single layer woven cloth to leave behind a more transparent double-weave structure!

Peters Valley Craft Center, Layton, New Jersey
July 18-22, 2008
NEEDLEFELTING: A NEW ADVENTURE
Learn a needle-felting process that is as spontaneous as drawing with a pencil or finger painting.
It’s even erasable until “set” by felting!
Anyone who works with technical or material restraints will love the freedom and playfulness of the process, but the class is not about fairies or gnomes; through hands-on exercises and illustrated lectures, we will learn about basic design elements, color theory, and the nature and properties of fibers.
http://www.petersvalley.org/workshops/fibers/2008fiber-surface.htm#NeedleFelting

Check for workshops at Stitchers' Crossing
6122 Mineral Point Rd, Madison, WI   608.232.1500   www.stitcherscrossing.com