Community Guild Studios at Slater Mill

Upcoming Events and Various Goings-On

We have so many things to discuss!  Where to start?  Well, first of all, if you haven't had a chance to go see it, the Rowan 30th Anniversary Exhibit is going away on June 25th, so you'd better go asap! 

Don't forget there are 2 fabulous classes going on this Saturday on Workshop Day!  Embroidery with Brenda Devine will be from 11-2.  I've got a couple project pics from this class to share with you all.  Here's the beginning of the project -

And here's where it will end up -

I'm told this is a completely addictive process. 

Also this Saturday is Journal Quilting with Pat St. Germain, offered from 2-5.  No quilting experience required!  Here's an excuse for those non-quilters to play with some cloth!    

Weavers - as always, feel free to come in and work on your projects from 10-5. 

And Hey!  Calling all Knitting Guild Members!  Margery Winter, Editor-in-Chief of Verena Knitting Magazine will be our special guest for our Wednesday, June 30th meeting, so please come and bring a friend!

Want even more up-to-date info about Slater Mill?  You can see the Mill's new twitter page at http://twitter.com/TheSlaterMill, or, if you have a twitter account, you can simply follow TheSlaterMill.   

Handmade Marketplace

I always love getting email from Bernadette, because it's usually about some awesome thing she's got planned at the mill, and her latest email did not disappoint!  As someone who has started selling wares at the occasional craft fair, with no real clue as to what I am doing, I am beyond thrilled that Slater Mill has invited Kari Chapin, author of Handmade Marketplace, to conduct a workshop and book signing!

Here's what the publisher has to say about Kari Chapin's book:

“Turn your craft into a successful business! Even the most expert crafters may find it challenging to market and sell their wares, but with Kari Chapin you have an experienced guide at your side. Learn to determine your cost of goods, set prices, identify the competition, and understand the ins and outs of wholesale and retail sales. Explore the various sales venues available, including independent craft fairs, Web sites such as Etsy, and traditional stores, and learn to maximize your visibility and sales in each one. Want to start your own Web site? Chapin shows you how to style and prop your crafts for photography and explains how the most popular Web marketplaces operate. You’ll find everything you need to turn your talent into profits.”

The workshop and book signing will be held on July 17th, at 1pm at Slater Mill, and I'll let you know exactly where it's being held and if you should bring anything with you in the next few days! 

Harrisville Designs Trip

Harrisville Designs is a name that weavers, knitters, spinners, and other fiber folks associate with quality woolen yarns and fleece.  Since 1971, Harrisville Designs was created with "a goal of preserving the textile heritage and economic vitality that had sustained the village [of Harrisville] for almost two hundred years. 

And now's your chance to see it for yourself!  Sign up for the Harrisville Designs Tour, leaving from Slater Mill in September!  See the email from Bernadette below - and if you're not already on the mailing list, email her Bernadette@slatermill.org to be added asap!

September 9,  2010: Harrisville Bus trip from Slater Mill

Join us as we travel to historic Harrisville, NH to visit Harrisville Designs. Harrisville, nestled in the scenic Monadnock Highlands of southwestern New Hampshire, is a village whose tradition in textiles dates back more than 200 years. Harrisville Designs is a small family owned and operated business continuing that tradition by producing high quality yarn, looms and accessories. Harrisville Designs also offers a custom wool spinning service. For the past 30 years, The Knitting and Weaving Center at Harrisville has been providing fiber arts students with workshops instructed by acclaimed textile artists.

· Bus departs Slater Mill at 8 AM, returns 5 PM

· Trip includes roundtrip transportation from Slater Mill to Harrisville Designs, tour of Harrisville Designs, weaving demonstration and driver tip. Harrisville Designs is kindly offering our group 10% off in their shop for the day!

· Trip fee: $50 members/$80 non-members (join Slater Mill now and you are immediately eligible for member price)

· Register before July 1^st and receive 5% off

Please contact me with any questions and I hope to see some of you attending our workshops and  trip .

Best,

Bernadette     

Rowan Exhibit at Slater Mill

 

In case you haven't heard, the Rowan 30th Anniversary Exhibit opens at the Gallery in the Visitor's Center at Slater Mill this week!  We are very, very lucky that this international tour is visiting us here in Pawtucket, RI.  

 In case you missed the email Bernadette sent out:

Rowan 30th Anniversary Exhibition at Slater Mill Gallery May 6-June 25, 2010

PAWTUCKET, RI: Slater Mill and Community Guild Studios partners with Rowan Yarns to bring world renowned exhibit to Rhode Island. Rowan is known as the U.K.’s leading premium yarn company. This Exhibition showcases vintage designer garments tracing three decades of design in the hand knitting industry. This touring exhibition has already appeared in several European countries as well as Australia.

The Exhibition features a selection of iconic designs and profiles the key designers who have helped create the individuality that is the Rowan brand, designers like Kaffe Fassett, Kim Hargreaves, Annabel Fox, Louisa Harding, Jean Moss, Brandon Mably, Marion Foale, Erika Knight, Sarah Dallas, Sasha Kagan, Martin Storey and Marie Wallin. The exhibit showcases a wide range of garment styles for women and men: cardigans, jackets, sweaters, coats, dresses, vests and shawls. The work involved in the exhibit garments is evident. An outstanding knitted garment on view in the show will be Kaffe Fassett’s Long Leaf Coat with some knit rows requiring over 30 color changes. This amazing coat is made from over 70,000 stitches and is a testament to what hand knitters can achieve. In all the exhibit’s thirty-three garments span the years from 1983 to 2008.

The opening reception will be held at the Slater Mill Gallery on Thursday, May 6, 2010 from 5:30-7PM. The gallery is located in the Visitor Center at 175 Main Street, downtown Pawtucket across from Slater Mill. Guests are invited to wear or bring garments that they have knit from Rowan patterns.

For information, contact Bernadette Vaughan, Coordinator, Community Guild Studios at Bernadette@slatermill.org

You can download the flyer here - Download RowanFlyer2010.  Please feel free to print it out and share it with friends!

Another important thing to note is that Fresh Purls will be there selling Rowan yarns and books, including the 30th Anniversary Magazine.  What can be better than seeing all the sweaters you've drooled over in person, AND shopping for yarn?  See you all Thursday at 5:30!

Knitting Guild Needs Volunteers

Bernadette has put out a call for volunteers for our next Guild meeting, April 28th with Deborah Newton.   Just in case you missed the email, here's what we're looking for:

One person to sit in Gift Shop and direct people upstairs. You will not miss any of the talk!

Two people to sell food - again, this is before and after the talk, you won’t miss out.

One person to help me sign people in.

Please let me know if you are interested!

Thanks!

Bernadette

bernadette@slatermill.org

Who's Presenting at the Knitting Guild Meeting 4/28?

Here's a hint: 

Still not sure?  Well, I was going to give you more clues but I'm too excited.

It's the Clasica Coat from the Fall 2009 Interweave Knits designed by none other than Deborah Newton!  (I know!  I can't believe it either!) 

She has prepared a slide show and presentation for us, and you will certainly not want to miss out, so come on April 28th!  We will start at 6:30, so feel free to get there early for the good seats.

The presentation is free for Guild Members - those that still need to renew can do so that evening.  Feel free to invite non-guild members along, they can come for $5, payable at the door.  

We will also be selling some refreshments, all proceeds to go to the Knitting Guild (you might be able to talk me into making some blueberry scones if I get lots of comments hint hint). 

I hope you can all be there, it should be a really amazing evening. 

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact Bernadette at

bernadette@slatermill.org or myself at communityguildstudios@gmail.com

'Dare to Dye' Gallery Exhibit Opens Tonight!

Sorry about the recent quietness around here, it has been very hectic, but I needed to let you all know about the fabulous Gallery event this evening!  Hope to see you all there!

Dare to Dye Gallery Exhibit

04/08/2010 to 04/27/2010 (Gallery Event)

An exhibit of hand dyeing samples and techniques.

Slater Mill and Community Guild Studios along with Amica Insurance present an exhibit of hand dyed yarn, garments, and dyeing techniques entitled “Dare to Dye!”

This show demonstrates the unlimited possibilities of color and design found through hand dyeing.  Samples of one of a kind, hand dyed yarn and woven garments produced by fiber artists Jan Doyle and Ellen Stone, and their students, are included in this exhibit. The wide range of traditional and innovative techniques displayed include hand-drawn batiks, stencil designs, wax resist cloths, indigo, discharge dyes and tie dye and shibori.

The collection also features examples of yarn dyed with natural pigments from plants. Discover the rich history of using plants for fibers and dyes. The participating artists have also included informational text on the how-to’s of the various dyeing techniques as well as examples of the raw materials used.

Exhibit dates: Thursday, April 8, 2010 - Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Opening reception: Thursday, April 8, 2010  .  5:30-7PM

Join Amica Insurance and become a sponsor of the 2010 Slater Mill Gallery Series.  For information contact Chandler at 401.725.8638 x107 or by email at gallery@slatermill.org.

April/May Classes and Workshops

I'm very excited today, because there are so many great things to do at Slater Mill this spring, and I want to be at all of them! 

First of all, there's Free for All Sunday, sponsored by Amica Insurance - read more about that here. Folks at the mill are looking for volunteers to come knit at the Brown House (next to the big yellow building!) from 11am-3pm.  I know some folks are planning on coming - you can talk about it here on Ravelry.

I will be adding the updated class schedule to the Classes/Events page, but it's going to take me a little bit (this whole job thing is really cramping my style today!) so I'm going to give you the brochure to download in the meantime, until I can get everything all tidy and in the correct place.

Download Cgs_class schedule brochure_aprilmay content 2010_page1

Download Cgs_class schedule brochure_aprilmay2010_page2

If you open those files, you will see that April's Workshop Day includes a Beaded Bracelet class (more info to follow!) and and Indigo Dyeing Workshop!  Unfortunately, Brenda Devine will not be teaching an embroidery class in April, but she will be back for the May Workshop Day, so don't worry! 

Also new for Spring are some more of our popular Quilting classes.  Please check the Quilting page to see some photos and descriptions. 

As always, contact Bernadette Vaughn at bernadette@slatermill.org with any questions, or leave a comment here. 

Coming up soon - some information on a couple Gallery Exhibits - one I know all the knitters out there are going to be VERY excited about!

Pass on the Paas!

I got some great news from Bernadette - there's going to be a natural egg dyeing class!  Here's all the info you need!  I think this class is going to be very popular, so sign up soon!

 

Natural Egg Dyeing, Saturday, March 27^th, 1-4pm

Slater Mill Community Guild Studios

Let the colors of nature decorate you Easter basket!

Learn how to create natural dyes from items you already have in your kitchen.

Using simple, non toxic recipes, you will work with Fiber Artist and Gardener Ellen Stone to create an assortment of decorated eggs in a palette of unique hues.

 

Class fee: $20, $25 for child accompanied by an adult (minimum age 7 yrs old, children MUST be accompanied by an adult)

Supplies:

Please bring 1 – 2 dozen eggs per person, white or brown, uncooked, blown or hard boiled

Bits of ribbon for decorating and hanging

Glue or glue gun and sticks

Optional: masking tape or wax crayon

Please register before March 26 to assure spots are open. Contact Bernadette Vaughan at Bernadette@slatermill.org or 401.725.8638 x 105

Workshop Day for March

If you missed the last Workshop Day, never fear!  Here's the official Slater Mill press release on the new workshop offerings for March 27th.  I will also update the Classes/Events page with the new class descriptions and new paypal buttons, within the next few minutes (hopefully, by the time you read this). 

MARCH: In Like a Lion, out with a Day of Creativity!

The Community Guild Studios (CGS) at Slater Mill is excited to announce the class line up for its Workshop Day, Saturday, March 27^th. Workshop Days offer an opportunity to sample traditional crafts in a warm and welcoming atmosphere and are held the last Saturday of the month from 10 to 5. Check out our blog to see the fun that was had at our last Workshop Day.  

RI fiber artist Jan Doyle will teach “Intro to Weaving Drafts.” Students will start at the very beginning-learning how to read weaving drafts, create drafts from profiles and add color to their drawdowns.  (Class time 12-3, Fee $25)

RI Spinning Guild member Beth Fitzpatrick will instruct students in “Drop Spindle Plying,” an excellent follow up for beginner spinners interested in taking their craft to the next level.

(Class time 12-2, Fee $25)

Industrial Revolution Quilt Guild member Brenda Devine offers the second in her continuing Embroidery Series, introducing beginners to the next round of stitch techniques. Those who missed the first embroidery workshop can still jump in!

(Class time 11-2, fee $25)

CGS Membership is open to all, and is $20 annually.

For class supply lists and more information, please contact Bernadette Vaughan at 401.725.8638 x105 or email her at Bernadette@slatermill.org