Have you ever wondered what treasures are waiting to be explored in the Guild’s extensive library? Are you looking to learn a new technique in the new year, dive deeper into a subject, or even try something completely new? For this get together, we will come together to share some of our favourite books on textile topics, recommend great resources from the library while enjoying tea, hot chocolate, and snacks. After this meeting, we will not be together again in person until April. With the long winter months tucked away indoors, this is a great time to borrow a book or two for inspiration.
We will also share our favourite textiles and enjoy a gift exchange and cookie exchange.
7:30 pm, Wednesday, October 9 The Meeting House, Riverdale Farm
Presented by Miriam Kaufman, Maria Borkowski, and Mike McLeod
Fall is indeed a celebration of the harvest. To mark it we will spend the evening working with harvested materials to make cordage and festive geometrical ornaments known as himmeli. Himmeli is an old traditional craft practiced in Finland and Eastern Europe with endless possibilities. It involves taking harvested grain plant straws (we will be using wheat) and stringing them up to make three dimensional 3-D shapes. All materials will be provided so the only thing Members will be accountable for is, well, just having fun!
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
November
November
November
REGULAR MEETINGS
MONTHLY GUILD MEETINGS Beginning April 2023 we will resume holding in-person meetings at Riverdale Farm. We will continue to hold some meetings virtually. Our Member’s Meetings are held from September-June, with a break for the summer. Check out the Calendar for up-to-date information. If you are interested in spinning or weaving, you are welcome to join us as a guest at one of our monthly meetings. When: 2nd Wednesday of the month, 7:30 – 9:00 pm for in-person meetings; 7:00 – 8:30 pm for virtual meetings Where: In-person meetings are held in the Meeting House at Riverdale Farm- come in the gate and keep going past the sheep.
IN THE COMMUNITY
The Guild generally participates in the following Riverdale Farm events , demonstrating fibre processing, spinning, weaving, and other textile skills to the public. After a hiatus during the pandemic, we look forward to resuming these events this Spring.
FAMILY DAY Riverdale Farm is a great place to spend Family Day, with lots of fun activities taking place, including weaving and spinning demonstrations and activities that the whole family can enjoy.
SHEEP CELEBRATION Riverdale Farm opens its doors with the farm’s popular Spring Festival at which Guild members use the fleece shorn from the farm sheep to demonstrate the skills needed to wash the wool, prepare it for spinning, make yarn, dye it, and weave it into cloth. Come and watch the process, from sheep shearing on!
FALL FESTIVALS See the Guild in action on the second weekend in September at the Riverdale Farm Fall Festival, and at the Cabbagetown Festival too!