2025-2026
December: Holiday Party and Silent Auction (regular meeting cancelled)
Join us on Thursday, December 4th for our holiday party and silent auction, one of our longstanding guild traditions. Please note that our regular December meeting is cancelled.
Thursday, December 4th, 2025 7pm- 9pm
Hosted by Valeria Kleiman
November: Cane Boil Demonstration
Celebrate bygone American traditions at Cane Boil & Fiddle Fest. Members are invited to participate in demonstrations featuring traditional fiber arts. Please contact Ginger for more details.
Saturday, November 22nd, 2025 10am – 3pm
Morningside Nature Center 3540 E. University Avenue 32641
October: Holiday Wreaths and Door Hangings
Join us at our monthly Handweavers Guild Meeting on October 25 for a Holiday Wreath Making Event that’s all about creativity and fun. Every idea is the right one—go traditional, think outside the box, or make something uniquely you!
We’ll provide: a limited supply of fresh vines to weave into a wreath, gardener’s wire, and a few hot glue guns.
You bring: your own wreath base if you’d like (or reuse an old favorite!) along with whatever decorations inspire you—flowers (fresh, dried, or silk), leaves, stems, pinecones, berries, fruit, gourds, bows, festive bits, or meaningful swag. If you’ve got extra materials to share, feel free to bring those too—sharing makes it even more fun!
Come ready to create, laugh, and leave with something beautiful to brighten the season! ✨
Our own Georgia Kelley will be hosting!
Saturday, October 25th, 2025 10:30am – 12:30pm
Cone Park Branch | Alachua County Library District 2801 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32641
September: Welcome Back – Special Interest Group introductions and sign-ups
Special Interest Groups are a great way to connect with other fiber artists and dive into more specialized activities and workshops. Join us at this month’s meeting to learn about our active Special Interest Groups and opportunities to get involved
Saturday, September 27th, 2025 10:30am – 12:30pm
Cone Park Branch | Alachua County Library District 2801 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32641
2024-2025
August 28, Thursday
Ice Cream Social
7:00-9:00pm, at a member’s home.
The guild will supply the ice cream and you bring your favorite topping.
Show and Tell what you made over the summer and share some laughs with your fellow members.
May 22, Thursday
May Potluck
7:00-9:00 pm, First Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall
Celebrate The Start of Summer With Your Fiber Arts Friends
Welcome to the new board. Thank you to the old board. It is truly a lovely event that you won’t want to miss.
April 26, Saturday
FTWG Conference Show and Tell
10:00 am – noon, First Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall
Did you attend any of the activities or workshops? Please come and share your fiber arts fun from this conference and inspire those who could not make it.
We will vote for the new board.
March 22, Saturday
Let’s Make Dorset Buttons with Ginger Clark
10:00 am – noon, First Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall
Learn to weave Dorset buttons and you just might find yourself wanting to swap out the buttons on your ready to wear! We will each make our own button.
Materials will be supplied.
February 22, Saturday
From the Loom to the Hanger, Making Garments From Your Handwoven Fabrics.
10:00 am – noon, First Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall
A panel with Malgorzata Deyup, Laura Lough, and Sarah McCarthy
Join us as we learn tips from this talented panel of weavers and sewists on how to create garments from your handwovens. Our panel will share their frustrations and breakthroughs as they share the joy of their success!
January 26, Sunday
Gathering of the Fiber Artists and A Taste of Fiber
3:00 – 5:00 pm at the Harn Museum of Art, 3259 Hull Road, Gainesville, FL 32608
Bring your fiber arts friends and your portable fiber arts projects to work on as we gather with fellow members and the public.
We’ll also host a Taste of Fiber to coincide with the opening of the Ghanaian Fashion exhibition at the Harn.
December 5, Thursday
Holiday Potluck Party and Guild Auction
7:00pm, at a member’s home.
Join in for this lively affair and bring a dish to share along with your fiber related donations for a silent auction with all collected money going to the Gainesville Handweavers Guild. You never know what gems you’ll find on the auction table. You won’t want to miss this!
November 23, Saturday
Cane Boil and Fiddle Fest
10:00 am – 3:00 pm at Morningside Nature Center, 3540 East University Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32641
Ginger has been organizing the guild’s participation in this for several years now. Bring your portable fiber arts project and experience the joy of autumn here in Gainesville. Bring your family and friends too!
October 24, Thursday
Evolution of Needlework Samplers
by Tinka Phillips-Markham of Victorian Rose Needlearts
7:00-9:00 pm, First Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall
We will examine the evolution of needlework samplers from the earliest known Nasca spot sampler from Peru dated from the 2nd century BCE to school girl samplers from the 19th century. Tinka will have examples of English needlework samplers that we will discuss and she will briefly talk about how museums accession samplers in their collection.
Tinka is the delightful proprietress of this museum and shop right here in Gainesville!
September 26, Thursday RESCHEDULED to Oct. 3rd, Thursday, due to hurricane
7:00-9:00 pm, First Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall
We will Show and Tell our summer textile adventures and there will be information about the various fiber arts Small Interest Groups to join within the guild. Our members have a lot to offer so if there is something that you want to learn, let’s start a Small Interest Group for it!
- Hospitality Welcome and Sharing – Community Weaving
- Hand out Handbooks
- Small Interest Groups sign-ups
2023-2024
Saturday, June 22
Let’s Weave a Basket Workshop
9:00am – 4:00pm
Instructor Katie Avram ~ SassyKat Baskets (Facebook page)
First Lutheran Church, Fellowship Hall 1801 NW 5th Ave., Gainesville, FL
We will be making a small market basket.
Maximum number of students is 8. If we have a waiting list of 8 students, we may be able to hold another class
Fee: $40 for members/ $50 non-members. This includes the material fee.
Your registration will be confirmed when your check/cash is received by Tuesday June 18, 2024. Members will be registered first and then Non-members. Registration begins on May 16, 2024 thru June 18, 2024.
Please email programs@gainesvillehandweavers.org for info about where to mail your check.
* Per Instructor, students need light to moderate hand strength and the ability to sit or stand to their comfort level as they work. A typical class length is approximately 6 hours plus a lunch break.
Thursday, May 23rd
End of Year Potluck
7pm, First Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall
Bring a main dish, side dish, or dessert to share. Remember to bring your own beverage. The guild will supply plates and silverware.
Agenda:
Election of GHG Board
Show and Tell
ANNUAL MEMBERS’ SALE; Bring any fiber related tools, yarns, books, etc to sell. The seller keeps their profit.
Thursday, March 28
FTWG Conference Show & Tell
GHG Meeting 7:00 pm
First Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall
Please share with us what you saw, made, bought, and did while at the FTWG Conference!
Saturday April 20th
Sashiko Workshop
Instructor:
Pamala J. Doffek
10:00 am to 4:30 pm
First Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall, 1801 NW 5th Avenue Gainesville, FL
Sashiko (刺し子?, literally “little stabs”) is a form of decorative reinforcement stitching or functional embroidery from Japan.
Maximum class size 20
Fee: $35.00 member / $45.00 non-member
Saturday, February 24
Felt a Basket Workshop
Instructor Patti Barker
10am-3pm
First Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall
Maximum class size: 16
Fee: Fee: $50.00 member / $60.00 non-member -Includes materials for one basket and class instruction.
Registration closed
In basic form, a basket is a simple container made to hold or carry things, but it can also be beautiful art to behold. Participants will enjoy exploring the possibilities of textural felt design, while learning to make a perfectly round medium size basket from a round, flat pattern, with tabs for a wood handle.
Supplies students need to bring to class:
- Mist Spray Bottle or a Plastic H2O /soda bottle, or Ball brause + small bucket . A small sprinkler head will be provided to fit bottle tops of 16.9 oz Pepsi, 2-liter Walmart brand soda or Dasani water bottle.
- Small bottle of liquid soap – Dawn
- Full size sharp scissors
- Two old towels
- An interesting stick of any wood – (approximately 1/2”circumference by 8” long). Handle can be added later.
Thursday, January 25
Personal Fiber Stories
7:00pm, First Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall
Bring a fiber or textile-related item that has a story. Is it a quilt your grandmother made? A thimble made in the 1800s? A woven sample you made at a class twenty years ago that kicked off your love of weaving? Plan to tell the story of the item, if you feel comfortable sharing.
If you don’t have an item like that or dislike speaking in public, you don’t have to participate! You can just listen to others and enjoy. If you want to bring something but not talk, you can write up a few sentences about your item, and another Guild member will read your words to the group. We want everyone to feel included, even if you’re the quiet type.
Saturday, December 2
11:00am – 4:00pm A Taste of Fiber
A collaboration with the Gainesville Fine Arts Association held at GFAA’s gallery space on Main Street. An event open to the general public and promoted to GFAA’s and GHG’s members.
Thursday, November 30
7:00 pm FIBER FIEBRE PARTY
The end of year party will be at a member’s home.
All GHG Guild Members are invited (feel free to bring a friend interested in fiber arts, too)
As it’s been the Guild’s custom for the last several years ~
There will be a silent auction of Fiber Arts Supplies and Equipment. All collected $$ goes to the Guild’s Treasury.
Thursday, November 16
Rock Pendant Workshop with Peggy DiNegro
7:00 – 8:30 pm
First Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall
Have you ever wrapped or woven wire around a pretty rock? Attend this workshop to find out why and how. Then we will weave with wire around a rock that you may take home to use as a pendant or an ornament if you choose.
Bring:
A small pretty rock.
You may choose to embellish your rock with any of the following:
size 11 seed beads, 4mm crystals, smaller metal 2 to 3mm beads, or glass beads including Czech glass.
Total quantity if you choose to add beads: 3-12 beads
Members: Free
Non-Members: $10
Must RSVP by November 7, 2023 to Linda
Saturday, October 28
Acid Dyeing Techniques Workshop
Presented by Vicki Lingertwood
10:00am – 2:00pm
Jennifer Hunt’s home
Cost: $15 for members, $20 for non-members
Vicki will first give a demonstration on acid dyeing and talk with us about different techniques. After that we will proceed to dye a mini skein of yarn, which will be provided, in dye that Vicki has already prepared for us ahead of time.
Please feel free to bring yarn, roving, something to be over-dyed, or even a warp from home. It must be an animal fiber. It also must be fully soaked — preferably overnight or at least 2 hours before you arrive.
There is a limit of 15 participants.
Thursday, September 28
Program ~ Possibilities of Felt ~ Patti Barker
A sharing of many ways felt may be used sculpturally and for wearables. Travel down the rabbit hole of felt making with Patti. She will bring loads of samplers documenting her 13 years of felting experience. Also, there will be wearables on display as well as a costume or two.
My early fascination with fabrics and fashion came from my seamstress mother. I’ve come to realize, fiber art is bound into my DNA. My main focus has been creating wearable art, with the use of silk and wool and soapy water. In addition to Nuno felt, I use hand-dying, needle felting andbead embroidery to compliment the tactile and visual narratives of each piece of wearable art.
As a graduate of Western Washington University with a Batchelor’s Degree in Studio Art and a concentration in fibers, I began thinking about skins.My study included simulated animal skins, human skin under a microscope, skins of mythical beings and hybrid humans.
An award-winning fiber artist, Patti Barker lives in a sprawling farm house in North Central Florida with her husband and two pups. Learn more about her at www.pattibarker.com.
Please share the projects you created during the Heat Wave! As you arrive for GHG meetings, please set up your Show-n-Tell on the table. Time to Socialize ! Please bring your own beverage and your Name Tag.
7:00 pm We will begin our meeting.
Our new Annual Dish Towel exchange for weavers, knitters and crocheters.: Be at the meeting Sept 28 at 7 PM ~ more will be revealed. What a great way to kick start a new year for our Guild. Come find out. Sarah McCarthy will be telling us all the details.
7:30 Our program will begin ~ Possibilities Of Felt
8:30 Wrap up/ Clean up
Gainesville Handweavers' Guild 