The Whatcom Museum is bringing Pat Spark, one of the founding members of the Whatcom Weavers Guild, to Bellingham in November. While she is here, Pat will give a workshop and a talk about her fiber adventures over the past 40 years.
Pat is well known for her work in felting, and has published several books and articles on the topic. She started her textile career at WWU, went on to earn an MFA at the University of Washington, and was a professor of art for 16 years. She is a partner in the publishing firm Fine Fiber Press and Studio, which holds workshops, publishes books on fiber arts, and sells equipment for felt-makers and tapestry weavers. She has taught around the world, including a recent trip to Kyrghizstan where she taught contemporary felt-making.
Her talk and slide presentation will be on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. in the Whatcom Museum Old City Hall Building, located at 121 Prospect St., Bellingham. Admission is free to museum and guild members, and there is a $3 suggested donation for non-members.
Pat’s workshop will be on Sunday, Nov. 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Optical Color Blending for Feltmakers and Spinners, and it will be held at the Lightcatcher Studio of the Whatcom Museum, 250 Flora St., Bellingham.
Here’s a description of the museum workshop:
Why do those beautiful, brightly colored fleeces look so great alone but turn to mud when they are blended together? Because most of us use the same color mixing theories when mixing fiber as we do when mixing paint. Highly respected felt-maker, teacher, and author, Pat Spark will teach and demonstrate optical blending theories needed for mixing fibers in felt-making and spinning. Pat has been studying color theory, as it pertains to fiber, for 36 years. This workshop is geared for people with a little textile experience, such as spinning or felting. Participants should bring hand cards if they have them.
Cost: $80 for museum and guild members or $90 for non-members, plus a $25 lab fee for a merino variety pack of colors, felting needles, foam pad, and handouts. Maximum number of students, 12; minimum number of students, 5 to 6. To register, contact the Bellingham Parks and Recreation Office, 360-778-7000, by Oct. 28.
Fiber Arts at the Lightcatcher
The Whatcom Museum will host a show and sale by the Whatcom Weavers Guild, entitled Fiber Arts at the Lightcatcher, on Saturday, Nov. 19 from noon to 4 p.m. in the Lightcatcher Building, 250 Flora St., Bellingham.
The guild will demonstrate and provide hands-on opportunities for weaving and spinning for the public; hand-crafted fiber work of the guild’s membership will be available for show and sale.
There is an admission fee of $3 for those who are not museum or guild members.
For further information about the Whatcom Weavers Guild, visit www.whatcomweaversguild.org or contact Sheri Ward, info@whatcomweaversguild.org or 360-961-4956.
