The Fiber of Community

Columbia Weavers and Spinners’ Guild interlaces 77 years.

Seventy-seven years of creativity spanning multiple generations. That’s the ongoing legacy of the Columbia Weavers and Spinners Guild. 

“There is a fundamental human drive to take things into our hands and make them into something else,” says Nancy Elliott, the guild’s marketing director. “For eons, there has been a strong feeling among humans to go beyond just what’s necessary and instead get into how to make things more decorative or to look different.”  

The organization that began in 1947 was founded strictly by weavers who juried prospective members to ensure that their abilities met the caliber of their standards. Over the years, the guild has grown and evolved to embrace many handcrafts including spinning, knitting, crocheting, felting, and papermaking with its sole purpose to increase public awareness and enhance appreciation for all aspects of fiber arts.  

Today, fiber enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels are welcomed as members. Elliott explained that the group of approximately seventy members is growing. 

“These days there seem to be a lot of people really interested in spinning and weaving and we’re getting younger members and new members,” she added. The membership is comprised equally of people who are following a family tradition and of those who are jumping in for the first time.  

Like many in the group, Elliott is compelled by natural fibers, whether raw wool or yarn or paper. While many fiber arts involve an enjoyable rhythmic quality, she says that “there is something about taking natural materials and then thinking through the process of how they can be combined into an object that you find aesthetically pleasing.” For the crafts that can be solitary pursuits, the Columbia guild provides a social and collaborative framework. Members have numerous benefits and activities where they can learn, teach, or share their work. 

A basic annual membership fee is $35 and includes all meetings, special study groups, a monthly newsletter, participation in the Heritage Festival, and the annual Holiday Exhibition and Sale in November.   

At monthly meetings, the Weavers and Spinners’ Guild hosts speakers or presenters to cover all members’ crafts and interests. This year, the guild added gatherings it calls “The Fifth Saturday.” These events, which take place during the months that have five Saturdays, last four hours and are open to the public so that the community can see what the group does, while affording members an intimate forum to demonstrate their particular skills. One such Saturday involved a demonstration of traditional Japanese embroidery called Sashiko, used for the decorative or functional reinforcement of cloth or clothing. Skilled members also have the opportunity to share their craft by demonstrating at Columbia’s Annual Heritage Festival and Craft Show.  

For years, the guild has facilitated the Youth Fiber Arts Exhibition where members work with local schoolteachers to encourage young students who are doing fiber arts to submit work for an exhibit and chance to win awards. 

“Another really wonderful component of the guild is study groups for people who want to focus on one area or craft,” Elliott said. “These groups provide a chance to get ideas and feedback and watch each other working hands-on in a smaller group size.”  

The Columbia Weavers and Spinners’ Guild Annual Holiday Exhibition and Sale will be held at the American Legion Hall at 3669 Legion Lane — off East Broadway/Highway WW — on Friday and Saturday, November 15-16. Friday hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Only juried items that uphold the guild’s long-standing quality standards will be included for sale. 

“We focus on the idea of offering the community finely crafted, hand-made items either for their home, or for clothing or jewelry,” Elliott said. The sale will also feature fiber arts demonstrations. “If you’re not someone familiar with crafting or working with your hands in some way, it can seem a little bit like magic.”  

Columbia Weavers and Spinners’ Guild
cwsgcomo.org
[email protected]