All the way back in 1938, a lady by the name of Bessie Swain gathered together a small group of weaving enthusiasts and formed the New Hampshire Weavers.
Do a little quick math, and you’ll see that the group – better known these days as the N.H. Weavers Guild – is celebrating 80 years, which is quite the milestone.
And what better way for an organization that’s all about the creation of hand crafted textiles to toot their own horns than with an exhibit showcasing its members work.
Through May 15, the work of more than 40 members will be on display in the Kimball Jenkins mansion. There are scarves and wall hangings, as well as sweaters and towels and blankets. And how many pieces are on display you ask? Well, that would be 80.
“It worked out perfect for our 80th anniversary,” said Guild President Marjie Thompson. “But really we just wanted a good representation of what people can weave and do weave.”
Unlike most shows, many of the pieces are not for sale because a lot of the textiles are from members personal collections and are many years old. But when you’re celebrating eight decades, you’ve got to bring out the best of the best.
“Weavers tend to keep the stuff with mistakes or their very best,” Thompson said. “These are a lot of pieces that people treasure.”
Also included is a sampling of blankets that Guild members created for donation to Project Linus.
The Guild wasn’t necessarily looking to do a show – they celebrated the anniversary with a big member birthday party. But Kimball Jenkins Managing Director Ryan Linehan asked if they’d be interested in putting one on. And since a lot of their shows are juried, which means the pieces are judged and critiqued – a process some members don’t enjoy – this gave a number of those members the opportunity to just showcase their work.
It makes since to have a show at Kimball Jenkins because that is essentially the Weavers Guild’s home base. The group, which has more than 130 active members, meets at Kimball Jenkins on the third Wednesday of the month, September through November, and March through May.
“We’re smart enough to stay away from winter,” Thompson said.
The six meetings a year consist of two or three morning class options for two hours (at a cost) as well as Weavers Helping Weavers, where members just work on projects and get advice/pointers from others in the group.
After a break for lunch, there’s usually a speaker in the afternoon, except for this month’s meeting where the group is putting on a fashion show and show and tell.
“People are more than welcome to come check us out,” Thompson said.
While it’s a New Hampshire-based organization, the Guild has members that travel from Maine, Vermont and Massachusetts.
“They travel for the meetings because they want to be there,” Thompson said.
Dues for the year are a whopping $32, and it gives you a few perks.
“Of all the guilds I’ve belonged to, this one is the most fun,” Thompson said.
If you’re interested in becoming a member or just want more information, visit nhweaversguild.org.
