You can now become a member of the Wichita Weavers, Spinners & Dyers Guild online!
On the menu bar above, go to Membership > Join Now (or click here) to complete the online form and then pay through PayPal. No PayPal account is required, so you can just use your credit card through their secure site.
The front of the building – Willard Elementary opened in 1927.
A new Guild year, that is. Our first meeting is scheduled for Saturday, September 8th. We welcome visitors, so please drop in and get acquainted!
See the map link at right for building location and directions, and hover over a date in the ‘Meetings’ calendar, also at right, for more information about a specific meeting.
Guild meetings are usually held on the first Saturday of the month from September through May. While it officially starts at 10 am, people start arriving any time after 9 am to socialize, and will sometimes bring some light snacks to share. There’s a large convenience store just across the overpass, which is handy for snagging your favorite morning drink to bring along.
The Morris Street entrance, closest to our room.
We start with a business meeting, which is pretty informal, and sometimes quite brief. Once we have covered that, it’s on to the educational program! They ARE educational, but are generally pretty fun, too.
Programs may be a demonstration or sharing time, or may be a hands-on project. Some projects have a materials fee, which we’ll announce ahead of time. Participation is completely optional, so if you’d prefer to just hang out and watch, or bring your own project to work on while watching or visiting, we’re fine with that!
If you’re interested in following our adventures, find us on Facebook, or submit a Contact Us form to request a subscription to our regular monthly email newsletter. This is different from our Class Updates newsletter (with some overlap) – you can subscribe to that one at right, too.
Meetings are usually held in guild member Susan de Wit’s WitArt studio and classroom, across the hall from our weaving studio. There’s always time before or after a meeting to do a bit of shopping in Susan’s room, or to step across and see the Guild’s looms and other equipment.
Whether you’re new to fiber arts or a long-time Guild member, you can be part of an exciting, creative new year!
The Guild has a long history in Wichita… it has been in existence since 1947! Many talented people have been a part of the story; some of their names have been lost over time, but many still live in the memories of current members. Martha Crowley is one of those.
Martha passed away in 2013, but her husband, Frank Pate, has not forgotten her dedication and years of service as a Guild officer, member and encourager. In 2016, he donated the majority of her yarns, fiber, books, tools and equipment to the Guild, all of which we offered for sale as a fundraiser. The sale was an unqualified success, with the items going to new homes where they are used and treasured, and the funds ultimately helping to support the opening of the Fiber Arts Center of Wichita.
We had no idea at the time that his gift would provide seed money for a new fiber education venture, but we’re pretty sure Marty would have been delighted!
And now Frank has donated some very special items to the Guild, which are on view at the Fiber Arts Center, and which will continue to educate and inspire fiber artists. In addition to the items pictured above, her collection included mounted tapestry weavings, antique pincushions and bobbin lace tools.
We deeply appreciate Frank’s generosity and his support of the skills that Martha loved and in which she excelled.
