” Come with me on a brief tour of a small but very famous and historic weaving company in Venice, Italy, the Liugi Bevilacqua Tessitura. I took a tour of the factory on a recent trip to Venice. This company has for over a hundred years been producing Jacquard cut velvet by hand on Jacquard looms that once belonged to the Venice Silk Guild. It has been family owned since 1875. The weavers train for 5 years.”
Jana Catuccio
Our meeting will be held at the Arts and Cultural Alliance Center, 1226 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Jana will share her Venetian adventure for our program. Come hear and see her exciting report.
Mini- Workshop Scheduled for March
Join us on March 21st for a woven beaded bracelet workshop. Registration will be due by February 8th (Our next meeting date). Kits will be made for participants and available at the workshop. Check our newsletter for more details, you will need a small loom for this workshop. The cost will be $30.00. This event will be held at the Manasota Community Foundation, 2820 Manatee Ave. W, Bradenton, FL
Do You Want to Learn to Weave?
Classes are starting at the Suncoast Community College. In January & February members will teach two courses: Learn to Weave and Weaving Rigid Heddle Style. Participants are able to weave different patterns and experiment with different threads. They learn how a loom works and get to meet other weavers and see things they’ve made. The dates for Learn to Weave will be January 27, 29, & 31 and February 3, 5 & 7. The dates for the Rigid Heddle class will be Feb 24, 26 & 28 and March 3, 5 and 7th. Click the above link to the school to access their catalogue.
Students in the Learn to Weave class will learn how to make a warp and warp their looms. By the time they complete this class they will have all of the information needed to do a project independently. The class is very extensive and there is one-on-one help for students.
Weaving on a rigid heddle loom is another way to create fantastic, unique, hand-made fabrics. the pictures below are examples of weaving done on such a loom.
Both classes will include 6 sessions and participants will be able to take their looms home to work on their projects.
Get to know us
We’ve been in existence since 1964 as an organization, holding regular meetings and a variety of other activities. Below are links to many of the upcoming events for the coming year. Please explore our website to see all the interesting activities we offer. Also, visit our Facebook and Instagram pages to learn more. Click on any of the images below to learn more or explore the menu bar above.
Mission
Through monthly meetings, study groups and special workshops, Manasota Weavers Guild offers our members a range of opportunities to increase their knowledge and skills. We welcome new weavers and spinners and provide instruction and mentorship. Our members also promote awareness and appreciation of the fiber arts through a variety of community outreach programs.
Membership in the Guild is open to anyone interested in the arts of loom weaving, tapestry, spinning, knitting, basketry and related fiber arts.