Seminar 2020 | Saturday Workshops  
This year, some of our workshops are full day while others are half day and you get to choose two.

Sustainable Fibres | Supportable, Renewable Choices: The Options are Endless
Full Day: Heritage Ontario Longwools: The Border Leicester & the Cotswold | Grace Clare
​Join me in the study of the history, characteristics and the fibre of these two fabulous long wool breeds.   We will play with their lustrous locks, practice techniques to enhance their lustre and strength, and explore spinning different types of yarn and blends.
Equipment List
  • A Spinning Kit (Spinning Wheel in good working order)
  • Flick Carder
  • Small Combs
  • Empty Bobbins
​Grace Clare lives on a century farm in the hills of Northumberland with her husband, two border collies and too many sheep.   Her flock started with a ewe and two lambs as a birthday present for one of her children.  The flock has grown to include mostly longwool breeds, Border Leicester, BFL and Romney.   Grace attempts to produce clean, consistent, easy to spin fleeces in an ethical and sustainable manner. Her efforts have been recognized both locally and at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.
Full Day: Spinning Heritage Wool – a Sustainable Ontario Product | Julia Lee
By definition, the sheep breeds that have thrived in Ontario for hundreds of years — selected and adapted to do well in our climate and produce marketable products — are sustainable.  In many cases, their fleeces are also delightful for hand spinning.  Julia will introduce you to several well-established locally available sheep breeds, such as Lincoln, Dorset, Shropshire, Border Cheviot, and Rideau Arcott.  She will provide samples of their wool, sharing tips on purchasing and preparing it, and give hands-on guidance for spinning and plying it.  She will also discuss suitable end uses for characteristic wool from each breed.
Equipment List:
  • Spinning wheel in good working order, with at least one empty bobbin fitted with a lead cord, OR suspended spindle
  • Clean hand carders for wool (preferable but not essential)
  • Hand combs (preferable but not essential)
  • Pen for note-taking
Julia Lee is a graduate of the 1994-2000 OHS Spinning Certificate Program offered at the Haliburton School of Art + Design and is coordinating the 2014-2020 and 2017-2023 OHS Spinning Certificate courses. She teaches spinning and runs a custom spinning business in Toronto: Provenance Yarns and Textiles, through which she promotes the use of Ontario-grown fibres. When designing her textiles, Julia interprets a visual image or a sentiment and uses natural fibres to create colourful or naturally coloured garments and knitted tapestries. She likes her pieces to be noticed, while still being practical, durable, and ethical. Julia is currently OHS Spinning Education Chair, President of the Toronto Guild of Spinners and Weavers, and a member of the Upper Canada Fibreshed.
Full Day: ​Stash Diving for Colour | Alanna Wilcox
Have you been tempted and purchased different dyed braids of wool only to have them sitting in a storage bin because you're not sure what to do with them? This workshop will explore how a spinner can pair 2 (or more) different dyed braids so that they can be combined and used in a project with pleasing colour results instead of getting mud. You will leave this workshop inspired and excited to look at your stash in a whole new way!
Equipment List:
  • Yarn making tool: (working spinning wheel, electric spinner, or drop spindle)
  • Spinning wheel oil (for spinning wheels and electric spinners)
  • Lazy Kate (tensioned is preferred)
  • 3-4 empty bobbins with leader
Alanna Wilcox is an art teacher by day and a fiber artist by night. She loves sharing her passion with others and is constantly making things, especially projects that have to do with color and fiber to express her creativity. She earned the OHS Spinning Certificate with distinction in 2015 and the Master Spinner Certificate in 2017. She is the author of the spinning book "A New Spin on Color" and developed dye formulas to match Pantone® and digital colors. Working with fiber is something that she lives and breathes, sometimes literally.
Half Day: In the Loop: Spinning with Tencel™ | Beth Showalter
Looking to meet or revisit a sustainable fibre friend? Tencel is excited to make your acquaintance!  In this workshop we will learn how this regenerated fibre is produced using sustainably sourced wood manufactured in an environmentally responsible closed loop process that creates fibre which is biodegradable.  Tencel fiber has a lovely sheen, soft hand, drapes beautifully and blends well with other fibres. You will explore different fibre preparations, blends, spinning approaches and finishing methods to create a variety of beautiful handspun yarns. Get in the loop as you meet a new fibre who will play nicely with the reliable favourites hanging out in your stash!
Equipment List:
  • Wheel in good, working order with repair kit
  • At least 3 to 4 empty bobbins + a Lazy Kate
  • Hand Carders + Niddy Noddy 
  • Optional: Knitting Needle(s) and/or Crochet Hook(s), Ball Winder, Wool Combs
​Beth Showalter has always found inspiration in colour, textiles, fibres and history.  She began her spinning journey 20 years ago at the Seminar.  Beth completed the OHS Spinning Certificate Program in 2014 with distinction and is now an instructor in the program.  She looks for ways to learn new techniques, share ideas and experiment with fibre whenever possible!
Half Day: Spinning Gone Wild! | Joan McKenzie
​Spinning has ancient origins - and those folks didn’t get to go to a store and purchase ready to spin roving!!  So - what did they spin?? And how was it spun?  Join Joan for a trip back to the past and learn spinning with your fingers, make cordage, find out what plant materials can be used and experiment with wild plant fibres that have been foraged.  Make a small twined basket or coaster to take home. 
Equipment List:
  • Scissors with Sharp End
  • Spray Bottle or Mister (for water)
  • Old Towels (one or two)
  • Large-Eyed Darning Needle
Joan McKenzie is a member of the Etobicoke Handweavers and Spinners,  and practices a number of techniques – spinning, weaving, dyeing, felting, knitting, rug hooking, crocheting, tatting and various forms of needlework.   She's been spinning since 2007 and  in 2017 finished a spinning education program and was awarded a Certificate of Excellence in Spinning, from the Ontario Handweavers and Spinners (OHS).   Joan has taken many spinning, weaving and dyeing workshops with her guild, OHS,  in Ireland, and in Vancouver, BC with the Maiwa Textile Symposium. Of particular interest to her is the use of natural plant material for dyeing – and more recently for cordage. She has participated in a number of shows, with items in the NPCC's Annual Hall Show of the Etobicoke Handweavers and Spinners, as well as at the Ontario Handweavers & Spinners Conference Guild Displays. 
Half Day: Blending with Bast Fibres | Daf Summers
Did you know that blending fibres is prohibited in the bible not once, but twice?
  • Leviticus 19:19 You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor shall you wear a garment of cloth made of two kinds of material.
  • Deuteronomy 22:11 You shall not wear cloth of wool and linen mixed together.
So, is blending with bast fibres tricky? We will discuss a modern look at the best practices to blend bast fibres with other fibres. Participants should already know how to spin and have their own equipment.
Equipment List:
  • Tools for Carding and Spinning
  • Twist ties and tags (for samples)
  • Fibres you would like to use in blends
Daf Summers caught the crafting bug early, learning to sew by hand from her grandmother and learning to knit and crochet from her aunt.  At age 18 she discovered the Society for Creative Anachronism (a medieval recreation group) and learned to card fibres into yarns and weave them into beautiful pieces of trim.  Rebellious teen that she was, she hated that medieval hand carding! Fast forward to 2012 and she rediscovered knitting, spinning and weaving all over again, this time with the guilds and internet. She enjoys introducing people to spinning & weaving.  There is such a rich history to this seemingly simple act that we perform, taking fibre and making it strong enough to be made into the clothing we wear and the fabrics we use every day.  Then linen takes things to the next level.  The same fibres that make excellent cloth, is also prized for paper making. T he plant itself can be manipulated into figures and wreaths. 
Half Day: Responsible Dyeing | Donna Hancock
Are you interested in doing some dyeing but feel intimidated as to how to start?  We will discuss the basics and some interesting approaches as well as some ways of being sustainable.  We will try a small demo so everyone will have something to take home and get inspired to try some on your own.
Equipment List:
  • An Apron
  • A Plastic Bag
  • Pen & Paper​
Donna Hancock has been spinning for an eternity or at least it feels like it. She has a herd of Angora goats and has a spinning mill where she adds value to her fibre and many other producers’ fibre. Her life spins around fibre most days. 
Half Day: Let it Flow - Having Fun Painting with Natural Dyes | Kitt Fisher
We will discover how to use natural dyes to make our own painted natural dyed painted roving. The tips and tricks! 
Equipment List:
  • Protective clothing
  • A container to carry your wet roving home
Kitt Fischer's life has spun around textiles and fibre arts since she was young. Now decades later, her enthusiasm for learning about and playing with all varieties of fibre, dyes and textiles has not diminished. She continues to be fascinated with the infinite ways in which she can transform raw materials into unique textiles art creations. Kitt’s fibre journey has rewarded her with opportunities in which to share her artistry through the facilitation of workshops and lectures ranging from spinning to natural dying to designing her own signature knit and woven pieces. Her ideas and efforts have been acknowledged with awards, scholarships and exhibitions. 
Above photographs provided by each workshop instructor.
Proudly powered by Weebly