Victoria Handweavers & Spinners Guild

08/25/2026

08/21/2026

Some interesting events in Victoria!

Radical Regalia -- August 25 - September 13 https://gagegallery.ca/event/radical-regalia-elizabeth-carefoot-at-gage-gallery/

Grandmothers' Basket Workshop -- August 28 https://vhwsg.ca/calendar/?mc_id=779

We are 22 artists dedicated to creating an inspiring venue where we exhibit and sell our artwork as well as engage with the community in meaningful ways around art and culture.

08/19/2026

This workshop is rapidly filling up - only a few spots are still available. If you have been thinking about taking it, sign up fast! Sharon Kallis, the instructor, is amazing and will have you thinking differently about your "garden waste".

VHWSG Organized Workshops Upcoming Workshops Weaving from the Waste Pile Date: October 17 and 18, 2026; times to be determined Location: rural Saanich – exact location shared with registrants closer to workshop date Instructor: Sharon Kallis of EartHand Gleaners Society Cost: $175. Maximum 12 part...

08/09/2026

The Victoria Handweavers & Spinners Guild will be sharing a tent with the Vancouver Island Fibreshed at Fibrations 2026 on Sunday, August 16.

06/27/2026

As you plan your garden, don't forget that the "waste" at the end of the season is not really waste! This workshop will help you put it to good use.

https://vhwsg.ca/workshop-notice/weaving-from-the-waste-pile-workshop-17-18-oct-2026/

Participants will learn which plant fibres can be used at the end of the growing season, which fibres have retted sufficiently for twisting and cordage, and which techniques (twining, coiling, net-making, weaving, and needle arts such as knitting) suit these plants. Participants will be able to take home a small personal fibre and technique sample library as a visual reference for future weaving projects.

01/29/2026

UPCOMING WORKSHOP!

Weaving Inlay on a Transparent Background with Rebecca Smith on March 14th and 15th, 2026

Transparency weaving combines a sheer ground cloth with inlay. This workshop will appeal to tapestry weavers who want to use their skills in a new way, and to multi-shaft weavers interested in decorative wall hangings and window coverings. Students will learn how to weave designs in inlay using tapestry-based techniques for creating curved shapes or geometric forms. Advanced techniques will be presented for manipulating the inlay to create layered transparency. Students can create their own designs or choose from a variety of designs provided by the instructor. The workshop will conclude with mounting and display suggestions.
Level of student expertise required: basic weaving knowledge.

Registration is open.
The cost of the workshop is $350 if you are a member of a guild on Vancouver Island or the Lower Mainland. If you are not a guild member, the cost is $385. A materials list will be sent to you on registration.
Location: Studio in rural Saanich.
Exact times and location will be shared with registrants nearer the date.

Please go to https://vhwsg.ca/activities/workshops to register. Follow the directions to register on the webpage.

01/04/2026

Interested in learning about a warp ball? The January 20th presentation by Sandra Gillis on the use of a warp ball will be via zoom at 3:00 pm. The business meeting and show and tell will be in the evening at the regular time (7 pm). Click on the link below for additional information. All guild members will receive a zoom link via email for Sandra's presentation.

The program by Sandra Gillis (The Warp Ball: Its History, How It Is Used, And Whether It Is Still Used in Canada) will be presented at 3 p.m., 20 Jan 2026 on Zoom. All Guild members will receive a Zoom link to attend. For those members not able to attend at that time, the program will be recorded an...

09/29/2025

THE WORKSHOP IS FULL. Registration for the workshop on nettle processing and spinning is now open. Sharon Kallis of EartHand will guide you through processing dried nettle stalks into spun threads. You will also learn about harvesting and retting nettles. Some spinning experience is an asset.

The workshop is scheduled for November 22-23 at a location in Saanich. It is limited to 10 students, so sign up quickly! Click on the link for details on registration.

VHWSG Organized Workshops Upcoming Workshops Nettle Processing and Spinning – November 2025 Instructor: Sharon Kallis of EartHand Gleaners Society In this workshop, Sharon will guide you through processing dried nettle stalks into spun threads. You will also learn about harvesting and retting nett...

09/24/2025

The guild is hosting a presentation and a workshop on working with stinging nettles in fibre arts. Click on the links for details.

The presentation will be October 21 during the regular guild meeting: https://vhwsg.ca/meeting-notice/october-guild-meeting-21-oct-2025-7-p-m-doors-open-at-630/
Sharon Kallis will give an overview of the seasonal calendar of wild fibres that she works with throughout the seasons. Sharon regularly works with stinging nettles, fireweed, milkweed, flax and a variety of dye and basketry plants in her work with the EarthHand Community stewarding two environmental learning gardens in Vancouver. Expect a show and tell of her wardrobe of local fibres woven on a warp-weighted loom, and stories of her journey to a wilded wardrobe.

The workshop will be November 22-23: https://vhwsg.ca/frontpage/workshop-nettle-processing-and-spinning-22-23-nov-2025/

09/13/2025

Only 3 weeks until Texere, the guild's sale. It is being held at the ArtSea Gallery in Tulista Park (Sidney), and will include a variety of fibre artistry by guild members. This is our first group sale in a few years, so you don't want to miss it!
Texere: Exploring Fine Fibre Arts