Welcome to the home of the Nutmeg Spinners Guild! Nutmeg Spinners Guild is Connecticut’s statewide guild for handspinners. The Guild has been an active part of Connecticut’s fiber arts scene for more than 20 years. Our membership is large and diverse, coming from throughout Connecticut and nearby states.
We meet five times a year on the first Saturday of the month in October, February, April and June. In December we meet the second Saturday. Meetings usually run from about 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
June 7
Upcycled Blending
with Emily Wohlscheid
(in person)
The Nutmeg Spinners Guild is excited and pleased to bring Emily Wohlscheid of Bricolage Studios, Kalamazoo, MI to Connecticut to provide the guild with two days of special programs to help get creativity flowing and provide different ways to think about spinning.
Saturday – Upcycled Blending
Experiment with textile waste to create beautifully blended fiber preps on a variety of carding equipment. Utilizing the drum carder, hand cards, and the blending board, students will learn how to best handle upcycled effect fibers on each type of equipment for an optimal blend. Special treatment of fibers to minimize loss and prevent damage to equipment will also be emphasized.
A material fee of $10 per guild member participant (non-guild member cost is $20) provides:
- 1.5 oz. upcycled textural fibers
- 2 oz. dyed combed top
- Handouts (paper & digital)
Equipment to bring:
- Writing utensil
- Any or all of the following tools: hand cards, blending board, drum carder
- Spinning wheel in good working order with all its parts, optional but useful for sampling fiber preps
Materials to bring:
At least 2.5 oz. of any combination of fleece, combed top, roving to be used for blending (this is in addition to fibers that will be provided as part of the material fee).
Sunday – Handspun Wirecore and More
Location TBD 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Learn a playful spinning technique that sparks creativity! Students will begin the day exploring colors and textures to customize blends for their projects. These freshly blended fibers will then be spun into flexible yarn using wire as a core for a bracelet or earring project (spinner’s choice). Additionally, we will create a fiber covered LED light set using our new found wire spinning ability. Other uses for finished yarns will be discussed with access to a digital slideshow of inspiring works.
Students will have two options (1 Earrings, 2 Bracelet) for take-home projects based upon the program. Each project has an associated $5 fee, with one project covered by the material fee. If the participant chooses to undertake a second project, an additional fee of $5 is payable by the participant.
Class Fee: The teaching and space rental fees for Day 2 with Emily Wohlsheid will be paid by the participants, with the per participant cost expected at around $100, not including the material fee. The final cost will be communicated prior to the event. Class space is limited to 20 people.
Equipment Needed:
- Spinning wheel in good working order with all of its parts
- A blending board, drum carder, or hand cards
- Wire nippers/flush cutters
- Flat nose pliers (with smooth jaws)
- Round nose pliers
- Ruler or fabric tape measure
Materials Provided ($20 fee):
- LED wire light strand
- Spool of jewelry wire
- Fabric band
- Earring OR bracelet project kit (students may choose to add on a second project kit for the additional fee)
- 2 oz. of various fibers for custom blending
- Handouts
- Slideshow access
Emily Wohlscheid is the teaching artist behind Bricolage Studios. She works out of a cooperative studio in West Michigan and specializes in small batch fiber blends and jewelry inspired by nature and textiles. She regularly contributes to Spinoff and PLY Magazine and offers courses in spinning, fiber blending, and jewelry making. Check out her Spin Off Magazine Summer 2023 article “Upcycled Textural Blends: Neps, Noils, Threads and More,” pages 66-71.
If you are interested in becoming a member of the guild, please contact membership@nutmegspinners.org or sign up here.
Directions to the meeting are here.