Hello!

Summer is here already which emphasizes just how busy we were all Spring long. We attended The OHS Conference in May. All the details are in the “Stepping Stones” article ( page 2 ). I spent part of my youth in Kingston so it is always a special time to return and visit boyhood haunts. Well those that are still there.

In June Marie was away for ten days attending the Surfacing Conference in Kansas City plus participating in post conference workshops. Marie’s article this month relates her experiences.

Have a great summer!

Don and Marie

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International Surface Design Association Conference

On the first of June, I was on my way to Kansas City, Missouri, to attend the Surface Design Conference and take part in a four-day post-conference workshop. I had attended one some years ago, probably about fifteen, and had been truly inspired at that time, so I was very excited to be able to go again. It was extremely well organized and offered a wide variety of lectures and demonstrations.

There was a fabulous fashion show that opened with an indoor kite flying demonstration that was totally unique and beautiful. There was live music provided by a superb jazz group and, of course, the fashions were exceptional.

I only wish that the organizers had seen fit to display the pieces somewhere for a day, so that I could have had a closer look at all the interesting surfacing techniques. This great evening, that included a scrumptious dinner, was part of my conference registration fee, so that was one huge bonus.

Just a little extra excitement was added to the evening when there was a tornado watch put out for the area. All I could think of was “The Wizard of Oz” and poor Dorothy. None of the locals seemed to pay any attention to the warning and the evening passed by with just a rather noisy thunderstorm.

Then there were the suppliers, not a huge number, but very different from those we would normally see at a weaving conference. There were only a couple of yarn sources, one being HABU from New York which has quite unusual yarns. Of course, Marie just had to buy a few to try, some paper yarn among them. The owner, Takako Ueki, would be a fabulous addition to one of our conferences in the future. There were also a few pattern companies present. Many of these patterns would be perfect for handwovens and embellished fabrics. I tried on a couple of samples from The Sewing Workshop. I have had one or two of their patterns for awhile and have not yet made them up, so trying on the styles for sizing was great and inspired me to get those patterns out and actually use them.

A few very interesting fabric companies were present, one of which is “Thai Silks”. I have ordered some premade iridescent silk scarves to embellish, but could have bought many more of their unusual silk fabrics. Just gorgeous!

One evening there was a trunk show which was part of Kansas City’s monthly first Friday gallery event. As a conference participant you could rent a table in the show very inexpensively and perhaps recover some of your costs. It was a fun evening and I would definitely do it again. The whole day was devoted to gallery hopping with shuttle buses moving back and forth to the Crossroads Gallery District.

There were numerous textile shows to visit and I was able to see several, in between setting up my space and manning the booth for the evening. I saw a lot of beautiful digitally printed textiles that often incorporated layering of sheer pieces into their presentations. Embellishment with intricate stitching was another trend at these shows, as well as the reworking of well-worn and loved collectible, vintage fabrics into wonderful new, energized pieces.

Another fun event that ran the duration of the conference was a silent auction, a great little money maker for the organizers. Donations ranged from signed books to wearable art to jewellery to wall pieces and beyond with a wide selection of price points. I bid on several things but didn’t win anything this time around.

Truly an inspiring conference! These were only a few of the highlights. I’ll be looking for a ’07 roommate. Maybe if we start saving now. Workshop news next time. Suffice it to say that it was fabulous.

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OHS Conference “ Stepping Stones”

We attended the Ontario Handweavers and Spinners bi-annual conference in Kingston, Ontario in mid May. One of the joys for Marie and I is to have customers visit the Yarns Plus booth, open a bag and show us a piece woven with yarn they have purchased from us. It really makes for some special moments.

The fashion show is always an excellent showcase for creativity and we were very gratified to see more exciting uses of Tencel and Rayon Chenille.

The Yarns Plus Award for Excellence in Weaving was won by Dorothy Young of Kingston.
		Dorothy created a beautiful coat using Japanese “Yoko-zurashi-gasuri” - yarn sliding technique applied to warp threads dyed in stripes. The hand painted silk lining was spectacular.

After viewing the “ Stones in the Fabric of Life” juried display Marie and I commented to each other that a dramatic change in both creativity and execution of technique has taken place in the last few years. There was lots space in the sales room which seemed to be right in the middle of the entire conference. Hats off to Lise Noakes for a great supplier room experience and to Roberta McKinney and Susie Reinink and their team for a memorable conference.

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From the Distillery

JThe Distillery District special events just keep on getting bigger and more successful. The summer months are crammed with a great variety of fun happenings. A complete schedule can be seen on their website - thedistillerydistrict.com.

When you are at the Distillery District be sure to drop around and say hello to Marie at Marie Josette Wearable Art, Studio 105, Ground Floor, Case Goods Building located just behind Balzak’s Coffee, foot of Trinity Street. Wed—Sun, noon to 5 p.m.

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What's New & Coming!

What’s New and Coming is a little unusual this issue in that everything new is here and in stock with nothing coming. That’s good news as it means the stock outages in the dyed 2/10 Tencel and certain sizes of undyed Tencel are behind us.

All we are waiting for is 2/10 Herb Green and Gold and 2/8 Lemon Drop to have a complete ship right away inventory. These colours should be on hand within three weeks.

Limited Edition Tencel Scarf Warps …

Last month we announced the limited edition Tencel scarf warp “ Stepping Stones” that Marie created for the OHS Conference in Kingston. It was a great hit! Only two are left and are available on a first come basis. You will receive the two scarf warp and two different weft colors at the special Conference price of $79.00.

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Here are the shows Shows we will be attending in 2005….

• September 17, 2005
  Five Counties Seminar “ Fabrics for Fashions”, Thorold, Ontario
• October 1, 2005
  Central Region Seminar, Featuring Sharon Alderman as speaker,
  Port Perry, Ontario

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July/August Specials

4 ply Rayon — 1200 yd/lb 25% off

One pound tubes only $9.00 a pound.
Take a four lb. mill cone — now only $8.00 a pound.

Two years ago we introduced this 4 ply Rayon that has a great twist for a super feeling yarn. Ideal on it’s own or mixed with other yarns if you want to add some bulk. It comes on mill cones of approx. 4 lbs each. When we ran this special last summer it proved to be a winner so here it is again. Take a mill cone and knock a dollar a pound off the single lb. price. We’ll be glad to send a reeling, just call or email.

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Customer Satisfaction Guarantee

As mail order specialists we fully understand the apprehension to purchase yarn sight unseen. If you are planning a project and feel our yarn may be suitable we’ll be glad to send a reeling of any yarns you may want to order so you can be sure they are right for you. Just call toll free 1-877-448-4544.

If you buy yarn from us and discover it is not exactly what you wanted for your project we’ll take it back. We want you to be happy with your Yarns Plus purchase. To make it absolutely risk free we are happy to exchange an item or give a refund. We'll even pay the return postage. Just call!

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A Little Pearl…..

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”

Albert Einstein

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