Store hours: Fridays & Saturdays: 10AM-5PM

Colcha: Northern New Mexico's traditional embroidery.

What is Colcha? During the Spanish Colonial era, wool shorn from churro sheep was spun into yarn and woven into a base cloth for embroidery called sabanilla. Other Churro yarn was later dyed with local plants, such as Cota, Chamisa, Escobillana, Lemita and Ground Lichen, and Mexico-native cochineal and indigo powder, imported from the Spanish Empire.

This Colcha exhibit is part of a presentation that EVFAC has been collaborating on with Olimpia Newman. It will be presented at an upcoming symposium at the Textile Society of America! Find out more about the symposium and how to register here:

https://textilesocietyofamerica.org/symposia/symposium-2020/program-2

CALLING ALL FIBER ARTIST:
FALL FIBER FIESTA 2020!

The 2020 Fall Fiber Fiesta will be a little different this year, like everything else!

EVFAC is calling all maker members to bring in up to 10 handmade fiber art items to be displayed in-store during all open hours throughout November and December! EVFAC will be doing it’s normal SALE consignment rate of 15% EVFAC / 85% artist for this event, plus a $10 registration fee.

Items must be checked in during the last two weekends of October: Friday or Saturday, October 23rd-24th/30th-31st during normal hours of operation: 10:00am-5:00pm at the Espanola Valley Fiber Arts Center. Vendors must be UP TO DATE on membership fees, and fill out consignment sheets for our inventory purposes during the drop off times listed above. Please deliver your items in a closable bin or box with your name and phone number written clearly on it. $10 registration fee to be paid upon item drop off!

It is not necessary for artists to be present during this fun, on-going sale. In fact, for social distancing purposes, it is not recommended. There will be extra staff in the center during this event to help promote the sale of your goods.

We will begin publicizing this event starting in October. Participants will be emailed promotional materials to help promote the event through your personal social media platforms.

LET’S MAKE THIS A GREAT SALE!

The more beautiful handcrafted items we have in the store, the more we will all sell! Bring it on guys, we know you have just been waiting for some sort of sale!

For questions, please call or email Amanda Speer or Dain Daller at warpzoneweaving@gmail.com or 505-901-9329.

Churro Sheep Shearing

A few weeks ago we sent an eblast offering shares for the churro fleece at Los Luceros. We got a wonderful response and sold all the shares. Since then, Ethan Ortega, the manager at Los Luceros, decided that it should wait until spring when the new lambs will be ready to shear.

We were also offered another 20 churro fleeces which we will substitute for those interested. We will try again in the spring and hopefully make a small event. Thank you all who were so responsive. It is gratifying to know there is such a community of churro users. Please look for updates in the spring.

Leigh Alexander

SPINNING ADVENTURES WILL RETURN!
Starting this NOVEMBER!
Second Saturday of every month: 12:30-3:00

This is a FREE, FUN, group! We will be returning in full spin the second Saturday of November: November, 14th. All levels of spinning abilities welcome! Please join Glenna in this whirl of fun. This group will be maintaining the social distancing protocols that have been put in place by the center. If you are a new or newer spinner, PLEASE contact Gleana Dean at puchteca@windstream.net. Drop on in and spin away!

OPEN WEAVE WITH DAIN DALLER

Ever wanted to learn to weave? How about trying a more advanced weaving technique like shadow weave or woven shibori? Now’s your chance!

EVFAC is now offering an ongoing "pay-as-you-go" weaving class for students of all skill levels. Every Saturday from 1-3:30 Dain will be available to help you with whatever weaving technique you desire from beginner to advanced.

Attend as many or as few as you want. Class size is limited to 4 at a time due to our social distancing protocol. To reserve your spot, please email Dain at warpboard@yahoo.com no later than 4 PM on the Friday before you wish to attend.

It is alright if you can't make it some Saturdays. Simply email each Friday to let us know you plan on coming back and we will leave your project on the loom waiting for you. Sorry, but tapestry techniques will not be taught in this class.

$35/Session+Materials fee: paid only at the first session: $10. Students are also welcome to bring their own supplies.

Saturdays: 1:00-3:30. Ongoing!

EVFAC Library is up and running!

Did you know that the library here at EVFAC now has over 2,000 titles? We have one of the best fiber arts related libraries in the country, with an extensive collection: from books for beginners to hard to find texts, manuals, and magazines for deeper research. The library was in a state of transition for a while, but thanks to hard work by both employees and volunteers, everything is now shelved, catalogued, and ready to be checked out. Come in and browse, find that book you've been looking for, and take advantage of this amazing resource! You can check books out, as well as search our entire collection online at the front desk with Debbie anytime we're open. Materials can be checked out by any member, free of charge, for 30 days at a time.

Check it out!

Special thanks to Nadina Barnes, Amanda Speer, Laura Ninneman, Dain Daller, Vanessa Harris, Olimpia Neuman, Glenna Dean, and Chris Solomon for their help on this over the years.

P.S. If you have something at home that has been checked out for a while- no worries- just bring it back in as soon as you can, so we can put it back into the system. Thank you!

Dowry Textiles of the Rabari by Mary L. Grow

Many textiles in South Asia are connected to family traditions, marking rites of passage with extraordinary displays that express artistry and devotion. In the1980s I spent time with the Rabari, pastoralists who live in the northwestern region of India, known as the Kutch. I quickly fell in love with their beautiful textiles. This short essay focuses on some of the embroidered pieces that comprise a bride’s dowry. Throughout her life, these pieces intersect with her role as wife, mother, and officiate of the household shrine. The artistry of each one contributes to a bride’s status, and is an example of a skill that’s prized by all Rabari. These textiles not only distinguish her natal family, but also help the bride forge new alliances with her husband’s people.

Dowry textiles vary greatly according to economic conditions and exhibit resourcefulness and skill. Women of the bride’s kinship group unite to construct them, and take pride in their contributions. Households plagued with poverty become inventive as cotton grain bags and cast-off dress patches undergo dazzling transformations. Colorful embroideries, inlaid with mirrors, decorate the surface, and in many instances, both thread and mirror give a garment its structural strength. Pieces of satin are applied to a worn cotton foundation and embellished with a variety of stitches. Textiles in a dowry typically include: clothing, wall hangings (chalkas, torans, tarpudios), a pair of decorative fabric bands for each side of a doorway (sankia), quilts and quilt covers, animal trappings, cushions, and cloth coverings for food containers and water jars. Everything is carried by the bride to her new residence in a large dowry bag (kothrie) that’s decorated with applique and embroidery.

Motifs favored by the Rabari include flowers, trees, and birds (parrots and peacocks) that are foreign to the deserts of Kutch. These vibrant motifs closely resemble the embroideries found at the ancient Moghul courts and suggest contact between the two groups. For generations the Rabari have maintained these motifs; many of which evoke a life force and fertility important to marriage. They stand in stark contrast to the barren desert in which the Rabari live. Tridents and zigzags, executed in chain stitches, often trace the borders of each textile. Cowrie shells, associated with water, might be attached, as well as cardamom seeds that appear to be tossed like dice, indicating the number of children the bride will have. Mirrors that accents major motifs, are sewn into a textile to deflect the evil eye, a force that may bring misfortune to family members and livestock.

Wall hangings are some of the most important textiles that a bride carries to her new home. Torans, hung above the doorway inside a home, not only welcome auspicious deities, but also prevent malevolent forces from crossing the threshold by blessing and cleansing the guests and inhabitants of the house each time they pass beneath. They feature tabs and tassels that gently move with the wind entering the house and catch any negative air-borne spirits, transforming or repelling their energy. As wife and mother, each Rabari woman is expected to do as much as possible to insure the well-being of her family, and this includes material, physical, and spiritual dimensions.

Dowry textiles celebrate a rich cultural tradition each time women gather to sew. Clothing and household items exhibit personal innovation, while they embrace patterns and techniques the Rabari have loved for generations. These beautiful textiles unite family and community members before, during, and long after the marriage ceremony. They are tangible evidence of the continuing creativity of the Rabari.

Mary L. Grow is a textile artist & ethnographer. She lives near Espanola, New Mexico growml@gmail.com

CLASSIFIEDS: LOOMCRAFT 45" MAPLE FLOOR LOOM WITH 6 TREADLES, 4 HARNESSES AND 8 DENT REED. IT INCLUDES A WARPING BOARD, 3 SCHACHT SPINDLE SHUTTLES, 1 LECLERC SHUTTLE, 18 BOBBINS AND VARIOUS CONES OF WARP AND WEFT FIBER. IT IS 53" WIDE PLUS A 5" WARP BEAM CRANK X 39 1/2" H. USED BUT IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. PICK UP IN ELDORADO OF SANTA FE. PRICED AT $995. CALL 505-690-9145.

EVFAC WISH LIST:

If you are interested in donating but can’t think of what to give, maybe something here will spark your interest!

• A rolling cart for the thumper area

• New or lightly used Wireless Mouse &/or Keyboard for front desk

• New Cash drawer (high quality, with key)

• New(er) office chair

• Small, shallow shelving unit (for our dyes)

Volunteer Opportunities Available!

• Retail assistant during store hours

• General housekeeping/store maintenance

• Grant coordinator

• Volunteer coordinator

• Organizer for annual meeting

• Educational programs coordinator

• Respond to donations/contributions

• Membership coordinator

ANOTHER GREAT BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OUR WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS & DONORS!
Please log your volunteer hours and donations online at: https://www.nmfiberartscenter.org/donate-or-volunteer so we can give you the thanks you deserve. We appreciate your hard work and we need you. You are what makes this organization possible and we are forever grateful!

VOLUNTEERS
Endless praise and thanks to all who volunteered:
Christine Hernandez • Eric Ibuado • Barbara Roybal • Karen Rose • Leigh Alexander • Alysha Colangeli • Dain Daller • Caroline Dechert Elise Earl • Vanessa Harris • Gloria Padilla • Amanda Speer • Leigh Oviatt • Debbie Harris • Lyndsay Remerowski • Carol Nieukirk • Glenna Dean • Kathy Konecki • Sandy Liggett • Mark Bond

DONORS
Our most sincere thanks goes out to all who donated:

Jennifer Moore • Barbara Roybal • O.R Communications • Carol Burling M Susan Barger • Nancy Woodworth • Paul Kagawa • Susan Meredith Regina Boyer • Elise Earl • Caroline Dechert •

Deborah Dant • Siwin Lo • Suzanne Smith

• Please note again: we apologize if your name is missing from our list. This is because your information was not input into our jotforms document! Please log your volunteer hours and donations here!

EVFAC+NMFAC
325 PASEO DE ONATE
ESPANOLA, NM 87532
505-747-3577