Circle Craft ends tomorrow, check out the list of exhibitors!    If you're planning on going be sure to stop by the Capilano U Textile Arts table.  They are there to answer any questions you have about the program and flaunt their hand-mades.  Alumni Wendy Van Riesen of Dahlia Drive and Vanessa Cunningham of Thrums are there.  Vanessa says her red shawls are going fast. 

Next weekend is the All Handmade Sale on 1st Ave and Salsbury.  It's personally my favourite Vancouver winter market.  In the past I've left with a homemade frozen cookie dough log, hand-made mugs from JustPotters, lovely wooden earrings, a hand-knit cowl with the cutest buttons, locally grown vegetables and hand-made soaps.  Oh and I also rented a mini potted Christmas tree from this market.  It was later picked-up from my home and re-planted in the ground.  So awesome!

See our calendar for details on both events

Image taken from the All Handmade Sale facebook page

This is a great opportunity to get some Christmas shopping done, you know get your hands on some lovely hand-mades for your loved ones. 

Here's a link to the sale blog

It's also a great opportunity to see what the Textile Arts Program at Cap is all about at their info session at 1:30 that day.  It is a gem of a program which I think has fallen under the radar in the arts community in Van.  It prepares you for a number of possible future careers, so it's worth checking out if your interested in working in theatre production, interior design, fashion (although it is NOT a fashion program) or as an artist or teacher etc.  Also not only do they offer the diploma program, but also a 1-year certificate program.  I did the two-year diploma program and am SO glad I did.  I learned so much.  I remember after the first year I couldn't fathom what else they could teach us, but the second year was just as loaded as the first. 

Textile Art Sale
November 22nd 11:30p - 6:00p
Capilano University 2055 Purcell Way, N.Vancouver, room 201

Textile Arts Program info session
@ 1:30-2:30

Janna

Basket-woven wool

Emily Hill is a 2011 graduate of the Capilano University Textile Arts Program

Isn't this scarf gorgeous?  My dear friend Ana Isabel hand-wove and naturally dyed it.  It's 100% organic cotton, 10 feet long and oh so yummy.

This week Ana is participating in the Poppytalk Handmade Marketplace for their back-to-school market.  Check out her goods here.

Ana's Fall 2011 line of neckwear
Ana's Etsy shop
Ana's blog

This week the Capilano University Textile Arts Program is having their grad show at the Ferry Building Gallery on the North Shore.  From what I've seen and heard a lot of the pieces shown will be wearable.  Pictures of amazing felted, pleated and woven and dyed garments can be seen on their facebook page. 

But of course their will be non-wearables on display as well including this collaborative piece by Soledad Munoz and Emily Hill.  Isn't this massive tapestry amazing?!?!  Go see it and more fibre art at the show...

Opening this Tuesday May 17th, 6pm-9pm
Runs until the 29th

Ferry Building Gallery
1414 Argyle Ave
West Vancouver

www.ferrybuildinggallery.com

Gallery Hours Tuesday - Sunday 11-5 (closed Mondays)

The textiles program has extended their info sessions to include two more this year; one in April and one in June.  You know what that means?  I'm guessing it means they're not filled up for Fall 2010.  As a soon-to-be graduate of the program I cannot imagine why more fashion designers, interior designers, costume makers and film industry artists aren't jumping at the chance to be a part of this amazing program.  Let me tell you, my head is exploding with information, and I think I was quoted as saying that after my first year, so one can only imagine how I feel at the end of my second.

A good opportunity to see what's up in the program is at our graduation exhibition which opens May 13th at Cityscape Gallery on Lonsdale and 3rd.

Upcoming info sessions are as follows:

Wednesday, April 21, 2010
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Capilano University, North Vancouver campus
Arbutus building, room 201

Saturday, June 12, 2010
1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Capilano University, North Vancouver campus
Arbutus building, room 201


Janna Vallee

This Thursday the Textiles Program at Capilano University is having an info session.  So, If you are at all interested in knowing more about the textiles program and if it is right for you I suggest you check it out.  They are also having another info session on March 6thth if you miss this one.

When: Feb 11th 6:30-8:30 or March 6th 1:30-3:30

Where: Capilano University, 2055 Purcell Way,  Arbutus Building, Room 201

Bellow I have listed some blogs of current second year students including myself:

http://www.jannamaria.com/blog.html

http://dreamyisabel.blogspot.com/

http://carminestudio.blogspot.com/

http://petyna.wordpress.com/

http://dharmathreads.blogspot.com/

I'm taking spinning classes at Birkeland Bros. and it has been quite the experience. Vanessa Cunningham teaches the class.  She's a really down to earth, laid back and patient gal who is perfect for the job. There are about eight of us learning so she's perpetually juggling all of our questions and panic attacks simultaneously pulling it off quite gracefully. I found it somewhat of a coincidence that she was teaching the class since she recently graduated from the Capilano College (now University) Textile's program, the very program I am going into this September (and I might add, am giddy every day in anticipation). Shortly after I made this connection between Vanessa and I, I discovered that she is the creator of the woven shawl that I came across while researching the program at the Cap College website. The very shawl that inspired me to apply (as you can see it's beyond beautiful). Needless to say I was star struck. So, in an attempt to do some networking and friend making with Vanessa I showed her Vancouver Yarn. As I clicked through the many pages I'd worked so hard to perfect we landed on the News and Events page. "See!" I said, "there's even a yarn news and events page, so you can see what crafty things are going on in the city." She responded with a pause and then a wide eyed look of surprise and finally said, "Oh, do you know what that says?" I squinted my eyes to focus and then took a double take at what was suppose to be a title for the upcoming Knit in Public event. To my dismay it read, KNIT IN PUBIC! Needless to say we had a good laugh and I continued to nervously chuckle for the last hour and a half of the spinning class.

Spinning is my new favourite hobby! I recently purchased a spinning wheel off Craigslist. I couldn't find a second hand Joy Ashford (a travel wheel), which would've been my first choice seeing as I have already wanted to bring my wheel to friends houses for movie nights. Yes, I'm one of those OCD crafters. I am very happy with the wheel I got though. It's an Ashford Traditional and it came with a bunch of extras (jumbo flyer, extra bobbins etc.).

So, if you are interested in learning how to spin, Birkeland Bros. is the place. Spinning doesn't have to be too much of an investment craft either. I found my wheel for a mere $200.00.