Our Guild had its first meeting back on September 9th, 1948. The first members - eighteen of them - were students of an Ontario Government "Community Programs" course in weaving which had been held in Niagara Falls during that summer. The students were so taken with learning to weave that they immediately organized the Niagara Weavers Guild and became affiliated with the Ontario Handweavers and Spinners (OHS). The group soon began holding exhibits, taking part in craft and folk festivals, convening workshops, and spreading the joy to whomever would listen.
Niagara Handweavers and Spinners are one of the oldest continuing Guilds in Ontario, sharing this honour with the guilds in Kingston, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Ottawa. Since we began, we have gone beyond our boundaries of Niagara Falls, with members now coming from all over Niagara including St. Catharines, Port Dalhousie, Thorold, Jordan, Welland, Pelham, Fort Erie, Ridgeway, Grimsby, Port Colborne and Wainfleet. Spinners enjoy a monthly gathering specific to their craft and we have an annual dye day. Most members enjoy skills in multiple fibre arts and there is a freely given sharing of knowledge.
The purpose of the Guild is: to bring together those individuals interested in, and engaged in the crafts of hand weaving, spinning and related fibre arts; to provide a fibre arts education centre for the community; to increase public awareness of these crafts in our community; to upgrade and improve standards of workmanship and technical expertise within the organization.
In that light, the Niagara Handweavers and Spinners demonstrate their craft at various Heritage and Artisan events throughout Niagara, provide workshops at schools, visit seniors’ homes, participate in outreach programs, and compete in the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair's 'Sheep to Shawl' contest. In November we have our Art of Fibre Show and Sale.
Guild members can be seen weaving, rope-making or spinning at various locations throughout the year. We have participated in Heritage Day events at Balls Falls Conservation Area, Canal Days in Port Colborne, Arabella Pie Social in Fort Erie, and Niagara on the Lake Past is Present. We may also be seen at local museums, libraries and art galleries in Port Colborne, Jordan, Welland and Niagara on the Lake.
We have masters weavers and spinners. Experts in punch needling, basket weaving, kumihimo, dyeing fibres, knitting, crocheting, needle felting, sewing and more.
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