The Guild House
The Contemporary Handweavers of Houston is our local weaver’s guild. It’s full of interesting talented weavers and spinners who meet monthly to do the necessary business and listen to a presentation on some aspect of our spinning or weaving world. CHH has been in operation for over 60 years and has seen beginning weavers struggle with their first projects and go on to be master weavers. It has seen people move into the area and add wonderful depth to the membership and then leave for other locations and other guilds. And it’s mourned the passing of wonderful stalwart members who are sorely missed. And in all those years, the Contemporary Handweavers of Houston has not had a home. The tools and spinning wheels and looms that the guild owns have been moved from one member’s home to another. The library, now of over 1000 titles, has lived here and there only to be moved yet again.
The guild has had a building fund for most of its long existence and finally last fall, found a home. The space, called The Guild House, is on the second floor of a suite of offices in the museum district, sandwiched between downtown Houston and the medical center. It’s not a large space but it has a nice room for teaching, space for looms and spinning wheels, a kitchen, an office. It has space to house the library and all the various display items we use for our one money making event, the fall sale.
The guild is now working towards this year's fall sale. It is the one money-making event of the year so it's very important. Anyone who is a member of the guild is welcome to bring hand woven and/or hand spun items for the sale. A commission is paid to the guild out of the sales price of each item. The commission is slightly higher if you can't volunteer some time to the event, or lower if you can volunteer for three or more hours. There are lots of jobs that need doing to put on this event. They include intake of all the items, set-up for the show and take-down after wards along with manning the sale floor and working the laptops to handle the sales. For several reasons Sky Loom Weavers hasn't been present for the last couple of sales but this year we are pleased to be able to be there. And this year will be very special as it's the first year the sale will take place at the Guild House. We will have hand spun yarn, hand dyed fiber and hand woven kitchen towels. At least that's the plan. There's no telling what we may be able to weaver up between now and October!
If you are a member of the guild, please think about having some items in the sale. The rules are all listed on the guild's website www.weavehouston.org. If you aren't a member of the guild, please think about joining and come to the fall sale so you can see what our fabulous members produce. Here are the details:
Contemporary Handweavers of Houston Fall Sale
October 23-26, 2013
The Guild House
Chelsea Market
4617 Montrose Blvd.
Suite C213
Houston, Texas 77006