Clues About Our Past

Happy Holidays, Weavers and Spinners! And, welcome to the inaugural edition of the Iowa Federation of Handweavers and Spinners blog. For many, the holidays are a time for reconnecting with friends and family, a whirlwind of parties and gatherings, that while fun can be exhausting. My younger days were spent that way, but now that I’m older I prefer to spend my holidays in a quieter, more introspective manner.  I think about where I’ve been, what I’ve done, and inevitably, what I still want to do. And when it comes to weaving, there’s a whole lot I still want to do – I’ve only scratched the surface.

In my new role as Vice President, this year I started thinking about the Federation and its history. How did we get here, on whose shoulders do we stand, and what does all that mean for our future? So, I started looking through the federation’s historical records. While they’re not complete, there is a lot there, and they provide some particularly good clues about our past. 

It all started at the 1960 Iowa State Fair, when the Des Moines guild had a sign-up sheet at their weaving demonstration, looking for weavers around the state that would be interested in establishing a statewide organization. Not too long after that, on November 15, 1961, at the Bishops Buffet in Des Moines, the Iowa Federation of Handweavers was established. The first President was Roda Mason, of Cedar Rapids. She resigned her post in the summer, and Doris Hamilton, also from Cedar Rapids, stepped in and assumed the presidency. The other officers were Vice President, Edith Bru, of Montour; and Secretary/Treasurer, Grace Cochran, of Iowa City. 

The group settled on meeting twice a year, and over the next several years steadily grew. This prompted them to add spinners to their name, becoming The Iowa Federation of Handweavers and Spinners in April 1968. 

After almost 10 years of being in existence, the Federation reached another milestone, and in October 1970 approved the sponsorship of an exhibit at the state fair. As the organization continued to grow, spinners came into their own and established an annual spin-in in 1973 held in Muscatine. The annual event remained in Muscatine until 1997 when it began being hosted by different guilds around the state. But it wasn’t until October 2001 that the federation approved to provide $25.00 to support a handspun category, skein or finished article, at the next state fair. 

The Federation’s move into the 21st century began in October 2002 when it began investigating what it would take to stand up a website. But it wasn’t until 2006 that the site was finally up and running – and it has had several iterations since then.  However, in spite of the technological advances of the 21st century, or perhaps because of them, big challenges were ahead.  

Although 2007 saw the creation of two new guilds, Dubuque and Hopkinton, only three years later, in 2010 the guild in Ames folded.  While the news about the Ames guild was disappointing, it did not damper the festivities when the Federation celebrated its 50th anniversary in April 2011.  Doris Hamilton, the Federation’s second president, was on hand to cut the cake marking a half century of camaraderie among the weaving and spinning guilds in Iowa.  To top off the event, a new website was unveiled. 
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Unfortunately, historical records of the federation stop with an October 2012 entry calling for members to step up and volunteer for board positions.  It seems there were only two presidents during this period, Linda Ryden (2007-2010) and Mary Boulet (2010-2012), the vice-president position was filled for only two years during this period, Jan Fitzpatrick in 2010 and Grace Tully in 2012 with Grace assuming the role of president in 2013.  The position of secretary was filled by Dorothy Wendel in 2008, and Mary Ehrlich from 2009 through 2012.  The treasurer position was held by Lucy Hansen for the entire 2007 through 2012 time period.  The Federation owes each of these ladies, and all those who came before and after them a debt of gratitude. It was through their hard work and dedication that the Federation survives to this day.

So, here is my challenge to you.  If you have information about the Federation’s officers or highlights from 2012 through 2024, send that information in.  Help us fill out the entire history of the organization and bring it into the present.  Also, as this year draws to a close, and you find yourself reflecting on the past year, take a few minutes to think about what weaving and spinning mean to you, and how your guild and the Federation contribute to your passion.  Because it is only with your help that we can look forward to another 50 years of celebrating the community built on the skills of weaving and spinning that is so precious to us all.  Have a Happy Holiday! 


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