DAMASCUS, PA – At an April 10, 1976 get-together hosted by Nellie Burnham in her home in Roscoe, New York and three women from Wayne County, Pennsylvania—Dolores Quinn of Abrahamsville, Phyllis Barth of Texas Township, and Cindy Heyn of Damascus—decided to form a learning-teaching guild and named it the Woodland Weavers’ and Spinners’ Guild. In addition to these four founders, charter members were Irene Quinn, Mary Eisner, and Bryna Bomze. They performed the necessary organizational work, wrote bylaws, and began meeting most months in their homes.

In 1978, as a group or individual members started demonstrating weaving and spinning in various public venues primarily in Sullivan County, New York and Wayne County, Pennsylvania. Even since then, hundreds of invitations to demonstrate have been accepted spreading knowledge of these forms of fiber arts and gaining new guild members. This year they demonstrated at the Zane Grey and Endless Mountain Festivals, Callicoon Farmers’ Market, Hilly Acres Farm Fest in Jeffersonville and the D&H Canal Park at Lock 31.

As of 1980, just four years after founding, there were 26 members! That was also when the guild published its first newsletter, which included a woven sample! Member Laurie Stuart was editor (now publisher of The River Reporter); Tusten Times provided production assistance and member Jackie Cook, Penn State Extension Agent in Honesdale, Pennsylvania printed and mailed a copy to each member via snail mail. All issues have and continue to be archived for members to reference during guild meetings.

In 1981, Norma Mirable designed the guild’s logo using colors representing earth, sky, forest and water. The first W is brown for the earth, second W is bronze representing a metal of strength that comes from the earth, the blue S adds the element of sky and water, and the green G stands for growth. The two Ws are interwoven, which is appropriate for the group. Phyllis Barth embroidered the logo on a banner, which is still proudly displayed at public events. And that year they published a collection of knitting patterns, “Knitting Patterns for Handspun.”

By 1985, the guild had outgrown meeting in member’s homes, so were held instead in the Cochecton Fire House, then the Lake Huntington Community Center and since 1993 at the Damascus Township Community Center, 60 Conklin Road, Damascus, Pennsylvania where they meet, January through November. The guild is looking for a new centrally located home beginning in 2028, since their ever-growing lending library and loan program equipment can no longer be stored at the community center.

In 2005, the Upper Delaware Council awarded a recognition award to the guild during their annual awards. Co-founder and then current president, Nellie Burnham proudly accepted the award.

Over the last fifty years, the guild or single members have exhibited in Pennsylvania at the Everhardt Museum in Scranton, Hawley, Honesdale and Bucknell University and in New York in Hurleyville, Narrowsburg and Fremont. A beautiful vest woven by member Karlyn Shedlowski was included in a juried fashion show at Handweavers Guild of America’s 2002 Convergence in Vancouver, Canada and in 2016, member Buff McAllister had an abstract fabric collage exhibited at The Textile Museum in Washington, D.C!

The guild’s current 50^th anniversary exhibit can be viewed at Wayne County Historical Society’s 810 Main Street, Honesdale, Pennsylvania museum through this year, Wednesday through Saturday from 11AM to 4PM. This exhibit includes sixty-five works showcasing the work of twenty-nine guild members both past and present. They are Sandy Ames, Christine Bachtel, Jennifer Brown, Lourdes Brown, Nellie Burnham, Annie Cadden, Jean Carey, Helen Cole, Kristen Dasenbrock, Debbie Deskins, Jill Droppa, Priscilla Fenstermacher, Freda Haun, Daphne Jackson, Virginia Lester, Cathy Lombardi, Pat MacAlpine, Buff McAllister, Monica Meunier, Bonnie Morgan, Dolores and Alton Quinn, Brenda Ramme, Lisa Rolleri, Lisa Rose, Katy Smith, Sally Soden, Sally Talaga, and Dennis Wood with a short bio of each maker. Sixty-four hand woven and/or handspun works are included in addition to equipment used by weavers and spinners. A notebook documenting co-founder, Nellie Burnham’s years of natural dying using mostly locally sourced materials is also on view.

Guild organized field trips, to further the member’s knowledge of the fiber arts, have been scheduled most years. This year’s was to Delaware County, New York Historical Society in Delhi to study their large collection of hand-woven coverlets, the oldest woven in 1833.

Celebratory luncheons, which usually included a fashion show, were held on the guild’s 10^th, 15^th, 20^th, 25^th,  30^th,  35^th,  40^thanniversary and now in its 50^th year on November 21 at the Inn at Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania. Members and their guests are welcome to attend, beginning at 11AM with an annual meeting followed by a buffet luncheon, fashion show and fiber related door prizes. Reservations can be made by forwarding a $50 per person check to WW&SG, P.O. Box 243, Beach Lake, Pennsylvania by November 1 or by attending their October 17 guild meeting in the Damascus Community Center between 10AM and 2PM, 60 Conklin Hill Rd, Damascus, PA 18415. A slide show of the guild’s history will begin at 1PM. Guests are welcome.

Hopefully, for at least another fifty years, the Woodland Weavers’ and Spinners’ Guild will continue to serve its members through programs, workshops, study groups, field trips, lending library and equipment loans. And through spinning and weaving demonstrations during public events, members will delight in sharing their love of fiber arts with the public and welcome new members regardless of skill level.

For more information about the guild go to their Facebook page, Damascus Woodland Weavers & Spinners Guild or contact their president, Sally Talaga at sltalaga@gmail.com.