1977-1987 the beginnings
It proved a heady start for a fledgling group of spinners and weavers from the village of Oliver in the Okanagan Valley. In April 1977, they met to form a Guild and ten days later held their first weaving workshop. It was a sell-out with twenty people showing up, eager to learn. Calling themselves the South Okanagan Spinners and Weavers Guild they focused on teaching and learning. Plans for starting a library was another early initiative and that same year they invited two weavers from Sardis, (members of the Sto:lo Nation) to give a workshop on Salish Weaving. In their second year they arranged a studio style drop-in once a month at the Oliver Community Centre. Their monthly guild meeting continued on the 2nd Thursday, usually in rotation in their homes, and they added Thursday drop-ins on the 4th at the Centre. After all these years, and all the many moves to come, the Guild still holds their meetings and drop-ins on Thursdays. Throughout much of their early decades they actively engaged in educating the community about the fibre arts and encouraging new members to join. They offered beginner workshops and had displays and demos at Arts Council events, the Horse Show, the High School’s Spring Fling, Fairview Days and participated in the very first Oliver Arts and Crafts Fair (an event they continue to participate in, to this day.) Displays of their weavings, baskets and spinning proudly included the ribbons won at the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) and the Pacific Northwest Weavers Convention.
In 1980, feeling they wanted a more "attractive" name, they changed to Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers Guild. Over the decade the group continued to grow, meeting monthly to organize everything from workshops to fashion shows, spin-ins, dye-ins, and Sheep to Shawl competitions. Since their start in 1977 the Guild has preserved a rich archive of photos, meeting notes and minutes. Information on their events, activities and even some budgets, have been safely maintained and reveal that, besides being active in the fibre arts and crafts, they held lots of parties and get-togethers. In June of ‘87, the Guild's 10th Anniversary Celebration was held at the lakeside home of founding member Barb Levant, where many, if not most, of the parties had been held throughout the decade. |
THE OKANAGAN TARTAN
Designed by founding president, Daphne Malins, the Okanagan Tartan reflects the land and water around us. The colours are:
In 1978, Daphne registered her tartan with the Scottish National Registry. Since then the tartan has become the insignia for the Guild. Click here to view the Registry entry. GUILD PRESIDENTS DURING THE DECADE Daphne Malins 1977-78 Wendy Hospes 1978-79 Barb Levant 1979-80-81 Jenny Helmsing 1981-82 Margaret Giltrap 1982-83 Barb Levant 1983-84 Georgina Dell 1984-85 Liz Fairbrother 1985-86 Sheila Weger -1986-87 |