An issue of the Society’s newsletter, transcribed from the original.
(8 pages, 1.8 MB)
the full-resolution scan, 25 MB, for close research
Page 1
CANADIAN LEATHERCRAFT
VOLUME XL 3 — SPRING 2001
0045-5121
2. HAMILTON REPORT ON THE ANNUAL PETER GROVE
& LAUCHLAN HARRISON
3. RIBBON AWARDS MADELEINE MITCHELL
4.&5. WESTON TROPHY ENTRIES FELLOWS REPORT
DRAWINGS BY MADELEINE MITCHELL
6. C.S.C.L REPORT ON THE 51 ANNUAL MADELEINE MITCHELL
7. WORDS OF WISDOM JACK MEHARG
8. YOUR 2001 EXECUTIVE
AND MORE WORDS -------- JACK MEHARG.
All material published in Canadian Leathercraft is the property of THE CANADIAN SOCIETY FOR CREATIVE LEATHERCRAFT and may not be reproduced in any form without the permission of the Society.
President: Nancy Durham RR#1 Princeton Ont. N0J 1V0 1st Vice-Pres: Phyllis McHale 3783 County Road 45, RR#1 Coboconk Ont. K0M 1K0 2nd Vice-Pres: Jack Meharg 36 Bailey Cres. Scarborough Ont. M1G 2P3 Past Pres.: Bill Whittingham 42 Robinhood Rd. Islington Ont. M9A 2W8 Treasurer: David Windeyer #507, 95 Prince Arthur Ave. Toronto Ont. M5R 3P6 Recording Sec: Madeleine Mitchell 17 Light St. Woodstock Ont. N4S 6G7 Corrsp. Sec: Heather Atkinson 631 Adelaide St. Woodstock Ont. L5G 3H5 Membership: Kevin Armstrong 1377 Hurontario St. Mississauga Ont. L5G 3H5 Editor: Kevin Armstrong 1377 Hurontario St. Mississauga Ont. L5G 3H5 Editor: Don Macleod 2165 Corsair Rd. Mississauga Ont. L5A 2L7
[Printed exactly so: the masthead reads "VOLUME XL 3" (i.e. Roman "XL", 40) though the Society's own executive page (page 8) dates this same issue "51 Years of Leather" and the sequence of years calls for Vol. L (50). No issue of this era prints L at all: the issues either side print XLIX (Fall/Winter 2000–2001) and XL (Summer 2001), the 2001–02 issues print XL 4, 5 and 6, Summer 2002 prints XLI, and Spring 2003 prints LI. Kept as printed. The postal code given here for Heather Atkinson, Corresponding Secretary in Woodstock (L5G 3H5), duplicates the Mississauga code printed two lines below for Kevin Armstrong; also kept as printed.]
NEWS FLASH— I had a call from Wray Thompson from Fort Worth, Texas to tell me that "The Leather Factory" is establishing an Outlet Store in Mississauga.
Its to be located at 5562 Tomken Road. Thats about 1 mile west of Dixie Road, on the west side, about a mile north of Eglinton Ave., just south of Komato Rd.. That puts it just south of the nine bridges that cross over Tomken. Its to open very shortly you will be receiving a new catalogue very shortly from them, they have asked for our complete mailing list. More details will follow when they send us a flyer that will be in the next Bulletin.
Page 2 — Canadian Society for Creative Leathercraft 51st Annual General Meeting
Canadian Society for Creative Leathercraft 51st Annual General Meeting
The Hamilton Guild was pleased to host the Annual General Meeting of the CSCL on the weekend of April 5, 6 & 7, 2001. The meeting was held in the Beacon Harbourside Best Western Hotel at Q.E.W. and Jordan Road. The attending Guilds; Mississauga, Toronto, Norland, Woodstock, Members at large, and Hamilton, set up some wonderful table displays. The Quality and Quantity of displays denotes the breadth and scope to the craft that Fellows like to judge and the members like to see. The meeting rooms were palatial and well stocked with coffee, tea, and lots of baked goods. Thanks to; Tandy, Rebel Tanning, and S.H.A.T.A. for sponsoring the coffee breaks.
The Draw Tables were laden with some exceptional prizes, that brought in ticket sales of over $770, the prizes were donated by Suppliers, Retailers and Members at Large. Much Thanks to Joyce Scruton for the ticket sales. The Door Prizes went to each table at the banquet.
The Table Display set up went smoothly as the Guilds put out their wares on Friday night. The displays had the Fellows judging til past midnight. As the judging progressed, member night owls gathered to reminisce, then went to the bar for some less than impartial judging.
Registration was handled with aplomb by David and Dorothy McPherson, Hamilton Guild thanks you, and went without a hitch for the many attendees at the 2001 AGM. The business meeting went smoothly, a new slate of Officers was returned to lead the Society into 2002. The Weston Trophy Winners - Hamilton, were awarded the plaque for the third consecutive year. Sean Dalgetty - Hamilton and Peter Grove - Hamilton were accepted as Associates, Sean received the Zalaitis Pin for highest marks on the Associate Judging. Silva Fox - Mississauga, was judged and accepted as a Fellow of the Society for her beautiful work.
Workshops were well received and attended. Thanks to the workshop leaders for the informative and useful displays, methods, patterns and techniques. Thanks go to Bill Whittingham for organizing the workshops.
After the excellent banquet, accompanied by Celtic Harp music, the ribbons and prizes were given, lots of ribbons, in total 40 Craftsman Ribbons and 17 Salon Ribbons for were awarded. Bob Muma Award was given to Bill Whittingham - Mississauga. The Irva Ford Memorial Award was presented to Nancy Durham - Woodstock. Best of Show went to Lorreen Manual - Woodstock.
[Printed "Lorreen Manual" here; the Ribbon Awards list on page 3 and the AGM writeup on page 7 (signed by Recording Secretary Madeleine Mitchell, not the President) both give "Loreen Manuel" for what is clearly the same person and award (Best of Show, "Peace Cross") — kept as printed in each place, spelling inconsistency and all.]
The Hula Wahinees, a Hamilton Seniors dance troop finished the evening up with beautiful costumes and traditional Hawaiian and Polynesian dances. Thanks to Muriel Strongman.
The Hamilton Guild is grateful for all the help that came our way from other Guilds, making a successful and interesting 2001 Annual General Meeting.
Hamilton Leather Craft Guild
Canadian Society for Creative Leatherwork
Page 3 — C.S.C.L. Craftsman Ribbons 2001; C.S.C.L. Salon Ribbons 2001
C.S.C.L. Craftsman Ribbons 2001
Winner Guild No of Ribbons Piece Norland Guild Norland 1 Indian Gathering Warren Cummins MAL/NWT 1 Polar Bear Fur Sporran Della Chynoweth Toronto 1 Trappers Mitts Sean Dalgetty Hamilton 5 Textured background Belt, Hunting Belt, Clipboard, Black Ranger Belt, Briefcase Nancy Durham Woodstock 4 Box, Leather Bottell, Short Two Tone Belt, Long Two Tone Belt Silva Fox Mississauga 3 Vase, Carved Jewellery/ Treasure Chest, Scrunched Leather Bracelet Peter Grove Hamilton 4 Cell Phone Case, Purse, Welted Knife Sheath, Guitar Strap Lauchlan Harrison Hamilton 3 Black Trappers Mitts with Bone Findings, Moose Trappers Mitts, Wolf Fur Trim Mocassins David McPherson MAL 1 Desk Organizer Phyllis McHale Norland 3 Trappers Mitts without Braid, Horse Hide Mitts, Large Mocassins Lois MacPherson Mississauga 1 Desk Organizer Loreen Manuel Woodstock 1 Leather Marquetry Peace Cross Madeleine Mitchell Woodstock 2 Trappers Mitts, Covered bottle Betsy Rennie Hamilton 1 Small Pouch with ID Case Beula Reynolds Woodstock 1 Covered Bottle Sandra Roberts Norland 2 Wolf Pyrography, Indian Pyrography Joyce Scruton Mississauga 1 Ranger Belt Bill Whittingham Mississauga 4 Flame Motif Inlay Buckle, Tortoise Pattern Inlay Buckle, Inlay Notepad, Spider Web Bookends
C.S.C.L. Salon Ribbons 2001
Winner Guild No. of Ribbons Piece
Norland Guild Norland 1 Indian Gathering
Warren Cummins MAL/NWT 1 Polar Bear Fur Sporran
Sean Dalgetty Hamilton 3 Belt Pouch with Bone
Closure, Clipboard,
Briefcase
Nancy Durham Woodstock 3 Box, Bottell, Long Two
Tone Belt
Silva Fox Mississauga 3 Three-winged Vase, Mardi
Gras Mask, Bracelet
Peter Grove Hamilton 1 Guitar Strap
Lauchlan Harrison Hamilton 1 Moose Trappers Mitts
David McPherson MAL 1 Desk Organiser
Phyllis McHale Norland 1 Mitts without Braid
Loreen Manuel Woodstock 1 Leather Marquetry Peace
Cross
Jack Meharg Toronto 1 Waste Paper Basket
Bill Whittingham Mississauga 1 Spider Web Bookends
Page 4 — Weston Trophy Enteries 2001
Weston Trophy Enteries 2001
Fellows Reports
Hamilton 83.1%
BRIEFCASE — (SEAN DALGETTY) Very ambitious design with a beautiful dye job. The handle and strap hangers may be improved by rounding the corners instead of leaving them square to prevent them from catching on clothing. The billets on the shoulder straps should be a heavier leather to prevent stretching, especially if this case were carrying the weight it has the capacity to hold. The method of closure is interesting but over time, the straps may pull out once the leather is broken in. Overall this is an eye pleasing piece that showed a commitment to the task at hand.
GUITAR STRAP — (PETER GROVE) This piece has some unique design modifications and an interesting variety of colours. The front pocket is extremely hard to get into though and even if this pocket were designed for something thin like spare guitar strings, you can barely get your finger in so unless the item is at the edge of the pocket it's too hard to get to it. This pocket should either be moulded a bit higher, or it should have a small gusset to allow easier access. The solution would be a small thumb notch in the leather. This guitar strap has a good backing on it that will prevent slipping so it will perform its appointed task well.
TRAY WING — (MURIEL STRONGMAN) A good choice of weight of leather was utilized for this piece. It doesn't quite lie flat and we thought the corners might look more refined if they were rounded instead of sharp. The back of this tray is very smooth.
MITTS — (LAUCHLAN HARRISON) The braiding on the back of the hand sits nice and flat when these are worn. We don't know if these are a custom order or not, but the thumb seems to be a little short. The simplicity of the bone finding is beautiful and the fur adds a luxurious touch.
[The lower portion of this page carries a hand-drawn/decorative Weston Trophy 2001 illustration; a typo in the Tray Wing entry ("w3e thought") corrected to "we thought". What it draws are the four Hamilton entries the Fellows' reports above describe — the briefcase, the mitts, the tray and the guitar strap — and its only lettering is the hand-lettered title at the foot, WESTON TROPHY 2001.]
Page 5
Mississauga 82.8%
RANGER BELT — (JOYCE SCRUTON) A good choice of colour was used on this piece and the edges nicely done. The billet end of the belt could have been a little thicker leather to prevent stretching and the stitching should be recessed on the back of the belt to prevent wear on the thread. This is a very nice looking belt.
CARVED BELT — (LOIS MACPHERSON) The carving and tooling are well done. The edges of this belt could have been smoother. It is smooth one way but rough when you pull your hand back the other way. The dye job is nice and even and the back of the belt is smooth enough without being too smooth which would cause slippage.
BOOKENDS — (BILL WHITTINGHAM) This is a novel idea with beautiful workmanship. Ten stitches to the inch is a good technique for the webbing and the 3D spider is a nice touch. The colouration was well done but the edges could have been smoother.
THREE WINGED VASE — (SILVA FOX) This is a stunning piece. The edges are immaculate and the design extremely pleasing to the eye. Three circles were used to create this piece and that is exactly what you see when you look at this piece on the table. The nouveau dragonfly design carved into the wings is a wonderful compliment to the lines of the vase. The dye job is a little splotchy in a couple of places and could have been prevented if an airbrush had been used to apply the dye. This is a beautiful innovation on a project that many of us have done and well worthy of tying for the highest mark on a piece during the day's judging.
Woodstock 76.9%
WALLET — (HEATHER ATKINSON) This is a good choice of project for use of floreated morocco. The inside divider should have been skived thin before it was turned over and the lining wasn't glued in on a curve so it wrinkles as you close the wallet. The lines are well cut and overall this piece has a nice appeal.
COVERED BOTTLE — (MADELEINE MITCHELL) This is an interesting dye job and must have been a lot of fun to do. This is a hard piece to cover because of its shape. The narrow bottom, flaring to a broad shoulder and then a short stubby neck causes problems at the apex of the shoulder of the bottle where some pleating has occured. The hard shape also helps to throw the seam line off a little. Much of this could have been hidden if a slightly wider lace were used to cover the seams. The bottom of the bottle is skived very nicely.
BOX — (NANCY DURHAM) The drawer on this box fits well and slides nicely. The skiving could have been thinner in spots and in other there are complete slips of the knife where chunks have been removed. Once again leathers that can't be found anymore have been used in an appealing piece suited to that type of leather.
MOULDED TRAY — (BEULA REYNOLDS) This has a pleasant shape and it's an interesting idea to turn the rim down. It doesn't quite sit flat though, but the back is finished well. A good rich colour was used and should set it off nicely against wood.
Woohoo!
The Council of Fellows is pleased to announce that we have 2 new Associates and one new Fellow in the C.S.C.L. Hearty congratulations to both Peter Grove and Sean Dalgetty of Hamilton guild on passing their requirements to attain the status of Associate, and to Silva Fox of the Mississauga guild for exceeding her requirements to earn the status of Fellow.
It was a genuine pleasure judging these pieces and on behalf of the Council of Fellows, I would like to thank each of you for taking an interest in the future of the guild and for pushing yourselves to the next level. We look forward to seeing more of your work in the future.
Respectfully submitted,
William H.G. Whittingham F.C.S.C.L.
Chairman of the Council of Fellows
April 7, 2001.
Page 6 — 51st Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for Creative Leathercraft
51st Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for Creative Leathercraft
Beacon Harbourside Resort, Jordan, Ontario
April 6, 7, 8, 2001
About 6:00pm on a windy Friday in early April, CSCL members came to the Beacon for a weekend of meeting dear friends and admiring the talents of our membership. Dorothy and David McPherson set up their Registration desk and welcomed folks from Toronto, Woodstock, Norland, Mississauga and the host Branch, Hamilton. Members-at-large and local members got together to reminisce and to view the display tables.
By 8:00pm Peter Grove, the convenor of the weekend events, had gathered a couple of dozen people around his table where he demonstrated Resist Dyeing techniques. He was generously sharing tips on leathercraft honed from many years practice in the craft.
Meanwhile at the other end of the meeting room, Associates and Fellows began the task of judging the tables of finely made leather articles. They would select pieces that would receive Craftsman, Salon, and several special awards, during the four and a half hour judging period.
On Saturday, April 7th, as the membership enjoyed muffins and coffee, Nancy Durham, President of CSCL began the 51st Annual Meeting by welcoming the 33 members from near and far. Peter Grove brought greetings from his Hamilton group and introduced a new member, Warren Cummins from Yellowknife, NWT. Warren is a teacher of leathercraft in that far north community. Peter reminded everyone to get lots of draw tickets this year for a large array of prizes. He also mentioned the contributions of various sponsors this year in helping to offset some Annual costs.
The Annual Meeting proceeded with business from last year, through the various reports of Executive officers, presentations to the Ontario Volunteer Service recipients — Marion Kehoe and Hilda Chynoweth (in attendance) and four others — May Corbett, Gladys Riddell, Mildred Kemp, and Betty Heacock. New Associates — Peter Grove and Sean Dalgetty were presented with their certificates, and Silva Fox, who had received her Associate standing in 2000, became 2001's newest Fellow. Besides being busy with the planning of the Annual — Hamilton Branch won the Weston Trophy for the 3rd Consecutive year! The new Executive was presented to the members and the meeting was adjourned at 12:30pm.
By 1:30pm, members had reassembled for the demonstrations. Della Chynoweth of the Toronto Branch, presented "Moulded Leather", while Heather Atkinson and Madeleine Mitchell of the Woodstock Branch demonstrated various "Wallet Techniques".
During the afternoon, Joyce Scruton sold tickets and drummed up the excitement by starting the drawing and having a few "big" prize draws. Jack Meharg ably assisted Joyce.
[Printed "Betty Heacock"; some ink bleed-through affects legibility of this passage on the original sheet. Standard spelling of "recipients" used for clarity where the original varies.]
Page 7 — Wisdom From the Old Philosipher
Following the break, Sandra Roberts of the Norland Branch presented "Pyrography — Leather Burning". Mississauga's Bill Whittingham started the first part of his workshop making "Inlay Notepads".
Additionally, members viewed the displays, shopped for leather and supplies, and chatted with friends.
The Annual Banquet began with a hearty feast accompanied by music from a Harpist. At the close of the meal, the Hamilton Senior Hawaiian Dance Group — including CSCL's own Muriel Strongman — delightfully entertained, and prize draws were completed.
No Banquet is complete without the presentation of ribbons for Craftsman and Salon — Ruth Haig and Carol McLean kissed and hugged their way through the many talented leathercrafters. Then the major prizes of Best Moulded Leather were presented to Nancy Durham for her "Bottell", Best Colour to Bill Whittingham for his "Spider Web Bookends", and Best in Show for her "Peace Cross" to Loreen Manuel. CSCL members again achieved excellence in creativity and design.
Displays were taken down and the evening ended with memories of the day's events and the hopes of leather articles to make.
Sunday morning brought an eager group of crafters to the second part of Bill Whittingham's workshop. As some of us dyed, or cut and whittled our designs for the inlay part of the notepad, other CSCL members drifted by to say farewell for another year and to begin their journey home.
Many Thanks to Peter Grove and his Hamilton committee who put together a terrific Annual for 2001!
Respectfully submitted,
Madeleine Mitchell
Wisdom From the Old Philosipher — Jack Meharg
["Philosipher" printed so, kept as printed — this heading and its "More Wisdom" continuation on page 8 are the same running joke column.]
From the demented mind of comedian Steven Wright
- If you take an Oriental person and spin him around several times, does he become disoriented?
- If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland called Holes?
- Why do we say something is out of whack? What's a whack?
- Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultry?
- If a pig loses his voice, is it disgruntled?
Page 8
Canadian Society for Creative Leathercraft
April 2001 — 51 Years of Leather
Slate of Executive 2001-2002
Past President Bill Whittingham (416)239-3743 President Nancy Durham (519)458-4533 1st Vice-President Phyllis McHale (705)454-3206 2nd Vice-President Jack Meharg (416)439-5873 Recording Secretary Madeleine Mitchell (519)537-7821 Corresponding Secretary Heather Atkinson (519)537-8138 Treasurer David Windeyer (416)515-0550 Branch Presidents Hamilton Peter Grove (905)527-7745 Mississauga Gary Cook (416)255-9896 Norland Phyllis McHale (705)454-3206 Toronto Della Chynoweth (416)481-7732 Woodstock Heather Atkinson (519)537-8138 Directors 1. Della Chynoweth (416)481-7732 2. Mary Anne Crawford (905)793-2809 3. Betsy Rennie (905)631-6277 4. Joyce Scruton (905)844-9471 5. Kevin Armstrong (Membership, Co-Editor) (905)278-4666 6. Dorothy Muma (416)654-5635 7. Don MacLeod (Co-Editor) (905)277-2058 8. Al Foss (Librarian) (416)284-5036 9. Dorothy McPherson (519)473-6450 10. David McPherson (519)473-6450 Ex-Officio Chairman of the Council of Fellows Bill Whittingham (416)239-3743 Teaching Standards Ruth Haig (905)525-0780 Archivist Kevin Armstrong (905)278-4666
More Wisdom From the Old Philosipher — Jack Meharg
- If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
- When someone asks you, A penny for your thoughts, and you put your two cents in, What happens to the other penny?
- Why is the man (or woman) who invests all your money called a broker?
- Why do croutons come in airtight packages? It's just stale bread to begin with.
- When cheese gets it's picture taken, what does it say.