Des Moines, Iowa
June 12-17, 2023
A Confluence of Threads 2023
The Des Moines Weavers and Spinners Guild invites you to join us June 12-17, 2023, for the Midwest Weavers Association Conference 2023, A CONFLUENCE OF THREADS, to be held at Franklin Junior High Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
This Conference will be unlike conferences of the past. Instead of the previous ‘pre- conference’ and ‘conference’ format, we are offering six days of classes, with a mix of class lengths throughout the week. Attendees can build their own schedule from 69 classes taught by 32 teachers, and come for any length of time, from one day to the whole week.
Attendees will pay only for the classes they enroll in. Because we are not holding this conference on a college campus, attendees will make their own arrangements for lodging and meals. We have blocks of rooms reserved for the conference at two hotels, and attendees have many more options for lodging in the Des Moines metropolitan area.
We plan to have food trucks available every day of the conference for lunch and dinner, and there are multiple restaurants within a short drive of Franklin. Franklin has plenty of free parking for attendees as well.
Registration for the conference is now closed.
Please check back for updates as we get closer to that date. In the meantime, review the class schedule and descriptions and identify your choices in advance so you are ready to go when registration opens. Also, please ensure that your Midwest Weavers Association membership is current prior to registering; if you joined or renewed on or after January 1, 2022, you are current.
We are aware that some members have experienced difficulty with their 2022-2023 membership renewals, and we apologize for the inconvenience. If you are one of these people, please be assured that this will not prevent you from registering for the conference. Thank you for your patience
Pricing
- Registration: $10
- 3-day class: $330
- 2-day class: $220
- 1.5-day class: $175
- 1-day class: $130
- 1/2-day class: $75
- Thursday field trip: $65
- 1-2 exhibit entries: $15
- 3-5 exhibit entries: $25
Forms
- Member Exhibit Entry Form
- Guild/Study Group Exhibit Entry Form
- Volunteer Form
- Sponsorship Form
- Vendor Form
Class Schedule & Descriptions
View Class Schedule and Class Listing by Category pages.
Download a PDF (5.4 MB) of Class Descriptions and Instructor Bios.
- Full-day classes run from 9am to 4:30pm with a lunch break.
- Half-day morning classes run from 9am to noon.
- Half-day afternoon classes run from 1:30pm to 4:30pm.
Fashion Show/Member Exhibit
There will not be a fashion show. Instead, we encourage you to enter in one or more categories of the Member Exhibit, with a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cash prize in each of the 5 categories. Other prizes may be available, and announced at a later date. The categories for Member exhibits are: Home Decor (this includes baskets and wall hangings [not tapestry]), Tapestry, Linens, Wearable Accessories, and Handwoven Clothing (sewn, with more than one seam). In addition to the Member exhibits, we will also have a Teacher Exhibit and a Guild exhibit. We encourage Guilds to start planning now by choosing a theme and showing us the talent in your group!
Lodging
Hotels with reservations for Conference attendees are as follows.
Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites – Des Moines Northwest
4800 Merle Hay Road
Des Moines, IA 50322
(515) 278-4755
Rates:
- Standard Two-Queen or King Executive $119++ plus 12% tax per night
- Junior King or Extended Suites $149++ plus 12% tax per night
- Family King Suites $169++ plus 12% tax per night
- Family Double Queen Suites $189++ plus12% tax per night
Rates Include: Two (2) vouchers each morning for Full Hot Breakfast at our own Bennigan’s Restaurant from 6:30am until 10:30am. On weekends, our Breakfast Buffet includes scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, breakfast potatoes, biscuits and gravy, French toast, Danish, muffins, yogurt, cereals, fresh fruit, assorted juices, coffee, decaffeinated, Herbal teas and milk.
Be sure to provide the Group Name and Group Code below to receive the MWA conference rate at Holiday Inn.
- Group Name: Midwest Weavers Confluence of Threads
- Group Code: MWA
Reservations Deadline: May 22, 2023
To Reserve:
Call (515) 278-4755 or 800-HOLIDAY (800) 465-4329 or go to Midwest Weavers Association room block reservations.
Hotel Renovo
11167 Hickman Road
Urbandale, IA 50322
(515) 276-1126
Rooms start at $136/night, including tax
Be sure to request a room with the Midwest Weavers Conference!
Vendors
Shopping Hours
- Thursday, June 15th: 4:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Attendees Only
- Friday, June 16th: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Open to the public
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Attendees Only
- Saturday, June 17th: 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Open to the public
We invite the public to come shop and see the exhibits for a $5.00 entry fee.
Check out our vendor’s sites, make your list, and come shop!
Thursday Field Trip
Our Thursday Field Trip option is a trip by chartered bus to C&M Acres in Maxwell, IA, in the morning and the Iowa State University Textiles Museum in Ames, IA, in the afternoon. C&M Acres is an alpaca farm and fiber mill. Participants will tour the farm and mill operations, as well as their storefront, where you can purchase alpaca fiber, yarn, and finished products. After a lunch stop in Ames (where you will pay for your own lunch) a docent will give a tour of the Textiles museum at Iowa State University, and talk about the various textiles on display, with a light snack provided. The bus will leave Franklin Jr. High Events Center at 8am and return at 5pm.
Wednesday Meet & Greet
Join us on Wednesday evening, June 14 from 5-7pm for a Meet & Greet in the cafeteria of Franklin Jr. High. Wear something you have made and strut your stuff while visiting with fellow attendees and teachers over light snacks and beverages. No prior registration is required.
MWA General Meeting
The General Meeting of the Midwest Weavers Guild will be held Friday, June 16 from 6pm – 8pm in the big auditorium at Franklin Jr. High. Business will be conducted, officers elected, and winners of the Exhibits will be announced at this meeting.
After the meeting, the Vendor Hall will be open to attendees until 10pm.
T-Shirts
100% cotton T-shirts in heather blue with the ” A Confluence of Threads” logo in full color on the back. See what they look like.
- Sizes S, M, L and XL, $24.00
- Sizes 2X, 3X and 4X, $26.00
Please order at registration, as these will not be available for sale at the conference. All shirts will be printed ahead of the conference for pick up at the registration desk.
