A group of friends that has it made in the shade

By LISA BRITTON
Baker City Herald
EAGLE CREEK —

Laurene Chapman sits cross-legged on a thick pillow as she methodically weaves a Navajo-inspired design.

Beyond her loom, just a few yards away, pristine Eagle Creek rushes over rocks, creating that soft background noise so familiar to the woods.

Scattered around Chapman are other weavers who have claimed a shady spot for this annual event they call “Weaving in the Woods.”

These are the Threadbenders, a guild of artists who specialize in fiber arts. Members live in Baker, Union and Wallowa counties.

“The common thread, the common interest, is this,” Sybil Stanbro said of weaving.

She moved from Alaska a year ago, and the Threadbenders Guild was one reason she chose Baker City.

“I bought the loom I’ve wanted for 40 years and had it shipped to Baker. I’m in seventh heaven,” she said, carding wool she will spin into yarn.

The Threadbenders meet on the third Saturday of every month, but in August their session moves outdoors to a campground along Eagle Creek.

It wasn’t always here — the first campout in 1982 was a Navajo Weaving Workshop at Union Creek Campground near Phillips Reservoir. Another of the same was held in 1986.

In 1990 the event moved to the Wallowa Mountains, and it has been there each year since 1994.

These sessions cover five days, from Wednesday to Sunday, and the members take turns making meals. People come and go depending on their schedules.

They have two goals:

“Have fun,” said Jean Lavell, who comes down from Colville, Wash., each August.

“Eat well,” said Mickey Edwards of Baker City.

Lavell moved from Baker City four years ago, but she maintains her Threadbenders membership so she can attend Weaving in the Woods.

“It’s such a good group of friends,” she said. “I keep in touch, pay my dues, and come to camp.”

This year she was making a twined rag rug by twisting wool strips around thick mop strings.

It’s been “in progress” with one finished row for a year.

“If I want help with something, or am struggling with something, that’s what I bring,” Lavell said.

And these weavers do as much wandering as work to visit with their friends and check the progress of projects.

Chapman creates in the Navajo style. She never sells these pieces in respect of the Navajos who make a living selling their woven works.

“I like Navajo weaving — it’s peaceful,” Chapman said of the technique.

Nearby, Kirsten Badger took breaks between her frustrating work on her loom. She was working with purple yarn that stuck together at every stage.

But not even that could affect her mood in the outdoor setting.

“This is the reason to belong to the guild,” she said with a smile.