Volume 37/1
March 2014
THE WEB
DIAMOND JUBILEE YEAR Buckinghamshire Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers
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AGM
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EXHIBITION
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ALL WALES EXHIBITION
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BEALE CUP
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COMPETITION ENTRY VIC POTTER AWARD
10 OPERATION CHRISTMAS SHOE BOX 12 TEXTILE MAKING 13 WOOLGATHERING 14
MEMBER PROFILE
15 GROUPS 16 PROGRAMME
Dear Members This will undoubtedly be a busy year for the Guild and its members. The Exhibition Committee Members are working hard on the preparations for the Diamond Jubilee Exhibition and judging by the Beale Cup entries there will be some stunning exhibits. We can look forward to some interesting talks and workshops, in particular the workshop with Priscilla Lowry in May on ‘High Loft Silk Spinning’.
Martina
AGM January 2014: Chairman’s Report by Alison Jolley This year has been a strange year, with difficult times halfway through when there was a change in the committee; but it has also been a positive one with the Guild taking part in many activities. Throughout the year we have run several well attended workshops; on Tapestry with Jane Freear-Wyld, Batik with Rosie Roberts, Spinning with our very own member Gilly Pusey, and with Alison Daykin, and Natural Dyeing run by myself, all of which I can confidently say were great fun to take part in. We have also attended a number of displays and demonstrations throughout the summer, ranging from Ashridge Countryside Festival, through Quainton Railway Museum Victorian Weekend, to Hazeldene Craft Market Sheep Day; and even help publicise Aylesbury Waterside Theatre’s pantomime of the Sleeping Beauty, as well as taking part in two events in Amersham on the same day in September, with Adelheid at the top of the hill while Marjorie was running the Heritage Open Day’s display in the old town. Several of these events will take place again in the coming year, so I strongly recommend you try and come along as they are truly fun things to do, and a great way to meet our interested public. Many of our members have also travelled the country – or rather, I should say, the world – as we visited between us Wonderwool Wales, Unravel, Fibre East and the Welsh Guilds Exhibition. I don’t think anyone got as far as Cumbria for Woolfest this year, though I could be wrong, but Beverley crossed the Atlantic to attend SOAR as our representative, and her write up for this is in the winter edition of The Web. The internet now plays a large part in the textile community, and we have members who belong to Ravelry, who exchange news, views and interest with many people in other countries via Facebook and blogs, and through the Online Guild; and this year we have been working on our Buckinghamshire Guild website which, although not quite complete, is now online and available to preview at http://www.buckswsd.co.uk We are also running a regular spinning group and a knitting group on alternate Monday and Thursday evenings, and although attendance has 3
understandably dropped off over these dark winter nights, please remember they belong to you, and come along and take part – no matter what your expertise, you will be welcome. This year has also been a sad year losing two valued members, Roma Waye and Susan Mousley. Roma had been a member for many years, and I have an abiding memory of past committee meetings fuelled by the fantastic meals and refreshments she provided. Susan also supported the Guild for a number of years, and I was touched to find out just how much it meant to her. I am glad that one of her pieces was chosen for the National Exhibition at the Weald and Downland Museum in 2012.
This leads me to our own Exhibition for our sixtieth birthday this year. You have all already been beavering away making bunting for this, so that I feel it is well on course to be a magnificent display. However, do remember that there are only seven months to go until September, so as well as looking back, let us also look forward to what we yet have to, and will, achieve.
Any guesses as to what our Beale Cup topic is for next year? 4
60th BIRTHDAY EXHIBITION by Gilly Pusey 20 and 21 September 2014 Thank you, everyone for all the fabulous pieces of bunting you have completed so far. If you still have some to hand in please give them to Adelheid as soon as you can so that we can see how many more we need. If you have not chosen a letter yet there is still plenty of time. I have the box of letters, so please let me know if you would like me to pull out a letter for you. The triangle can be made in any textile medium, 9 1/2" across the top, 10 1/2" from the middle of the top to the bottom point. Please make sure your letter is very visible from a distance and there are loops on the back at the top to thread the triangle on to the cord that Alison is making to string all the bunting together. Don't be daunted by some of the very complicated fancy ones you have seen. There are lots of plain simple ones that look just as effective and are easy to make. The rotas were put out at the last meeting for members to sign up for demonstrating, kitchen duties, donations of food for the refreshments and other jobs. I'm sorry that we were not very organised and it was hard to see what you were needed for. At the next meeting the rotas will be on boards to make it much easier for you to decide how you would like to help. We can't hold this exhibition without the members.
YOUR GUILD NEEDS YOU!
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ALL WALES EXHIBITION by Alison Jolley Ever since my brother and family moved to Powys a few years ago I’ve looked out for interesting reasons to go and visit, and this October I spotted the Welsh Guilds of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers were holding their biennial exhibition at the Minerva Gallery in Llanidloes, a pretty market town on the other side off Welshpool, so I invited myself for a visit. (It also happened to coincide with my birthday, so I got taken out for lunch and a cream tea at Attingham Park, which wasn’t bad either!) The exhibition was only on for one day, which I thought was a shame as it is the showcase for two year’s work of about a dozen guilds, and obviously took a lot of effort to put on, so it would have been great if more people had been able to see it. I suspect I was one of the few visitors who did not belong to any of the guilds involved – and the £5 entry fee may have put off general members of the public. However, I thought it well worth the price, and you did get a cup of coffee and some chocolate cake thrown in! As you came in you were faced with a series of hangings representing the seasons, each made by a different guild, and it was fascinating to see the different ideas and techniques used; a winter scene, snowflakes, a spring lady, and my favourite, an Autumnal Green Man made by the LLyn Guild where each member contributed something, hand-dyed handspun crochet flowers, needle-felted leaves, mini felted berries, knitted brambles and acorns. I would happily have taken it home with me as it seemed to encapsulate all our skills. The rest of the exhibition consisted of one huge display board per guild, each covered with a mixture of items. There was a bedspread of patchwork squares from the Ceredigion Guild; 529 squares, each one taking an hour to make and each one a different hand-spun fleece or natural dye. Amazing. And a shaded shawl like the rings of a tree trunk, made from a single prizewinning fleece by a spinner from the Gwynedd Guild. A full size multicoloured orange felted coat, a tiny knitted teddy, a stitched rug with the cat already sleeping on it, a little blue and natural hand-spun knitted bag which I wished I’d made myself, and much, much more to look at and admire. 6
Having walked slowly round the main exhibition I wandered into the second room of the gallery which was full of stalls selling fibre and textile related products. Instant temptation: The first stall was P & M Woolcraft, and as soon as Martin saw me he greeted me with ‘You’re a long way from your usual stamping ground’. I could say the same for him, and did! The last time we met had been at Fibre East, and before that at his home and base near Milton Keynes. I had been planning to buy some dyed merino tops from him by mail order, so I thought I’d save myself the postage and stock up then and there. (Any excuse will do!) Then to look at some of the other stalls; a mixture of local fibre producers, wool and alpaca – and yes, I did buy some, but only a little, honest – equipment from the Woodland Turnery, and Jim Gaffney from Textile Traders of Bishops Castle, one of my favourite shops. Jim also gave a talk on his latest collecting trip along the silk route, but sadly I missed it as I chose to go round the exhibition and could not do both in the time. At 3.45 the event closed, and by 4pm all exhibits had been taken down and packed away. And it was over. By the time I left Llanidloes I felt the trip had really been worth it; I had been inspired by exciting work of high quality and imagination, added to my fibre collection and eaten some excellent chocolate cake. I plan to be back next year. Anyone want to come too?
Paper yarn - has anyone tried that yet?
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BEALE CUP The topic of this year’s competition was ‘Diamonds’ as the Guild will be celebrating its Diamond Jubilee in September. We had numerous entries, all of very high quality and it was difficult to know what to vote for.
First prize, the Beale Cup, went to Marjorie Waye for a fabulous Rya rug made from Swedish wool.
Second prize was, as so often, tied and went to Margaret Baker (see article on page 9), Adelheid Jenkins and Mary Newland. Adelheid knitted a beautiful blanket from hand spun wool with diamond designs whilst Mary showed examples of fine rug weaving.
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COMPETITION ENTRY by Margaret Baker My competition entry on the theme of ‘Diamonds’ all began by doodling with some thread and a pair of knitting needles. I was trying to create the shape of a diamond. Having succeeded in making the shape, I then started creating different ways to combine a number of these to form a selection of items. 104 diamonds later I came up with my chosen display, one of my favourites being a mathematical model, which my brother assures me is a rhombic dodecahedron! The number above does not include the ones made a month previously and put into a very safe place!!!
VIC POTTER AWARD
This award is presented to a general member who has contributed in some significant way to the Guild outside of an official capacity. This year Audrey Gurney was our choice as, year after year, our Garden Meeting in August is held in her lovely garden. Thank you, Audrey.
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OPERATION CHRISTMAS SHOE BOX - Destination Ukraine by Beverley Thompson I was first introduced to this appeal about seven years ago by Helen Munday, member and past Chair of our Guild and it’s an appeal that I’ve continued to support ever since. I like quick and easy knits and one of my goals for 2013 was to reduce my yarn/fibre stash, buy little and spend more time on spinning. Previously my start date to knit/crochet for this event usually coincides with the autumn SOAR trip. I started in the Spring and initially tackled bags containing small amounts of yarns, which were in a tangled mess and then sorted my handspun samples. I then made a series of scrap set scarves – 11. I’ve, so far, made a further six scarves - some plain – all more geared towards boys – still got more to make. I started buying supplies for the boxes just before Spring. Mum and my brother Simon generously gave money towards toiletries, i.e. toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and soft toys. Elspeth Randall & Nicky Misselbrook – fellow Chiltern Spinners donated hand-knitted garments, the latter of whom brought in two large baskets of hand-knitted scarves and hats beautifully knitted by her mum, Pat Smith. Georgina Bolton, the wife of a colleague, submitted two large crates of scarves and hats (over 30), all of which she created throughout the year, the majority of which were made using an expensive and fancy yarn from Schachenmayr SMC called Argentina – what a superb effort. From my own supplies, I’ve managed to fill 25 of the 30 boxes that have so far been delivered to the depot. Each box contains a face flannel, a double pack of toothbrushes, tube of toothpaste, sweets, crayons, felt tips or coloured pencils (depending on the age), a colouring book or notebook and a comb. For clothing I include either a hat, scarf, pair of socks or gloves. Depending on the suitability for the ages catered for (2-4, 5-9, 10-14) I also include additional items. The most difficult age to cater for is the ‘under three’, as there is quite a long list of restrictive items for that age group. My cotton stash yarns have taken a hammering as I created over 19 face flannels – 11 of which were made from a huge hank of cotton yarn, donated over 18 months ago by Frances (Tilly5 on Ravelry) from the States.
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Previously, the hardest part for this appeal has been getting hold of the shoeboxes themselves. This year, upon my return from the SOAR trip, I emailed Clarks and visited Shoe Zone in Aylesbury, the latter of whom immediately supplied ten boxes. I also obtained supplies from Wainwrights in Princes Risborough and Shoe Zone’s High Wycombe branch. Clarks responded positively and I also obtained supplies from their store in High Wycombe and Aylesbury. On Monday, 28 November 2013, I was surprised to receive a voicemail message from Shoe Zone (Aylesbury) to advise that I had won first prize in their ‘Children in Need’ raffle – a £36 Bon Marche voucher! How cool was that! To date (24 November 2013) I think I’ve still got enough supplies for another ten boxes and last night received a most generous offer from another Raveller – Nicola (Strokkur on Ravelry) wanting to donate money/yarn for this appeal. I’ve been documenting this year’s efforts on Ravelry and I couldn’t have achieved all this without the goodwill and support of family and friends - a big thanks to all. Roll on next year!
COMING SOON BBC2 will be broadcasting a new series, Women in Art, in March. Episode Two features the Spitalfields textile designer, Anna Maria Garthwaite. The Huguenot silk weavers will also make an appearance in the Great British Sewing Bee.
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TEXTILE MAKING - Talk with Ismini Samanidou by Helen Allen For our February meeting, Ismini Samanidou came to speak to us all. Her talk was entitled "textile making", but actually encompassed so much more than the title suggested. Ismini shared much of her background story, and her career as a weaver so far. She told us what she loved about weaving, which was the methodical and mathematical aspect, as well as the surfaces and textures she found she could create. She explained how she works now, with, what she called her portfolio practice, and highlighted the need to diversify into commissions, exhibitions, design development, teaching and research, as well as residency and travel to sustain her career. Some recent works were in collaboration with other artists in different disciplines, such as ceramics, wood, and sound. My favourite thing about hearing her speak was finding out about where she draws her influences from; namely stories and myths, superstition, tradition, and imagery. I found this really interesting and quite inspiring. I loved hearing of her travel experiences, particularly her stories of meeting other weavers in other countries where without a shared language it would have been impossible to communicate was weaving not a common interest. The thread of a universal landscape and that we are all under the same sky fascinates me. Remember to look up at the stars!
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WOOLGATHERING Longwool and shortwool, Mountain and Down Black wool and white wool, Grey wool and brown. Grotty old fleece, Or the pick of the flock, Carefully carded, Or spun from the lock. Colours from plants, And colours from bugs, Roots and flowers, Bark, leaves and buds. Boiled in the pot, Or warmed by the sun, Rinse indigo well Or the colour will run! All of these samples; What shall I do? How shall I use All of these hues? Gather them up, Weave all the thread, Hook them together To cover my bed. Margaret Dickson 13
MEMBER PROFILE: Mary Newland I started weaving and spinning in the early 1990’s after a visit to New Mexico, where I saw Navajo weaving and instantly, I said to my husband, I would like to do that! Amazingly, when I got back to London, I found a weaving class nearby. It was a revelation, but I felt a bit intimidated by the looms as they seemed so complicated, so I started off with spinning. I then wove my lumpy results into a rug which I still have. It took me a whole year to make and I can still feel the excitement of creating it from my very own yarn. The class was axed, due to cuts, and I had to look elsewhere for my weaving instruction which led me to the City and Guilds course in Creative Crafts at The Guildhall University. This required design work, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and I managed to produce a hand dyed rug, a knitted cardigan and a knotted wall hanging. Having enjoyed Part 1 so much, I decided to do Part 2, but it wasn't to be as, due to cuts, it too was axed. I was advised to take a C and G course in Weaving at Dorking. It turned out to be a lovely course, and I met, and shared a table with, Marion Bird from the Bucks Guild! I then decided I needed a floor loom to weave a rug for the next qualification, and contacted the Loom Exchange and found a Glimakra, owned by a certain Jean Leach, from the Bucks Guild!! I still have it and am very fond of it. I also started John Allen's Design course at Ley Hill. Bradford followed....... By now you will have gathered, I love to do courses! With my constant visits to Bucks for John's courses, I began to realise it would be a very nice area to live in and we decided to move to Chesham to be nearer our family, where I found a very friendly Guild nearby, a brilliant weaving class, and lots of inspirational countryside in the Chilterns. On the whole my inspiration comes from natural things, although I do like to design with geometric shapes too. I like to weave rugs and tapestries, working with wool for the rugs, and cotton for the tapestries and also enjoy dyeing.
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KNITTING AND SPINNING GROUPS We have groups for knitting and spinning. The spinners meet on Mondays and bring their wheels and spindles. Knitting is on Thursdays, but you can also bring crochet, weaving or embroidery or whatever else you are working on. The groups meet in alternate weeks at 7.30pm in the Pottery Room and if you would like to come along please contact Gilly or Martina for the dates. EVENTS 2014 Wonderwool Wales 26/27 April 2014 http://www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk
Woolfest 27/28 June 2014 www.woolfest.co.uk Fibre East 26/27 July 2014 www.fibre-east.co.uk
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2014 Guild Programme 5 April
Member’s Meeting
3 May
Talk ‘From Nettles to Soy Silk’ by Teresinha Roberts
24 May
Workshop ‘High Loft Silk Spinning’ with Priscilla Lowry
7 June
All Day Inkle Loom Demonstration and Talk by Rob Dunster
5 July
Show and Tell
2 August
Garden Meeting
6 September
Talk ‘Creative Crochet’ by Hilary Turner
7 September
Workshop ‘Creative Crochet’ with Hilary Turner
20/21 September Diamond Jubilee Exhibition 4 October
Speaker from the Association
1 November
Knitting Day
6 December
Guild Project
Meetings are held in Barn Hall at the Amersham Community Centre at 2 for 2.30pm. We always have a sale table where you can bring and buy and we serve tea and biscuits after the talk.
Committee Chairwoman
Alison Jolley amjolley@btinternet.com
Secretary
Helen Allen woodlandhelen@aol.com
Treasurer
Ian Slaney ianslaney@katzenrolli.eu
Membership Secretary
Sheila Cruickshank cruickshank5@sky.com
Programme Coordinator
Margaret Baker basilbaker@btinternet.com
Exhibition Organiser
Gilly Pusey dyeingtospin@gmail.com
The Web/Publicity
Martina Müller martina@bimbipea.eu
Website Administrator
Ian Slaney ianslaney@katzenrolli.eu
General Member
Marjorie Waye marjoriewaye1@gmail.com 16