The Journal For Weavers, Spinners and Dyers - UK - Issue 285, Spring 2023

#285 Spring 2023

Our front cover image is from Beverley Usher’s Big Stash Spin – a great way to address all that fibre which has accumulated as a result of impulse buys which many of us have achieved over the years. Beverley’s technique for blending colours is a good starting point for making the most of the fibre. Managing colour is also behind the second of our articles on the Online Guild Dyeing Challenge, showing how Christina Chisholm and Carol Hunter interpreted the options they were given.

Amanda Hannaford’s second article on preparing longwool for worsted spinning takes us through the production of rovings to get the best from this type of fibre.

Susan Foulkes is a keen researcher of woven braids and recently came across a technique of creating cords woven around a core using a circular disc. Her original source was from the Baltic, but research turned up similar cords from Indonesia. Using her extensive knowledge of braiding techniques she has designed and woven a series of cords.

Weaver Kate Williams considers the issue of how weaving is categorised. Often pigeon-holed as craft (practical, utilitarian), weave can also be art (creative, illustrative). A Fine Arts student, she was surprised and pleased to have her weaving accepted for a contemporary art exhibition, and concludes that a weaver is both a craftsperson and an artist free to communicate ideas through weave. Lindsey Marshall also breaks weaving boundaries by creating clever and attractive 3D tapestries.

The National Exhibition 2022 at Leigh Spinners Mill triumphed after cancellation in 2020. For those not able to visit, we feature three pieces, by Carole Keepax, Jill Riley and Amanda Hannaford, while Sarah Byrne provides a review of her experience of acting as a steward at the exhibition. Time to start thinking about what you could submit in 2024?

Hilary Miller, Chair, Journal Editorial Committee

Contents

* Creating a Dyeing Challenge for the Online Guild, Christina Chisholm and Carol Hunter
* The Big Stash Spin, Beverly Usher
* Preparing Longwools for Worsted Spinning Part 2 -Making Roving, Amanda Hannaford
* Not Just a Weaver, Kate Williams
* The Weaving Disc — an exploration of history and uses. Part 1, Susan J Foulkes
* Thinking Aloud – 3D Tapestry Weaving, Lindsey Marshall
* Readers' Showcase: Highlighting three pieces from the National Exhibition 2022: Coal, Cotton, Canals, Carole Keepax, Jill Riley and Amanda Hannaford