Warp&Weft

Contents Contact details 2 Editorial 3 Meeting reports: September - Jun Tomita 4 October - William Jefferies 6 Nov - Tim Parry Williams 9 Feature: Michael Williams 12 Devoré Workshop 15 Shades of Autumn 16 Future meetings 19 Membership news 20 What's On 22 Summer School 24 Colour theory courses 25 DeMorgan Centre 26 Library 28 Association news 29 Hip haberdashery 30

The Newsletter of the London Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers Issue 228 December 2007 London Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers

Warp and Weft Issue 228 www.londonguildofweavers.org.uk

President

Daphne Ratcliffe - [email protected] 020 8997 0291

Vice Presidents

Aileen Kennedy Nancy Lee Child Mary Smith

Executive Committee: Officers

Chair - Jenifer Midgley [email protected] 020 8892 4708 (and interim Treasurer) Secretary - Ann Brooks [email protected] 01494 726189

Committee members

Librarian - Jean Derby [email protected] 020 8560 0483 Exhibitions Officer - Allya Khan [email protected] 07970 155127 Membership Secretary - Noreen Roberts [email protected] 020 8973 1847 Lola McDowell - [email protected] 020 8749 0923 Sharen McGrail - [email protected] 020 8446 3418 Programme Secretary - Marianne Medcalf [email protected] 07800 839082 Editor of Warp & Weft - Theresa Munford [email protected] 020 8748 3737

Webmaster – Brenda Gibson [email protected] 020 8673 4914

Front cover: The Wool Winder 1865 by Jean Jules Bernard Salmson in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek Museum, Copenhagen. Photo by Kalpana Chari

Page 2 December 2007

Editorial much for the ‘hip’ generation as the hip-replacement generation. In Chinese, the word for ‘edit’ is This issue of Warp and Weft could the same as the word for ‘weave’, and almost be called the ‘Men’s Issue’ while working on my first edition (who says men can’t do textiles!). We of W&W, I have come to see how have three fascinating reviews of the apt that is. The editor’s role is to last meetings, coincidentally all male collect and select, straighten out speakers – Jun Tomita from Japan, and arrange, so that all the various our own William Jefferies from Kew strands come together into a finished and Tim Parry-Williams who has product. Strictly speaking, I’m really one foot in England and the other in just preparing the warp, as Brenda Japan – plus a feature about Michael Gibson has kindly offered to continue Williams’ wonderful woodwork. to do layout (her role, perhaps, is the And there is, of course, our real weaving!). This time, as you see, exhibition. Every two years, an she even gets to play with colour! exhibition gives us the chance to draw Meanwhile, all the yarns and fibres our many and varied skills together, come from you, the Guild members, creating, designing, organizing, who review, write, photograph and displaying and stewarding. Shades suggest ideas. Remember, it’s your of Autumn was a challenge, a display newsletter, so anything you want and a celebration of the talented and W&W to include, let us know, and we vibrant community that is the London at the loom will do our best to weave Guild. To review it, W&W carries an it in. insider’s view from Jenifer Midgely, an ‘outsider’s’ view from a member of Theresa Munford another Guild, and some comments gleaned from Guild members at the November meeting on ‘what went well’ and what could have made the exhibition even better. London is a huge city and we often miss the little gems in our midst. This edition carries a piece about the De Morgan gallery in Wandsworth, well worth a visit especially for fans of the Arts and Crafts Movement of the 19th century. And very much 21st century, there is a piece about a trendy new haberdashers in the East End, part of the wave of young craftspeople proving that woolly things are as Page 3 Warp and Weft Issue 228

September 2007: Jun Tomita Kasuri – Japanese Ikat and Inspiration

The first images Jun Tomita showed us were of his house, one hour’s drive from Kyoto amidst the stillness and beauty of an autumn mountain landscape. Inside hang some treasured textiles – a Collingwood macrogauze, a bent tree-branch loom from Papua New Guinea, a rug from Afghanistan, cloth from Africa. Some years ago, Tomita acquired a 30-metre-long commercial glasshouse previously used for growing flowers, which now contains several large looms, one a 24-shaft dobby. There is a dyeing area as well as a weaving area. In it he can easily stretch a long warp for tying or painting. It is here that he teaches his many students. Tomita learnt to weave with a Japanese master weaver and studied warp kasuri in Okinawa. When living in England, he worked in cotton and linen; when travelling in Australia for three years, he worked with wool and dyed with acid dyes, making brightly coloured hangings as well as jackets and tabards with a central panel of ikat combined with commercial cloth. Some pieces were felted by hand and foot for eight hours, the length of two or three marathons! Back in Japan, he began to tie non- He first wove rugs with Peter repeating patterns on his long narrow Collingwood using shaft-switching, warps. Repeat patterns tend to make but then developed his own method one think of commercial curtaining, with double cloth. whereas prospective buyers are more Page 4 December 2007

likely to pay good money for these on along the threads, then left to dry weavings as works of art. before weaving (as quickly as possible) While still tying some kasuri with a grey or a coloured weft. This patterns, often linear or frame- is invisible in a warp-faced cloth (sett like, he then over-dyed a large area at 75 epi) but it is capable of shading with additional colours, sometimes it. When steamed and washed, scrunching the bundles of yarn to individual sections of the cloth will be obtain an uneven take-up of the cut off and mounted on a simple white dye. This gave a painterly depth and wooden frame. texture. The warps were long enough For Tomita, this is still warp for two large pieces, tied separately kasuri, or ‘P’ kasuri as he calls it one after the other, without any – post kasuri, or painted kasuri. folding or mirror images. Such a warp And the many years’ experience of might take two weeks to complete. kasuri dyeing is very relevant to these Sometimes the yarns were plaited pieces. All are in fine silk of varying to dye in one colour, unplaited and thickness. replaited for a different colour dye, Silk takes the dye effortlessly and sometimes he tied and untied compared with linen and cotton. He kasuri ties for successive dye baths so used to dislike silk, he says, because of that each thread had many different its softness and its sheen, but this silk colours. The next development was to is different, slightly stiff with no shine paint over the dye so the brush strokes at all. showed in the finished weaving. Jun Tomita is no longer a traditional The next slides we saw were of kasuri weaver (“I got lazy”, he said) walls: urban walls with a patchwork nor an indigo dyer, but an artist who of ancient paint and the occasional has retained the quiet humility of the redundant sign or relic of scratched- craft handloom weaver. He willingly off writing, abstract visions that answered the many questions of his are clearly an abundant source of pro-active audience who showed by inspiration. their participation how much they Like the walls, the latest hangings appreciated the colourful story of his are surfaces vibrant with colour, entire development and career. superimposed layers of dye painted directly on to the warp. The dyes, Claude Delmas specially mixed by Tomita, are stiffened and then laid on with paint brushes, no tying at all is involved. The very long warp (up to ten metres) lies on the glasshouse floor spread out to its actual woven width in the dents of two reeds. One area after another is worked Page 5 Warp and Weft Issue 228

October 2007: inspirational may, just by being there, eventually become part of a design. William Jefferies These things create a fascinating From Inspiration to workshop and enable William to create imagery which he feels Tapestry should be for pleasure, sentiment or William Jefferies claims that his work tranquility. emerges from 'deep litter, like a hen'. His work has evolved over the years He finds it comforting, inspiring from a start at Edinburgh College and exciting to be surrounded by his of Art where he worked with Archie clutter. Brennan and Maureen Hodge. Their Actually, it looked quite organized work at the college was supported by clutter, but there certainly were a the Edinburgh Tapestry Company. lot of pictures around the loom he Archie believed in picture making is currently working on. There were in tapestry: it is a long standing and also a lot of interesting artefacts like ongoing topic of discussion amongst pebbles, bits of bark, dried leaves. weavers as to whether reproduction Anything beautiful in shape or colour of a painted image is a worthwhile that has caught his eye and can be exercise (for example, the tapestry

Page 6 December 2007

reproduction of a Kitaj painting in transformed into parts of a design; the British Library) or whether more colour can be torn from an area of a abstract, thought-provoking pieces are picture and used in collage. more interesting. William advised that a sketch for After Edinburgh, William moved on a design should not be overworked to the Royal College of Art and over or pushed too far, this allows for the years he has developed his own freedom in the weaving process. He distinctive style. has a sketch in wonderful shades of From the clutter in his workshop blues, greens, turquoise and purples or in the world around him, William with shapes reminiscent of a coral makes beautiful little sketches, mostly reef - but he is stuck and awaiting in colour, but in pencil and ink as new inspiration to help him move it well. They act as a memory store that forward. he can refer back to when he needs a William uses and explores texture specific idea. He also has scrapbooks a great deal in his work. He achieves (which have turned into scrapboxes his many varied textures by using to avoid the need for pasting). different fibres and yarns, but also Images from newspapers, magazines, different tapestry weaving techniques. photographs, and postcards can be He also introduces colour into his Page 7 Warp and Weft Issue 228

pieces, mostly in fairly restricted areas, using dyed needlepoint wools which can be found in a multitude of colours, further enhanced by using the hatching technique to mix the shades. The contrast between the fairly fine wool and the natural tones and roughness of the jute, linen, raffia, tussah silk, and other waxed and dipped yarns, creates a visual and tactile excitement. His current experiments are making use of fishing line, worked into areas within the other fibres, creating shapes that are light, sparkling, glistening and almost transparent. William finds these very pleasing. None of the pieces he has made with this combination are rectangular; he has developed a way of making attractive cloud-like areas, amoebic, over the warp is whipped on over the flowing and sinuous. This has shapes below it. enabled him to interpret some of the This technique of whipping shapes objects found in his collection: some onto the warp was suggested by one Spitalfields silk, a photograph of of his students. The shape is made of potatoes of astoundingly varied hues, stainless steel and the whipping done some very old golf balls that have in clear, bright colours to accentuate developed mellow colouring. the shape contained within it. He finds that designs using pebbles Zeppelins, boomerangs and amoebae create interesting shapes in the spaces appear to float over the warp, the between. In one of his pieces, he has effect being even better when the filled these with rayon chenille, in piece is hung at an angle so that the another with pinkish tussah silk that warp threads are diagonal. makes a beautiful colour blend with William has done a great deal of the unspun jute surrounding it. teaching and confessed he has learned One piece made for a Contemporary a lot from his students, including the Applied Arts exhibition at the V&A idea of the whipped outline and the displays a wonderful conglomeration immensely powerful and disturbing of colours, shapes and textures. It is a interpretation of a photograph of a real feast for the eyes and uses many face from amongst many other pieces techniques and tapestry weaver’s of his students’ work. tricks. The parallelogram which floats Tapestry weavers will have come Page 8 December 2007

November 2007: Japan, speaking the language fluently. He collaborates with other designers Tim Parry-Williams there and spends a great deal of Hand, Heart and Machine his time studying and working on collections of textiles for top fashion What a treat! With great slides and houses. beautiful samples, Tim spoke to us He has a studio where he works of his background and how it led on mainly speculative pieces for the into his weaving life. In common gallery/exhibition market, hand- with many other successful textile weaving fashion accessories and makers, he has a ‘portfolio career’, in interior textiles. How he fits all this which he combines a busy studio craft into one life is beyond imagining! practice, designing for industry, research, writing and teaching. He is currently Senior Lecturer in Woven Textiles in the Fashion and Textile Department at Bath Spa University. With textiles in his blood from both sides of his family for several generations, Tim appears to have an instinctive feel for fibre and fabric, design and making. While this may be true, he has certainly built diligently on that. He studied at Farnham, where he also taught for a while and where he developed his connection with and affection for Page 9 Warp and Weft Issue 228

He showed us some of the results of practice. Surprisingly, they were the enormous amount of sampling he predominantly black, white, or grey. does, explaining just how meticulous He explained that the fashion houses he is about getting exactly the right demand these shades. Once the handle for the end use of each textile. fabrics are chosen, they request colour The vast number of samples at this adjustments, but they need to judge stage are selected out, then further the fabric for itself rather than be edited, to finish with just a few for his distracted by colour. ‘hanger’ samples. Most of his work His studio work is mainly in a plain is very fine and includes all the usual weave construction and mostly done aspects of texture, structure and fibre on a four-shaft, counterbalance loom. choice, but with amazing precision. He does use other structures but they The fabrics are simply wonderful to remain in a basically simple range touch and to allow to drift through and are used to make the yarns sit your hands. in particular relation to each other. He uses a mixture of natural and Sett in warp and weft is especially manmade fibres in his commercial important to achieve the correct Page 10 December 2007

handle and drape. Colours are mostly partnership. achieved with natural dyestuffs and he The title of Tim’s talk comes from uses mainly natural fibres, though the an Anglo-Japanese collaboration, range includes varieties of silk, linen, describing the interface between craft ramie, paper, pineapple, alpaca and and industry as ‘a dialogue between banana. One sample he showed us is hand, heart and machine’. 100% paper. It is washable, having been industrially coated. Eve Alexander His inspiration comes from both the built and natural environment, with attention to visual and tactile details, some examples of which he showed us on slides. He particularly enjoyed a recent project entitled ‘Plain, Stripe, Check’, which was very simple but completely timeless. The exhibition poster showing some of these items is beautiful; one copy was shown folded in a special way, taking ages to do but showing off the illustrations especially well. Tim shared with us some information on the range of prices he needs to charge. At around £30 per metre to the trade, they are about double the price of most other manufacturers, but his work is beginning to sell even at these prices. Elegance and grace are the words that come to mind and these are certainly characteristics of the work he offers through The Livingstone Studio in Hampstead. He spoke a little of his collaboration with Junichi Arai for ‘Through the Surface’ and of the immense amount he learnt. Do have a look at their journals via the associated web site (www.throughthesurface.com/ throughthe surface.html) to discover the unique nature of their working Page 11 Warp and Weft Issue 228

Working Wonders with Wood – an interview with Michael Williams

Where would we be without good tools to work with? Recently, many Guild members have been singing the praises of tools they have commissioned or bought from Michael Williams. Spindles, bobbins, tapestry frames, he turns his hand to all kinds of items. Below, Michael responds to questions posed by W&W about his craft.

W&W: How did you first get into making textile tools? of the object comes from this. Some Michael: My wife Sarah has been of the items in my catalogue have making her own clothes since she been revised seven or eight times. was a teenager. When we were first The beauty comes from choosing married in 1976 she was into batik. quality timber and attention to detail She wanted a frame to stretch the throughout the job. Embellishment of fabric, so I bought a mallet and chisel a bad design will not improve matters. and a “Teach Yourself Woodwork” I never use the phrase ‘good enough’ book. The results were not too ham- - ‘good enough’ is never good enough fisted and I discovered that I loved working with wood. After years of W&W: Can craftspeople survive studying Maths and Physics, it was a today and has the internet as a joy to work with my hands. market-place helped?

W&W: Form, function and beauty Michael: The internet has made -- how do you rate these when you the world a global village. I have make an item? customers in America, Canada and Sweden as well as the length and Michael: Whatever tool I make, breadth of Britain. My work has to it must function perfectly. I make be superior in quality to the mass- prototypes and have members of produced items if I am to get repeat local guilds test them for me and orders and recommendations. It takes listen to their feedback. The form a long time to bring this about and Page 12 December 2007

therefore a craftsperson will probably customer to buy mass-produced items need a ‘regular’ job to pay the where large quantities are involved. mortgage. Only when you have a firm customer base have you any chance of W&W: You were a student at going it alone. Summer School on Pete and Carol Leonard’s spindle spinning course. W&W: What woods do you like Has learning how to spin influenced working with best? your woodworking?

Michael: I choose every plank I buy Michael: What the Summer School only after thorough inspection. I did was to show me in every detail the never buy timber over the phone. A process from raw wool to beautiful firm favourite is Canadian maple. It yarn. I was able to talk to people is dense and straight-grained which at all levels of experience for seven makes it ideal for turning on my lathe whole days. That was invaluable. Pete and also for planing and jointing. I and Carol were simply the best. choose maple for my drop spindles. W&W: Do you plan to try your hand W&W: What textile tool would you at other textile crafts? see as the biggest challenge for you as a maker? Michael: The path I take depends on who I meet along the way. Que sera, Michael: Textile tools are just bits sera! of wood accurately assembled in different orders. My trusty “Teach Michael’s contact details: Yourself Woodwork” has never failed Tel: 0114 2721039 yet! email: [email protected], www.michael-williams-wood.co.uk W&W: What do you like making best? What commission would you turn down?

Michael: I like Mathematics. In a previous life I taught Maths. I love accuracy and precision. My knowledge of Applied Maths is used when I design top whorl spindles. When I test a spindle that has perfect balance, is free of wobble and spins forever, I get a wonderful sense of pride. I turn down work where it would be more economical for the Page 13 www.fibrecrafts.

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Devoré Workshop (e.g. cotton, rayon, tencel etc) and apply an etching solution through a with Anne Field at Chesham Weaving stencil (paying due attention to health Class September 2007 and safety precautions). This is then dried, heated (by ironing) and rinsed. The etching solution reacts only with Anne Field from New Zealand will be the cellulose and leaves the protein a name well-known to many people as intact. By combining various yarns an accomplished weaver and spinner that Anne supplied, we could get very and author of a number of classic interesting effects, especially when the Ashford books on our crafts. two yarns were of different colours. This year, Anne undertook an At the end of the workshop, we all had extensive teaching tour of the UK, an interesting collection of samples Ireland and the USA, as part of which – it was every bit as useful to find out the Chesham Weaving Class (normally what didn’t work as what did – and tutored by Bobbie Kociejowski, and including a number of London Guild members) booked Anne to give a two- day workshop on her latest interest: devoré processing of mixed fibre fabrics. We were supplied in advance with a beautifully soft and fairly fine merino warp (for weavers) or three small sample balls of mixed fibres (for knitters), and we were asked to prepare for the workshop by warping up a straight draw or by knitting sufficient materials left over to be able up the yarns in stocking or garter to complete a scarf-sized project at stitch. The essence of the technique home. is to create a fabric containing both Anne created a delightfully relaxed protein (e.g. wool, silk) and cellulose atmosphere in the class by breaking up the practical sessions with short talks about her other areas of interest. In particular, she showed us some beautiful examples of her collapse weave work and was generous with sharing her knowledge very openly.

Brenda Gibson

Photos by Wendy Morris Page 15 Warp and Weft Issue 228

Shades of Autumn encouraging to be able to give £91.80 to the John Dunsmore Nepalese London Guild of Weavers, Textile Trust following the sale of Susi Spinners and Dyers Dunsmore’s books. I must offer Islington Central Library, a huge vote of London thanks to Allya Khan for all the 12 – 20 October 2007 work she put A few reflections from the Chair… into booking and liaising According to comments from visitors, with the venue our exhibition was well received and it and organizing seems appropriate to give a report to the hanging. It members. was, however, We had 75 exhibits from 37 of our largely team work members, with a further 20 items that managed for the sales table. Fifteen of the the event: the exhibits were sold, as were a further subcommittee of two from the sales table and a number Brenda Gibson, of postcards and books. It was Jean Derby, Allya and I, together The President's speech with Ann Brooks, put in much time. We also had a stream of stewards, some helping with the hanging and taking down as well. It was not the easiest of venues. Car parking was virtually impossible and, where possible, very expensive, and the library gave little help with local advertising. As for the cost, we were responsible for all the publicity so even with submission fees and 10% of the sales revenue, we ended up with a deficit of approximately £200. About 150 people visited the exhibition and as we continue to hear highly complimentary opinions from both Guild and non-guild visitors, I feel we can confidently report it as a success.

Jenifer Midgley Page 16 Left: Tapestries by Sonia Tindale & Jean Derby This page: Variety of scarves, Ply-split neckpiece, woven top by Wendy Morris

A review from a visitor… madder-dyed, hand-spun and knitted jacket which incorporated a wrap, The entrance to the main exhibition forms and jewellery in ply-splitting, area was down a corridor with a tapestry sunset, and some beautiful glass overlooking the library on one fine woven scarves. I am sure that side and a thin wall on the other concealing the Friday morning toddlers’ sing-song. A small selection of very varied and distinctive pieces was displayed there as an appetiser to the square main area. The room was very light but not large, so it was convenient that there were many scarves and other smaller items, with space to appreciate each. Favourite items among the visitors were the Page 17 Warp and Weft Issue 228

another group of visitors, on another day, with a string quartet background instead of “Twinkle, Twinkle” would choose a different selection, but all their choices would be as wide- ranging. Many of the items caused viewers to ask, “How did they do that?” and I was lucky that the small audience when I was there were able to help each other with some answers. But we would have appreciated some more information about some pieces, without giving away trade secrets. variety of techniques, colours and There was certainly an inspiration to materials used, and the attention go home and experiment for many of to detail of the finish as well as the us. construction of each piece. The The visitors’ book had many number of red spots on labels was overseas signatures and some from evidence that others also valued the local non-guild visitors, as well as the quality of work usual interested parties, all showing appreciation of the work, with many Ann Ault commenting on the time and skill East Hampshire Country Park Guild involved. My main impression was the wide And a few comments gleaned from Guild members at the November meeting……….

What went well…… Nice gallery…..nicely lit….well hung….uncluttered look…..colour theme created a harmonious look…. good quality of work submitted without need to reject any pieces.

Even better if….. A bit more information on individual pieces….better venue in terms of Madder jacket by Theresa Munford location……more local advertising… Photos throughout by Jacquie Teal & use A4 posters only for advertising …a Brenda Gibson gallery dedicated to selling so as to attract more buying customers…… Page 18 December 2007

Future Meetings from 18 January – 2 May 2008). Mary will talk about meetings in Here are details about some of the Japan, the exhibition itself and the guest speakers coming to the London ripples of contact that are already Guild in 2008. More details on the extending out across Europe and rest of the programme will be in the beyond. next edition of W&W. Jane Meredith: Dyed in the Wool -- Jacqui Carey: The World of Braids the alchemy of plant dyeing (10 May) (12 January) “Colour is what inspires me, A slide show that takes you on a and I find it wherever I go in the trip around the world (with a few countryside around me: colour side steps back in time). This is a from plants that grow in my garden chance to circumnavigate the world by the River Wye, also colour from through the technique of braid wild plants around the orchards making, looking at how different and hedgerows of Herefordshire. I environments, cultures, needs weave, spin, make felt, knit and and fashions effect the nature of sew patchworks. I travel to hotter traditional braid making. countries and find a whole new world of colour in Spain, and now India. Mary Butcher: Japanese Basket The beauty of the natural dyestuffs Making and ‘East Weaves West: faded with the Industrial Revolution Basketry from Japan and Britain’ (9 and the discovery of synthetic February) dyestuffs. But there have been many attempts to keep this knowledge alive In 2005, Mary Butcher spent a by a few individuals. Now there is month travelling in Japan to meet a huge resurgence of interest in the basket makers and find out what was possibilities of using flowers, leaves, being made by different groups with roots, bark and minerals as dyes. As different materials. One fascinating one student in a workshop said to trip took her south to Kyushu, me ‘I can’t believe you can get these another up into the snowy north, both wonderful oranges and yellows just journeys to meet vernacular basket by boiling up a bunch of old green makers using local bamboo and vine. leaves...’” In July 2007, ‘East Weaves West’ opened in Glasgow, an exhibition of Diane and Jim Gaffney: Silks from over a hundred objects, both Japanese the Ancient Kingdoms (14 June) and British, some essential working objects, some highly contemporary Thailand, Cambodia and Laos have and sculptural (the exhibition travels long been famous for their silk. To to the Hove Museum and Art Gallery this day, silkworms are raised and the Page 19 Warp and Weft Issue 228

silk spun and woven in the traditional about putting the diagonal into weave. way by village women on the looms She will be talking about her recent below their homes. In the past 50 work which includes designing for years, a complete revival of this dying George Spencer Design in Guatemala art has occurred and silk production and doing development work with is now thriving. The talk will include nettle weavers in Nepal as part of the a look at how and why, with lots of John Dunsmore travel scholarship. beautiful silk, old and new, from these ancient kingdoms. Guild Notice Caron Penney: Weaving the Unicorn Tapestries (12 July) Stewards wanted for ExCel...

Caron Penney is the Head of The Guild will have a stand again West Dean Tapestry Studio and at The London Stitch and Creative for the past six years, she has been Crafts Show at the ExCel exhibition coordinating the recreation of a set centre near Canary Wharf. The of medieval tapestries called the dates are 28 February to 1 March ‘Hunt of the Unicorn’. The original 2008. If you would like to be on tapestries were woven around 1495- the rota to help steward the stand 1505 in Brussels. They now hang in and demonstrate your craft, please the Metropolitan Museum of Art in let Allya know. Tel: 07970 155127, New York. West Dean’s recreated set email: [email protected] are being woven for Stirling Castle for the refurbishment of their Royal Apartments. To be able to recreate these tapestries, the team at West Membership Update Dean have undertaken research which includes colour-matching, weaving We warmly welcome the following techniques and yarns used. The three new members who have joined project will last 12 years and is one the Guild since our last Warp and of the longest projects the Tapestry Weft. Jane Rutt who joins us again Studio in West Dean has undertaken on her return from India, Berit in its history. Sandstrom newly arrived from Sweden, who heard of us at the recent Sarah Lowry: Who Am I Designing Knitting and Stitching Show, and For? (8 November) Gillian Walker who attends William Jefferies’ class at Morley College. The Sarah graduated from the Royal membership now stands at 171. College of Art, London in 2007 with a woven textiles MA. Her personal work, influenced by braiding, is all Page 20 December 2007

New Members Membership Renewals

Jane Rutt The Guild annual subscription (£21) Flat 21 Montagu House and the cost of The Journal (4 issues 109-113 Whitfield Street including postage, £14.50) have both London W1T 4HJ been kept at the same rate as last year. Tel: 0207 580 8583 The Junior Guild membership is now a Student membership and is Berit Sandstrom available to those aged under 3 Lime Tree Court 18 or to full-time students Straight Road on the production of a Old Windsor student ID card. Hoping to Berkshire SL4 2SS encourage younger people to Tel: 01753 840874 our Guild, the membership cost to them will be half the Gillian Walker adult fee. 109 Offord Road A reduction of 50p on the London N1 1PQ cost of The Journal can be Tel: 0207 607 8658 saved if ordered before 15 January! I can accept your renewal Changes of Address subscriptions now as membership will continue until the end of 2008. Please Mary Smith enclose an s.a.e. if you wish me to 10, Woodlawn Close post your membership card, otherwise Putney SW15 2RE it will be enclosed in the March Tel: 0208 871 9350 W&W if not collected at a meeting. Please keep me up to date with any Becky Fuse change of address or phone number 86B Sheen Road and particularly any change in email Richmond address so that our webmaster can Surrey TW9 1UF send you details of meetings etc. A Tel: 07738 229928 complete list of members, except those who do not wish their details News just received to be published, can be found in the members’ section of our website. This Sadly, we report the death, on 12 is updated several times each year. November, of one of our members, Any errors, please let me know. Ruth Haslam, after a short period in hospital. Noreen Roberts The Limes, 1d Avondale Road, Bromley BR1 4HT 0208 313 3880 [email protected] Page 21 Warp and Weft Issue 228

What’s on in textiles you’re more likely to find people in the café!) For January and February Ongoing exhibitions: dates, contact Daphne Ratcliffe Tel: 020 8997 0291, email: daphne. Until 6 January 2008 [email protected] Indigo, a Blue to Dye for at Brighton & Hove Museum Sharen McGrail

Until 30 March 2008 Central Asian Ikats from the Rau Collection at the V&A, Room 40, free admission. The textiles shown are mostly on loan from the Rau collection. Pip Rau is a leading collector of Central Asian and Afghan textiles and jewellery. Hers is the most important collection of this material in the UK and one of the best in the world. This collection gives us a view of the extraordinary range of Central Asian ikats made in the 19th century. Some pieces from the V&A’s collection are also on display. There will be a Gallery Talk about the exhibition on Thurs 20 December at 1.00pm

Until 24 February 2008 Wrapping Japan at the Horniman Contributions to What's On Museum A wide selection of costumes and What’s On in Textiles is collated textiles that are linked by the way by Sharen McGrail and is they are used to wrap things. supplemented by material from other members. If you know of any Dates to note: textile related events or exhibitions in the London area that would be of 5 and 19 December, 11am – 3pm interest to other members please let Spinning Group ... Sharen know. ...meets at the Wetlands Centre, Barnes, upstairs near the In Focus [email protected] Shop, all welcome. (19 December will 020 8521 0355 be the group’s Christmas lunch, so Page 22 TEXERE YARNS Creative yarns for creative people

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Tel: 01274 722191 Fax: 01274 393500 Web site: www.texereyarns.co.uk Warp and Weft Issue 228

The Association Summer from the outside, so we missed much of the sunshine except for our visits School, Falmouth – the Minack open air theatre on 29 July – 5 August 2007 Monday evening to see Peer Gynt and Wednesday afternoon to the Eden project – both of which were The Weavers, Spinners and Dyers excellent. Summer School was held in Falmouth There were sixteen different courses this year, right in the southwest at the Summer School. I think of England, a long way for many everyone enjoyed them and received people to travel. I had gone from a good deal from them. I was in the London, which was quite near when spindle spinning group led by Carol you consider that some people had and Pete Leonard. As there were two come from the north of England and teachers, our group was larger than Scotland. usual – over twenty. We had excellent The Tremough Campus is at teaching and plenty of individual Penryn, about six miles north of the attention. town of Falmouth (a bus stopped They had brought their collection in the campus for both Falmouth of top-whorl spindles (over thirty, I and Truro). I travelled on Saturday should think) and they encouraged hoping to look at Falmouth before us to try their different shapes and the course started on Sunday evening. weights. They had scales so we could However the weather decided weigh their spindles and our own. otherwise. I entered black clouds We had many different types of and rain on reaching Truro, where wool and vegetable fibres given to us we were met by a taxi to take four of to try. We were given a folder with us from the train to the college. The a resume of the instructions about rain continued until the rest of the spinning and we recorded our results group arrived on Sunday afternoon. and kept our sample yarns in them. The student accommodation was We started with the top-whorl spindle very good, separate from the teaching for the wools, then went on to the rooms and dining room. Some of akha spindle for cotton and other us were at the far end of the rows short staple fibres. We followed with of accommodation blocks built into supported spindles held in a wooden the hillside – about half-a-mile walk or pottery bowl. uphill to breakfast! This was a By then it was the end of the week definite deterrent from going back to and we had to put our workbooks my room before the end of the day. and projects on display while we We were fortunate with the weather visited other groups, as well as going after Sunday, but although the sun to the trade fair to spend our money. shone, there was a cold wind. Our The week finished with the Gala workroom was completely cut off Dinner prepared by the kitchen staff Page 24 December 2007

who had fed us so well during the the convenor, Sue Dwyer. Sue had week. This was one occasion where organised a wonderful summer school the ‘companions’ who had come with everything going well as far as I with the ‘workers’ joined the whole know. group together. They had been led on walks and trips by the husband of Pamela Jones

Before the performance of Peer Gynt at the Minack Theatre, Lands End

Learn Colour Theory with Bobbie... Good news for those who want to learn more about colour and its uses. Bobbie Kociejowski is going to run two short courses at The Handweavers Studio. The weekend of 2 - 3 February, 2008, Bobbie will be teaching ‘colour theory’, then on the weekend of 1 – 2 March, she will be teach the practical application, with a course on dyeing using fibre-reactive and acid dyes. Numbers will be limited so book now! Details and booking from The Handweavers Studio, tel: 020 8521 2281, email: [email protected]

Looking ahead to the summer, Bobbie will be teaching a course entitled ‘Dyeing and Weaving’ at the Oxford Summer School (Mon 28 July – Sat 2 Aug 2008). The aim of this course will be to enable the weaver to better determine colour choices through an increased understanding of colour theory and how colours relate to one another, especially in the unique interaction of warp and weft. Details from Elizabeth Bryant, 10 Foxburrow Lane, Hailey, Witney, Oxon, OX29 9UN, tel: 01993 704345, or www.oxfordsummerschool.com

Page 25 Warp and Weft Issue 228

The De Morgan Centre – a little- known gallery of Arts and Crafts treasures

South London does not have too many jewels in its crown, but the De Morgan Centre in Wandsworth is one of them. It opened in 2002 to display the work of William and Evelyn De Morgan. William De Morgan (1839 – 1917) was one of the most important ceramic artists of the second half of the nineteenth century, working in the Arts and Crafts style. He did not describe himself as a potter as he bought the blanks for his tiles, bowls and pots, although later he employed a thrower to make the shapes he required. His main interest was in the applied design and, in particular, in at Wandsworth Library. Against the the technique of lustre. His favoured blue walls and high dark-beamed images were highly stylised birds, ceiling, the paintings and ceramics are animals and flowers, many with a placed like glowing jewels. Entry is Persian influence, which also show free and the small catalogue ‘William similarities to the textile designs of his and Evelyn De Morgan” at only friend, William Morris. £3.95 is worth every penny. Anyone Evelyn De Morgan (1855–1919), the wanting some colour inspiration wife of William, was an artist working should visit the De Morgan Centre, in the style of the Pre-Raphaelites. the details of which are: The detailed paintings, mainly of De Morgan Centre (inside women dressed in mediaeval fashions, Wandsworth Library) are in the distinctive Victorian style of 38 West Hill, Wandsworth, London allegory and symbolism, but her main SW18 1RZ strength is in her use of colour. The Tel: 020 8871 1144 moody tones and the brilliant clear Opening times: Tues and Wed 12 Renaissance colours are wonderful. noon – 6pm; Fri and Sat: 10am Personally, I am surprised that she is – 5pm; (closed Mon, Thurs & Sun) not better known. Entry: Free This permanent exhibition is Directions: 10-minute walk from East housed in an elegant large room, Putney underground station (District once the old reference reading room line to Wimbledon) Page 26 the handweavers studio & gallery ltd

JAN 12 SPINNING JAN 19/20 & 26/27 LOOM WEAVING I & II (4 days split into two weekends, ideal for beginners) FEB 2/3 COLOUR THEORY FEB 9 SPINNING FEB 16/17 FELTMAKING MAR 1/2 DYEING (Acid & Fibre Reactive) MAR 8/9 & 15/16 LOOM WEAVING I & II APR 5 SPINNING MAY 3/4 TAPESTRY MAY 10/11 & 17/18 LOOM WEAVING I & II JUNE 7 SPINNING JUNE 21/22 LOOM WEAVING III Limited places (usually seven) are available for each weekend course. All fees quoted include VAT, equipment hire and raw material (yarns, fleece/fibres). Courses are held from 10am to 5pm each day, with an hour break for lunch. The courses are non-residential. For all courses, please bring a notebook and pen or pencil and (except for spinning) graph paper, scissors and a tape measure. We suggest that you bring a packed lunch, facilities for making tea and coffee are available. Wide range of Fibres, Books, Educational Discounts. Fleece, Yarns, Equipment, Send stamp for mail order catalogue. Dyes, Russell Dyes Better still, call in and see our stock. Open 10 am - 5 pm Tuesday to Saturday Closed Sunday and Monday 29 Haroldstone Road London E17 7AN 020 8521 2281 Email address: [email protected] Web site: http://www.handweaversstudio.co.uk Warp and Weft Issue 228

Library hand spinning techniques, yarn in fabric and contemporary yarns. The The Guild has recently been given chapters are well illustrated with two books, ‘Freeform’ by Prudence colour photographs to show the Mapstone and ‘Spiritual Fabric’ by techniques and equipment. Sadal Torimaru. I have also bought ‘The Yarn Book’ by Penny Walsh and Finally – A video mislaid the following is some information about the three books. Does anyone know the whereabouts of the video “The Ikats of Sumba”? It Spiritual Fabric was in the library, but isn’t anymore! Author: Sadal Torimaru If anyone knows where it is I should be most grateful if you could let me This is a record of Miao textile- know. Thank you. making that the author observed and documented while conducting field Jean Derby research in Guizhou Province, China, Librarian for the past 20 years. It covers making yarns, braiding, how to net a bag, carrying straps made by split-ply weaving, hemp, silk, wool yarns, cotton, indigo, belt weaving, body tension loom, back-strap looms, and weaving.

Freeform Serendipitous design techniques for knitting and crochet Author: Prudence Mapstone

The book contains an introduction to freeform knitting, choosing colours and yarns and patterns. It is well illustrated in colour, showing made garments and the stitches used.

The Yarn Book How to understand, design and use yarn Author: Penny Walsh

The book covers a history of spinning, materials, yarn spinning mechanisms, Page 28 December 2007

Association News submitted inside a clear CD case. So start getting those creative juices working! We will carry much more Tenth Biennial Conference detail in the March edition of W&W, and you can, of course, check the This is taking place in Fife, Scotland Association website (www.wsd.org. from Friday 11 April to Sunday 13 uk). There is also a plot afoot to have April 2008, and the theme is ‘Bridging a Guild jaunt to Liverpool, perhaps the Old and the New’. Lecture topics staying one night at a Travel Lodge. include the Falkirk tartan project, More on that in forthcoming issues of organic Shetland wool, the Unicorn W&W. Tapestries of Stirling Castle, and Scottish dye plants, and there will be an exhibition of the work of the young Scottish weaver, Rachel Skene. Lots more details are on the Association website (www.wsd.org.uk) The London Guild will be sending a delegate and an observer, but if anyone else is interested, Ann Brooks will be bringing application forms to the next meeting (the booking deadline is 31 January 2008).

FABRICreATIONS – the AGSWD National Exhibition

The National Exhibition is only seven months away! It will take place in Liverpool Hope University from 25 July – 22 August 2008. The theme of the exhibition is ‘A World of Textiles in One City’. Quotas mean that the London Guild can send 28 pieces, maximum two items per member. These will be selected at the June meeting. There are also two other categories with no restriction on the number of entries submitted: • Miniatures – an item no larger than 3cm in any direction (2D or 3D). • A response to a song – work to be Page 29 Warp and Weft Issue 228

Hip Haberdashery: a world. Out of the chaos came kits, books, films and a completely quirky new shop opens knitted wedding. Cast Off in London mixed with the stars including Englebert Humperdinck, Ricki Lake, Vanessa Feltz, BBC Breakfast 260 Globe Rd, Bethnal Green, E2 0JD crew, Christopher Biggins, Robin Tel: 020 8951 2560 Opening hours: Tues – Fri 12 noon – 6 pm, Sat 11 am – 6 pm.

Prick Your Finger is a modern haberdashery shop run by Rachael Matthews and Louise Harries. They met at Central St Martins College, Louise is from Wales and Rachael is from the Lake District. They operate from East London and ride bicycles. Louise worked in fashion design for Cousins, Vinnie the Ferret, companies such as Hoxton Boutique, Wayne Hemmingway, and Sharon Gucci and Gap. She was involved in Osbourne. all stages of production, from yarn They have a pet angora rabbit and sourcing to final product, and admits some sheep in Wales. They spin to being a bit obsessed with textile yarns from their pets and make machinery, yarn processing, and the beautiful things. Rachael and Louise journey from sheep to shoulder. say, “Our shop has everything you Rachael need to be an ornamental hermit or ran ‘Cast to make the best party costumes. We Off Knitting believe an original look, well worn, Club for Boys is priceless. Old books teach us and Girls’, new craft skills. We built the shop making events fittings ourselves and laid the parquet to promote flooring. If William Morris were knitting and alive today, he would take us to the handicrafts as pub.” a constructive “We don’t like synthetic materials, pastime. It and we don’t panic when our clothes gathered get holes in, because we can mend column inches them. We are passionate about and made all forms of textiles, from current woolly chaos fashion to heritage, from couture to all over the ‘make-do-and-mend’. Page 30 December 2007

Opinions Articles for Warp & Weft

The committee is not responsible for Articles should be: the opinions expressed in Warp & 1. submitted by email, either as a Weft. Nothing may be copied without Word, RTF or text file attachments the permission of the editor. Where a (or even in the body of an email); communication to the editor or any 2. sent on a disk (floppy or CD), as a of the officers requires a reply, please Word, RTF or text file; email or enclose a stamped addressed 3. printed out or typed in as large and envelope. clear a typeface as possible, with no end-of-line hyphenation, so Warp & Weft Online that they can be scanned instead of being re-keyed This edition of Warp & Weft is (in order of preference) and sent to available in colour in a private the editor. members’ area on the London Guild website. Members whose email Copy Dates addresses are known are sent a Username and Password that enables Warp & Weft is produced quarterly access to the private area of the site. in March, June, September and If you do not have the access details, December. All contributions please email webmaster@londonguild (including advertisements) must reach ofweavers.org.uk. the editor by: 1st February for the March issue Advertising in Warp & Weft 1st May for the June issue 1st August for the September issue Warp & Weft accepts both display 1st November for December issue and classified advertising at the editor’s discretion. The cost for Editor display ads is £15 full page, £10 half page, with a reduced rate for four Theresa Munford consecutive issues of £50 and £30 27 Bracken Gardens respectively. A layout and setting Barnes service is available if required, cost London SW13 9HW £20 and £10 respectively. Small (ie 020 8748 3737 classified) ads cost £5 (members) and [email protected] £7.50 (non-members) for up to 25 words. Adverts must be prepaid by postal order or cheque made payable to “London Guild of Weavers”. Send copy and payment to the editor.

Page 31 London Guild of Weavers, 12 July

Spinners & Dyers Caron Penney: Weaving the Unicorn Programme 2008 Tapestries 9 August 12 January Melanie Venes: Creative Sampling - the Jacqui Carey: The World of Braids ‘what if?’ school of weaving (A day workshop for 10 August is also 9 February planned, details in the next W&W)

Mary Butcher: Japanese Basket Making 13 September and ‘East Weaves West: Basketry from Japan and Britain’ Lesley Pullen: Contemporary Expressions of Traditional Textiles - 8 March evidence from Bali, Flores and Sumba

AGM 11 October

12 April Karen Staple: My Journey into Stitch and Weave Skills sharing, more details to follow 8 November 10 May Sarah Lowry: Who Am I Designing For? Jane Meredith: Dyed in the Wool - the - the recent work of Sarah Lowry alchemy of plant dyeing 13 December 14 June Christmas Competitions Diane and Jim Gaffney: Silks from the See the next W&W for details Ancient Kingdoms

All meetings are held at St Stephen’s House, 48 Emperor’s Gate, London SW7 and start at 2:30pm, unless otherwise indicated. See www.londonguildofweavers.org.uk for additions or updates