International Year of Natural Fibre Part 4: Work by Rose Pelvin

I called my display "A tisket, a tasket . . .". I found all the natural fibre baskets I could for the occasion but had to resort to one plastic one (it is woven though, but not by me). I should have covered it a bit better.



by Rose Pelvin

International Year of Natural Fibre Part 3: New Zealand Flax Weaving by Katie McDonald

These are by Katie McDonald, usually known as a felter but now producing work in flax, (New Zealand flax, phormium tenax, or harakeke.)

Katie's collection of baskets.

Flax bookmarks.

Flax bag, or kete.

by Rose Pelvin

International Year of Natural Fibre Part 2: Work by Chris Beech

Chris Beech brought these works.

A wool blanket in bright colours incorporating squares of huck lace.

Cushions in Summer & Winter.

Chris has perfected her mohair and wool rugs.

This gorgeous scarf is SO soft.

A request from the hospital for baby blankets prompted this one in an 8-shaft twill.

by Rose Pelvin

International Year of Natural Fibre Part 1

The International Year of Natural Fibre was celebrated in Blenheim at an event hosted by the Rural Women's organisation. Our Guild was well represented with weaving, spinning and felting and alpaca products on show; in fact we provided about half the display. Unfortunately the public stayed away in droves, nevertheless we enjoyed a social time of admiring our own work and that of the other stall holders.

Weaving on display included tea towels and place mats from past projects and scarves with amazing textures.

Jan's Inkle Loom attracted some attention and questions.

Chris and Jan watch a demonstration.

Anne demonstrates weaving.

Joan and Katie watch Cherrie and Christine at work

This wine-theme tapestry was woven by Jan, Christine and Sue Broad, (a long time member who now resides in Dunedin). It was intended to be one third of a triptych but looks great on its own.

by Rose Pelvin

The One that Didn't Work, by Meg Nakagawa

I'd like to share with you something that didn't work for me. After weaving two Frou Frou scarves, I wanted to insert the eyelash accents vertically. I hoped to pin down the eyelash yarns every inch or so in two pics, and after some experimentation, I decided to have three ends in four places.

The mechanism was simple and straight-forward. As you can see, I didn't thread them, but sleyed, and every inch or so, I held down the eyelash yarns and let the shuttle travel over them.

Aesthetically, however, it didn't work at all. I either needed more or less of the eyelashes in each tripe, or more or fewer groups, and perhaps I needed a bolder draft.

Such as the reverse side of the draft I used.

There is much scope for experimentation and sampling here for me, if and I am in a Frou Frou mood again. But for now, with the arrival of the hay fever season, the eye lash yarns have been put in a plastic bag and put away.

Old, by Meg Nakagawa

For someone who gets bored easily and doesn't want to weave the same thing twice, it's a rare thing I've loved my tiny cotton scarves so much I've so far woven three warps of them.

These scarves are woven with 2/20 mercerized cotton at around 36EPI, and I always use the same gold/yellow in the warp. The slight difference in the weft colors, mostly in light blues, greens, aquas and turquoises, make each piece similar but different. As well, I try to recreate a very old feel by making flamboyant, symmetrical drafts. So far these scarves were around 6 inches wide and between 150cm to 170cm long, but I'd like to experiment with a warp with approximately twice the weaving width soon.

September Meeting Part 3

Light and airy . . . A beautiful lightweight top, part of a three-piece catwalk outfit by Jenny.

Note Jenny's . . . Woven, designed and tailored by Jenny. Beautifully finished and it will never go out of style.

A Marion . . . Marion was a member of our group for many years till she shifted to the deep south. We miss her.

A new owner . . . Jan waltzed home very happily in her new skirt, which solved one of Joan's dilemmas.

by Rose Pelvin

September Meeting Part 2

From evening dress . . . A sparkling model by Jenny, made when rag weaving was "in."

Joan began . . . Probably Joan's first jacket, all handspun.

Joan ponders what to do with fabric woven by Tricia years ago.

June's latest, hot off the loom at the bay. Tricia looking on.

Just add . . Dot has been making scarves by the dozen. Just the thing to add a spark to one of Joan's jackets.

by Rose Pelvin

September Meeting Part 1

Our September meeting, on the 21st, focused on cutting and sewing handwoven fabrics. It was quite a hoot - a lot of fun and a few laughs bringing out garments "ancient and modern," though the emphasis was on the ancient, some being between thirty and forty years old. A lot of pieces had stood the test of time and there were a lot of comments such as "timeless," or "you could wear that now." Expert workmanship in the construction was much admired. One happy result was a skirt changing hands and being worn home by its new owner. There was a good discussion about the many rolls of fabric that have been stashed away and not made up. Some people went home with a clearer idea of what to do next.

Beautifully tailored . . Joan's coat and skirt tailored under Birgite's instructions. (It was this skirt that ended up with Jan.)

An early model . . . One of Jenny Murray's first woven garments. She went on to make several fashion parade outfits.

An old curtain . . . Joan's. She gave it a vigorous fulling and the various yarns reacted differently. The colour is original, not overdyed. We all thought she should make a pair of big floor cushions with rich cords and tassels.

As new. . . Jenny Murray. A more recent model in Marnie Kelly's boucle yarn.

English warp... Betsy brought this warp home from England and searched till she found the perendale weft for it.

by Rose Pelvin

New Weaver, by Rose Pelvin

Liam, nearly 11, learning to weave in the school holidays.

Photos by Esther Salisbury, text by Rose Pelvin

Wrap, by June McKenzie

When the opportunity arises I indulge in a little weaving at our bach in the Sounds. For this wrap-in-the-making I am using hand-dyed yarns, some handspun, silk and wool singles. Fine boucle stablises the open sett.

I am pleased with the handle of this piece; it is lighter than it looks. I design as I go and I like to made the two ends different.

by June McKenzie