Garment Idea, by Rose Pelvin and Helen Lukes

For weavers wanting to take up the challenge to make a garment this year, but nervous about cutting their precious fabric, here is an idea from Anne Field's collapse weave book. Here is Helen Lukes of Wellington with her take on this simple but very effective design I had a chance to see during my latest trip to Wellington.

by Rose Pelvin

April Meeting

The April Weavers' Group meeting was replaced by a Saturday workshop led by Rose featuring crepe weaves, in keeping with our Year of the garment theme.

Our very generous tutor Rose
One of the many drafts prepared by Rose for the workshop
8 shaft samples woven with the previous treadling
4 shaft sample woven on June's draft
Win at work, assisted by Nancy
Noeline and Joan concentrate on their lessons
Anne and Rose work it out
Not a crepe weave, but Rosemary's plans for a throw using her handspun mohair/wool

by Chris Beech

Fibre Fantasia: Nelson-Marlborough-Buller Area Exhibition - Part 2

by Jan Hennay

by Jan Hannay

by June McKnezie

by Rose Pelvin

by Rose Pelvin
by Denise Cleghorn
by Zoe Thompson
by Christine Marks
Nancy, Chris and Joan

by Rose Pelvin

Fibre Fantasia: Nelson-Marlborough-Buller Area Exhibition - Part 1

Fibre Fantasia is the name of the Nelson-Marlborough-Buller Area exhibition which opened in Takaka on Monday 29 March. Marlborough was well represented both by exhibits (13 from 8 members) and members in attendance at the opening (11 plus one husband). The venue is a small but lovely gallery at Motupipi, aptly named the Bell Tower. Win and Denise received special mention as "Selector's Choice" for their entries. (While Denise is not officially a member of our group we still think of her as ours, especially when she is winning accolades!)

"Jeanetically-Modified, by Chris Beech

by Chris Beech

by Anne Udy

by Anne-Marie Chapman

by Win Currie

by Win Currie

By Rose Pelvin

(Blog Mum has been away with the fairies, and apologizes the vary late posting this month. )

Eyelash Blouse, by Rose Pelvin

I wrote it for my Cross Country (sample exchange) project previously.

At the last Weavers meeting last year, Joan was wearing a lovely white cotton shirt which had blocks of dense weave and blocks of more open weave. It had intrigued me before and we had a discussion about it. She had bought in it Nepal and had actually seen the fabric being woven.

I was keen to work out how it was done and prepared to work out a complicated draft, but Joan explained how it was done, with a whole lot of overshot floats which were trimmed off afterwards - easy peasy! My sample is a lot softer than Joan's crisp shirt fabric but has a nice handle and drape. The first sample (with colours and eyelashes) was beaten quite hard, so the next was was beaten much more lightly. Perhaps something in between would be about right.


I was glad to have something different to send to CCW for my own choice. I've been a member for so long I'm running out of ideas!

Does that clear your confusion, Meg?

by Rose Pelvin

March Meeting

"What inspires you when you weave to create a garment?" was the theme of this month's meeting last Monday. We discussed how we are inspired to weave for a garment.

Some weavers look at the yarns and design fabric. Some of us look at what is in fashion in clothing stores and catalogs and go home and create their own. Others start with colors.

We got to see and feel some garments, as well as samples of garment fabrics.

One of Jenny's lovely coats.

Rose's eye lash sample of Joan's blouse? (I miss out on a lot by not going to every meeting!)

And we also had our usual show and tell.

Judy's merino sample - unwashed

Judy's merino sample - fulled

Betsy's bag with sari yarns - summer side

Betsy's bag - winter side

Betsy's mohair wrap - the middle part of the wrap was brushed, but in the two ends boucle loops were kept.

Anne Udy scarf

Nancy's hat from a kit set (?)

Nancy's hat on Joan

Last but not the least, Nancy's husband Robin Taylor's debut piece; the weft is hand-spun (by Nancy) alpaca, the warp is 80% wool, 20% alpaca.

I'm sorry for the sorry photos and report; I am both thrilled and overwhelmed by the idea of sewing and I was very preoccupied.

by Meg Nakagawa

Changing Threads

"Changing Threads" exhibition opened at Refinery Art Space gallery in Nelson today. From Marlborough Weavers, Rose Pelvin and Moorhouse had works accepted to this exhibition.

The exhibition will be open until 10 April.

"Litehaus"
by Rose Pelvin

"Joyful Jazz"
by Peg Moorhouse

Fulled Merino Scarves - Part 2, by Judy Bool

I wove 3 sample pieces once the scarves were finished and used these to test the amount of fulling. The first wash left the weave still loose. The second gave the effect you see in the finished articles. A more felted effect could be achieved by a third washing but I wanted to retain the ends unfelted.

The final result was 3 very soft cuddly scarves.

by Judy Bool

Fulled Merino Scarves - Part 1, by Judy Bool

from “The Best of Weavers – Fabrics That Go Bump”

I really was not sure which project to tackle first from this lovely book. The pictures inside the back cover took my eye and as I have some very soft 2ply merino. Well, here is the result. (The right hand scarf in pic is from a different draft.)

A lace variation on a very large scale, consisting of ¾” blocks of plain weave alternating with blocks of warp floats and blocks of weft floats. Reference; Sandra Rule.

I decided to wind one warp for the three scarves – do them all at once! In hind sight, this was not good idea. I have an 8 shaft floor loom and as the tie-up changes for each scarf, it was not easy to re-tie the shafts.

As you can see in the photos, the sett was loose at 16 epi&ppi. When I took the scarves off the loom it was like handling a fishing net.

by Judy Bool