national exhibition of Weavers Spinners and Dyers

 The National Exhibition of the Association of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers was held at Leigh Spinning Mill in September.        https://www.facebook.com/Leighspinnersmill/

Here are some photographs about the exhibition.

The unprepossessing entrance

The heritage lift was over 100 years old

Entrance to the exhibition space

Leigh Mill is undergoing a transformation.  The renovation project is very ambitious and will provide a wonderful outlet for creative talent. It is very much a work in progress.

Alison from the Lancs and Lakes Guild welcomed visitors. Alison's wonderful bed spread is next to her. The whole exhibition was set up by five volunteers. 

Two general views

A wall of discs - the fascinating interpretations using a disc.

Unfortunately exhibitors had asked that images of their work are not shared on social media so I cannot add the rest of the photographs that I took.  However, one member from Durham Guild had a disc on the wall display. Anne is one of our oldest members and a founder member of the Durham Guild of Spinners Weavers and Dyers. 

Anne Evans

 After viewing the exhibition we walked along the canal to Leigh town centre. 

It was an interesting walk and we passed two boat yards and some canal boats. 

A great day out from Manchester.

Susan J Foulkes September 2022

The Red Thread

 My piece for the exhibitors exhibition was entitled The Red Thread.

All the sayings are from different Nordic countries.  The border for each saying is in the colours of the national flag. The motifs at each end of the band were chosen to link to the particular country. 

  The red thread seemed a suitable idea that underpinned the conference in Denmark bringing together crafts people from around the world with a common love of creating narrow wares. 

The red thread around the sayings is a lucetted woollen cord. 

On the display is a Sami belt woven with the Sigga heddle, a tasuki cord in red silk, a handfasting band woven in red and gold silk and a marriage band from Sweden.  

The Sami belt woven with the Sigga heddle

A Japanese tasuki cord woven in red and gold silk

A tasuki cord is used in Japan to tie up the sleeves of a kimono or wide sleeved jacket. It is used by men and women.  

A handfasting band in red and gold silk with the eternal knot symbol

The Swedish marriage band with 101 different motifs. My initials and date are woven at one end. It is over 4 metres in length.

The Japanese lotus bag with two woven filled tubular silk cords. 

Exhibitors displays

There was an exhibition of work by all the workshop providers.  Here are some

of the displays.

Exquisite work

I love these colourful bands.

The cushion cover is beautiful.

I loved the participants who wore something that they had made.

Carol's sprang trousers

Steve's inkle woven braces

Ziggy's colourful laces made with a lucet.

The next International Conference will be held in the USA in 2025.  I hope to see you there. Perhaps we should all try to make something to wear. 

Susan J Foulkes September 2022