AGWSD Summer School Part Two

The Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers Summer School, part two

Th second workshop built on the skills acquired on the first.  Four new students arrived to take the place of four who booked only for the first workshop.



The double slotted heddle works well on a rigid heddle loom.

On the final day, there was a display of student work. I wish that I had taken more photographs, but I was so engrossed in the teaching that I kept forgetting to take out my camera.

Part of the display.

Barbara took many lovely pictures of the woven bands.  Here is a selection.






The woven bands were pinned up on the wall.  Each band told the story of the week.  From first hesitant beginnings and wobbly edges to neat crisp patterns by the end.

The students worked very hard and gained the skills to carry on their interest in this lovely craft.

The band on the left has a decorative tassel typical of Lithuanian bands.

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Two Sami zig zag plaits and
 a decorative figure on the end of one band.

The band lock is very useful.

Some bookmarks and samples

Thank you Barbara for sharing these lovely photographs.

In addition to being a class member, Barbara was also the class prefect.  Every morning she would read out the notices from the office about the arrangements for the day. It was an entertaining start to every day.

Thank you again.

Party Like It’s 1955

Finally, the evening entertainment 1950's style, Elvis and rock and roll. 

A parade of the 1950's costumes: circular skirts and frilly petticoats.

Moreton Morrell Hall

On Sunday morning, I wandered around the grounds. Moreton Morrell Hall was built in 1906 in the style of William and Anne.  Unfortunately, there was a fire some years ago and some of the main hall cannot be used.  A previous Summer School had been held in the Hall itself.  Now, there is a general air of neglect around the once beautiful gardens..

Moreton Morrell Hall

The walls and seats are broken

The neglected lily pond. 

The back of the Hall.

The view across the lawn and across the surrounding countryside
 should be magnificent but is now blocked by trees. 

The abandoned and overgrown terrace

This pretty fountain is surrounded by green lifeless pond..

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The nymph is being transformed like Daphne into a bush.

I had a wonderful week.  The students were all enthusiastic and interested, although I had over-prepared and taken far too many activities for them to try. I am already looking forward to the next summer school - perhaps as a student after seeing the activities on offer in other classrooms.

Susan J Foulkes September 2015

AGWSD Summer School Part One

AGWSD Summer School 16th to 23rd August 2015,
at the
Moreton Morrell campus, UK

Cotswold Court

Finally Summer School is here.  I seem to be taking a lot of things for the two workshops that I am running but I wanted to be certain that I had everything that I might need for the week. Every box is labelled and lists made and checked.  There are 250 students attending Summer School and there are many lovely and interesting workshops to choose: weaving, spinning, basketry, ply-split braiding, design and dyeing

Cotswold Court is at the centre of the classrooms for the workshops.  Time stood still for the week whilst we were there.  It was always 5 to 6.

I arrived early to set up my room.  Fourteen students using backstraps take up a lot of space. I had also brought along many woven samples, some bought in the countries around the Baltic.

The clasroom

The theme for the patterns is knots and meanders.  I had produced a booklet of designs for the students to try.

The workshop booklet

The first 2.5 day workshop was for beginners.  Everyone could go at their own pace. The 13 pattern slot Sunna double slotted heddle was used.  All the patterns in the booklet are for 13 pattern threads.

The Sunna double slotted heddle on a loom.

I provided the double slotted heddles ready threaded so that everyone could start weaving straight away. It is important to ensure that the heddle is level and that all the warp threads are at the same tension.  Some students found it easier to work whilst sitting on the floor.  This gives a much better angle for the warp. Some students attached themselves to the window catch which brought the warp up to a good angle for weaving. A couple of students wanted to use their rigid heddle loom.  This also gives a very good weaving position. Posture is very important.  When concentrating it is easy to forget to move occasionally.  Every half hour or so, I would get the class to stretch or stand up and move around.

 A lovely wavy pattern

An interesting variation 

Asymmetrical patterns are harder for beginners and it is easy to make a mistake.  However, this made a lovely variation.

When the first warp was finished, the students had the opportunity to make a warp and thread the heddle.  All useful skills when weaving at home.

Threading the heddle using the cross sticks.

The whole class worked very hard.  We started at nine in the morning and finished at five and some students even went back in the evening.

Workshop one: the whole class at work.

The band lock is veryuseful for keeping the tension of the band and is easy to release.
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The band lock

|The double slotted heddle and curved Gehpa shuttle.

Using a standard heddle.

We had been advised to bring a cushion to Summer School.  Steve was very industrious and made his own cushion cover from inkle bands he had woven. Everyone was very impressed!

A lovely combination of woven bands, woven together and then stitched.

Using the window catch to make a good weaving position.

Some students attached themselves to the window catch which also gave a good working angle.

Other activities included making decorative tassels and plaiting the loose warp ends.  Four Sami plaits were tried.

The zig zag plait

My information display.

Evening Activities

There were also many evening activities in the Construction Hall, including making party frocks and skirts.

The Association is celebrating its 60th birthday so a party was planned for the final evening with a 1950's theme. I made a fascinator to go with my 1950,s outfit.

Designing a fascinator is helped by a glass of wine (or beer).

My fascinator is in progress with the red and blue feathers.

There was very little time for the tutors to see other classes.  However, the Cocoons to Cloth workshop with Jane Deane was of particular interest for most people.  Here a few silk worms were busy eating and eventually spinning, whilst the rest of the class produced their own spun thread.

Munching leaves.

Soon one of the silkworms had spun a cocoon.

Cosily tucked up in a leaf.

The first three days passed very quickly.  On Wednesday afternoon visits to nearby attractions had been arranged.  I had the opportunity to go around some of the other classrooms to see work in progress.

Susan J Foulkes August 2015

The Durham Tartan and another tartan mystery

I mentioned the Durham tartan in my last blog so I thought that I would give you more details about this lovely fabric. But first of all I must tell you the story of how I found it.

My friend Richard sent me a picture of a set of Northumbrian small pipes.  These pipes had been made in 1800 by R Reid in North Shields which is just north of Durham.  They had been in a museum in London but unfortunately they were stolen and all that is left are two black and white photographs of the pipes.

The description of the pipes shows that it must have been a special commission because of the materials used.

The stolen pipes

This is a luxurious object.  The chanter and drones are made of ivory and there are 7 silver keys.  The ends of the drones are carved in a lovely thistle pattern.  The bellows are silver mounted. The two photographs were taken using different processes so the black and white images are slightly different.

The stolen pipes picture two.

The picture is not very clear. The description of the bag says that it is an old velvet tartan.  I scoured the books about tartans but could not find anything resembling this pattern.  Tartan velvet was and is a luxury fabric and although the photograph is in black and white it is possible to make out the plaid pattern. The warp and weft are different but it has a very distinctive set of white or light coloured stripes which may make it possible to identify a particular tartan or plaid pattern.


I tried to make a drawdown from the black and white photographs of the pipes.  This is not an accurate tartan pattern but gives some indication of the distinctive white stripes. This may help in identifying a possible pattern. Of course, there is no indication of the actual colour of the velvet tartan bag. The white stripes are the only feature which could assist in any identification. The warp and weft colour order is different, which is also unusual.

My attempt at a drawdown from the black and white photographs.

These pipes were a luxury item made as they are from ivory, silver and tartan velvet.  It would seem probably that they were made for a specific client but who and exactly when we do not know.  If the tartan could be identified this may give another clue as to the reason these pipes were made.

If anyone has any idea what the tartan might be, do get in touch.

If we could identify the tartan, it might give some clues as to where the pipes were used.  Velvet is a luxury material so the velvet tartan might have been a special commission. It is probably made of silk. Nowadays, velvet tartans are used for the waistcoat to match a kilt.

The Durham Tartan.

What I did find in my search for the old tartan pattern, was the Durham tartan.  There is no reason why Durham should have a tartan. The Durham district tartan first appears in the record books of Wilsons of Bannockburn in 1819.  It is an early tartan.

Why it is called the Durham tartan is a mystery.  It may have been named after a person not the county of Durham or Durham city.

Here is the pattern.

The Durham tartan

It is in 2/2 twill.  The warp colour order is as follows.

Red                            4
Blue                     12      12
Black             12                   12
Green       12                               12
Black   4

It is a lovely pattern.


County Durham has not made much of use of this tartan, but I gave the pattern to Douglas in the Durham Guild and he has woven it many times.
Click here for a useful link which shows the range of District tartan patterns:
http://www.scotclans.com/scottish-clans/tartan-pattern-book/district-tartans/


Susan J Foulkes August 2015

What is on my loom in July.

July has been a very busy month but I have managed to do some complex weaving.  I wanted make a special gift so I wove another version of the Ravenna silk block damask pattern.  Do look at my blog for September 2014 for more details about Roman block damasks. Click here for the link. Roman Block Damasks

My previous scarves have all been woven with 60/2 silk so that the pattern blocks are small.  This time I wanted something a little more dramatic so I wove the pattern with 30/2 silk at 36 epi.

The pattern repeat is much larger and looks amazing from a distance.  I used ivory and a gold silk so that it would look like the Ravenna mosaic.

The Ravenna mosaic silk on my loom.

Off the loom I make the tassels using the braid twister shown in a previous blog.

Using the braid twister to make the tassels.

To finish a woven silk cloth.

Once the tassels are complete, I will then wash the silk.  This is a delicate process.

I put a small amount of liquid soap in a bowl of warm water. I agitate the water and then add the silk material.  I lift and dip the material several times and gently squeeze it.  

I leave the silk in the water for about 10 minutes.  Lift and squeeze again and then take it out..

Now the silk is ready for rinsing.  To ensure that all the soap is removed from the silk, I add a very small amount of clear vinegar to the next bowl of warm rinsing water.  The material is lifted and dipped several times.  I take it out and then rinse it again in a fresh bowl of warm water with no vinegar.  The vinegar is only used on the next to last rinse.

Once it is thoroughly rinsed, I roll the silk in a towel to get rid of the excess water.  The material can be left to dry slightly by hanging it carefully on a clothes rack.

I iron the silk using a steam iron on the silk setting.  For this silk which does not have a raised pattern, I press it on a hard surface.  I have a marble pastry board which I only use for ironing. This helps to bring out the shine of the silk.  Do not rub silk or it will lose its lustre. 

The tassels can be pressed flat and any final adjustment to the length can be made. I find that getting tassels all exactly the same length is difficult.  If anyone has any tips to share do let me know. 

I store my silk scarves rolled around a cardboard tube lined with tissue paper.  In this way they do not crease and look fresh when I want to wear it. Folded silk shows the fold lines. 

Band Loom

On my band loom, I have a narrow band in 16/2 linen.  I love cooking and my apron straps have worn so I thought that I would weave a new set.

The warp colour order is as follows:

White          10     8         8      10
Buirgundy        2      26      2

The band is 2.3 cms in width.    Here is a close up of the band.

Close up of the band

Using a standard heddle.

You can also weave this type of band with a standard heddle.

Stoorstalka have a new YouTube video showing the technique.

Introduction to band weaving with STOORSTÅLKA Band weaving kit Small

Click here to view it. https://youtu.be/rAyYXWE8G9o

Happy weaving

Susan J Foulkes July 2015

Durham Guild Exhibition: Looking Back, Going Forward

I belong to the Durham Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers.  In July 2015, we are holding an exhibition in the Galilee Chapel in Durham Cathedral.  This is a prestigious venue and we are thrilled that we have been granted space for our exhibition.

Last year was the Guilds 35th year. Everyone thought that it would be wonderful to celebrate the event.  It was decided that an exhibition of work would be a good way of advertising what we do and hopefully attract new members.  Durham Cathedral offered us the Galilee Chapel for July this year.

This is wonderful timing as the Magna Carta exhibition is in Durham University Palace Green Library from June-August and many visitors are expected.

Our Guild exhibition is more modest.  The title Looking Back, Going Forward for our exhibition reflects our past and also celebrates our future as a Guild.

I decided to submit two pieces for the exhibition.  The first is a blue wool scarf.  It is the first item that I wove.  It is small and not particularly well designed but when it came off the loom I was so proud!  I had created cloth!

From that moment on I was hooked.  Weaving became my passion.  My only regret is not finding out earlier as there seems to be a lifetimes worth of things to discover about this amazing craft.

The second item is a scarf that I wove this year.  I hand dyed the silk and designed the pattern carefully to echo the patterns and colours of a set of shells.  Far more complex but still as rewarding. Look at my previous two posts for details about this textured silk scarf.

I was asked to submit my Handfasting Bands which were displayed in the Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers exhibition last year.  I described these bands in my first blog post.This exhibition is held biennially.

On Thursday  2nd July we set up the exhibition.

Durham Cathedral

The Galilee Chapel at the west end.

Exhibition being organised.  There were lots of items still to be displayed.

When we arrived in the Cathedral, the prospect of displaying all the work seem a huge task.  Angela is very experienced in putting up exhibitions and she soon organised her helpers.  We all took charge of various tasks, even the humble one of cleaning all the display cabinets.

We unpacked all the items and then sorted them by colour and theme.  The coats, scarves, rugs jewellery, spun wool samples and dye samples were then distributed to the various display cabinets and boards. There were also covered chairs and stools.  This stool by Douglas, is covered with the Durham tartan.

The work of the Guild looks both back and forward.

Cloth Seals

One fascinating exhibit is a collection of lead medieval cloth seals. These were found by Gary who whose hobby of diving has now led him to studying for a PhD. His topic is A cultural, scientific and technical study of the Durham lead cloth seal collection AD1450-1820.  Diving in the river Wear he has found many artefacts and the cloth seals are rewriting the story of medieval textiles in Durham. He has recovered 266 cloth seals amognst other items.   Below the Cathedral is the Fulling Mill where he has been doing underwater archaeology.

Click on this link to one of his reports.  Medieval and post medieval artefacts from the River Wear.

Here is the Fulling mill below the cathedral.

Durham cathedral and Fulling mill.

A fascinating book about medieval textiles and the economy is:
Textiles and the Medieval Economy: production, trade and consumption of textiles 8th - 16th centuries edited by Angela Ling Huang and Carsten Jahnke 2015 by Oxbow Books.

In the evening, myself and Angela gave a talk to the Durham Guild about our trip to Sweden and the Weave Fair in Umea last September.

It was lovely to share the wonderful time that we both had.   In Mora, I had the opportunity to meet Barbro Wallin the author of the beautifully produced book Moraband.

Part of the display of bands and books from the Baltic region

She contacted me later to show a band she had woven with 97 motifs. It is 5.4 metres in length. The photograph of her band is on the table. It took her two weeks to weave.

Today I have been helping to stewarding the exhibition.  I took my small loom which was a focus of interest for children.

Happy Weaving

Susan J Foulkes July 2015