Braid Society Exhibition, Workshop and AGM

The AGM for the Braid Society was held in the Gateway Education Centre in Shrewsbury.

Gateway Education Centre in Shrewsbury

http://shropshire.gov.uk/the-gateway-education-and-arts-centre/

This Arts Centre is also hosting an exhibition of members work.  I have put a short video on my Facebook page but here are some close up photographs of some of the exhibits. If you can get to the exhibition, you will find a fascinating range of work from 3D hangings to practical garments made with a variety of techniques.

display in the window at the entrance. 

exhibition room

The exhibition room is beautifully lit and the exhibits looked stunning in this setting. A lot of work had been put in to set up this display of items by members of the Braid Society.

The vibrant jacket - I want one!

Close up of jacket by Jaquie Carey

The jacket is a splash of colour. I remember seeing the work in progress for this garment.  It took many many hours of work.

Bridget's carpet slippers and Ian's archery strap.

These comfortable carpet slippers are made with carpet wool on an inkle loom. The archery strap is tablet woven.

The Return of the Owl by Anne Dyer .

Two of my woven crios 

The Workshop

 On Friday, I ran a workshop where participants could learn to weave and to design pattern with 9 pattern threads.

The heddle is a specially designed double slotted heddle with shorter lots for 9 pattern threads. It can be also be used to weave patterns with 7 and 5 pattern threads.
The 9 pattern slot heddle is an ideal way for beginners to learn to weave patterned bands.  Even if you are experienced, this heddle is an excellent way to introduce non-weavers to the delights of producing creative woven bands.
Why not teach someone else to weave?

ready warped heddles

Here are eight of the warps I made for the workshop.  I decided to use bright colours which were inspired by volcanic lava flow. One end of the warp is tied tightly and a loop fixed around the warp. This loop is attached to the G-clamp on the table.

setting up the room

a Shacht cricket loom

 Two participants used their own small rigid heddle looms. These are ideal with the narrow 9 pattern thread heddle.

A comfortable weaving position.

 A comfortable weaving position is important.  Kay found it easier to sit on the floor.

Concentrating hard

Most participants used a g-clamp on the table to attach their warp. In the afternoon, everyone tried design work and then had the option of weaving their own design or following a pattern.  By the end of the day, the work produced was wonderful.

Talk: My Takadai Journey to the third level and beyond.

After the AGM, Jennie Parry gave an inspirational talk.

Setting up for the talk

Jennie provided some beautiful items for us to examine. As you can see, her pieces are three dimensional and move. Hearing about her creative weaving journey was a real inspiration for all of us.

Some of the wonderful samples Jennie provided.

The takadai

Strands: the Journal of the Braid Society

Finally, the latest edition of Strands, the Journal of the Braid Society was available. If you are not a member  of the Braid Society, it is worth joining for the Journal with its range of expertise shown in the various articles each year and access to a a group of lively craft minded individuals with a range of interests.

The Braid Society is easy to join. Here is the web address so that you can check out the details.

https://thebraidsociety.wildapricot.org/

Susan J Foulkes November 2018

Here is the address of my Facebook page so that you can see the short video.


https://www.facebook.com/sue.foulkes.5

Derbyshire Guild Workshop

This is my fourth visit to the Derbyshire Guild.

This time the focus was on Knots & Meanders and lettering. All participants received the booklet with pattern charts for the 13 double slotted heddle. 
Everyone started with the same pattern. For some people, a complex pattern was more interesting.

 I wanted to add another dimension for the Guild members who were now more experienced band weavers. I have been working on letters and numbers for 13 pattern threads. You can see the piece of weaving I completed for the Guild.









Letters and numbers with 13 pattern threads are difficult to design.  It is almost impossible to get a crisp outline but even with the feathered effect, the letters can easily be read. I shared my designs with the Guild and many of them decided to write their own messages.

Tips for weaving letters. 

Dealing with long floats on the reverse of the band.

Between words there will be long floats on the reverse side of the band.  There are two main ways to deal with this. If you look at my name at the end of the blog, you will see that I have used a simple connecting pattern to divide the words which will avoid too many long floats.

There is another trick to tie down long floats which is quite useful.

Using the Baltic threading, the graphs have dots to indicate whether the heddle should be raised or lowered.  There are two rules for design.

For a pattern to weave correctly on the surface:

1. The pattern floats must start and end on a dotted square.
2. A single pattern thread on the surface must be on a dotted square. 

So, if you put a single pattern thread on an undotted square, it will not appear clearly on the surface. When designing the words for weaving, look for the spaces between words. You can add a single pattern thread onto an undotted square which will have the effect of tying down the long floats between words.

Here is an example. For the Derbyshire Guild letters, there are 7 picks in between the letters E and G.

E and G with 7 picks in between

Can you see the two faint black threads in between the two letters? These are pattern threads on an undotted square.

Reverse of E and G showing the long floats.

If you look carefully, you will see that two of the floats are tied down.

Here is the graph for the two letters and the 7 pick space in between.  I used only two tie down threads as an example but more can be added. A single pattern thread not on a dotted square will be partially concealed.

A sample graph for you to try. 

Here is the graph for 2018.  The graph is for a band with 13 pattern threads. The numbers usually take 9 picks. The spaces between the numbers is always 3 picks. Each number will always start on a dotted square( an odd numbered row when the heddle is lifted).

Using a Stoorstalka double slotted heddle for 13 pattern threads, weaving letters is easy.

Here are some pictures of Guild members with their backstraps.






Some members said that it was easier to weave letters rather than patterns because letters are easily recognisable shapes.

Look at the lovely hand carved shuttle in this picture. James had an impressive range of shuttles all hand made.  This shuttle has a toucans head for doing the pick up.  The decoration has been burnt onto the wood. This skill was taught by another Guild member.  Derbyshire Guild members are multi-talented.

Here is the completed name.

I had a wonderful day with the Guild.  I learned about Norwegian runic inscriptions in Stave churches ( I will definitely go on holiday to see them!), saw some lovely hand carved woodwork and met some lovely people.  My one regret is that I did not have longer to chat with everyone. Thank you for inviting me and additional thanks to those who allowed me to photograph their work for my blog.

Here is the chart for the word HAPPY.

Here is the complete alphabet. It took me a long time to devise as each letter had to be checked that it looked alright once woven.

All letters start and end on an odd numbered row. The heddle is lifted on odd numbered rows.   It is easier to weave if you transfer the letters you need onto a blank weave chart like the HAPPY chart given above.

There are three spaces in between each letter.

It is much easier to weave letters using the double slotted heddle than on an inkle loom.

Happy Weaving

 June 2018

Pitt Rivers Museum Sámi Band Weaving Workshop

Pitt Rivers Museum
Parks Road,
Oxford, OX1 3PW.

Sámi Band Weaving Workshop (2 days)
Friday 2nd March - Saturday 3rd March,
10.00 - 16.30
£175 (Includes tuition, materials, behind the scenes tour & lunches)

For more details click here.               https://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/talks

I am thrilled to be teaching this workshop at the Pitt Rivers Museum. I have examined Sámi woven bands in museums around the Baltic and in the UK. The Pitt Rivers has an interesting collection of early bands which I had the opportunity of studying a few years ago. 

Museum collections have only a part of their holdings on display. Textiles are vulnerable to light so what is displayed is changed frequently to preserve the textile from damage. This workshop will give the students a unique opportunity to see original bands in the collection on an exclusive tour of the Conservation lab. 

I will be bringing my own small collection of original Sámi woven bands and examples of bands that I have copied.  I will be posting more details about this workshop on my blog page soon. 

The Workshop

This Sámi bandweaving workshop at the Pitt Rivers Museum is an opportunity for beginners to try a new craft or for more experienced weavers to extend their skills. Students will learn how to weave patterned bands using a double slotted heddle and backstrap.

The patterns that are to be worked on are based on the band weaving artefacts in the Museum including shoe ties, headbands, and belts, some of which will be examined at the exclusive tour of the Conservation lab. The workshop numbers are limited to 8 so individual needs can be tailored for.   

Included in the costs are handouts, threads and a 9 pattern slot heddle and shuttle. I will bring the ready-prepared heddles and shuttles so weaving can start promptly. A sandwich lunch will be provided on both days.

Students will then take home a piece of patterned weaving mounted in a key ring fob and a woven bookmark. They will also have acquired the skills to weave at home and have two booklets of patterns to produce a range of small items. Additional handouts to accompany the workshop will be provided. 

This is a weaving hobby that does not require bulky equipment. With your own heddle and shuttle to take home, everything can be stored in a shoe box!

To book a place on the workshop:  click here

The Pitt Rivers Museum.

If you are not familiar with the Pitt Rivers Museum do take a look at their YouTube video.

Inside the Pitt Rivers Museum                        https://youtu.be/ukwnYt0E5Co  

A Sámi belt for a woman woven by Susan J Foulkes

Ray Mears Blog

Did you see the lovely blog by Ray Mears about Sámi band weaving? He reposted a blog entry by Bosco Li who had been on one of the Arctic Experience Expeditions. 

https://blog.raymears.com/2017/12/04/a-brief-journey-in-to-sami-band-weaving/


Here is a quote from his blog;

'I gathered my balls of wool, threaded the heddle according to a my chosen pattern from Susan Foulkes’ book, tied one end of the warp to my belt and the other to the door handle, and sat down to weave!'

I am amazed by the skill shown by someone who was so keen to try a new craft.

Happy weaving to everyone.  

Susan J Foulkes  December 2017

Workshop at the Old Kennels in June

Workshop June 2017
The Old Kennels

The Old Kennels - the conservatory and the gazebo.

Thursday 15th June and Friday 16th June 2017

This two day workshop on Swedish Band Weaving provided the opportunity for a small group to learn how to weave patterned bands using a double slotted heddle and backstrap. The Old Kennels prides itself on organising courses which have a small groups of participants so that tutors can tailor the workshop for individual needs and skills.My workshop has nine participants and filled very quickly.

Day One

• Learned how to set up a backstrap and rigid heddle in a good weaving position.
• Start to weave a selection of heart and flower patterns or knots and meanders.
• Started a band neatly.
• Learned how to add in a new weft thread.
• Gained a good understanding of the pattern draft and weave structure.
• Examined a range of different woven bands from Sweden.

Day Two

• Opportunity to weave more patterns of choice.
• Learn how to make a warp and thread the heddle.
• Learned how to finish a band neatly.
• Examined different ways of finishing bands such as decorative tassels and knots.
• Learned about lettering and started to weave a letter.
• Learned how to design a decorative border.

The setting is idyllic and the weather was very hot indeed. We started the workshop in the conservatory but soon moved outside to the gazebo.

Inside the conservatory

One of the delights of the Old Kennels are the alpacas and the cats.

Unfortunately, it was too hot for the alpacas to stay outside.  However, Christine managed to take this lovely photograph.

Some of the newly shorn alpacas.

One cat in particular liked to feel part of the workshop. Sylvester was quite a character.  He would leap onto the work table and find the place where he would be most in the way.  He then would fall instantly asleep!  He was the most restful cat I have known.

The best place to sleep

All the heddles were ready warped so that the group could begin quickly.  I demonstrated how to start the woven band and the first few picks.  Then everyone could have a go.

Demonstrating the start of the band.

We had a break and then on return it was to find Sylvester stretched out as usual.

An even better place to sleep

The booklet to accompany the workshop gives lots of patterns for hearts and flowers.  We started with hearts but everyone soon moved on to the pattern of their choice.

Following the pattern.

The first two hearts

Lunch was amazing.  I am pleased that we were only there for two days as the food was plentiful and very very tempting.

After lunch and for the following day, we moved outside. Having the opportunity to work outside was great.  The gazebo offered shade from the sun but was also cool.

working outside in the gazebo

On the second day, Christine started to weave letters and produced quite a long piece.  Unfortunately I was so busy I did not have time to take many photographs and it was soon time for the workshop to end.

A sample of work at the end of the first day.

I managed to get together pieces of work from day one. People who had never tried this type of weaving before managed to complete many designs.

Looking through the brochure made me keen to try an attend a workshop next year.

Take a look at some of the wide variety of courses that they provide at this lovely venue.
The Old Kennels at  http://theoldkennels.co.uk/

The Old Kennels,
Stentwood,
Dunkeswell,
Devon, EX14 4RW
tel. 01823 681138

Thank you to all the participants and to Christine for sending me some of her photographs.  I hope that you all had as much fun as I did.

Online Band Weaving Workshop with the Braid Society

 October 2017

Do check out the details for the online workshop in October.  The details are on the home page of my blog.

My travels around the Baltic region have shown me the colourful heritage in many countries. I would like to share some of the lovely patterns with you in this online workshop.

The workshop will be spread over three weeks and will be open to anyone who has joined the Yahoo group, Braids and Bands. All the patterns will have 13 pattern threads.

If you are a member of the Braid Society, there will be a fourth week with more complex patterns.  Do think about joining the Braid Society.

Happy Weaving

Susan J Foulkes July 2017

Workshop: weaving with a double slotted heddle.

Weaving Hearts and Flowers

Recently, I ran a workshop for the Derbyshire Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers. This Guild was established in 1977. They are a lively group who are keen to learn new skills.  They have a very industrious group of spinners as well as weavers as you can see from this photograph.

Three keen weavers

The workshop is based around weaving narrow patterned bands using a double slotted heddle.  I have put together a set of patterns for hearts and flowers which are very popular.

Last year, I ran a workshop for the Guild about weaving on the inkle loom. They were keen to try out this new design of heddle and invited me back this year to run another workshop.

The double slotted (Sunna) heddle in an Ashford Knitters loom.

One member brought her Ashford Knitters loom on a stand.  The double slotted heddle fits comfortably in the loom.  It hangs free on the warp and is lifted and lowered quite easily. As you can see, she has already woven several flower motifs.

Consulting the weaving draft.

Patterns for the workshop had been enlarged so that they could easily be seen and followed whilst weaving.

A picture of concentration.

Beautiful Baltic flower motifs. 

Fortunately, the village hall has window ledges at a convenient height for fastening the end of the warp.  This makes for a more comfortable weaving position.

I enjoyed the day and I was thrilled that some of the Guild members who had never woven narrow patterned bands before, produced some lovely motifs.

Here is a photograph of me, weaving at home.  As you can see, my window ledge is not as high as the one in the village hall but adequate.

When weaving, it is important to consider posture.  I always remember to get up and stretch at intervals.


Happy weaving!

Durham Weaver  July