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Textiles: Guild / Education Exchange Grants
The Journal for Weavers, Spinners & Dyers is pleased to announce a new grant scheme to foster the exchange of skills and knowledge between Guilds of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers and UK Universities and Colleges involved in textiles.
Today’s textile students are all potentially future Guild members and Journal readers. They can benefit from the considerable expertise that Guilds have to offer. Equally, Guilds can get an insight into current issues and trends in textile design through engagement with educational institutions and their students.
Although applications will only be accepted, and funding provided, via Guilds that are members of the Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers, we are keen to make Universities and Colleges with textile departments aware of the scheme so that they can form or strengthen their links with local Guilds and consider what sort of activity might be mutually beneficial.
Further details
Guilds will be invited to apply for a grant from the Journal for educational work to cover expenses such as travel, materials and tutors’ fees.
In total, the Journal has up to £500 in grants available, which could potentially support a number of projects.
Proposed activity might, for example, include
• Demonstration and discussion of specific weaving techniques with examples from staff, students and Guild members.
• A spinning demonstration and workshop provided by the Guild for students. A talk for the Guild by students on some of the yarns, materials and processes they have been using.
• A one-day workshop on a specialist dye technique for Guild members and students using expertise from the Guild and facilities at the university. Techniques might include use of natural dyes, warp painting, ikat, wax resist and so on.
These are just examples however: we expect proposals that are relevant to the particular interests and skills of Guilds and the educational institutions they will be working with. The proposed activity must take place during the period February – June 2013.
If you don’t already have Guild contacts, you can find a list of Guilds at
www.wsd.org.uk/guilds.htm
Information about the grants scheme and how Guilds can apply will be published in the Autumn issue (243) of the Journal.
The Journal is the magazine of the Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers. Published quarterly, it covers a wide range of textile subjects, including articles on historic textile techniques and cutting edge modern design. We offer reduced subscription rates to both educational institutions and individual students.
www.thejournalforwsd.org.uk/
Woolmark Relaunches ‘Cool Wool’ for Summer – Philippa Watkins
Visitors to Première Vision could’nt resist a smile at the (by now iconic) Woolmark image of a flock of stylishly ‘cool’ Merino sheep in Ray-Ban shades, which met them at the entrance.
The image really set the scene, for the re-launch of Cool Wool, drawing buyers and designers to the wealth of lightweight wools on show, and putting wool firmly back on the map as an elegant, yet functional fabric for spring garments, which keeps cool in hot weather. Merino wool’s natural breathable and thermal-management properties really do make it highly suitable for warmer climates.
This is all part of the efforts to bring wool back into favour, after many years when all promotional activity of woollen products had been stopped. Wool, without promotion had a difficult time losing a lot of its market share, despite the many new developments which had brought finer softer merino wools in knitwear and wovens – which just proved how important marketing is.
Now ‘The Campaign for Wool’ www.campaignforwool.org is making up for lost time, and AWI (Australian Wool Innovation) is putting huge efforts into rebranding wool. The Cool Wool relaunch is one such promotion to inform what wool can be. Another is the Woolmark Company’s new “Wool Lab” project, which is a seasonal guide to the best wool fabrics and yarns, which is proving to be an extremely effective tool, identifying inspirational wool trends for the fashion industry, including brands, retailers, manufacturers, spinners and weavers. It’s well worth getting your Ray-Bans on to have a look…..
‘Contemporary Weaving Patterns’ – Margo Selby
Margo Selby has written her first book. ‘Contemporary Weaving Patterns – weaving with colour and texture’. The book was launched on 15th December 2011 and includes 150 different fabric ideas that can be created over 25 warps. Margo will be selling signed copies in her studio, shop and gallery in Bloomsbury as well as through her online store.
Over the last decade, Margo Selby has been developing fabric constructions and textures on handlooms and then taking these into production for distribution to her own shop and studio and to outlets all over the world
Katie Vale – Anthropologie Display Coordinator
Katie Vale graduated in 2009 having specialised in weave on the BA (Hons) Textile Design course at Central Saint Martins. She went on to work for the American retail company URBN in their first ever European Anthropologie store as their Display Coordinator in Regent Street.
This store opened in October 2009 and since then she has worked on all the interior display and window design elements from research and development through to installation. Although her work is not strictly designed through the process of weave in the traditional sense she manages to incorporate the skill set she learnt from weave wherever possible.
Latest projects from Dashing Tweeds
Dashing Tweeds is about to launch their co- branded range Dashing Converse trainers. The tweeds for the trainers were woven at Drove Weaving Ltd UK and will be sold at retailers Kurt Geiger, JD Sports and Crooked Tongues amongst others.
Dashing Tweed is the contemporary tweed company run by Kirsty McDougall and Guy Hills. This summer they have been preparing to launch their new e-commerce website. They have spent much time photographing their product from all angles, investigating the legal implications with shipment, making sure the site is easy to negotiate and developing new products that will sell well!
Dashing Tweeds are also working with Hudson Shoes who are creating some beautiful brogue styles using one of the Dashing Harris designs, woven in iconic Harris Tweed quality. They are also working on a new range of cashmere scarves with Joshua Ellis and are waiting for the first samples to arrive. There is also a new range of bags, men’s gilet and reflective tweed cycle jacket in development.
Laura Thomas @ Heal’s
Laura Thomas has produced two lambswool blanket and cushion designs for the 2011 Heal’s Discovers collection that was launched in August. One of the designs called Symmetree was shortlisted for the Cardiff Design Festival Award 2011.
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To the Manor Reborn & Gainsborough Silk Weaving Company Ltd
The National Trust and The BBC have got together to refurbish the 500 year old Avebury Manor in Wiltshire. Different rooms have been refurbished in differing periods/ styles to reflect the personalities of interesting owners over the years.
Gainsborough Silk Weaving Company Ltd has been involved weaving fabrics for Mrs Minivers drawing room in an art deco style, The Governor of Jamaica’s dining room, Queen Ann Bedroom and withdrawing room.
The BBC filmed in the factory earlier this year with Penelope Keith (presenter) and Russell Sage (interior designer). The series starts on November 24th 2012 at 9.00pm on BBC1
Patissimenterie Weaver – Jessica Light
Passimenterie weaver Jessica Light has just launched an on-line shop for her diffusion range of tassles and bobbles.
One of the last working trimming weavers left in England, Jessica Light produces exquisite, innovative and contemporary passementerie of exceptional quality. All products are handmade to order in her East London workshop using methods dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries.
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