Monday 6 September 2010

EXOTICA

EXOTICA, an exhibition by Midlands Textile Forum is on at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens from now to the end of September. There was a Study Day there a year ago and this exhibition is the MTF's response to that Study Day. I haven't been yet but am hoping to go on my way home from the 'Creative Textiles' Class at Bournville next Friday.  The class is being held right next door to the Cadbury's Works cricket ground. The wrought iron gates to the cricket ground are a marvel of intricacy!

The class is nine strong and very hot on textiles. Most of them have qualifications in City or guilds or degrees in Art and design (except me). Last Friday we had demonstrations on using bondaweb and dissolvable fabric.  And got given home work! 

On Saturday, there was a Kennet Valley Guild meeting at which it was decided that next spring's weaving class will be on Lace weaves. A good discussion on what people had done over the summer and lots of ambitious plans for autumn and winter. I did not take my camera which was a nuisance but I persuaded someone else to take photos of the Bag Challenge. And I forgot take my entry for that!

I have just about warped up the Voyager ready for a beginner weaver and have all the yarns for the Tencel curtains for the Megado next to the computer. I had intended to make this as a simple striped length but am now wondering about using something similar to the draft for the Convergence piece and I do want to do it as a double stitched cloth to give it enough body for a curtain. So I cannot use the Convergence draft directly as that was on 32 shafts and I will only have 28 here as I need 4 for the back  cloth if it is going to be double stitched cloth - and besides have I got enough Tencel? So a lengthy computer session is called for.

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I am weaver and - -. I dye my yarns with acid dyes, I paint my warps, put fabric collages and stencils on my weaving. I have three looms, a 12 inch wide, 12 shaft Meyer for demos and courses, a 30 inch Louet Kombo which is nominally portable but has a stand, two extra beams and a home-made device containing a fan reed. And last a 32 shaft Louet Megado which is computer controlled, has a sectional warp and a second warp beam and I am the proud owner of an AVL warping wheel which I love to bits and started by drilling holes in. I inserted a device for putting a cross in. I have just acquired an inkle loom and had a lesson from an expert so I can watch TV and weave at the same time. I am interested in weaving with silk mostly 60/2 although I do quite a bit with 90/2 silk. I also count myself as a bookbinder with a special interest in Coptic binding.