Stratford-upon-Avon Guild of Weavers Spinners and Dyers

We're back in person the Methodist Hall, after a particularly wet winter! Pat Atkins kicked us off with a talk on warp-weighted looms. This is one of the first looms in human history, and is still used to this day in Scandinavia. And what an endeavour that was! If you didn't have a chance to try it yourself, and were sitting too far, we'll upload a video of it on the Members' Only blog , check it out! It definitely doesn't have the convenience of modern looms. Pat's presentation was funny and instructive. She gave us unique insights into the experiences of weavers and women of that time. Our next meeting will be on March 21st, we'll sharing skills around spinning. Don't forget your wheel (or spindle👀) and see you there!

  This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY Wishing everyone  a very Happy New Year  and all our best wishes  for a Healthy and Crafty 2026 and beyond.

Our next Guild meeting is this coming Saturday 13th December.  Doors open as usual at 10.15 am for a 10.30 am start.  All very welcome. Our December meeting will be following its traditional form, crafting, usually something a little different from our normal creations, and chatting & enjoying festive food with our friends.  This year we will be trying out Indian Block printing, Linda will be our main source of inspiration and information though many of us have done this before so it could be a real sharing of skills. Please bring along any blocks and fabric paints that you have, kitchen roll or something similar to mop up, cotton or similar fabric to print onto and if you have pieces that you have produced before, or bought, it would be lovely to see those too.  Linda will be bringing water based fabric dyes, suitable for children.  There will be pieces of card to mix your colours on, paintbrushes and foam brushed to transfer paint to your bl...

Next guild meeting will be the 2025 Open Day! This is a day where anybody can come in for free to try out our guild and crafts, and we're excited! With the exhibition this August and our 50th year anniversary, we have been working to fulfil our core mission: Stimulate the interests in the crafts of Spinning, Weaving, and Dyeing! So join us to welcome visitors and potential new members on Saturday 18th October! This is an occasion to show off our skills, our finished products and teach our tools. We will be in the Foyer of the Methodist Hall, so finding us should be more straightforward than usual.  Visitors are welcome from 11am to 3pm, you can stay for a long or as little as you'd like. Beginners and experts alike. All ages can come but any child under 16 years old must stay accompanied. Service dogs (and service dogs in training) are accepted. The Methodist Hall is wheelchair accessible, with a ramp leading to the front door. Tea, coffee and cakes will be available thanks to ...

Time has flown! This blog has been missing a few updates, sorry about that, let's try to catch up: June saw our Weaving Learn Together meeting. Many different looms were arranged: inkle looms, peg looms, tapestry frame looms, rigid heddle looms, and many more I couldn't name. During the July meeting, Abby welcomed us to her home where she had prepared an indigo vat for some Shibori dyeing. Some of us also had our hand at silk painting, but a lot of time was very much fighting the paint resist and trying to dry it!   In August, as usual, there was no meeting. But the novelty this year was the exhibition for the whole month, to celebrate our 50th anniversary. Thank you to all of you for joining us, lending us your art and a helping hand! It was one of the first exhibition the Shakespeare's Schoolroom & Guildhall ever had, definitely the longest, and they had a huge success. They loved how colourful and joyful it made the Master's Chambers! As we look forward to the re...

  50TH ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION OPENS TODAY  - SATURDAY 2ND AUGUST 2025 On  until 31st August at Shakespeare's school room, the Guild will be exhibiting and demonstrating the skills of Weaving Spinning and Dyeing.   The Mayor will be attending at 1 pm today.   This exhibition, created by the Stratford upon Avon Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, celebrates 50 years of the Guild’s commitment to maintaining and  developing these crafts.  From the fibres of nature to the finished article, discover how textiles have shaped both our language and our world through the enduring legacy of Shakespeare’s words.  The textiles are linked with appropriate quotations from Shakespeare’s plays. Although not a quotation from Shakespeare’s works, it starts with ‘spinning a yarn’, with the double meaning for ‘yarn’ signifying both spun fibre and a tale. Enjoy the textiles, have a game of Tic-Tac-Toe and try your hand at weaving a part of a cushion for the ‘...

 As the summer approaches, our agenda is getting busier. Between craft shows, flower shows, local events and our own endeavours, it's important we appreciates why we are doing all this. Because we love our craft. This love has been at the heart of our guild for 25 wonderful years. A milestone like that deserves celebration, and celebrate we did! A nice spread of food, a delicious cake, and a special Guild Challenge themed around Sustainability brought out some truly thoughtful and imaginative interpretations from our members.  Here are some pictures: And the winner! We also took time to honour someone who’s been a guiding light in our journey: Ros, our new President! She has been a steady presence for years, and we’re thrilled to officially welcome her into this new role. Her dedication has shaped much of who we are today. Thank you, Ros! This month's meeting, weaving is the focus! Don’t forget to bring your looms, and if you’d like to try one of the guild’s, just drop u...