Stratford-upon-Avon Guild of Weavers Spinners and Dyers

Identified by our wonderful member - Anna - Distaff Day , also called Rock Day , is 7 January, the day after the feast of the Epiphany. It is also known as Saint Distaff's Day , one of the many unofficial holidays in Catholic nations. Date 7 January Next time 7 January 2020 Frequency annual     The distaff, or rock, used in spinning was the medieval symbol of women's work. In many European cultural traditions, women resumed their household work after the twelve days of Christmas. Women of all classes would spend their evenings spinning on the wheel. During the day, they would carry a drop spindle with them. Spinning was the only means of turning raw wool, cotton or flax into thread, which could then be woven into cloth. Men have their own way of celebrating this occasion, called Plough Monday, the first Monday after Epiphany when men are supposed to get back to work. Every few years, Distaff Day and Plough Monday fall on the same day. Often the men an...

CHRISTMAS MEETING  This year it is on this Friday evening, 13th December and as usual in the New Room, at the Methodist Church. Doors open at 7.00 pm . Don't forget to bring your Christmas Tree decoration if you wish to take part in the Christmas swop – not more than three inches long, and able to hang (loop not counted in the three inches). Diane has urged us to make these as beautiful and crafty as possible. During the first part of the evening we shall be creating the decoration of a key ring fob using needle felting . There is lots of coloured fleece available and we have felting needles for sale, but bring any special fibres etc you may need and your own needles. Scissors, needle and thread are often useful. The fob is approximately 3cm square and 7-8mm deep. Afterwards we shall enjoy a shared buffet. Please bring a contribution which we can eat with our fingers – we have plates but not forks/knives/spoons. If your item needs cutting into helpings – please cut i...

  CC BY: Robson# Flickr (with apologies for the mis-attribution of the previous photo here) COLOUR BLENDING  The November meeting is on Saturday 16th in our usual venue, the New Room in the Methodist Church, Stratford. Doors open at 10.00 and from 10.30 onwards we shall be exploring different effects of colour blending. Lunch will be around 12.30/l.00 and in the afternoon we can continue with experiments if we wish (and supplies of colours last) during our usual general meeting. We all know what happens when the three primary colours are mixed – blue and yellow make green etc. But what sort of yellow ? What sort of blue ? We shall have two of each primary colour to experiment with - and then there are variations on quantities. If we all make rolags of different blends we should achieve a good range of colours. So bring your hand carders and combs and some means of labelling and keeping records ; we might find just the perfect colour for a future projec...

Just a quick reminder the our meeting this Saturday 19th October. fringes, twining, hemstitching and the odd tassel  

This session is in the best tradition of GBA sessions - we are all learning together!  Bring along questions, examples and an open mind.  Chris Pegler, Clare Howard and Ann Howells will show you some finishes they have achieved (fringes, twining, hemstitching and the odd tassel). There will be an opportunity to get hands on with a manual finge twister (the guild owns one) as well as a battery powered one (Chris') - having first learnt how to make a twisted fringe by hand.  Let's explore and examine some options for finishing warp and weft securely so that our woven objects look ... finished.  Doors open at 10.00 am at the New Room at the Methodist Hall, so please use the side door. GBA session is 90 mins - starting 10.30 am. The afternoon is for your own projects, perhaps finishing off a few with what you learn in the morning? Also catching up with members activities over the summer.

We have now just published, in our members section, our first listing of equipment that is available to hire. This includes: Spinning Wheels Hansen E-Spinner Fringe Twister Scarf loom Woollee Winder Ashford Sampleit Loom Further equipment will shortly be added including: Drummer carder Spindles Maradai