Stratford-upon-Avon Guild of Weavers Spinners and Dyers

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...

Spring is here, and it’s time to get the dye garden going (if you're feeling ambitious). Over the past few months, we’ve had a great mix of new visitors and familiar faces returning. It’s been good to reconnect and share our skills again with an audience. In March, our Learn Together session was all about braiding. We explored Kumihimo, inkle loom braiding, knitting dolls, lucets, etc. Everyone had a chance to try each technique, with experienced members helping guide others. It was a lovely hands-on, relaxed session with lots of skill-sharing. April’s focus was spinning. There was plenty of equipment and knowledge being shared — including a strange wheel that had many of us scratching our heads. Visitors from Shakespeare’s Schoolroom & Guildhall joined us, and Sally helped new spinners get started with the drop spindle using our guild equipment. In May, we’ll have our regular Birthday Meeting. Please bring mess-free snacks and a food allergen list if you’re bringing something ...

In January, we kicked off the year with our Annual General Meeting, marking the start of an exciting new chapter for the Guild. With the appointment of our new chairman, Topsy, and several new committee members, we’re already feeling the energy of fresh ideas and enthusiasm that will guide us into 2025 and beyond. In February, we were fortunate to have Fr. Andrew Johnson give a fascinating talk on Ecclesiastical Textiles. His insights into the use of fabric, tapestries, and cloth in churches were truly enlightening, shedding light on the cultural impact of textiles throughout history. Fr. Johnson also shared some valuable tips on taking commissions and the important considerations when designing for others—ideas that are sure to inspire and inform our members' creative processes. More information can be found on the March newsletter. Apologies for missing February. We're working on getting a consistent schedule for the Newsletter, but we now need a new volunteer to collate arti...

Happy New Year! Many wishes and beautiful surprises to all! Here's the 2025 Guild Programme for the year to come. Don't hesitate to print it off and share it. Next session will be next Saturday 18th January online on Google Meet. There will be a talk from Sue Hiley Harris on String & String Bags . See more information about her expertise and her work on her portfolio . Then we'll follow with the Annual General Meeting which will include the committee election.