Weave education project at Ruthin Craft Centre

Stripy weaving exploring colour mixing, texture and proportion



Weaving on a 4 shaft Ashford loom

 

Exploring colour mixing with multiple wefts




View through the loom



  

Mixing different textured yarns and exploring colour mixing through plain weave



The final collection of samples before I cut them up ready to mount



The final piles of samples ready to be mounted and sent to the schools

 I've rather neglected my blogging recently as I've been SOOOOO busy! But over the next day or two there will be a couple of posts updating you on what I've been up to and what exciting projects and events are in the pipeline.

Firstly, to coincide with the Anni Albers and Inspired By: The Legacy of Anni Albers exhibitions at Ruthin Craft Centre, I was invited to contribute to a very exciting 'START' education project funded by the Prince's Foundation for Children and the Arts. Between December and February I undertook 8 days of teaching of about 250-300 primary school age children to learn to weave! They came from various schools around the Ruthin locality, and most hadn't visited the Centre before. They spent an hour with Elen Bonner the RCC Education Officer in the gallery looking at the exhibition and doing some drawing, before spending an hour with me in the studio. I talked to them about my job as a weaver, and they were invited to touch, feel and play with my textile samples (unlike the 'do not touch' policy in the gallery space). Then, working in pairs they then had a go of weaving on 4 shaft table looms.  Taking it in turns to weave a stripe in plain weave, they were encouraged to think about colour mixing and texture. Without exception they all loved it. It was brilliant to watch them start off rather nervously, then build in confidence and excitement. Once the hour was up the were all reluctant to leave, asking if they could return, where they could buy a loom etc. The best comment I had was that 'weaving was better than playtime'! Job done methinks! Am hoping that there may well be an influx on North Walian weavers in about 15 years time......