Quantock_Weavers_Day

Somerset Guild celebrates the Quantock Weavers day every other year, usually with a top class speaker, and occasionally an open day. As we haven't had an open day for several years, we decided it was time we organised a big event, and invited neighbouring Guilds and the public in to see what we do!

We had arranged to have several pens of animals outside the hall on the grass; there were llamas, alpacas, Angora goats, Angora rabbits and Shetland sheep. Some of the owners were selling fibre; others had just brought the animals to show them off.

Our special guest, Riitta Sinkkonen Davies, really threw herself into the day and was quite happy to do her demonstration outside in the morning. I met several people who did not know anything about flax and were really thrilled by seeing it prepared and spun.

Many of our members also demonstrated their skills during the morning; we had Paddy Bakker on her Takadi; Hazel Biggs and Peggy Lewis doing Temari, Eleanor Burgess outside making felt bracelets, Barbara Spicer weaving; Helen Rushton needle-felting; Jaquie Teal lace-making with linen and, last but not least, Frances Yendall with her very fine spinning.

We broke for lunch, and all enjoyed our shared buffet. Guild members brought in loads of food, plates upon plates of delicious looking fare disappeared into the back room. Even non-members brought a plate in! We had so many people from various Guilds that I had not met up with for years, it was so wonderful to see them all again, a lot of them sat outside to have their lunch and chat to other Guild members.

After lunch we all re-organised the chairs so that we could enjoy Riitta's talk about flax and linen weaving; she showed us many slides of how she grew flax in her garden, and also of the many projects that she had been commissioned to do. One of which I think that she was very proud was the cope for the Archbishop of Canterbury, for his inauguration. Everyone was so impressed with the talk.

We had over 120 signatures in the visitor's book, but we are sure that more sneaked by without signing in!We have a lot of wonderful members who support this Guild, so I hope someone will organise a Quantock Weavers open day again soon!

All in memory of the Quantock Weavers, Nora Biddulph and Gladys Dickinson (thank you ladies for the legacy you left us)

Margaret Knight (head of the organising committee)


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Quantock Weavers Day - 15th July 2006
Somerset Guild celebrates the Quantock Weavers day every other year, usually with a top class speaker, and occasionally an open day. As we haven't had an open day for several years, we decided it was time we organised a big event, and invited neighbouring Guilds and the public in to see what we do! We had arranged to have several pens of animals outside the hall on the grass; there were llamas, alpacas, Angora goats, Angora rabbits and Shetland sheep. Some of the owners were selling fibre; others had just brought the animals to show them off. Our special guest, Riitta Sinkkonen Davies, really threw herself into the day and was quite happy to do her demonstration outside in the morning. I met several people who did not know anything about flax and were really thrilled by seeing it prepared and spun. Many of our members also demonstrated their skills during the morning; we had Paddy Bakker on her Takadi; Hazel Biggs and Peggy Lewis doing Temari, Eleanor Burgess outside making felt bracelets, Barbara Spicer weaving; Helen Rushton needle-felting; Jaquie Teal lace-making with linen and, last but not least, Frances Yendall with her very fine spinning. We broke for lunch, and all enjoyed our shared buffet. Guild members brought in loads of food, plates upon plates of delicious looking fare disappeared into the back room. Even non-members brought a plate in! We had so many people from various Guilds that I had not met up with for years, it was so wonderful to see them all again, a lot of them sat outside to have their lunch and chat to other Guild members. After lunch we all re-organised the chairs so that we could enjoy Riitta's talk about flax and linen weaving; she showed us many slides of how she grew flax in her garden, and also of the many projects that she had been commissioned to do. One of which I think that she was very proud was the cope for the Archbishop of Canterbury, for his inauguration. Everyone was so impressed with the talk. We had over 120 signatures in the visitor's book, but we are sure that more sneaked by without signing in!We have a lot of wonderful members who support this Guild, so I hope someone will organise a Quantock Weavers open day again soon! All in memory of the Quantock Weavers, Nora Biddulph and Gladys Dickinson (thank you ladies for the legacy you left us) *Margaret Knight (head of the organising committee)*

Quantock Weavers Day - 15th July 2006