We had a fun and informative session on Saturday with Deby Robertson from Dyelution. Deby is a local dyer and now helps to run a new guild near Studley, known as the Evesham and Redditch Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers.

19 members of our guild participated in a workshop to dye small skeins of embroidery silk. Deby brought all the silks, dyes and a steamer so everyone could take home their silks. You can see some of their work below. This was the morning activity and then in the afternoon Deby gave a talk to all members of the guild  (more than 30 of us) entitled The History of Silk. 

Deby started with telling us about the Chinese Empress in 2700BC who was sitting under a mulberry tree when a silk cocoon fell on her head and unravelled. The story goes that this was how silk was first discovered. China became the main silk growing area in these long ago times and only royalty were allowed to wear this wonderful fabric, although the law did change eventuallly and allowed anyone to wear it (however it was prohibitively expensive so probably not many did!) There is some debate over whether China was really the first country to use silk - some say it was India.

Dyes first used in these ancient times included saffron, sappanwood, gallnuts, indigo and madder which sound pretty much like the main natural dyes we still use today. China was known for its vibrant colours. Silk was used as a currency too.

Deby told us how the use of silk spread to Europe along the Silk Road, with monks involved in smuggling it at one time. It was certainly being used in Europe in 1100AD.

Deby told us that she has researched into dyes of the Tudor, Georgian and Renaissance periods, initially because she has a friend who is involved with re-enactment. She has not only researched extensively to find the colours used at these times, but has also brought them to life by learning how to reproduce a colour palette for each era with acid dyes. She showed us her colours and the names she uses for the colours are fun!

She told us some fun stories as part of her talk. Elizabeth 1st made a law to ban dyers from within 5 miles of her court as they were too smelly (they used urine as a mordant). Another monarch, James 1st wanted to grow a silk industry in England so he ordered loads of mulberry trees for the silk worms but he ordered the wrong kind of mulberry trees so that didn't work.

We learnt about the different grades of silk which I found particularly interesting. Mulberry silk is the top grade that is generally available and Tussah silk is good too but not as as shiny, although as it is textured it can be easier to spin. Silk noil is the poorest grade - I have used this and now I know that it is made from the small bits that are left over from the top quality. Tussah silkworms are grown in the wild, not in sheds like mulberry silk worms. they are still farmed though -not really wild.

Thank you Deby for your brilliant workshop and talk.
www.dyelution.co.uk
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Our February meeting was a morning social to spin and weave on personal current projects.   We welcomed several new members.  It is good to have an increasing number of members and we have a new family of younger spinners and weavers coming with their own projects to join us.

In the afternoon we were visited by Imogen Morris a local artist with a studio in Digbeth.  Tina took notes during her talk

https://www.imogenmorrisart.com 

Yesterday was our annual AGM. The morning was given to short talks by members about their Summer School Courses last year. This was great for new members and others thinking about going in 2025 as they will have some idea about what to expect. Summer School happens every 2 years and is open to members of the guild and moves to different parts of the UK. Last year it was at Harper Adams University, Newport, Shropshire. Next year it will be in Scotland so its a bit further for Birmingham members to travel!

Charlotte and Jane talked about their weaving courses with Charlotte showing us her sampler and Jane bringing her loom with her work still in progress. They were both enthusiastic about their courses and tutors and their weaving was excellent. Tina showed us what she had made in her 3D needle felting. It had been her 3rd choice and something she had never attempted before. Her dog and farmer were superb and everyone was wowed that Tina was a beginner. I think she is talented and should continue. Janice told us about her experience as a volunteer and showed us her dress she had made in the nuno felting course. She was very pleased with it and was full of praise for her tutor. I think she deserves praise for completing that as well as all her duties as a volunteer on the Summer School Committee. Kate made us laugh with her box of 'compost' that she had made on her paper making course. The course only used natural materials (think banana skins, orange peel, flowers, leaves ....)

Kate and I talked about our experiences in Shetland at Shetland Wool week last year. www.wendysholidays.wordpress.com  is the website where I wrote about it if anyone is interested

The afternoon was taken up by the AGM with reports from members of the committee. We heard about our workshops and talks last year. We now have 37 members already paid for this year. We have a new library coordinator - Gemma, and are still hoping for a newsletter editor. Other committee members are the same as last year. There was discussion about Open Day which will be continued.

And now to my final info ....Obviously the most important vote was about our competition challenge for Open Day this year! It  was voted that we should use an artwork as inspiration for our piece which should use any or all of our disciplines (weaving/spinning/dyeing)

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We had our annual Christmas Party yesterday and although a few people were sadly unable to join us because of ill health, there were 18 of us to sit down for our Bring and Share lunch. I am always surprised that we have a lovely and varied selection of food even though we don't plan 'who is bringing what'!

This was followed by an after lunch talk by Teresinha, one of our guild members. She talked about her life story, from when she was born and grew up in Brazil and how she came to meet her husband and came to live in England. It was interesting to hear that she was the first person to leave her village by aeroplane and that she was worried about going to Heathrow when she expected to land in London - but eventually she was able to find out that Heathrow was the airport. She told us how she learned to knit in Africa when she went there with her husband for his work. She was taught by local women when she needed an activity to save her from boredom. It took ages to learn as she had to walk several kilometres from their isolated village to see them and then go back frequently when she was stuck!  She included plenty of humour and anecdotes and everyone was thoroughly entertained - thank you Teresinha.

November was our leather workshop. This was a great session enjoyed by 10 of our members given by Deborette Clark of B18 Leather. We were busy all day and everyone went home with a beautiful finished pouch. We were taught how to cut our leather, use tools to groove it and make holes to sew and how to glue and paint it. They were all really different! We could choose our own paints and colours and designs, with lots of ideas and samples to choose from Deborette. Also we were given help when needed.
​https://b18leather.co.uk
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The Secret Life of Hats was the rest of the title for this fascinating talk by Giulia. She had come from Leicester where her business is based with lots of hats and flowers and full of passion for her craft. She makes all her hats herself by hand and there were 27 of us listening to how the hats are all bespoke and can be made however the customer asks, and to whatever budget they want!

She said there were not many individual hat makers left or places to study to learn the art - it may be a dying art. Guilia told us how much she loves making them and how she doesn't make more than one of any hat. She has trained in Venice (she is Italian and certainly loves to talk quickly) as well as Switzerland and here in the UK.

She loves the finer detail of the hats and silk flowers (these are all individually crafted by Giulia) that adorn them and admits to enjoying the 'fiddly stuff'. She found she loved making them and was good at it when she was asked to make a hat as part of a costume. She worked in theatre for some time but preferred couture hats and so she began her business. She as won awards and recognition for her designs.

She was asked about her customers and how much the hats cost. She explained that the customer sets the budget and she works within that. Her customers want them for weddings. Ascot etc. She said that people can sometimes be shocked when she tells them the price, but she says her materials are all expensive (no order costs less than £40) and the hats can take 5 full days to make. Even so she says she is poor but happy!

She demonstrated how she makes a leaf and the heating tools she uses. This took 10-15 minutes and it would only have been a very small part of a flower to decorate a hat.

Giulia was a brilliant speaker, full of life, lots to say and beautiful hats to show. And we wwere allowed to try on her hats and lots of us did -pictures below!
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Our first meeting after the Summer break was a Learn to Spin Day for members and visitors. We were delighted to welcome some visitors and even more pleased to enrol 2 new members to our guild. Welcome to Beth and Cristina. It was a great turn out of our members too even though some were at the Knitting Convention and others were on holiday. As usual I forgot to count but there must have been around 20 members.

Carolyn and Gill helped visitors and members to use a spindle and Gemma taught several visitors to spin. It was lovely to see the pleasure on the faces of new spinners!

Here are some photos from the day.
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What fun we had at guild today! 12 members brought in their spinning wheels and members and visitors had a try on each one. I had no idea we had such a variety of different wheels belonging to our members. Not only was it useful to try out different wheels, but new members and visitors could 'try before they buy'. As members moved around and tried the different wheels, everyone chatted about the pros and cons of each wheel so it ended up as a social occasion too, with lots of chat about spinning and much more. This was such a good idea and very successful.

Yesterday we had another fantastic day experimenting with natural and acid dyes in Sarah's garden. First we should thank Sarah and Peter for getting out furniture, stoves, dyeing equipment (there's lots) and putting up canopies so we could have a great day sheltered from the sun or rain. As it turned out we definitely needed shade as it was so hot!

Sarah had 6 pots going at a time on her camping gas stoves outside, with natural dyes in them and everyone was encouraged to bring small skeins or fibre to make samples from each. These needed to have been pre-mordanted with alum (for most of the natural dyes) for good dye take up. There was walnut, wellingtonia, weld, apple leaves, lichen, artichoke leaves, annatto berries, indigo, sweet woodruff, logwood and cochineal. We made a huge variety of colours - natural dyes can be as bright as acid dyes. See photos below.

We all brought a contribution for a Bring and Share Lunch, lots of home made salads, quiches and wonderful strawberries and some delicious cheese scones I am told.

Rachel taught ways to use acid dyes on skeins of yarn for sock making. She showed how to dip and dye several colours at once and also how to paint the colours directly onto the wool. (Photos below)The wool was then steamed inside plastic wrap or bags in Sarah's fish kettle for 30 mins to set the colour. We then had to refrain from opening them and seeing what they looked like as its better to leave them to cool overnight before unwrapping. 

Tina showed us how to add dyes to yarn cakes. These are just balls of wool wound on a wool winder into 'cakes'. I had a go at this and it was great fun. I steamed the cakes and took them home to dry and they look lovely  - all ready to make some very colourful socks. They are superwash merino which I've never used before and it feels perfect for socks. The method for adding the dye was to roll the outside in a dye and then add other colours to the inside with a syringe.

Everyone was hot and tired at the end of the day but went home happy with some great samples to use. I'm sure Sarah was even more tired, but I think she was going to relax with a swim in her pool and then it was 'leftover food' for tea, so hopefully no more work! Thank you Sarah. 

Yesterday was our annual guild Open Day. We were pleased to welcome more than 40 visitors and friends to see our exhibition of work and watch demonstrations of spinning, dyeing, weaving and carding. Many of you had a go at some of our crafts and we hope you enjoyed it and would welcome any new members into our group. Lots of you enjoyed home made cakes and drinks and bought items for sale from our sales table.

This is always a great day for us to show off what we do and to chat about our crafts. Some of us made entries for our annual guild competition, which, this year was entitled 'Hand Coverings'. Everyone who came was invited to vote for their 3 favourites and this year the competition was won by Rachel, with Gemma and Sarah coming second and third. Do look at the photos below to see our entries and winners.

​It was a tiring day for our organisers and members, so thank you to everyone who helped in so many different ways.