2025 Programme
Birmingham & District Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers meetings are held at the Friends Meeting House, Watford Road, Cotteridge, unless specified otherwise.
Meetings are from 10am - 4pm on the second Saturday of the month. Unless stated otherwise in the programme, workshops start at 10:00 prompt (and finish at 16:00) and talks start at 14:00. Where it is a half-day activity we still meet at 10am for skill-sharing, coffee, chat and whatever craft activity we are working on - and you don't have to be a member to join us.
The entrance fee for members is £2 and £6 for visitors. Workshops are an additional cost and must be booked in advance (more info below).
Meetings are from 10am - 4pm on the second Saturday of the month. Unless stated otherwise in the programme, workshops start at 10:00 prompt (and finish at 16:00) and talks start at 14:00. Where it is a half-day activity we still meet at 10am for skill-sharing, coffee, chat and whatever craft activity we are working on - and you don't have to be a member to join us.
The entrance fee for members is £2 and £6 for visitors. Workshops are an additional cost and must be booked in advance (more info below).
Overview
11 January - 11:00: Talk from members; 14:00: Annual General Meeting
08 February - 14:00: Talk from textile artist Tina Francis about creating connections and community through stitching
08 March - 10:30-15:30: Workshop (Additional Cost) - Inkle loom weaving with Jane Antill
12 April - 10:00-16:00: Workshop (Additional Cost) - Create an artwork using nails and thread with artist Imogen Morris
10 May - Dyer's Picnic - Try a range of natural and acid dyes (Alternative Venue, information will be provided to members in advance)
14 June - Annual Open Day & Exhibition (Free entry; all welcome)
12 July - 14:00: Talk from Jayne Murray about ‘A Level Playing Field’, an art and heritage project with young people in Druids Heath
August - No Meeting
13 September - Informal Meeting - Bring along a project and craft in company
11 October - 14:00: Talk from Isabelle Homer, embroidery artist and theatrical costumier, about designing and making tutus for the stage
08 November - 10:00-16:00: Workshop (Additional Cost) - Introduction to flax growing and processing from seed to fabric with Simon and Ann at Flaxland Natural Fibres
13 December - Christmas Social with bring and share lunch and show and tell by members
08 February - 14:00: Talk from textile artist Tina Francis about creating connections and community through stitching
08 March - 10:30-15:30: Workshop (Additional Cost) - Inkle loom weaving with Jane Antill
12 April - 10:00-16:00: Workshop (Additional Cost) - Create an artwork using nails and thread with artist Imogen Morris
10 May - Dyer's Picnic - Try a range of natural and acid dyes (Alternative Venue, information will be provided to members in advance)
14 June - Annual Open Day & Exhibition (Free entry; all welcome)
12 July - 14:00: Talk from Jayne Murray about ‘A Level Playing Field’, an art and heritage project with young people in Druids Heath
August - No Meeting
13 September - Informal Meeting - Bring along a project and craft in company
11 October - 14:00: Talk from Isabelle Homer, embroidery artist and theatrical costumier, about designing and making tutus for the stage
08 November - 10:00-16:00: Workshop (Additional Cost) - Introduction to flax growing and processing from seed to fabric with Simon and Ann at Flaxland Natural Fibres
13 December - Christmas Social with bring and share lunch and show and tell by members
Talks
There is no need to book for talks and no additional cost to attend (beyond standard entry and membership fees).
Tina Francis - creating connections and community through stitching (08 February)
Tina Francis is a Birmingham-based textile artist and tutor, who is passionate about using craft to build community. Tina will be talking about craft and community in relation to her textile work, workshops and recently completed MA studies.
https://tina-francis-tapestry.co.uk/
Jayne Murray - ‘A Level Playing Field’, an art and heritage project with young people in Druids Heath (12 July)
Jayne Murray, lead artist for ‘A Level Playing Field’, will be talking about how this art and heritage project is working with young people in Druids Heath. In particular, Jayne will be exploring the textile strand of the project, which includes a collaboration with Birmingham City University fashion students.
www.instagram.com/makinglevel/
Isabelle Homer - embroidery artist and theatrical costumier, about designing and making tutus for the stage (11 October)
Isabelle will talk about the history of the tutu, explain how tutus are constructed and the materials used, and about her own work for the stage, including Birmingham Royal Ballet.
www.isabellehomercostumier.com/
Tina Francis - creating connections and community through stitching (08 February)
Tina Francis is a Birmingham-based textile artist and tutor, who is passionate about using craft to build community. Tina will be talking about craft and community in relation to her textile work, workshops and recently completed MA studies.
https://tina-francis-tapestry.co.uk/
Jayne Murray - ‘A Level Playing Field’, an art and heritage project with young people in Druids Heath (12 July)
Jayne Murray, lead artist for ‘A Level Playing Field’, will be talking about how this art and heritage project is working with young people in Druids Heath. In particular, Jayne will be exploring the textile strand of the project, which includes a collaboration with Birmingham City University fashion students.
www.instagram.com/makinglevel/
Isabelle Homer - embroidery artist and theatrical costumier, about designing and making tutus for the stage (11 October)
Isabelle will talk about the history of the tutu, explain how tutus are constructed and the materials used, and about her own work for the stage, including Birmingham Royal Ballet.
www.isabellehomercostumier.com/
Workshops
Booking and fees
Workshop fees: £22 (+ £2 entrance fee on the day) is the ‘break even’ cost to the Guild, but members who would have financial difficulty attending workshops can pay a per workshop fee of £15. No evidence is required, and payment of the reduced fee will be treated confidentially. Guild members who can afford to pay more than £22 per workshop are invited to do so, to support the initiative. Non-members are welcome to attend workshops, if places are remaining, for £32 (+ £6 entrance fee on the day). Workshop fees must be received in advance to secure a workshop place.
Booking: Booking for workshops will open two months prior via email or in-person at guild meetings. Booking is via the programme secretary (Charlotte Powell; [email protected]).
Inkle loom weaving with Jane Antill (08 March)
Join fellow guild member Jane for an inkle loom weaving workshop.
The session will start with warping an inkle loom, using warping plans which can be used for Baltic pick-up weaving.
Participants will then try pick-up weaving, using Baltic pick-up patterns from the Anne Dixon Inkle Pattern Directory.
Participants will learn how to follow a pattern, and can also have a go at designing their own patterns.
Create an artwork using nails and thread with artist Imogen Morris (12 April)
Inspired by Imogen’s own art practice, which uses layers of thread, anchored by nails, to create artworks which challenge the boundaries between craft and fine art, attendees will create their own 3D thread artwork.
www.imogenmorrisart.com
Introduction to flax growing and processing from seed to fabric with Simon and Ann at Flaxland Natural Fibres (08 November)
A hands-on course and presentation on all aspects of growing, processing, and spinning flax. To include:
Guild members can be shown to work with flax on their own spinning wheels, plus Flaxland will bring enough distaffs and drop spindles for all attendees.
www.flaxland.co.uk
Workshop fees: £22 (+ £2 entrance fee on the day) is the ‘break even’ cost to the Guild, but members who would have financial difficulty attending workshops can pay a per workshop fee of £15. No evidence is required, and payment of the reduced fee will be treated confidentially. Guild members who can afford to pay more than £22 per workshop are invited to do so, to support the initiative. Non-members are welcome to attend workshops, if places are remaining, for £32 (+ £6 entrance fee on the day). Workshop fees must be received in advance to secure a workshop place.
Booking: Booking for workshops will open two months prior via email or in-person at guild meetings. Booking is via the programme secretary (Charlotte Powell; [email protected]).
Inkle loom weaving with Jane Antill (08 March)
Join fellow guild member Jane for an inkle loom weaving workshop.
The session will start with warping an inkle loom, using warping plans which can be used for Baltic pick-up weaving.
Participants will then try pick-up weaving, using Baltic pick-up patterns from the Anne Dixon Inkle Pattern Directory.
Participants will learn how to follow a pattern, and can also have a go at designing their own patterns.
Create an artwork using nails and thread with artist Imogen Morris (12 April)
Inspired by Imogen’s own art practice, which uses layers of thread, anchored by nails, to create artworks which challenge the boundaries between craft and fine art, attendees will create their own 3D thread artwork.
www.imogenmorrisart.com
Introduction to flax growing and processing from seed to fabric with Simon and Ann at Flaxland Natural Fibres (08 November)
A hands-on course and presentation on all aspects of growing, processing, and spinning flax. To include:
- Presentation on flax and hemp both ancient and modern, with examples for attendees to handle.
- Presentation on the process of growing flax from seed, harvesting and retting flax straw, with plenty of hands-on examples.
- Demonstration of flax processing to obtain fibre.
- Working prepared fibres ready for spinning.
- Dressing a distaff to use on a drop spindle or spinning wheel.
- Working with flax on drop spindles and spinning wheels.
Guild members can be shown to work with flax on their own spinning wheels, plus Flaxland will bring enough distaffs and drop spindles for all attendees.
www.flaxland.co.uk
