Happy Christmas and New Year!!

Apologies for the blog being a bit slow in December, life stuff catches up with you and trying to find the time to keep the blog updated can sometimes be difficult.

A Very Very Happy Christmas and New Year 

to all the knitters, stitchers, felters, crocheters, weavers, spinners, papermakers, printers, teachers, and anyone else who has read and contributed to the blog.

2009 may have been a hard year in Ireland, with rain, more rain, recession, scandals, and lots of other depressing news. Think of the current economic climate as a blank slate. The Celtic Tiger didn't work out for us, it was all wrong. We need to develop a grassroots, home-made, movement, lets develop an industry for ourselves, that is both sustainable to not just our pockets but to our way of life.

2010 is going to be a very exciting year for textiles. We have more textile supply shops opening up then every before, more people teaching and more people learning. It has the potential to become a real area of growth for Ireland - as a profession from farmer to designer, as a recognized artform, as a form of community development, and the huge potential for activity/craft tourism.

The original idea for the Woolly Way was for it to become a community project. I have tried to keep my own personal opinions, (favourite textiles!) etc, out of the blog. But I wanted to write a personal message now to say I really appreciate everyone who has been in contact through the blog, I have met some wonderful people, and heard about many wonderful textile related things in Ireland at the moment.

I honestly think the blog has the potential to develop into something bigger and better, but only if there is more volunteers to help out! The textile map and calender has been a great success, but they need to be updated more regularly, with up-to-date information. I had ideas to develop spin off blogs to cover other areas of interest - the history and heritage of textiles in Ireland , developing a network for textile/fibre art with discussion, information and even a gallery of sorts. I would like to also develop a network/blog for farmers who are producing fleece, they may have a network in the farming community,but to create a network with textile workers to help develop Irish yarn.

If anyone wants to get involved, has ideas they want to discuss. Please, please get in touch. We have some very exciting projects happening in 2010, but we want more!

Anyway, little personal rant over, HAPPY CHRISTMAS and NEW YEAR everyone!!

from stitchlily.. 

Embroidery Workshops in 2010 with Arelene Shawcross

CREATIVE FREE MACHINE EMBROIDERY - TUESDAYS 10 a.m. ­ 1 p.m.

Tuesday 12th January      Using soluble fabric
Tuesday 26th January      Edgings created on soluble fabric
Tuesday 9th    February   Creating grids on soluble fabric
Tuesday 23rd February    Silk paper making
Tuesday 9th   March        Free machining onto silk paper
Tuesday 23rd March        Creating a precious piece using silk paper and free machining techniques

Cost: Six session course E 150
           Individual sessions E 30 per class
Tea and coffee provided



CONTEMPORARY CREATIVE HAND STITCH EMBROIDERY  - TUESDAYS 1.30p.m. ­ 3.30p.m.

Tuesday 12th January     Building up a creative stitch repertoire 1
Tuesday 26th January     Building up a creative stitch repertoire 2
Tuesday 9th February     Using beads and sequins
Tuesday 23rd February   Tassels and pom-poms
Tuesday 9th March         Combining stitches and beads
Tuesday 23rd March       Creating a small special textured piece

Cost : E 100 for the complete six week course
           E 20 per individual class
Tea and coffee provided


For more information contact

Arelene Shawcross
Knocknamanagh Old School Centre,
Minane Bridge
Cork

T: 021 7336035
M: 087 2419954
E: rosasaurelia@gcontacemail.com

The Galway School of Knitting

 The Galway School of Knitting was founded by Niamh O'Máille of O'Maille's, High St., Galway. Her family's business is one of Ireland's longest established knitwear businesses in Ireland. From an early age she was surrounded by knitwear and has met some of the most talented knitters in Ireland who knit sweaters for the family business.

Niamh has designed classes for all knitters from beginners to more experienced knitters. The classes are very sociable and enjoyable and a relaxing and rewarding experience.

"So even if you have never knitted before, we will have you knitting and purling in no time!"

2010 Schedule for The Galway School of Knitting

Beginners Class 
Date: 12th January - 16th February  
Duration: 6 weeks 
Cost:€90
In the beginners class we begin by making a purse and learn knit and purl stitch and casting on and casting off. We then make a headband with a flower, beanie hat, beret, bag, tea cosy and gloves.

Intermediate Class 
Date: 13th January - 17th February
Duration: 6 weeks
Cost:€90
In the intermediate class we make more difficult patterns and learn some of the aran patterns.

Open Classes
Date: 16th January to 20th February
Anne O'Máille will begin a Saturday morning class  from 10am to 12pm in Ard Bia restaurant - beside the Spanish Arch. All levels of knitters are welcome.

Foremore information contact:

Niamh O'Maill
Galway School of Knitting,
O'Maille's,
High St.,
Galway

T: 086-4071850
E: niamh@galwayschoolofknitting.com
W: www.galwayschoolofknitting.com 

Latest Workshops and News from Re-dress, Dublin

 

 French Knickers and Cocktails

Date: 15^th December 2009

Venue: PYGMAILION  BAR, COPPINGER ROW

Time: 7 - 9pm

Cost: 25euro includs all materials and a cocktail!

An introduction you to some new skills and a few french frills in this 2 hour make and do workshop. Not your average home-ec class you'll be guided through the basics of a french knickers pattern while you sip cocktails in Dublin's newest funky bar, Pygmalion.  

Crafternoon Tea - Beginners design day
Date: Jan 16th 2010

Time: 10am-5pm

A crash course in basic fashion skills for absolute beginners.

Pattern Drafting - Beginners day course
Date: Jan 17th 2010

Time: 10am-5pm

A day exploring the construction of a skirt from start to finish.

View the latest News from RE-dress here

- Fair-traded & organic woven cotton fabrics out of Africa.
- Fashion Summit - Copenhaden 9th December 2009

- Upcycling adds value to Cast Offs 

- Emotionally Durable Clothing

- Fashion Climate! Dame Vivienne meets Lovelock 

Re-dress
13 Windsor Place
Pembroke Road
Dublin 2
Ireland

E: icontact@re-dress.ie

W: www.re-dress.ie

Fabulous fibres - Ethnobotanical Exhibition, Surrey, UK

1 December 2009 - 9 January 2010

 

2009 is both the International Year of Natural Fibres, and the 250th anniversary of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Fabulous Fibres, is an exhibition marks both with a display of beautiful and unusual textiles from around the world. The objects are drawn from the Economic Botany Collection at Kew Gardens , and highlight a wide range of fibre plants, particularly rarer plants used by indigenous cultures. This is first time Kew has loaned such a large collection of textiles, and is a rare opportunity to see such diverse and historic material outside a major museum.

About 40 objects have been chosen from the Kew collection. Many of these date back to the nineteenth century, and document indigenous cultures that are threatened or have disappeared. Some objects have benefited from conservation treatment by students at the Textile Conservation Centre in Winchester , and Camberwell College of Arts, and this is the first time for the public to see the results of their work. There is also an emphasis on connecting plant to product.

Exhibits will include a case-full of footwear, a remarkable lacebark bonnet from Jamaica, textiles from India, barkcloth from the Pacific, lace from Ireland, paper from Japan, baskets from Europe, as well as artefacts from the Americas. This truly global exhibition will also include a handling table with a wide range of natural fibres, and is aimed both at families and those with a special interest in textiles or conservation.

More information here,on the Kew Gardens website

Haslemere Educational Museum,  

78 High Street, 

Haslemere, 

Surrey GU27 2LA 

UK
 

T:+44 (0)1428 642112  

E: enquiries@haslemeremuseum.co.uk

W: www.haslemeremuseum.co.uk

Knimble Knitters – knuckle down for Arthritis Care UK and win £200

Knimble Knitters is a UK-wide competition to raise funds for the arthritis support charity, while giving entrants the chance to win cash prizes and show off their needle skills.

The Theme

Knit a scarf, hat, pair of mittens or any other accessory – as long as it falls under our chosen category of Winter, and, for an entry fee of £2 per item, you can not only put your knitting skills to the test, but help people with arthritis, and potentially pocket a handy prize of £200, £50, or £25.

Fundraising Ideas 

Arthritis Care’s Knimble Knitters team – the ‘Knit Wits’ - have come up with a few fundraising ideas to help competitors get the ball rolling.

At work

● Get colleagues to sponsor you to wear different items of knitted clothing to work each day one week – and dare them to sponsor you with more cash the sillier or more outrageous your fluffy stuff is.

● Hold a sponsored ‘sprint knit’ – rope in your workmates as you race to make as much progress as possible during your lunch hour. Your ‘click-clacking clique’ could hold a sweepstake to bet the number of rows you can knit in a lunch hour.

● Hold a knitwear day at work in place of Dress-down Friday. Ask everyone in your building to don knitwear and donate £1 to your Knimble Knitter Kitty.

Deadline

All entries must be submitted by 15 February 2010 and winners will be notified in March. The winner will be featured in Arthritis News, Arthritis Care’s in-house magazine.

All the money raised will go to help fund the vital information and support services which Arthritis Care provides, such as free helplines, pain management courses, online discussion forums, and the booklets tailored to the UK’s nine million people with arthritis in the UK.

All the informationcan, rules, entry packs, etc, be found here, but you can also contact the Knimble Knitters team: 

T: 020 7380 6500

E: Knitting@arthritiscare.org.uk

W: www.arthritiscare.org.uk

PLEASE NOTE:

This competition is open to UK residents only. But they would love for people outside of the UK to become involved in the project, and help raise awareness about arthritis. They are asking people to raise sponsorship but it is not compulsory, and any donations would be very gratefully received.

Knitting and Arthritis

People sometimes believe knitting will make their arthritis worse, but ensuring that you get the balance right between rest and activity should mean that this is not the case. Here are some tips:

• Even inflamed joints need exercise. Knitting is a gentle way to keep the joints moving if you have arthritis in your hands or wrists, even during a flare-up.

• Little and often is the key. If you knit in short bursts with longer pauses in between, you should find that it helps rather than making it worse.

• If metal needles don't suit you, there are lots of options you can explore, including bamboo needles which many people with arthritis find easier to use.

The Dream Rocket - the world’s largest collaborative public art project

Our favourite, fibre-active group,  The International Fibre Collaborative,  are at it again.  In 2008, they wrapped a Gas Station, in 2009, they created the Independence Tree. Now for 2010, they are planning their most ambitious project to date The Dream Rocket

 “The Dream Rocket aims to connect art and education through a global collaborative initiative. It will inspire participants to consider, express, and explore their dreams for a better future using Dream Themes such as Energy, Space, Peace, Science, Recycling, etc. The Wrapping of the Saturn V Rocket will recognize the power of global collaboration, and in turn, The Dream Rocket hopes to inspire individuals all over the World not only to dream, but also to recognize their power to pursue their dreams.”

By May 2010, over 8,000 panels, will have been created by students and individuals from more than 100 countries,. They will be stitched together and installed as a 36,467-square-foot wrap on the 37 story tall SATURN V Rocket replica located at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Anyone can be involved, from anywhere around the world.

A two-foot-square panel can be reserved for $100 by any group or individual. Sponsors can also reserve a panel for those who cannot afford the cost.

T-Shirt Competition 

 

There is also a great competition for kids under the age of 14. The Dream Rocket team is looking for the perfect t-shirt design to print on t-shirts. This design should inspire the theme of the Dream Rocket project, as well as highlight our candidates artistic abilities.

If the Dream Rocket team picks your t-shirt design, you will win a FREE spot on the Dream Rocket Quilt! AND your design will be printed on t-shirts that will be sold to people all over the WORLD. Entry into the t-shirt competition of free, the deadline date is February 1, 2010

For more information on the project and how to get involved

visit www.thedreamrocket.com

Or
Facebook  
Twitter

Textile Conference, France: Embroidery and Storytelling / broder et raconteur

An incredible conference is taking place on the 10^th and 11^th of December 2009. Set in Rouen, the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, this conference sees the coming together of academics, historians, and artists, in a unique 2 day discussion on textiles.

The lectures range from political Christine Brandner - The Vestment of the Order of the Golden Fleece as an Instrument of Political Propaganda, to historical Wanda Balzano, Embroidery and Cultural Memory of Southern Italian Women. From awareness raising Brenda Schmahmann - Representing HIV/AIDs in South Africa via Embroidery: The Keikamma Altarpiece to academic Elisabeth Bouzonviller "[H]ealing garment[s]" and "crazy quilt[s]": the Needlework Metaphor in Louise Erdrich's Fiction.

And included in this, representing Ireland, is Ann Griffin Bernstorff, the artist behind the magnificent The Ros Tapestry.

The event is being organized by Prof. Nicole TERRIEN of Université de Rouen.

Registration is free.

You can view a more detailed programme here

Kozo Studio Workshop Programme 2010, Co Kilkenny

PAPERMAKING WEEKENDS in 2010

Upcoming dates:

23 - 24 January (Sat – Sun)

27 – 28 February (Sat - Sun)

Saturday, 10.30am - 5pm: Hand Papermaking Techniques - using mixed pulps of recycled materials and natural plant fibres of cotton, abaca, esparto.

Sunday, 10.30am - 5pm: Silk Fibre Paper making - from various raw silk fibres (cocoon strippings, throwsters fibres, had-dyed silk tops etc..). Participants will create plain or colourful, textured, decorative, ``fabric – like`` papers. These unique pieces are suitable for writing, painting, textile art- and collage works, stitching, embroidery and are ideal for 3 dimensional, sculptural projects.  

The workshop also introduces experimental processes and ideas using fibre reactive textile dyes on silk papers. Also included in this course is a small silk fibre bowl sculpted on a mould.

 Both courses are suitable for the complete beginner as well as for those with previous experience - to refresh, to experiment and/or explore new ideas!

Tutor: Tunde Toth – Fibre and paper artist, papermaker, arts educator

Workshop on BATIK TECHNIQUES for beginners

6 February (Sat)      10am - 5pm

The generic term ‘Batik’ – a Malay word – refers to the process of dyeing fabric using resist technique: covering areas of cloth with a dye-resistant substance to prevent them from absorbing colour. Some methods are over 1000 year old with evidence in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and India. During this one day workshop participants will create individual pieces through an introduction to resist and fabric dye techniques, using paraffin and natural beeswax, fibre reactive dyes and traditional tools.

Tutor: Tunde Toth – Fibre and paper artist, papermaker, arts educator

Fee: € 70 – including all materials (fabric, natural bees wax, dyes etc.)

Tunde Toth, 

Killeen,

Inistioge, 

Co. Kilkenny

M: 087-2543362

E: tundetune@gmail.com:  

W:www.kozogallery.com

B: www.tundetothpaperart.blogspot.com