#272 Winter 2019

This issue focuses on garments – historic and modern, and in particular on making them ourselves. Lesley Willcock, in the first of two articles, encourages us to be brave and cut into that handwoven cloth and make a wearable item. A different approach is taken by Sally Eyring in Stacey Harvey-Brown’s second interview with innovative weavers. Sally shapes pieces on the loom, with spectacular results. In medieval Japan, the art of dyeing was highly developed and kasane, layers of different coloured silks in a kimono, was a symbol of the aristocracy. The traditional recipe for extracting red pigment from safflower is illustrative of the sophistication of the dye techniques of the age. A selection of eighteenth century garments in the Fashion Museum in Bath gave Carolyn Griffiths an insight into fabrics (handwoven) and dyes (natural) of the age. This is a reminder that you can gain so much more if you can arrange to examine items in museum collections, rather than just admiring them in a showcase. The soft squishy properties of woollen-spun yarn for warm jumpers, hats and other garments is enthusiastically promoted in Freyalyn Close-Hainsworth’s article on longdraw spinning. As an encouragement to use handspun yarn for garments, Jo Nash shows how to translate a commercial knitting pattern for your handspun. Marietta Richards was prompted by a recent article on Norwich Red which seemed to fly in the face of established madder-dyeing techniques; her careful experiments tested the recipes and provide useful advice on getting good reds with madder. Melanie Venes looks back on the life of the inimitable Nancy Lee Child, founder of the Handweavers Studio in London, and for many an introduction to spinning and weaving. Lastly, the weaving section of Peter Tavy Guild challenged themselves to produce a wearable item, with considerable success. With a National Exhibition in 2020, why not challenge yourself to a ‘Made to Wear’ project?
Hilary Miller, Chair, Journal Editorial Committee