#276 Winter 2020

Two weavers who take their inspiration from aspects of the natural world, but with very different results, are profiled in this issue. Stacey Harvey-Brown introduces us to Agnes Hauptli and Jennifer Robertson, both highly accomplished and innovative weavers. Two articles focus on sustainability. John Parkinson has revived the shoddy trade in west Yorkshire, producing recycled woollen yarn from discarded clothing carefully sorted by colour, which York Guild Members had the opportunity to experiment with spinning and weaving. Penny Wheeler writes about a project to investigate using local dye plants with British wool to create a closed loop system of textile production with environmental benefits. Readers’ Showcase is slightly different this issue; Anna Crutchley examines samples woven by the late Doreen Sanders, a founder member of Cambridgeshire Guild and past contributor to this Journal. Doreen’s approach to designing also supports sustainability – small amounts of yarns bought in sales were combined effectively in a variety of weave structures. Susan J. Foulkes and Tamaki Takagi introduce us to complex Japanese woven braids, Sanada-himo, still being produced in Japan for specialised purposes. Scotland had a thriving linen industry in the eighteenth century which subsequently all but disappeared. The Statistical Accounts of Scotland are an unlikely sounding source of information, but give us insights on skilled women handspinners in late eighteenth century Perthshire. The various restrictions this year mean that we cannot bring you exhibition reviews, but Linda More invites you to a Private View of her new textile studio. She has lots of useful tips for organising a textile workspace; inspiration for those of us ‘making do’ in less than ideal spaces to dream about creating our own studio. The Journal Editorial Committee (JEC) will be looking for new members to be elected at the Association AGM next April; if you are interested in being part of the team, do get in touch to find out more about working with the JEC.

Hilary Miller, Chair, Journal Editorial Committee

Articles

TitleAuthorPage
Two Antipodean Approaches to Weaving Nature – Agnes Hauptli and Jennifer RobertsonStacey Harvey-Brown7
Readers Showcase: Conversations with Doreen SandersAnna Crutchley13
Private View – Old Church Studios pdfLinda More16
A Window Onto the Linen Industry in Eighteenth Century ScotlandHilary Miller19
A Passion for WasteLinda More23
Foraging Colour to Close the LoopPenny Wheeler28
Researching Sanada-himo: The Traditional Japanese Woven BandSusan J. Foulkes & Tamaki Takagi32