Programme

18th January
Flaxland: A talk titled ‘Linen, Ancient & Modern’. This session will cover the history and heritage of flax. The talk takes place in the morning, followed by an optional workshop in the afternoon on Longline Flax Spinning (for 10 or more participants). To book the workshop, email: secretary@somersetguildwsd.org.uk.

15th February
Guild AGM in the morning. In the afternoon, Sarah Harris from the Spinning Weal in Clevedon will bring a sales table, demonstrate with a great wheel, and deliver an entertaining talk titled ‘Marie Antoinette's Guide to Farming’.

15th March
Tapestry Weaver Anne Jackson will join us for a talk on her intricate work inspired by themes of witchcraft. Our Guild Spinning Competition will also take place this month.

19th April
Skills Day! Guild members can share their skills with others. To contribute, email: secretary@somersetguildwsd.org.uk.

17th May
Turning over a New Leaf – A talk on eco-printing with Sue Jenkins, focusing on botanical contact printing using locally gathered leaves.

21st June
Fleece Fair: An annual event where you can purchase high-quality fleeces from local suppliers.

19th July
Mayumi Kaneko will give a talk on handcrafted textiles using traditional Japanese techniques, with a focus on paper weaving. Our Guild Dyeing Competition will also take place this month.

16th August
Visit: Anila Preston’s Alpaca Farm & Studio in Dulverton, Exmoor. Anila breeds alpacas and creates sustainable luxury products with her high-quality EKO|ALPAKA yarns. Note: this is a trip and we haven’t booked the village hall. More details coming soon.

20th September
Richard Sims will present a talk on ‘The Flax and Hemp Heritage of South Somerset & West Dorset’, with insights from his work at Dawes Twine Works.

18th October
Annabel Wilson, a textile artist, will introduce the Japanese craft of Shibori resist dyeing, transforming plain fabric into remarkable patterns. Our Guild Weaving Competition will also take place this month.

15th November
Morwenna Stephens, a Textile and Ethnographic Artefacts Conservator, will share her extensive experience conserving and mounting textiles and world culture artefacts.

December: Christmas Social TBA