Back to the Studio

The rain has arrived and will be haunting this area for the next couple of months.  That means that many outdoor distractions are coming to an end and we can get back to business in the studio.  It also means it is mushroom time so enjoy the Chantrelle mushrooms and beware of the ones that look like the photo on the left.

The show and tell portion of our October guild meeting gave us a taste of what members have been working on.  This summer a number of people took part in a corduroy rug project.  Here is an example of one of the rugs.
The lovely wool shawl that is pictured to the left was started as part of our demonstration at the train station anniversary event.  In spite of having many distractions our intrepid weaver, Linda, managed to complete this beauty.  It has a lovely twill border on all four sides.  If you go back to a previous post you can see here working on the loom.


  This shawl will be one of the silent auction items at our November Show and Sale, Elegant Threads.  See the side bar for more information.
The list of silent auction items also includes a corduroy rug similar to the one pictured here.


The knitters in our group have also been busy.  Pictured below is one of Jeanette's delicate shawls.  The colours are amazing.  The wool yarn is variegated and knitted so that stripes of different colours come and go across and around the piece.

David's poncho is in keeping with the fall theme.  It reminds us that the temperature is dropping out there.  Soon we will be looking to bundle up and keep warm.  Keeping warm is the theme of our current public exhibit.

If you live in Central Vancouver Island we would like to encourage you to come and see more of these hand crafted pieces at our exhibit, KEEP ME WARM.  The show is on right now (October 27 to November 17) at The Old School House Art Centre in the heart of Qualicum Beach.

Keep Me Warm Exhibit

The Qualicum Weavers and Spinners Guild will be exhibiting at The Old School House Art Centre in Qualicum Beach from October 27th to November 17th.

The theme of our exhibit is "Keep Me Warm".  The theme evolved from the practical nature of  many of our creations and from the intent behind those creations.

 Think of a special scarf inspired by the love for the daughter who will wear it or the blanket made in anticipation of a new grandson.  The pieces may be created to provide protection from the cold but they are filled with warmth beyond their physical properties.

 In creating their pieces for the show, guild members were asked to consider the guild's purpose and to use traditional techniques such as weaving, spinning and felting in the process.  Members began working on their designs in January.  They spent the winter months spinning yarns, sampling and weaving yardage.

Inspiration for the pieces came from memories, historical textiles, animals, winter colours and the yarns themselves.  I have not shown any of the finished pieces in this post.  We hope you will come and see them in the gallery.  If possible, visit with us at the Opening Reception on Wednesday October 27th at 7 pm.

The Old School House Art Centre is located in the heart of Qualicum Beach at 122 Fern Road West.  For more information check the gallery website at
www.theoldschoolhouse.org