Returning to School

fall flowers

We are literally back to school after our summer break and by that I mean we are busy at our studio in Qualicum Commons.  The latter was once an elementary school in the heart of downtown Qualicum Beach.





 The building is home to a variety of organizations including a day care, a dance studio, a social agency, and recreational and health oriented groups.  In September we joined with some of our neighbours in the Commons to celebrate, Active Aging Week.  This program is organized by our regional district  government and is designed to introduce seniors to the recreational activities available in the district.  We participated by holding a day long open house at our studio.

workstation for pin-loom weaving

We decided to showcase several areas of interest and to encourage a hands-on approach.  The photo illustrates one activity, pin-loom weaving.  These little looms are very popular.  They produce small squares of textile that can be joined in imaginative ways to create everything from Christmas ornaments to shawls.

visitors to our studio

Visitors were also able to see weaving in action, try their hand making yarn with a drop spindle, or try making a band with an inkle loom.








The show and tell portion of our September meeting provided a glimpse into what may appear at our November sale, Elegant Threads.  For example, you may see more woven bands as stand alone items or as embellishments.

card woven bands

A number of members with an interest in tablet or card weaving have formed a new group.  Some examples of tablet weaving are illustrated in the photo above.  They make decorative straps, wonderful belts, and custom edging for clothing.  The technique is ancient.

textured yarn shawls

We were treated to a display of shawls at the meeting.  The shawl on the right has a bold graphic pattern that comes to a point in the middle back area.  Other shawls, such as the two pictured on the left showcase the yarns without pattern.

diversified plain weave shawl

hand spun yarn

You can expect to find a good selection of hand spun yarns at Elegant Threads,  The wool yarns shown have been dyed with natural materials to produce a range of lovely fall colours.








Some fleece are just not suitable for spinning or even felting. Even the most heroic efforts won't turn mutton into silk.  Composting might be the best option.  However, if you've been gifted with a fleece and can't bring yourself to discard it, the example below might be of interest.  The weaver has used the washed fleece as weft fill in a woven rug.  The detail looks like a sheep-skin intact but it is actually a deep pile rug that is so luxurious you'd sigh as your feet sink into it.

Through October we will be busy getting ready for our sale.  Elegant Threads takes place November 23 and 24th.  In previous years we have held the sale in a rented building, Rotary House, but this year we will be hosting the sale at Qualicum Commons in the old library area.  This will allow us to open up our studio space during the sale making it a more interesting event.  With our increased and diverse membership you can expect to see new styles and items but the same quality hand crafted items.

merganser feathers

From Fibre to Fashion at the Fair

blue ribbon cabbage

Fine weather and the promise of home made pie made for a busy day at the Light House Country Fall Fair.  The Qualicum Weavers and Spinners has been a part of this annual event for many years.  We put on a display of textiles and bring along spinning wheels and looms to demonstrate our craft.

Lamb Chops on Hand spun Yarn

"Fibre to Fashion" is written on the sign above the door that leads to our display.  It reminds us that a textile doesn't materialize as a whole but is created from simple products by a few basic processes.  Automation and computerization might obscure the links but when you strip away the machines you will find the same basic spinning, knitting and weaving activities.  It is particularly rewarding to show the process to people and note the Aha! moment when they realize that they have just seen yarn and cloth being made by hand.

We usually pick a theme for our display and this year our theme was "Sheep to Shawl".  It was a tongue in cheek tribute to an old contest.  As most of you will be aware "Sheep to Shawl" refers to a contest in which teams work against a deadline to turn raw fleece into a hand woven shawl.  There are variations to the contest but it usually involves a team of spinners and a weaver, a pre-warped loom and a fleece that must be carded and spun.  The team's effort is judged on how complete the shawl is by the deadline, the quality of spun yarn and the quality and level of difficulty of the weaving.

fluffy on a fancy wrap

Our tribute didn't involve any raw fleece but we did have sheep, shawls, spinners and weavers.  In fact we had a whole herd of sheep, include many rare and unusual breeds and even a celebrity sheep called "Lamb Chops".  The latter drew a lot of interest from those old enough to remember the famous comedy team of Lamb Chops and Sherry Lewis

lamb in a cozy wool shawl

"real" wool lamb

honeycomb shawl

It is always interesting to see how individuals interpret the same idea.  The shawls in our display covered quite a different range of materials, design ideas and techniques.  There were cozy winter shawls in neutral coloured wool, bright patterned shawls in rayon, and wool blend shawls with textural effects.  There were dressy shawls that call out for that little black dress, lace knit shawls made with hand spun yarn and nuno-felted shawls on a silk chiffon base.

nuno-felted shawl

pair of knitted shawls

     







The fair includes contests for needlework including weaving.  In addition, The Qualicum Weavers and Spinner's Guild sponsors a special contest for a hand woven shawl.  Some of our members came home with ribbons as a reminder of the fair.  The photo below is shows the prize winning shawl. It is an interesting blend of yarns in the warp that give it a neutral but still lively colour.  The shawl drapes beautifully and has a soft texture.

September is a busy month for our guild.  General monthly meetings resume on Sept 24th at Qualicum Commons.  A new study group is forming and existing study groups are getting together after the summer break.  Later in the month we will be hosting an Open Studio as part of the Regional District of Nanaimo's Active Aging Program.  Check out our "events" listing for more information.