The Workshop will be closed from 14th December 2023 and will re-open 4th January 2024

See you in the New Year!

The Weavers’ Workshop were contacted last year by Rosie from the Ikon Gallery with a view to doing a project this summer in relation to the Ikon’s Slowboat – it is a large narrow boat which travels out from Birmingham to host creative projects on or adjacent to the canal. After a meeting on the boat, Sara signed us up to we knew not what and after a long dark winter, Rosie got in touch as promised, with a proposal to work with a lovely artist Seungwon Jung – based in London – her work combines weaving and digital imagery and sounded fascinating. A group of young creatives were signed up to do a summer project with her – and TWW were invited to host a visit by them to The Weaver’s House to showcase Coventry’s long history of medieval weaving and do some simple weaving activities with them. What a fabulous occasion – youngsters and the ‘young at heart’ coming together on a delightfully sunny day in The Weaver’s House garden in August to share experiences and creative inspiration. Janet gave an informative tour of the house finishing in the solar with the floor loom and the hard life of a medieval weaver – casting light on centuries of cloth making in Coventry, while Margaret supported a more contemporary approach to weaving on our portable Coventry Blue loom, allowing the young people to add a few ‘picks’ to our version of Coventry Blue cloth. Alongside, Ingrid, Sandra H, Sandra S. and Pam introduced the young people to weaving sticks while Sara demonstrated the technique of braiding – it wasn’t long before friendship bands were being sported and braids were being braided. A truly memorable experience for all concerned.

Many of the youngsters were looking forward to university or college and a future in the creative arts.

We were kindly offered a return visit to the Slowboat to take part in Seungwon’s workshop on the boat itself, moored in Coventry Canal Basin – unfortunately rail strikes got in the way and just 4 TWW members were able to take up the offer due to limited space. Pam womanfully braved her fear of boats and Ingrid, Janet and Sara joined her to work alongside the young people – warps consisted of beautiful cotton cloth printed with digital images of tree bark captured by Seungwon over a period of time, these ‘sliced up’ and stretched on a frame to receive the weft of naturally dyed cotton ribbons, a reference to Coventry’s ribbon weaving history. While all this was going on, to Pam’s horror the boat sailed gently up and down the canal, with the odd (speed?) bump along the way!

The activities form part of Coventry Biennial, taking place this autumn across the city under the banner ‘… like a shortcut through the brambles’ – which explores humankind’s complex relationship with the natural world.

TWW feel privileged to have been asked to be involved and look forward to a continuing relationship with Seungwon and the Coventry Biennial. Work is being exhibited on the Slowboat on 9th September 2023 between 10.00 am and 4.00 pm in Coventry Canal Basin and we hope the wider weaving group can participate in another workshop with Seungwon, this time on terra firma. The Biennial runs from 6th October 2023 to January 2024.

The Weavers have been asked to knit babies hats by the Rotary Club. The hats will be sent to Ukraine and Turkey The above picture is showing a few we have completed
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Well done everyone!

HERE IS THE REPLY FROM THE ROTARIANS
Thank you to all who knitted the beautiful baby hats. John Young, International and Foundation Chair, David Owen President, Annita Small Vice President and Community Chair as well as all Rotarians for 51 baby hats which will sent to Ukraine and Turkey asap.

The Weavers’ Workshop is open on Mondays and Thursdays from 10 am till 12.30pm
Cost £3 including materials to make a small woven item and a cup of tea or coffee (and biscuit)

Contact Peggy Finch
pegsfinch@gmail.com

33 x 2 bonding squares for local hospitals made by Weavers Workshop

One square is placed with a premature baby and another is worn against the mum’s skin, then the squares are swapped round every 12 hours or every time mum visits.
Many Neonatal Units are now using them. They help with the bonding of a premature baby in an incubator and the baby’s mum. The baby can smell mum’s scent even when she isn’t there or wasn’t able to get him out of his incubator, and then when she goes home she can still smell the baby’s scent on the square, which is a big comfort.
Not only this, but many mums find that it really helps with expressing breast milk. Keeping the scent of the baby close by triggers the hormones needed to produce and express milk, which is very important as breastfeeding can be difficult for mothers with premature babies.

Rachel New
Creative Lives On-air Producer for BBC CWR
Creative Lives On-air is a collaboration between BBC CWR and Creative Lives

We were asked to put on a demo of simple weaving to this local community. Rachel interviewed us for the BBC CWR programme. We also demonstrated different types of looms and weaving techniques

A very happy morning for weavers and participants

We are lucky to still be a workshop after the last two years. Thank you to everyone for their support.

It is however become necessary to increase weekly sessions to £3. Hopefully we will see you very soon.

The Workshop will be closed for the Bank Holiday.

On Saturday 26 March 2022 Heritage Crafts hosted its annual event Making Places as part of The Making of Coventry, a partnership project with Creative Lives, funded by Coventry City Council as part of Coventry City of Culture.