Classes

The Teaching Committee offers classes and workshops on all aspects of weaving and spinning. Classes are offered during the day, evening and at weekends. Workshops can be held midweek or on the weekend. All are held at the Guild rooms unless otherwise specified.

Oher classes are arranged in response to expressions of interest from potential students, or in response to tutors in a speciality field offering suggestions.

If you wish to attend classes please telephone the Guild on (03) 9347 3008 (do not email) to register your interest by leaving your name, address and telephone number. Information will be mailed in due course. Office hours are Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 3pm.

If you are not a member and would like to join download a Membership Application Form here.

Classes to be held in the Guild Rooms

Closing date for Class 1: Monday 27th July
Closing date for Class 2: Monday 27th July
(Unless vacancies exist)

Enrolment forms from the Guild. Tel. 9347 3008 or download an enrolment form here.

Enrolment forms from the Guild. Tel. 9347 3008 or download an enrolment form here.

Enrolment forms from the Guild. Tel. 9347 3008 or download an enrolment form here.

Cotton Spinning with Caroline Bourke
14th February 2010

In February we will be offering a class in how to spin cotton. Learn about the different types of cotton available, the preparation required and the various ways to spin. Included will be time to try spinning on a charka. To participate in this class you will be a competent spinner who preferably has had the opportunity to spin short fibres before.

Caroline has completed the Certificate Spinning course with the Guild and has been involved in teaching for the last couple of years. The class will run from 9.30am to 4pm with 30 minutes for lunch on Sunday February 14th 2010.
Cost of the class is $55.00 for Members $65.00 for Non Members.

INTRODUCTION TO HAND SPINNING

Students are not required to have their own spinning wheels, but may bring their own spinning wheel to class if desired.

Some topics that will be demonstrated, learned and discussed during classes are:

- Fleece and its properties
- Why a fleece is suitable for a beginner
- Fleece types/how to wash fleece
- Wheel adjustments, flyer mechanism. tension, double band and scotch tension. Care of your wheel
- Fleece preparation — Combing, Flicking, Carding, Drum and Bench Carding Making rolags
- Hand /foot co-ordination.
- Spinning an even yarn
- S and Z twist
- Plying a balanced yarn.
- Skeining and scouring yarns.
- Use of noddy noddy, umbrella swift and ball winder.
- Natural and commercial dyes.
- Other fibres — silk, mohair, alpaca, cotton, camel.
- Blending — colours and fibres.

There is a limited number of spinning wheels that may be hired for the 8 weeks course. Students will need to leave a $100 deposit before the wheel is taken off the premises. The wheel needs to be returned at the end of the eight weeks for the deposit to be returned in full. A hire fee of $10.00 per week will apply after this time.

INTRODUCTION TO 4 SHAFT WEAVING

The aim of this course is to introduce students to 4 shaft weaving and enable them to have the confidence to continue weaving independently at the end of the term. Students will usually weave a small article eg. scarf, cushion, table mats.

There is more satisfaction for a beginner in having a useful piece of weaving that they have planned from start to finish, dealing with all the attendant problems of design, choice of yarns etc as well as the technical problems in their particular weave.

Students will be able to borrow a Guild loom but it should be noted that a deposit of $100 is required if the loom is taken off the premises. This entitles the student to the use of the loom for the 8 weeks of the course and up to 2 weeks afterwards to enable them to finish their project. If the loom is returned by this time the deposit will be refunded in full.

The 2009 Certificate Weaving Course has now commenced.

Tutor Gerlinde Binning

Jeanette Webb, Ruth Rawlings, Elizabeth May, Sybil Walters, John Curran, Alison Brown, Amber Wooles,
Donna Connal; not able to attend the graduation were Marion Kostanski, Olga Nowatschenko and Chiara Zeta.
Seated - Gerlinde Binning (tutor) Robyn Heywood (assistant tutor)

At the December meeting of the Guild 11 graduating students were presented with their certificates for completing the Handweaver's Certificate 4 Shaft Loom. 14 students enrolled and the successful students who completed had an exhibition of their work and folios on display in the Guild Rooms. Their teacher, Gerlinde Binning, expressed her delight with the work completed and congratulated her students for their imagination and diligence.

	click on image for a larger picture

 

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