The Wallhanging
The stories behind the motifs (page 2 of 2)


Melbourne Kumihimo Group (Kumihimo Means Japanese Braiding)

Braid And Bobbin

The Melbourne Kumihimo Group, of 28 full members and 14 affiliated members, meets each month in the rooms of The Handweavers and Spinners Guild of Victoria. Mornings are for "Show and Tell", discussions, and sometimes special demonstrations. Afternoons are spent braiding. The Melbourne Kumihimo Group was formed in 1992 and its attitude to braiding has been to rejoice in the endless variety of braids and their possible uses; hence the carefree aspect of the design. The braid has three tassels stretching outwards to suggest links with other crafts, e.g. weaving, embroidery, lace. The bobbin with its tie is just one of the many used to make a mulitplicity of highly decorative braids. Our motif is braided with the bobbin worked onto handmade felt. return

Beechworth Handspinners

Chinese Burning Towers

We have chosen the Chinese Burning Towers at the Beechworth Cemetery to represent our motif. It is a reminder of the thousands of Chinese who laboured for gold in the area. The Burning Towers, the altar, and the many graves are all that remain of the Chinese presence. To the best of our knowledge these are unique to this area in the north east of Victoria. The motif is made from handspun wool, knitted to shape and definition. return

Tarwin Wool And Craft Group

Tree Fern

Our group has selected the tree fern as a motif for the Wall Hanging as it is plentiful not only in Gippsland, but throughout the state of Victoria. Our group meets in Meeniyan (South Gippsland) and members come from surrounding districts. Constructed using handspun wool and hairpin crochet. return

Ararat

The Ark On Mount Ararat

Our group is 21 years old having 39 financial members and one Life Member. We hold a Craft Day on the first Tuesday of each month and hold our meetings on the third Monday of the month when we complete any craft not finished. We have a few members who spin each month and others who just do their own thing. We travel to the Melbourne Sheep Show and our President Norma Wilson won prizes last year. We also attend the Country Groups' Conference and several sharing days held in the area. In the first instance, thought was given to the design and how it could be achieved. The artist within the group painted (in colour) a portion of the group logo, the Ark on Mount Ararat. Handmade felt was chosen to be the background for the painting to be interpreted in embroidery. The embroidery was executed in stem stitch and chain stitch. The felt was not marked in any way, but threads were used to outline the motif and later removed. The outline was generally worked in stem stitch, while chain stitch was used to fill in areas, together with a little straight stitch. return

Ashburton Community Centre Spinning Group

Sailing Ship

The Ashburton Spinning Group was started by Monnie Fenner in 1984. Originally held in the local library it moved next door to the Community Centre in 1986. Membership has fluctuated over the years - today, 1996, we have fifteen very happy members. Our motif represents the ship "Lord Ashburton" which carried an early settler, E. Stocks, from England to Australia in the 1850's. Mr. Stocks made his home and market garden on the hills of Ashburton - obviously naming them after the ship that brought him safely to his new land. The techniques used in our motif are handmade felt, embroidery and - patience! return

Benalla Handweavers And Spinners

The Rose

Benalla has been promoted as "Rose City" since 1960's when over 2000 rose bushes were planted in display beds in the Benalla Botanical Gardens (Established 1880's). A special "City of Benalla" rose was bred soon afterwards and there is a distinctive display bed of these. All roses in the gardens are named. Each year in July the prunings are left in front of each rose for several days and locals are encouraged to collect them and grow bushes from the cuttings. Because of this, most gardens in Benalla have very good displays of roses. Benalla has a Rose Festival each November. Local grower Phillip Sutherland has collected historic roses from graveyards, old gardens and deserted homesteads and rescued some from oblivion. The Benalla Handweavers and Spinners Inc. (previously the Goorambat Handspinners and Weavers Group) was formed at the inaugural meeting on 26th November 1970 with 12 members attending. Interest grew rapidly and over the years numbers have grown. We have enjoyed visits and workshops by many craftspeople including Valda Martin, Isobel Foster, Ann Greenwood and Ev. Potter. We are involved in many craft events throughout each year, and enjoy group visits to events such as The Rose Festival, The Sheep and Woolcraft Show, and to the Guild. return

McClelland Spinners and Weavers

Group Logo

Formed in the mid 1970's the McClelland group meets up to twice a week in the Spinning and Weaving Studio in the grounds of McClelland Gallery. With approximately 60 members, up to 25 can be found on meeting and workshop days, at the wheels in the spinning room or at the looms in the weaving room, and when the weather is fine, outside under the beautiful native trees either at a wheel, or beside a dye pot. Our motif is a representation of our logo, which was designed by a daughter of one of our founding members, and completed as part of her textiles studies course. It was selected from several motif design contributions from members. The weaving is represented in handspun wool, using short rows on the loom; the warp threads being drawn up for shaping and completion. The spindle is made from handspun wool embroidered onto a canvas backing. The motif is our second piece. The original has been framed and has pride of place in our spinning room. return

Bunurong Spinners And Weavers

Yacht

The first meeting of our group was in March 1979. This followed response from an advertisment placed in the local paper by some guild members who wished to meet nearer home. The first convenor was Isobel Watson and the first secretary was Shirley Matthew. The name Bunerong was chosen in honour of the Aboriginal tribe which lived in the areas from Williamstown to Cape Liptrap. Beaumaris is situated on Port Phillip Bay at Rickett's Point. Meetings are held monthly in the Beaumaris Community Centre with regular guests and workshops. In November there is an annual bus trip. Exhibitions have been held at Black Rock House and some of our talented members have excelled at the Wool Show. "Bunurong" is a happy and sharing group. Our oldest member is 95. Being a bayside group, yachts and bathing boxes are symbolic of major activities within our area - the beach and the yacht clubs. The motif was worked using merino fleece spun by Jess Begg and stitched onto vilene using chain stitch and straight stitch by Miriam Blight, who is responsible for the design. return

Warrnambool Wool And Craft Guild

Guild Logo

The inaugural meeting of our group was held on 25th May 1975, called Spinners and Weavers and Handcraft Guild of Warrnambool and District; later changed to Warrnambool Wool and Craft Group. Through the years membership has remained steady between 20 and 30 members. Our activities haven't changed very much and include a lot of voluntary work and demonstrations. Our motif was chosen from designs submitted by Pam Andrew who was inspired by the Norfolk Pines which were imported from Norfolk Island and have become the emblem of the City of Warrnambool. The whales have also become very much a part of our city, visiting the bay off Logans Beach each year where they often give birth to their young. The handmade felt for our motif, donated merino cross wool, was the most successful piece made at a working bee held at the home of Jennifer Downing. The difficult job of cutting out and embroidery was completed by Jenni Climas. return

Corowa Spinners And Weavers

Australian States

Before Federation Australia was just six seperate colonies. In 1893 the people of Corowa called a meeting of residents along the Murray River. Interested people came from other areas too; among them was Dr. (later Sir) John Quick from Bendigo. He proposed a motion which changed the Federation plan. In 1895 The Hobart Premiers Conference accepted the idea put forward by Dr. Quick at the 1893 Corowa Conference. Now the colonies would have a Federal or Central Government. On 1st January 1901 the Commonwealth of Australia was officially proclaimed with Sir Edward Barton as the first Prime Minister. We like to think it all began in Corowa. Birthplace Of Federation. return

Murrumbeena Spinners

Frogs

Our group of eighteen members, eight to ten of whom meet each Wednesday at Murrumbeena House, always spend a happy time spinning and exchanging ideas. Each year we set ourselves projects; during the past two we have made hats for children undergoing chemotherapy. We participate in annual events such as United Nations Day, Oakleigh Fiesta, and this year Senior Citizens Craft Day at the Victoria Market. Some members participate in the Hawthorn Craft Market, where handspun handknitted articles are displayed. Our thanks to member Mavis Greerson who got us motivated for our motif, and after several ideas, Mavis brought along a book on the history of our area. We discovered Murrumbeena was derived from an Aboriginal word Mirrimbeena meaning many frogs or land of frogs. What to do? Frogs! Dorothy said, "I'll make some felt"! Hilda said, "I'll spin some fine wool and embroider some frogs"! Adele said, "I'll embroider some too"! Together with design and templates everything fell into place. That's how the frogs came to be. return

Allegro

Musical Notes

In 1987, after finishing the Weaving unit at the Melbourne College of Textiles, three friends decided to weave together. One was musically inclined, and the the term "Allegro" (cheerfully and quickly) was chosen as their signature. The musical friend has moved on, but the other two continue to weave in "Allegro" style each Tuesday. The notes were woven on a fine woollen warp and thicker boucle wool used for the inlay. Athylie, Hilma and (Val) return

Foster Wool Group

Lighthouse

The Foster Wool Group was formed in 1977 by a small group of spinners who were prepared to teach and share their ideas. Over the years we have had many talented members, producing some really lovely garments. In 1986 we were fortunate to have weaving instructions from Ann Greenwood when she was 'Weaver in Residence' in the shire and this has created a continuing interest. We meet on the third Wednesday of each month, at the Stockyard Gallery in Foster, which means we are available to demonstrate to the locals and the tourists and to answer their many queries about our wonderful world of wool. Foster, in South Gippsland, is an old gold mining district, steeped in history. Rolling hills and beautiful beaches are viewed at the gateway to Wilsons Promontory National Park. Handwoven using handspun wool weft, embroidered in handspun wool. return

Ballarat Spinners And Weavers

Arch Of Victory

When asked to contribute a motif to the wallhanging, one of our members, Marianne Gingell, suggested the Arch of Victory as being a suitable motif for Ballarat and this was unamimously accepted by the rest of the group. The basic shape was needle-woven by Jenny Lacey in handspun Merino wool which was made by Eef van Rill. Eef also embroidered and couched the pillars and parts of the base. Other needle-weaving and embroidery was done by Jan Smith, and Pat McAuthur embroidered and finished the motif. The Arch of Victory is well known to many people, as it spans what was the main (Western) highway at the western end of Ballarat, which was the main road between Melbourne and Adelaide, though the new freeway now by-passes the city. The foundation stone of the Arch was laid by General Birdwood on the 7th February 1920 and was officially opened by the Prince of Wales on the 2nd June 1920. Much of the money for the Arch was raised by the girls of the Lucas lingerie factory in Ballarat and Tilly Thompson, a "Lucas Girl", was Australia's first female commercial traveller and, later, a city benefactor. The Arch of Victory was built to commemorate the sacrifices made by the men and women of Ballarat during the 1914-1918 Great War. The Avunue of Honour was also planted beyond the Arch, a tree for each name of the fallen, some 4,000 in all. We feel that the Arch of Victory is a fitting motif to represent Ballarat and its people, past and present, and know that you will agree. return

Cooinda Spinners And Weavers

The Possum

Cooinda Spinners and Weavers was formed 22 years ago and met fortnightly in one member's private home. The name "Cooinda" is of Aboriginal origin and means "Happy Meeting Place". We are a very small group, with an average of eight members (two being foundation members) attending our monthly meetings which are now held in the East Ringwood Community Hall. We are a social group, a "meet & chat" friendly lot with no pressure to conform. All our members spin and a few weave but our interests are many and varied. Our motif, the Brush Tail Possum, was chosen as in this area of East Ringwood they live in quite large numbers and as the bushland parks are encroached upon by new housing the possums are moving into already established treed gardens...It is a common sight to see one or two possums "tight rope walking" along the service wires, silhouetted against the night sky. The possum was knitted in cream homespun, - the tail was rya knotted for forming a brush effect, - the claws were glued to stiffen the yarn and a hole was formed for the eye with buttonhole stitch. The tree was knitted on larger needles to resemble the bark. return

Kara Kara Wool Crafters

Poppet Head/Rural Scene

Our motif depicts a poppet head for gold, the wool bale and fleece and sheep growing. The hills depict the Pyrenees Ranges where there are vineyards for the wine industry and eucalypts for eucalyptus oil. We have about 20 members in our local branch. A variety of techniques have been used in our motif including handmade wool felt, handspun wool weaving, knitting and embroidery. return

Mountain Spin-Along Harrietville

Conifer Tree At Bon Accord

This tree represents all the autumn trees that surround Harrietville. The Mountain Spin-a-long, held in the last week-end in March each year at the 'Bon Accord', Harrietville, is well represented by many spinners, weavers, dyers, felters, etc. These folk come from a variety of groups in Victoria. Represented in handspun, handwoven wool, the weaving was then cut to shape and a backing applied. return

Pascoe Vale Spinners and Weavers

Spinner

Our motif was designed about three years ago after much discussion within our group. The art work was drawn up by the son of one of our members. The depiction of the lady spinning is the essence of our craft. Our group started 22 years ago in a member's home and is now situated at the Creative Arts Centre, Pascoe Vale where we meet every Tuesday. return

Wangaratta Handweavers And Spinners Group Inc.

Rural View

The theme of our motif is the background to Wangaratta. The snow-covered mountains in the background are the source of the Ovens and King rivers. These rivers meet together near Wangaratta in the redgum forests which line their banks: the meeting place of the waters. The name "Wangaratta" in the aboriginal language means "Home of the Cormorant": the bird in the right-hand corner. Shaded felt tree; rivers and mountain outline with snowcap; felted cormorant; tree foliage and detail in wool embroidery. Worked onto a background of handmade wool felt, various embroidery stitches in handspun wool have been used to show detail. return

Waverley Spinners And Weavers Inc.

Chocolate Lily

Chocolate Lily - Dichopogon Strictus The logo for the City of Monash The Chocolate Lily, a wildflower common to the district prior to urbanisation, was adopted by the former City Council as the floral emblem of the City of Waverly, and we have chosen this emblem to represent our group, the Waverley Spinners and Weavers. This flower blossoms from October to December and can still be found in remnants of native bushland. The common name refers to the chocolate-like perfume noticeable on warm days. Technique: Flower petals and leaves Needle weaving Stamens and stems Combination of needle weaving Buttonhole stitch Flower centres French knots Monash Logo Needle weaving Material: Handspun white wool All petals, leaves etc, individually woven. Made by individual members of the group and then combined to form the whole. return

Kyneton Handweavers And Spinners Group

Town Buildings

We have chosen as our motif the building in which the group has held its meeting for nearly 25 years. When it was first built as the Kyneton Independent Church's Sunday School in 1898 it was considered the finest of its type in Victoria with red brick, coloured leadlight panels and extensive timber work. To begin, we took a photograph of the building. The motif was then constructed from felt pieces, made from a selection of fleeces to create various tones and textures and layered to give dimension. The foreground was overstitched with handspun wool onto canvas which was then removed. Decorative details are of handspun wool stitched or wrapped to complete the picture. return

Freshwater Creek

St. Davids Church

St Davids Lutheran Church, Freshwater Creek, was originally known as "Waldkirch" - Church in the Woods. The first structure of wattle and daub, with paling and shingle roof, was built by the congregation in 1859. This was replaced by a bluestone structure in 1868. Services were held in German, and the Church became the cultural and religious centre for the first generation of German immigrants. In 1951 the German connection was severed, and the Church was renamed St. Davids. St. Davids can be seen from the Anglesea Highway at Freshwater Creek. Our group of 32 members has been together for about 20 years. Four or five members came together with their best fine spinning using English Leicester, Polworth and Merino fleece. Made from handmade felt, with embroidery by Mrs. Judith Hobill. return

King Valley Spinners

King Parrot

The King Valley Group have chosen the King Parrot for their logo. We all live in the King Valley through which the King river runs and we have an abundance of parrots in the area; we felt it very appropriate. Our motif has been embroidered using handspun wool on to a handmade wool felt background. return

Beaufort Spinners And Weavers Group

Rotunda

Our group was formed in 1992 by several members who had moved from Melbourne and wished to pursue the crafts of spinning and weaving. Over the years we have been very fortunate to have several talented members join who share skills very readily. We have rooms at the Mechanics Institute building (Circa 1853) and now have 14 members, and another six or seven who join us when they can. We meet each second Wednesday, take a "plate", and enjoy each others' company. We have some younger members now, and feel it is important to pass on the skills that we have acquired, and the techniques necessary for them to enjoy spinning. We promote wool in as many ways as we can, another reason to be proud of being able to participate in the Guild's Wall Hanging. Our motif of the Beaufort Rotunda was chosen to represent our group because it is an historical landmark in our town. It was erected in 1903 by the people of Beaufort and District, to commemorate the reign of Queen Victoria. The clock was presented by Rear Admiral Bridges of Trawalla, a pioneer of the district. The motif was constructed on wool felt, made by the group, the overstitching sewn with fine handspun yarn. return

Heron Hollow Spinners

Heron

In the 1970's a number of spinners and weavers were invited by Mrs Kathleen Massee to form a group to meet on her property in Dromana, aptly named "Heron Hollow", to share interests and knowledge of woolcraft. Firm friendships have been formed over the years, and our activities and social contacts are a source of great pleasure and support to us all. The heron is made from handmade wool felt, cut to silhouette, with handspun wool used for embroidery and also for for the legs and feet. return

Dandenong Spinners And Weavers Guild Inc.

Town Hall

Dandenong Spinners and Weavers Guild was formed in July 1976. There have been two successful exhibitions of Spinning and Weaving in our new(ish) library which had been organised by Hand Weavers and Spinners Guild of Victoria members Mrs Flavia Smith and Bruce Hopkins. A meeting was called and (from memory) about 25-30 people turned up and the Dandenong Spinners and Weavers Guild was born. We continued to meet and hold exhibitions in the Library until 1987, when we were moved to the Community Arts Centre, previously the Old Firestation which came complete with resident ghost! Membership has fluctuated from the high 20's to the low five or six over the years, but we are one of the few local arts organisations still alive and working. The Dandenong Town Hall was chosen by members as our motif for the Wall Hanging because it is the one building in Dandenong that is instantly recognised - due to its prominent position on the Princes Highway. Plastic canvas was used as a base because of its rigidity and it can be cut to the exact design. The yarn was spun by all members from a cross-bred fleece shorn at the 1995 Dandenong Show Shearing Chanpionship. Several members stitched the design, which was taken, with the artist's permission, from a painting by a well known local artist, Lorraine Cadd. return

Stawell Spin In Inc.

Athlete

Initially, a pastoral run was established in the Stawell district. A shepherd found gold, which soon started a gold rush, with a huge influx of people. They moved on as soon as their luck ran out, and a new discovery took them to another district. Today, the tourist industry promotes the Grampians and Stawell district to bring people to our area. For 117 years, the Stawell Gift has been held, bringing athletes from near and far, and ever increasing crowds for the Easter event. So the runner symbolises the richest athletic event in Australia, which is the highlight of the top athletes' year. Stawell welcomes both athletes and followers to Central Park, and the city. The motif is constructed from handmade wool felt, using handspun wool embroidery to accent the outline. return

Warragul Wool Group

Warragul Wool Group Ram Head Logo

Group letterhead logo depicting the head of the Merino ram. Although not representative of our district, we are well known by this logo throughout the spinning fraternity. Crocheted in handspun wool background, a variety of embroidery and crochet techniques, including colonial knots and chain crochet have been used to detail and define the motif. return

Sunraysia Spinners And Weavers

Grapes And Barrel

Our motif of grapes and barrel was chosen because of the area in which we live. Grapes are one of the main products of Sunraysia and we call ourselves the Sunraysia Spinners and Weavers because our group, which has 18 members, has women from Red Cliffs, Wentworth, Mildura, Merbein, Buronga, and Gol Gol. The felt is is from pure wool, with Bendigo wool and homespun yarn for the embroidery. return

Shepparton And District Handweavers And Spinners

Apple And Pear

The Shepparton Group has been in operation for 23 years meeting once a month in one of the local church halls. There is also a mid-week group that meets twice a month in a member's shed. We have at present 30 members but there have been up to twice that number at times. Spinning and knitting are the main interests but a couple of us are weavers also. We try to organise a little workshop amongst ourselves each month and occassionally have someone with a special interest come in. Members travel from a radius of around 50 kilometers to attend meetings. The design for our motif was developed to represent the district. This is a very prosperous fruit growing area made possible by the use of irrigation, hence the water wheel with the fruit inserted. We thought handmade wool felt would be the best medium to use. return

Horsham Spinners And Weavers

Wheat And Sky Silhouette

Horsham Spinners and Weavers was formed in 1972 and currently has 34 members. The group supports two spinning groups, one day and one evening, and a small weaving group. Our members include town people and many who travel up to 50 km to attend meetings. Our motif was selected because it depicts wheat, the main crop grown in our area, and the wide open skies, frequently clear and blue, which are a feature of the Wimmera. Techniques used were hand felting, using Corriedale wool, and stencilling the design onto the felt and then cutting the design. The motif we chose was designed for a Horsham flag which used to be flown prior to council amalgamations but is no longer being used. return

Coal Creek Spinning Group

Poppet Head/Earthworm

The Coal Creek Spinning Group celebrated its 18th birthday in February 1996. Although our numbers have dwindled, we have in the past hosted many "Spin Ins" in the park, demonstrating crafts such as spinning, felting, dyeing and weaving which was shared by many. Design for the group motif shows the "Poppet Head" from the Coal Creek Historical Villiage, surrounded by the Giant Earthworm. This worm is only found at Korrumburra, Loch and Warragul in the Bass River valley. "Mining Karmai" is the aboriginal name for this giant earthworm. A Karmai festival is held each year in March. Handmade felt was used in our motif, crafted by Dawne Wylie. Construction completed by Leesa Gregorovich. return

Bendigo Spinners, Weavers And Handcraft Group

Poppet Head And Tree

The Bendigo Spinners, Weavers and Handcraft Group Inc. commenced in 1973 and now has approximately 45 members with an average attendance of 20 to 25. Members meet fortnightly, once a month in a small hall and the other fortnight in members homes. The motif with the Poppet Head and Tree was chosen because of Bendigo's history of gold mining and it's general acceptance as a city of beautiful trees and gardens. Felt was used for our motif as it seemed the most suitable medium and some of our members have recently learned to make felt. Ione Ledger spun some of the wool for the woven background of the wall hanging. Marie Grylls designed the motif and Jane Kurz made the felt and cut out the motif. return

Barkoola Crafts, Spinning And Weaving Group

Ram Head

The name Barkoola is a combination of Barham and Wakool, both of which are situated in the Southern Riverina, one of the prime wool growing areas of Australia. It seemed therefore logical to choose a ram's head as our design for the group's motif. The motif was worked on even weave canvas, using a selection of home spun and commercial wool. Several members of the group used a variety of stitches to complete the motif. Barkoola, like so many other groups, was formed during the early 1970's when the wool industry was battling depressed prices. There was a feeling among women, who were not prepared to give up without a fight, that something more should be done to promote the use of wool at the grass roots level. The groups also provided a vital support network for the women, many of whose families totally relied on wool to survive. Since then we have been through another rise and fall in the wool industry, but fortunately the support network of spinners and weavers groups, perhaps with a little less fire for the cause of the industry, still remains. return

Hay Spinners And Weavers

Hay Gaol

The Hay Gaol was built in 1878-79 and was opened in 1880 under police control. The second of the local gaols, it is built from local bricks. The building has been used for a gaol, maternity hospital, lock hospital for the insane, compound for prisoners of war during the Second World War (Japanese and Italian) and finally as a maximum security institute for girls under the Child Welfare Department. This ceased to operate in 1974. In 1975 the gaol was handed over to the people of Hay for development of a museum and cultural centre. Hay gaol is represented in handmade felt and wool embroidery. Motif made by the group of seven members who meet twice a month at the gaol for workdays and meetings. return

Yarram

Lyrebird

Our group of 15 members meet on the 2nd Monday of each month. Most members live and farm in a very large surrounding area. We organise workshops and enjoy visiting other groups. The name of our area is "The Tarra Territory" which is of course the Tarra Valley National Park, and the lyrebird is the logo of the Tarra Territory. The motif is made of handspun wool and the fleece used for the tail comes from a rugged merino fleece, 21 micron, bred by Kay Beltcher. return

Healesville

Platypus

The Healesville Spinners and Weavers Group Inc, now 22 years of age, meets on the first Saturday of each month at the V.C. Mullet Hall, Badger Creek, Healesville. Membership averages 55 to 60, and the members have become a multi-crafted. The platypus, embroidered on wool felt, was chosen as our motif because this unique creature was first bred in captivity at the Healesville Sanctuary and subsequently became the emblem of the Shire of Healesville. It was constructed from handmade felt with a handwoven 'bill'. Wool embroidery used for detail. return

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