SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
The Guild has a number of small special interest groups which meet regularly to exchange ideas and share information.
For meeting times, refer to the monthly calendar
The Fibre Fun group meets every Tuesday night from 7pm to 9pm to give members and guests the chance to work on their fibre projects in the company of others.
Most people bring their knitting along, although spinning wheels are also in evidence and sometimes one of the weavers will be working on a loom.
You don't have to be a member of the Guild to attend, and you will always find people with technical skills to help you if you have a problem with your project. It's good to be inspired by the work of others and it's fun to be surrounded by people who, like you, enjoy the fibre arts.
We are an enthusiastic group of about 13 - 15 weavers whose prime interest is fabric weaving, including scarves, wraps and throws. We bring our finished work, work in progress or even the germ of an idea to show and discuss. Often many problems such as weave structure, colour choices and finishing are resolved with the sharing and expertise of other members.
While we don't set a specific project each year, we decided in 2007 that each of us would set our personal challenge to explore something we've often said we would like to try but haven't as yet, so we are looking forward to the results at our next guild meeting in April.
The meetings are always interesting and provide great stimulation to those who attend. They are generally held on the first Monday of the month, from 12:30 to 2:30 pm, but check the monthly calendar to be sure.
The Tapestry Weaving Group gets together on the second Monday of the month from 10am - 2 pm to work on our tapestries and exchange ideas. We are a keen and lively group of experienced and learner weavers, who learn from each other and help one another. We always welcome visitors.
The tapestries are woven on a wooden frame using small quantities of different coloured yarns. The warp and weft threads are manipulated by hand, so it is a relatively slow process, but it is a technique which lends itself to pictorial imagery, and is very portable. This is in fact the same technique that was used in mediaeval times to weave enormous tapestries which were hung on the walls of cold castles, to give an illusion of warmth.
Sometimes the group will work on a shared activity such as drawing, or go together on an outing to see a tapestry exhibition. There is often an annual group challenge - eg to weave a face - which is presented to the members of the Guild at a monthly meeting.
This is a friendly and informal group which meets on the 4th Monday of the month from 10am - 2pm, with lots of laughter and sharing of ideas (check monthly calendar). Visitors are always welcome.
We bring along our knitting projects or spinning wheels, and talk about the work we are doing. Sometimes there is a discussion about an interesting magazine article, or a technique which someone is studying.
There is always someone there who can help a beginner learning to knit, or a more advanced knitter, stuck on a particular stitch.
Making felt is fun!
We have a group that meets on the fourth Saturday of every month, from February to November, from 12 noon till 4p.m. Everyone is welcome.
This is a 'hands on' group where members work on their current project, using the large tables available at the Guild. If you don't know how to make felt, there is always someone who can show you how. Recent creations have included hats, slippers, waistcoats and even a well fitting skirt. Nuno felt, where the wool is felted onto a background cloth, is also a favourite technique, especially for wraps.
A good net-work of feltmakers exists around New Zealand, and classes are always available.
This group is interested in finishing and decorating techniques of all kinds, from beading to handmade flowers. They meet regularly on the third Thursday of the month at 1pm.
Sometimes the members bring along a project of their own, such as woven scarf or felted jacket, and work on enhancing and completing the piece with appropriate finishing details. At other times, a member with expertise in a certain technique will pass this knowledge on to the others.
Wonderfully innovative and interesting work is shown by this group at the monthly Guild meeting 'Show and Tell'