Features
New Threads: Uncovering the Stories of England’s Past Weaving Industry
For centuries, cloth production was the main industry in and around Trowbridge. Many local people can still trace ancestors connected to the weaving trade.
Modesty and a Fine Great Wheel
Michael Williams is a modest man, and an exceptionally fine craftsman. I interviewed him three years ago for an article about his super-light and über-fast drop spindles and, as I was leaving, I asked him whether he had ever thought about making a spinning wheel.
What is Jacquard Weaving?
Before I write about Jacquard looms I want to define a loom as a tensioning device.
The Theory of Colour Perception
Colour perception depends not only on how light enters our eyes and triggers nerve impulses within the retina, but also on how our brains interpret these signals.
A Year’s Weaving – Learning to Weave on Home-Made Looms
This is the story of my first year of weaving, mainly on home-made looms. I celebrated it with an exhibition of my work for friends, neighbours and members of the Guild.
Tyrian Treasure: A Surprise from the Archive
A small envelope of purple threads fell from the hinges of an upturned rusty trunk: I stared with some incredulity at handwriting in red ink claiming the envelope’s contents to be ‘Tyrian Purple, dyed with the bodies of shellfish found on the African coast'.
Wool Fleece. To Wash or Not to Wash? That is the Question.
Whenever I am asked whether it is best to wash sheep’s fleece before spinning, or spin raw fleece ‘in the grease’, I always have the same answer.
Teaching in Tibet
I left on 18 July, flew into Chengdu in China for an overnight stay, then flew on up to Labrang (in Amdo, an area of Tibet just on the eastern edge of the Tibetan plateau)
Everything Worthwhile Starts in the Mind
Michael Crompton describes his design process from travel inspiration to woven tapestry.
The Dye Plant Garden
Gardening gloves ready? With a wealth of practical information, The Dye Plant Garden is the ideal place to start planning new adventures with natural dyes.
Flax, from Seed to Linen Yarn
I have grown a small amount of fibre flax (Linum usitatissimum) in my garden in Wales every summer for 25 years.
All that glisters - collapse effects with metallic yarns and wires
As weavers, we tend to think of metallics simply as yarns we can use to add a bit of sparkle. But it's not quite that simple.
These articles appear in the Journal for Weavers, Spinners and Dyers.
The Journal is published on behalf of the Association of Guilds of Spinners Weavers and Dyers. It covers a wide range of textile subjects, including articles on historic textile techniques and cutting edge modern design.