Weaver in residence post – applications open

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Andy Ross

The Weaver in Residence post for Summer 2012 opens today, February 3rd, with a closing date of 31st March.

To apply, please email for an application form or go to the webpage and download a form there.

The Weaver in Residence posts, funded through Paul Hamlyn Foundation and ASF Shetland, are an opportunity to spend time in the islands working at the weave studio, with access to reference materials and the internet. Each post is for four months over the summer, half time spent working for ASF Shetland and the other half for the weaver to spend as they wish. For this year, 2012, the post will be focused on helping Shetland makers to develop their own work through creating interesting two weekends of workshops, talks and lectures, and on creating a new pattern and/ or product for ASF Shetland to produce and sell.

There is a monthly fee attached to the post, accommodation is provided and there is a transport budget included. The postholder will be responsible for their own food, and any expenses associated with their own work.

 

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Giving magazines to a good home?

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Andy Ross

We have been Spring cleaning and have a pile of magazines that are duplicated in our reference collection. We have some Interiors, Crafts and a few Journals for Spinners, Weavers and Dyers.

The magazines are going free and you will need to pay for pickup and shipping. Royal Mail or Parcelforce are the easiest options and, if you are interested in what we have, contact us on 01957 744 355 or email:globalyell@btconnect.com. We will send you a list of the titles and dates, and you can choose which magazines you would like.

The ASF Shetland reference collection is open by appointment and we constantly add to the books and magazines. If you would like to visit us to do some research, please contact us.

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Asante cloth

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Andy Ross

Last night, I watched a documentary on the Asante Kingdom from the series, Lost Kingdoms of Africa, hosted by Gus Casely-Hayford. It is an amazing series made with care and thought, and this film in particular was really interesting because of the segment on weave and cloth in the Asante culture, which continues into the present-day in Ghana.

Each pattern, from what I gather, in the Kente cloth has a meaning to which the colours contribute. The main theme seemed to be unity among people, and the amazing variety of colours and patterns I saw were astonishing. One of the clips shows weavers with a backdrop of lengths of cloth hanging behind them, a visual feast!

There is also a segment on the drums of the country, each one speaking with a distinctive voice across the distances of the land. I do not know nearly enough about the language or about the sounds of drumming, but I think I could hear that there is a relationship between the sounds of the drum and the spoken syllables. More research on my part, I feel!

If you would like to see the documentary it is available on iPlayer from the BBC and details on the BBC 4 website.

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Textile tour 2012

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Andy Ross

Fair Isle knitting at Shetland Museum

This year our four day textile tour is going to take place on July 6th through the 9th, and we have added some new places to the itinerary. Our tour takes a maximum of eight people so that we can visit people in their homes, and take our time exploring Shetland’s textiles and spectacular scenery.

Unst cliffs

Shetland is an amazing place, full of history, creativity, visual delights, and amazing secrets. Our tours aim to show visitors the islands’ textiles traditions and culture alongside the wildlife and scenery that helps feed our imagination. For a little more information about the four day tour, see the textile tour webpage and contact us to have a chat. We can also advise and help put together a bespoke itinerary for shorter and longer visits.

Contact us on +44 (0)1957 744 355 (diverts to mobile at no cost to you) or email: globalyell@btconnect.com.

 

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Fancy a bit of double weave….

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Andy Ross

One of the forums has just posted this fascinating link. Double cloth is amazing – two layers of cloth woven at the same time using fractals! Now I want a new shirt…
http://www.jhanebarnes.com/weaving

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New books for the library

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Andy Ross

We have two new books for the textiles library – The Art of Palestinian Embroidery is a book of the history and practice of the (mainly) cross-stitch patterns created in silk, with many pages of detailed patterns and motifs included, while Chant Avedissian’s book Patterns, Costumes and Stencils is an eclectic and intriguing mix of art works, photographs and drawings exploring traditions from the Middle East.

All the books in the reference library at ASF Shetland are available for use. If you would like to use the library, contact Andy on 01957 744 355 to arrange a time to come by.

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Golden cloaks…

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Andy Ross

It is finally here! The golden cape made from the silk of golden orb web spiders is on show. http://www.vam.ac.uk/channel/happenings/exhibitions_and_galleries/golden_spider_silk_cape/. See it if you can!

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Singing Saturdays

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Andy Ross

We have been receiving more donations from our Christmas appeal and the amount we have raised has just increased by £110! Thank you to the anonymous donor; your money will be used to pay for transport for North Isles and Mainland children to come to the sessions.

The next set of Singing Saturdays starts in April after the holidays. We are asking for people to pre-register so that we have an indication of the numbers we are expecting. To pre-register, please send an email to globalyell@btconnect.com, or contact Andy on 01957 744 355 or mobile 07900 430 429.

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Legends and weave

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Andy Ross

Have a look at this amazing installation by Tatiana Blass. Weaving a legend…I love it! http://www.trendtablet.com/9076-penelope/ 

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Orkney Conducting Course

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Andy Ross

It is that time of year again for the Orkney Conductors’ course and the St Magnus composers’ course. The dates for this are the 16 to the 27th June 2012, and the events happen as part of the St Magnus International Festival. For more information, email info@stmagnusfestival.com or visit the website, www.stmagnusfestival.com.

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