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Welcome toThe Loom Room.."Weaving the textures of life" | ||||||||||||||
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Hello, and welcome to this beautiful part of England where I create woven and dyed textile art. I call myself an Artist Weaver because I use all sorts of inspiration from nature, computers, books, photos to develop unique works of art woven on dobby and jacquard looms. I make framed or mounted pictures, banners, wall-hangings of various sizes, and am developing art kimonos. Do visit the Gallery page to see examples of my work. I'm currently working on several projects, from medical textile research to textural fabrics to be incorporated into satellite images, and also presenting lectures and writing articles on weaving. February is generally a quiet month for me but this year I'm really glad of that. I am still working for my lectures for Complex Weavers Seminars and Convergence in Albuquerque, New Mexico next July, as well as teaching. I have also been weaving samples for the Complex Weavers Collapse, Pleat and Bump study group. This group studies dimensional elements in weave structure, and is very inspirational. With participants from all over the world, it makes for interesting reading in our annual newsletter and we also exchange samples once a year.
The visit to Kuwait was great fun and I have had really good feedback from the workshop participants and an enthusiastic reception from the lecture audience. I even featured in the Arab Times centre pages! And my luggage finally arrived home from Kuwait about a week after I did! I have other things in the pipeline that I can't tell you about just yet, just in case there is a delay, but I hope to have some exciting news fairly soon. A new network for UK Jacquard weavers has been formed by me and Kathy Schicker, a lecturer on the MA course at Central St Martins. If you are interested in being involved, you don't have to own your own jacquard, but just have an interest in jacquard to join. So do feel free to email me. We haven't done much in the way of publicity yet, but we hope that 2010 will see something develop. In the meantime, fellow weaver and friend Ismini Samanidou is in Bangladesh for a residency with the British Council, and she will be blogging whilst she is there. Here's the link.... http://bangladeshtextileresidency.wordpress.com Peter Collingwood DVD I had the great privilege of interviewing Peter Collingwood last year for Complex Weavers (CW). Peter was going to be the key-note speaker at the Seminars that Complex Weavers hold every 2 years, but in March he felt unable to travel. So CW asked Peter if he would be willing to make a DVD, to which he kindly agreed. I was the interviewer and had a wonderful 2 days with Peter, his wife Elizabeth, Wendy Morris from CW, and Red Monkey films. In it Peter answers many questions, and also takes us on a guided tour around his workshop. The material was so good that we produced a 2 DVD set from it, which can be bought from Complex Weavers. EXHIBITIONS : One piece, Shoal, which is featured in the Research section, is currently on show at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery in Gallery 12/13 as part of the How Art Is Made permanent exhibition. It's been there now for 3 years. I guess they like it! Recent comments from my students : "The weaving was everything I'd hoped for and more; your teaching inspiring and encouraging and staying in your home a lovely relaxing break." Bridget Scott "Thank you for a wonderful weekend, for welcoming us into your home and your studio and for making our stay so enjoyable...You were so patient with me and I learnt so much, I am fuelled with enthusiasm and can’t wait to buy a loom...I shall definitely be back for more courses in the near future." Hazel Lee "I can't thank you enough for the amount I learnt when I was with you. I was so inspired and enthused that I immediately bought myself a 4 shaft floor loom to practise on. I have been telling everyone I know who is interested in weaving that they should visit the Loom Room on the net and maybe book a few days with you! I certainly hope that I can come back in the near future to top up on all that you taught me. Over the next few weeks I shall try to set up my new loom and practise first!" Alison Gernon "Thank you for an excellent week's course. I learnt a lot - far more than I expected. I appreciated the fact that the learning went at my pace and you responded to where I am rather than squeezing me into a 'set course'. I have come away with a renewed enthusiasm for weaving and my imagination has been fired! The accommodation was comfortable and the food excellent [both breakfast and lunches with you and evening meals at the pub opposite!]. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend your courses to others. Thank you! " Mark Abrey "The weekend was really great and exceeded all my expectations. I have been showing off my scarf to everybody who stands still long enough and they seem pretty impressed with my first effort. As am I!" Mary Harrowsmith "Thank you for your help over the weekend. When someone is learning something new and particularly as a "mature" person, it can often take a bit longer to pick things up. Your patience helped a lot and the hospitality was lovely in pleasant surroundings." Alison Horspool"I thought your enthusiasm and passion for weaving were very infectious and your HUGE knowledge made it possible for me to target specific areas of interest, which is exactly what I was looking for. In other words, I think that you are a very skilled, adaptable teacher, and your course was very well tailored to my needs." Ingrid Vercruyssen "I'd just like to let you know how much I enjoyed the course and it was a real pleasure to stay in your lovely home.... I was surprised that I managed to get so much done and I'd like to say thank you for being such a patient tutor. The whole experience was relaxing and very satisfying and the course confirmed to me that I want to learn to weave and I'm looking for a loom. Apart from the weaving itself, I would like to say thanks for the help and insight that you gave me when it comes to looking at colours. The sampler that I made will always be special." Ann Mayes Recent comments on my talks and workshops : Karen - Notts Guild of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers 09 "Stacey was a dynamic speaker, very positive and enthusiastic...Her talk gave us a real insight into her design processes, and was full of interesting details and personal stories of her work and study experiences... Her lively 'can do' attitude was a real inspiration to us all and encouraged us to approach our own weaving with the maxim that we can achieve the design we have in mind; it is just a matter of figuring out how and being prepared to bend or even break all the rules in the process." Jude Lovatt - Wolverhampton Embroiderers Guild 09 "We drew, painted, printed, cut, glued, layered, collaged, ripped, but most importantly, we laughed. Today has been a great opportunity to experiment, Stacey. We have had a great time. Thank you." For more comments, please visit the workshops and lectures pages. TEACHING : The Loom Room. Refresher Breaks : for more experienced weavers wishing to weave a specific project or to develop through individual study
Whatever the course, the emphasis is on relaxed, fun learning in a rural setting, with every course tailor-made for each individual person. Good food, good company and great weaving leads to an enjoyable environment. Previous students seem to have had a good experience - see the testimonials in the Courses section... This year I have students from New Zealand, Belgium, Malta, Sweden, Holland, and from all over the UK. Find out a bit more about our wonderful Grade 2 listed house and its history in Location, and whilst you're here, take a few local walks in the beautiful countryside of the Tean Valley. Links
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