News - Springtime!

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1 May 2013

Springtime!

At last Spring is here. The daffodils are all out, the trees are in blossom and the birds are going mad! Thank goodness we can look forward to a bit of warm weather at last.

Wonderwool

We have just done our first outdoor show of the year Wonderwool in Builth Wells, mid Wales. Actually its in a cattle shed, but we camped out for 2 nights in the van. It was cold but definitely NOT as bad as last year when I had to take a hot water bottle onto the stand with me to keep from freezing.

It's a great show with jolly organisers, lovely customers and great stall holders. It doesn't cost a huge amount to rent a stand and therefore it's full of small independent sellers and makers unlike the large textile shows which we can't afford to do any more!

Its usually on the last weekend of April, so if you like wool, sheep, weaving, felt making, peg looms, hand knitted jumpers, spinning, natural dyes, silk, linen, interesting textiles and up cycled individual garments, as well as delicious food, this show is highly recommended!

 

 

Coming Up

I am giving a talk on Javanese Batik on May 7th in Worcester and after that we have a big gap until June 15th. This time was left free intentionally as we hoped to be back in Kyrgyzstan and Turkey to do some more rug and felt buying. This is not now happening so we shall use the time to do more domestic tasks like planting veg and tidying up the shop and stockroom to make space for the huge influx of stock we have recently received from Indonesia and Thailand. It's a good time to have a look in the shop if you can get into Bishop's Castle. If not, there are new woodblocks, copper stamps and some new tribal silver and beaded jewellery on the website.

We'll also be getting stock ready for a big northerly jaunt at the end of June.

 

World Textile Day Scotland and Woolfest

On Saturday 22nd June we will be at our second World Textile Day in Bridge of Allan, near Sterling in Scotland. The first one last year was a brilliant day and this year we hope will be even better with more space for the talks and cafe.

Jim and Magie are giving talks on "The People Behind the Cloth" and introducing you to some of the very important people who make the cloth we sell. They have become friends over the years, so come and meet (virtually) weavers, dyers, printers and bead makers from West Africa and South-east Asia.

Again we are very pleased that The Divas local quilting group will be providing teas/coffee and their wonderful home made cakes.

The following weekend on Friday and Saturday 28th/29th June we will be heading to Cockermouth in Cumbria for Woolfest. More cattle shed action! Let's hope we can avoid the torrential downpours of 2012. Mind you, nothing seems to put off that enthusiastic Woolfest crowd.

Life in the van is good                           Woolfest

Diane and Jim's Pet Projects

Jim is very excited because he has just taken delivery of 500 copies of a CD which he has been getting together for the past 9 months (yes its his baby!) It's a compilation of music all produced by musicians based around Bishop's Castle and ranges from ska to swing, jazz to gypsy. 21 tracks and over 180 musicians - Bishop's Castle is becoming a music hotspot!

As for my particular baby, I have organised a trip to Java especially for textile lovers which I'll be leading in November. Places were quickly filled by members of The Batik Guild who have been trying to persuade me for years to organise something like this. I hope it will become an annual event so if you fancy seeing "the real Java", meeting some wonderful batik craftspeople and artists and having the chance to work and learn with them, then think about coming in 2014.

Danar Hadi Batik factory in Solo, Java

Meanwhile if you want to read some more textile based travel writing have a look at my blog (asiatextilejourney) which I brought back to life again this year.

 

 

 

 

All news entries:

1 May 2013		Springtime!
6 Mar 2013		Back home, new babies and a memory of Java
1 Feb 2013		A H'mong flea market, H'mong New Year and thoughts on the tyranny of embroidery
29 Nov 2012		Indonesia in London
27 Sep 2012		A new talk, a couple of shows and looking ahead
13 Aug 2012		Olympic Sofa Excesses
6 Jun 2012		Flaming June!
4 May 2012		The end of a wonderful journey
14 Mar 2012		Website and World Textile Day
14 Feb 2012		New stock and upcoming events
29 Dec 2011		2012 Greetings
26 Oct 2011		An exciting delivery