celebrating 90 years
warning – this blog will be picture heavy
the Victoria Handweaver’s and Spinner’s Guild (B.C. Canada) first met on March 7, 1934
it is believed to be the oldest continuing guild in Canada
the guild is celebrating
first with the annual Memorial Lecture with guest speaker Diana Sanderson
from the Silk Weaving Studio on Granville Island in Vancouver
she came to present the Ann Sutton collection – http://www.silkweavingstudio.com of Junichi Arai and Nuno Textiles
Nuno has a store in Tokyo where you can still buy some of these fabrics
the collection is now in Diana’s safe care – it is extensive and she is happy to show to interested textile fanatics
we were encouraged to hold them and really have a close look (sometimes not allowed with textiles)
many of the pieces are samples, woven with an assortment of fibres – polyesters, metallics, stretchy yarns and some Japanese paper
woven on drawlooms
all of them unique
the stripes are finely cut paper, not spun and sandwiched between two layers of silk warp threads
scraps of fabrics, again woven between two layers of warp threads
double weave with multiple colours and a circle design – I think it was woven on a drawloom
wish I had a picture of the reverse side – too late now!
just a tiny introduction to the collection, click on the link above to see wonderful professional photos and also everything the Silk Weaving Studio has to offer
this is Diana’s weaving, the central panel is wool and silk and the borders are an unusual plant fibre
when finished it has been fulled and the center is somewhat felted – one of my favorite pieces
a great big “thank you” to Diana and her team for bringing the collection to the guild
because she personally knows all the people involved she had wonderful stories to tell
part two coming tomorrow
www.onesmallstitch.Wordpress.com u 
Most woven fabric is relatively plain so it is interesting to see what can be done with unusual fibres and weaves. They may not be practical or sustainable but I am glad people experiment.
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Sue – Junichi Arai and Nuno Textiles were/are know for their experimental work in both weaving techniques and fibres.
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That last pieces is wonderful, soft and richly textural. I covet it!
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Kate – it’s a great piece, the center is soft but the borders are stiff and a bit scratchy. The collection has similar pieces in the Victoria and Albert and at MOMA in N.Y. so it is important but I think a lot of people really liked the scarf – me too.
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Those woven textiles are so delicate and beautiful!
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Tierney – as a weaver and Japanese textile fan I find them interesting, but – many of them are experimental, very “high fashion” and not very durable. Almost all of them use polyester/man made yarns even using aluminium in the fibres. They are not environmental friendly but I don’t think the fashion cares. Some of the weave structures are amazing but require industrial looms.
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