Tawe Guild Newsletter, January 2008

Another New Year and so much happening in the Guild!

We had very successful days at the Carer’s Day in Port Talbot in December and at Tesco’s. A woman came up to me at work, said she knew me, ( I thought I was having another senior moment because I could not remember her!) and then proceeded to show me her telephone video of the Conga dancing spinners! We’re famous!

Everyone that we could reach was invited to the initial meeting of the “Woolbox” project. This is the best way we think we can raise money and access funding for the Guild. The woolbox contains activities and information on wool, aimed at primary schools. It would be our intention to hire out these boxes to schools and raise monies for the Guild. If anyone is interested in helping out, please get in touch with either Debb Reid 01639 813472or myself 01792 830106.

There is an updated list of workshop dates. Please read and alter your Association calendars accordingly. There has also been a fire in the Pottery room at the Cross which has necessitated some remedial works to be carried out. This delayed our weaving workshop on 26th January, but hopefully all can go ahead as planned, on the 2nd Feb.

The Association AGM and conference is due to take place 11 – 13 April at Tulliallan Castle in Kincardine in Fife. A few of our members are intending going and it is always good to be represented at a National event. Another ASWD date for your diary is 25th July to 22nd August, the National Exhibition at Liverpool Hope University.

I am in receipt of documentation from Caerphilly Council, inviting the Guild to attend various festivals including: The Big Cheese 26 – 27 July, The Big Balloon Festival 24 – 26 August, and the Christmas Market 13 – 14 December. If anyone is interested in attending, let me know and I can pass on the application forms. The deadline for these is 22nd February.

We have another busy year in front of us team. The Guild has 2 exhibitions this year. One in August to coincide with the Pontardawe Festival, 11 – 21 August, and the other is 6 – 17 October at the National Waterfront Museum. Not forgetting the Eisteddfod 2 – 9 August! Right, who is organising the “chill out” party in the middle of all these dates?? I think it might be my Clive and we can all relax in the hot tub!! What do you think?

Enough for now. Can I just thank everyone for their commitment to the Guild and their continuing support. So many other Guilds are dwindling but we have lost our funding and we are growing. That is such an achievement.

Nell
01792 830106 mobile 07977 538086

Thanks for that Nell,love Debb.

Jan 26th Weaving. Monksbelt and Rosepath-

NOW possible to run this DAY course

NEW DATE Weaving. Monksbelt and Rosepath-

AND we are warped up and ready to go,

Course has been moved to

TOMORROW Sat 2nd Feb at 10am!!!!!

Monksbelt and Rosepath weaving Saturday 10.00 – 16.00 What you need to bring: notebook, pencil, scissors and shared lunch Warping days: Thursday 17th and Thursday 24th 10.00 – 16.00 – all helpers very welcome

Look Opportunities for Spring Clean for UPDATES

Fleece samples have arrived from BWMB, Thank you BILLY and the Crew at Brecon Depot!!!!

Still need some items on list please look now I have updated it.

This Came in to Nell and so we have posted it for you all to read

Dear Guild Secretary / GPC MemberPlease ask your Guild Members to look at the linked website and add theirnames to the petition to save the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre.In view of the deadline for signatures of 10th February, there is nopossibility of including this in the Newsletter or the Journal before thatdate, although there may be a link from the Association website.Dot Seddon has asked me to forward this to those Guild Secretaries for whomwe have e-mail addresses.RegardsTrudi>> URGENT>>>> To all friends of the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre:>>>> I am writing to you as I know you will be>> concerned to learn that the survival of the Art>> Centre in Harrania, for whose adobe workshops>> and galleries Ramses Wissa Wassef won the Aga>> Khan Award for Architecture in 1983, is>> seriously threatened by rising water.>>>> To view dramatic photographs and to read a>> report about the damage please>> visit www.wissa-wassef-arts.com/petition.html>>>> The trustees of the Ramses Wissa Wassef>> Exhibition Trust, a charity registered in the>> United Kingdom which in 1985/86 and 2006>> organised a series of highly successfully>> exhibitions of the tapestries in the UK, plan to>> present a petition to the Governor of Giza and>> other authorities in Egypt.>>>> Please lend your support to this call for urgent>> action to ensure the survival of the Art Centre>> and of the tapestry weaving experiment which>> continues to delight and inspire thousands of>> people thoughout the world. Any further help you>> can give by urging friends and colleagues to>> sign the petition would be greatly>> appreciated. All signatures will be added to>> the 300 collected at the recent exhibition of>> new tapestries for sale held in London at the>> end of 2007.>>>> Barbara Heller, Trustee & Secretary of the>> Ramses Wissa Wassef Exhibition Trust>>>>Please sign the on-line petition by 10th February 2008 at>>>>http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/on-behalf-of-the-ramses-wissa-> wassef-art-centre-egypt.html>>>>

Check your Diary. Date Changes!!!!!

Please check you have the new dates for
your diary for 2008.
Some dates have been changed.

An opprotunity for an EARLY SPRING CLEAN!

Following the last "Wool Box" meeting, we realised that to sell our idea to the council, schools and lottery we need to run a pilot in local schools. STUFF IN PINK HAS BEEN PROMISED OR HANDED IN

To put together a box we need quite a lot of stuff, as we have no budget as yet, we HOPE that our members can donate the contents of our first couple of boxes. However, before we get buried under your goodwill gifts I'd like to make a plea for specific items:

1. Two sheep's skulls - I'm working on this one CAROL
2. Rams horns - does anyone have the contact details for the man that sells sticks at the Penderyn Farmers market?
3. Three cones of pure wool - Not worried by what colour but it must be pure wool Clare
4. Some 50g skeins of hand spun wool- I'd like to have samples of fine lustre wools and coloured wool (natural and dyed) as well as some hairy kempy yarn. BWMB samples have arrived please pick some up fromthe Cross- we need some cleaned and spun as samples
5. Washed fleece - looking for variety again Carol offers Jacob Fleece, BWMB samples

WE HAVE LOTS OF LOVELY AND IF YOU COULD WASH SOME i WILL BE DELIGHTED

6. Machine knit 100% wool jumper -preferably new don't mind what size, colour etc.
7. Machine knit hat, scarf and gloves- all wool new if possible don't have to match.
8. Hand knit hat, scarf and gloves - all wool new if possible don't have to match. Nell has an odd glove and hat
9. Hand knit wool sweater - someone must have a spare one! -Liz
10.Some balls of real wool- ie from a commercial source- preferably welsh but we will consider anything Liz
11. Commercial skeins of wool- colinette or pre war sock wool perhaps. DEBB
12. A handwoven wool scarf commercial and handspun from Nell
13.Posters of sheep breeds -British Wool Marketing Board
14. hand made felt and felted 3d items #
15. A sample of different woven items-preferably small, mats. coasters, tweed suiting etc
16.Children's books with wool as a theme-eg Tom's sweater,Pete the Sheep, avoiding Shaun the sheep if at all possible, all suggestions considered
17. lanolin hand cream new and unopened Isabel
18. wool tags from clothing with the wool mark.
19. samples of roving in any colours.-BWMB
20. Willing bods to write simple explanations and descriptions and activity sheets.
21.Plastic crates with lids. Still looking for new A4 files
22. Laminating pouches for A4 or info for a cheap source - we have a laminator Got These but had to pay!! Budget now in Deficit!
23. children's plastic knitting needles-Debb
24. some samples of knitting on knitting needles- like little flags of garter stitch, moss stitch, ss etc
25.spindles, - debb
26.card looms or tiny frame tapestry looms
27. Simple dyeing ideas. -food dyes. Debb has plastic pots for dyeing in Carol has food dye

Eirian has offered to do Keystage co-ordination and welsh translation.

Please . Anymore ideas- don't hold back we may not have it covered.

Please be aware that we will deeply appreciate your items but they are setting off on a journey of discovery and may return travel stained, damaged or worse, don't give us anything that you couldn't say goodbye to for good, I know its a big ask, but we can do it.

DEADLINE SHUFFLING GOING ON PLEASE WORK ON ASAP FOR NOW!

Thanks in anticipation DEBB.

Welcome visitors at our January 3rd taster day

The best of New Year Wishes to you all.

A busy start to the New Year when a steady flow, mostly couples with one interested in crafting and the other as moral support, arrived at our basement yesterday, keen to find out about our guild. They came in response to posters, our tesco spinning day, and the carer's event. I will pass the details of those wanting to join courses to Nell, as I ran out of leaflets. So hopefully we can fill any space in the classes to keep the guild going, perhaps a few more bods will turn up on Tuesday too.
See you in class, Debb.