Kennet Valley Guild
Weavers, Spinners
and Dyers
Who we are and what we do
The Kennet Valley Guild of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers was formed in 1977 when Jan and John Shailes got together with some friends in their sitting room to spin. As time went on, more people came along, and the group decided to join Berkshire Guild. In 1979, the growing band, struggling to get to Sonning for Guild meetings, took the plunge and formed their own Guild in Newbury, which has been in existence continuously since then. Our members cover an enormous range of textile skills, with experience ranging from beginners to experts. We have recently celebrated our 40th Anniversary!
We're now on FaceBook. Join our community and keep up to date with posts and comments.
NEWS • NEWS • NEWS
FEBRUARY MEETING
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SATURDAY 5th February
St.Mary's Church Hall, Greenham.
10am - 5pm
We will be raising a toast with life member Ruth Saunders MBE to celebrate her remarkable achievements.
THE KENNET VALLEY GUILD SHUTTLE
NEW! The December Shuttle is ready and waiting for your perusal. Read all about the recent trophy awards, charity donations, dates for your diaries, the Shedfield Shindig, Bozedown Alpaca spinning and much more. As always, a massive thank you to Lynne for her hard work and dedication to keeping us all fully informed.
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If you would like a printed version the Shuttle, please click the button below and print directly from the file or ask a friend or family member to help you.
Trophy Winners
Congratulations to all of our trophy winners.
EXHIBITION 2023
Exciting news! Our theme is 'Circles & Spheres - An Exploration'. The exhibition will be held at West Berkshire Museum.
Now we can really get creative! Let your imaginations go wild! We'll be setting up some workshops that will link to the theme during 2022, which will give us an opportunity to create exhibits together. More news on these in 2022.
JOIN THE KENNET VALLEY GUILD
If you're interested in joining the Kennet Valley Guild of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers you can come along to two meetings before we ask you to sign up.
All membership enquiries should be addressed to kvgtreasurer1@gmail.com
WHITCHURCH SILK MILL
Visit Whitchurch Silk Mill, Shop and Café.
The Mill (Tue-Sun & Bank Holidays)10:30am - 5pm
Riverside Café (Tue-Sun)10:30am - 4:30pm
Find out more about the mill on their web site https://whitchurchsilkmill.org.uk/
Sad News
Kathleen Harris, a much loved and respected member of the Kennet Valley Guild has sadly passed away. In memory of his Mother, Kathleen's son Adrian has set up a Just Giving page for donations to Stroke Association.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/kathleennharris
The March 2022 Guild Meeting will be dedicated to the memory of Kathleen. We will have a display of Kathleen's work, weaving notebooks and other treasures for everyone to enjoy on the day.
Zoom Chat Links - a rich resource of info!
For everyone who would like to follow up on our discussions and the shared resources that emerge at our Zoom Meetings - enjoy perusing these links. The subject matter is diverse and reflects the interesting conversations we have.
Guild member, Pat Foster has launched her new web site which we thoroughly recommend you take some time to enjoy.
Pat recently published The Draft Book by Jeremiah Fielding 1775 (edited by Pat, and Guild Members, Janet Dunbar and Lynne Harper). Many of our Guild members wove the samples that feature throughout the book. If you're interested in history and weaving it's a must for your book shelf. Pat invites anyone who chooses to weave any of the drafts to send her photos of the process and finished piece.
The book is proving to be enormously popular here in the UK and in the USA.
You can order a copy on Pat's web site. https://www.patfosterweaverdyer.com/
Lockdown Projects :-)
Take a look through these projects and be inspired to weave, knit, crochet, spin, make tapestries and so much more...
Sue Hiley Harris
Our Speaker for February, Weaver, Spinner and Sculptor Sue Hiley-Harris, shared her creative journey from art school in Australia to contemporary working weaver and sculptor, based in the Brecon Beacons.
Silk Spinning Workshop
Sue Hiley-Harris recently hosted a silk spinning workshop in Newbury. Sue's silk spinning expertise enthralled the group and everyone enjoyed learning new techniques to experiment with at home.
Exhibition 2021
Coming Soon! An overview of the Kennet Valley Guild of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers, Summer Exhibition at the West Berkshire Museum in Newbury. Our theme; I must go down to the seas again
Straw Plaiting
Samples shown at a talk on Straw Plaiting
