Traditions In Making
This exhibition showcased the local textile production of plant and animal natural fibres at One Garden based in Stamner Park, Brighton. Designed to celebrate heritage craft skills and show the connections between the makers - our common roots of shared experience – and what we have succeeded in crafting from nature.
Allan Brown’s Nettle Dress and Barbara Keal’s Coat of Hopes was on display in the listed barn throughout the whole weekend. Also included was demonstrations of the heritage skills of weaving, spinning, knitting, crochet, bobbin lacemaking, embroidery and darning with more displays , fleece preparation and spinning in the shepherd’s hut.
To learn more about The Nettle Dress story, see the website here.
Simon from Flaxland showcases a variety of new uses developing for flax fibres. Studies and great potential for making use of the fibre from the shorter varieties of flax ( generally referred to as linseed in the UK) widely grown by farmers in this country for the seed alone.
Methods are being sought and studies in to the types regenerative growing practices and processing methods best suited to produce short fibres which can be blended with other fibres such as wool.
Using existing spinning facilities producing such blends in the UK it does open route for smaller growers to produce a home grown linen wool blends.
We have enter this market with 100%UK grown machine processed short flax fibres blended with locally Cotswold wool as a trial for a weaving yarn. Working with the Natural Fiber Company in Cornwall and others we now have a 100% wool flax blend from UK farmers and manufactures.
To meet more textile craft makers, a local group of members meet every Friday at Whitehawk Library, 12-3pm. Find out more information here on the Wholly Umbrella.
Along with sock knitting on the SPS Edwardian circular knitting machine, there was an in introduction to bobbin lacemaking from the Southwick Lace Group.
Find out more about Southwick Lace Group
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