29 February 2012

Special Interest Groups - CF List/Internet Group

Four groups of members use Festival as an opportunity to convene and discuss what they do. Festival is the only opportunity they have to meet in person.

Meetings will be held during lunch hours, 12.15 – 1pm
Friday: Felters and Cross Country Weavers
Saturday: Internet Group (C F List) and Creative Fibre Spinners.
Venues to be advised — watch the Notice Board

Internet Group

12.15 – 1pm Saturday

The CF list has been around since 1997 and currently has about 350 members.

The internet group meetings at festivals are now (since Timaru) as much Ravelry get togethers as CF list gatherings. Ravelry is kind of a social network with extra features, aimed mainly at knitters and crocheters.

Are you a member of the CF List, or of Ravelry, or are you interested in learning more about them before you join up? Come and meet like-minded enthusiasts.

Lorraine 

25 February 2012

"Circles & Squares"

"Circles & Squares", a tapestry exhibition by the AuNZ Tapestry Group will be showing at the Marlborough Convention Centre during the Festival.
One of the exhibits that will be displayed in the Exhibition.

In order to encourage woven tapestry artists to continue weaving, the above Group has given Australian and New Zealand weavers a theme for a yearly project/challenge since 2005.
From the 2009 Exhibition at Timaru. Guess the theme – ‘Blue’

Any weaver can enter, there is no jury system and all works are exhibited. Entries may come from students, new graduates, more experienced and professional weavers.
An exhibit from 2006 - Childhood Memories

‘THE GIFT FROM MY FATHER’
Heather Adlam
The only present I ever remember receiving from my father was in my early years when there were only two of us children. He came out one Christmas with a brown paper bag with four feet sticking out the top! One golly for my sister Margaret and one for me.

22 February 2012

“Do Make, Make Do”

Exhibition by Val Griffith-Jones at the Gillan Gallery, Grove Road, Blenheim
Opposite the Information Centre and Railway Station
21 – 28 April 2012
10.00 am – 4 pm

My latest exhibition is called “Do Make, Make Do”. In my work I continue to tell the stories of my life, using the 'womanly arts' of knitting, crochet and felt, stuffing and stitching. The most recent works are a response to the Christchurch earthquake, reflecting my desire to help and consequent feelings of futility and inadequacy. — Please come to the Gillan Gallery (I will be there), and have a YARN!
My blog is "Making Tracks" and my art website is Val Griffith-Jones.

Val Griffith-Jones

18 February 2012

Deadlines

The first deadline: Festival registrations should be in by Wednesday 29 February. After that registration will include a late fee and be $145.

Festival is a great place to meet old friends and make new. This group, who had travelled together to Canada several years earlier, were able to meet with their hosts from Campbell River, Vancouver Island. The two ladies from Campbell River had made Festival in Taradale the focus for their New Zealand trip.
Festival is also a great place to have fun. Some of the committee from Festival 2006 were certainly having fun.

The second deadline: The National Creative Fibre Exhibition

Forms and fees to arrive by Thursday 1 March 2012

Parcels to arrive between Tuesday 6 March and Monday 12 March 2012

Joan & Rose

15 February 2012

Meet the Presenters - Jenny Ellwood-Wade

We were all saddened by the sudden death of one of our Creative Learning presenters, Brian Kitson from Adobe Alpacas, just before Christmas. We are fortunate to a have Jenny Elwood-Wade as a replacement presenter. Jenny says “I would like to stick with Brian’s topic ‘Alpaca processing, product and potential’, this is one of my passions as well.”

If you were registered to attend Brian’s presentation you will be automatically now be transferred to Jenny’s.
Jenny Ellwood-Wade
Jenny is passionate about alpaca fibre and its potential. She farms between 60 and 70 alpacas in the Hunuas, south of Auckland, concentrating on the true black alpacas. She is fascinated by alpaca fibre and its potential, and learnt to spin and weave so that she could explore the boundaries of this wonderful fibre.

Jenny has an AVL Industrial Dobby loom, which allows her to produce a range of woven alpaca fabrics, scarves, blankets etc. of a high standard while retaining the personal touch and the ability to change colours and patterns between each item. She weaves for Alpaca Box [their own shop], and for wholesale, as well as doing commission weaving.

Jenny found that she couldn’t spin enough yarn herself for weaving, so she researched both processing of her alpaca and sourcing alpaca spun in New Zealand.

In Jenny’s words, “This is how I met Brian Kitson and Maggie Sewell who were so generous with their help and advice. Brian had a deep understanding of yarn and commercial spinning and a passion to produce wonderful alpaca yarns. I am so pleased that this did come to fruition last year with the sublime Alpaca Ultimate 4 and 8 ply yarns.”

Jenny’s business depends on having alpaca yarns to weave, and she is deeply concerned about the fibre processing industry in New Zealand.
She will speak about what is happening in New Zealand and the role that alpaca breeders and farmers need to play. She will have a wide range of samples demonstrating the potential of alpaca fibre.

For more information, visit cuesta.co.nz.

12 February 2012

Tours

I hope you have checked out the interesting range of tours Highlight Tours have suggested. Don’t be put off by the name when you visit their web site, Highlight Wine Tours. It says ‘wine tours’ but they offer much more.

Here is a recap of tours on offer.

If you want to talk over anything with Colleen or book they can also be contacted on 0800 494 638.

11 February 2012

Four Directions in Tapestry

This collection of work by Elizabeth Arnold, Patricia Armour, Marilyn Rea-Menzies and Stephenie Collin shows the direction each is taking in the development of their art form.

Elizabeth is currently exploring and commenting on NZ history in her work. Included in this exhibition are tapestries that are the first part of a series of tapestries exploring the story of the infamous Maungatapu murders of 1866 by the Burgess Gang of bushrangers.

Trish is expanding on her ‘Windows of the Soul Series’, developing the theme of human emotions and relationships.

Marilyn’s tapestries have developed from paintings, drawings featuring New Zealand plants, delving into the complexity and beauty of the tiny flowers using out of scale photographic images.

Stephenie’s simple lines and sharp visual comment create a little mischief and fun in her tapestries. Her use of block colour and cropped images show a tendency towards graphic design rather than fine art.

Joan

08 February 2012

Textiiles from Abroad - from the collection of Joan McLauchlan

This exhibition will also be at the Riverlore Gallery, 1494 State Highway 6, from 25 April to 2 May.

In recent years I have been fortunate to travel overseas, to go to out of the way and hard to get to places, and to see many crafts. Many fibre people have enjoyed seeing the textiles I have brought back. I have been persuaded to share them with you too.
The textiles I am showing are mostly from Asia, some old some new. While most articles are traditional some have a modern touch.

What always amazes me is the intricate, complex work that is produced on basic equipment.


Joan

04 February 2012

Textile Exhibitions and Displays

At Festival time there will be several allied Exhibitions and displays. These include:
  • ‘Four Directions in Tapestry’ at Yealands Estate Marlborough Gallery, High St, Blenheim
  • ‘Flight’ PWN Exhibition at Riverlore Gallery, 1404 State Highway 6
  • Textiles from Abroad — from the collection of Joan McLauchlan, also at Riverlore Gallery
  • ‘Do Make, Make Do’ — Val Griffith-Jones, Gillan Gallery, Grove Rd., Blenheim
  • Australia/ New Zealand Tapestry Exchange, at the Convention Centre during Festival
Details of these and other ‘happenings’ not yet finalised will be posted individually.

Professional Weavers' Network of NZ: FLIGHT Exhibition
Do make time during the busy Festival weekend to see ‘Flight’ an exhibition by the Professional Weavers' Network. It will be showing at the Riverlore Gallery, 1494 State Highway 6, from 25 April to 2 May.

Using the idea of Flight as inspiration, the members of the Network have returned to their studios to interpret this topic. The resulting exhibition includes wall hung, floor mounted and suspended pieces that all use skilfully woven cloth as the basis for each work.

01 February 2012

One More Month

Reminder: It is less than ONE month until entry forms for the National Exhibition in Blenheim have to be in.
Your Festival Committee is working hard to bring you a fantastic, laid back Marlborough Festival!!!!!!!!!
Joan