Meet the Team - Joan

My role as Festival coordinator is to have a broad over-view of the whole event. This means making sure there are no loose threads in the net that can unravel.

I am passionate about textiles in all forms. I was a production weaver for many years and have exhibited widely, though mostly in Australia. I am proficient in many disciplines, spinning, weaving, knitting, crochet, felting and basketmaking.

Since returning to New Zealand in 1980 I have been very involved in Creative Fibre, serving as Nelson/Marlborough delegate and then National President at the turn of the century. It was a challenge, but a very worthy one, to widen the scope of the NZSWWS Inc to include a wider range of disciplines. We should cherish the old but embrace the new.

My vision for the Festival is that we can deliver on our aim ‘to interest, educate and inspire’. We are lucky to have a very good team working to make sure this happens and that we all (registrants, visitors and workers) will have fun too.

This is me raising a glass to Creative Fibre Festival 2012 wearing a handspun, handwoven suit ’35 years old’.

I live on a sheep/beef farm 30 km west of Blenheim. A view from the hill above my house, looking over our house, the vineyards across the highway, the Wairau river to the Richmond range with Mt. Fishtail. This also shows another special love of mine – trees.

The walls of my office/workroom contains many ‘treasures’ collected over the years. Inspiration is everywhere.

Three hand-dyed merino scarves. From left: handspun silk with S and Z spun merino woven in a twill, ikat dyed woven in tabby, felted with silk.

Joan