Exhibitions, Competitions & Challenges

We have regular activities aimed at extending our skills, sharing knowledge and communicating the beauty and capability of the myriad variations of our three core crafts. Here are details of the current competition and some past events.

2010 BSWD Guild Competition

Our competition title for 2010 was "Strictly Come Dancing". This was interpreted as widely as possible but any piece submitted for judging contained at least one of our three core skills of weaving, spinning or dyeing. All entries were submitted at the May where they were judged by popular vote of members present with the results being awarded later at the meeting. Three prizes are allocated: First prize winner is awarded the Armada Plate, Second prize winner receives the Shepherds Crook and the winner of the Prize for Originality is given the Morton Casket. Unusually both the Armada Plate and the Morton Casket were awarded to the same winner this year. Pictures of this years and previous years' winning entries can be found on the Gallery.

2009 "Berkshire Yarns" Exhibition

Our exhibition, "Berkshire Yarns", was held at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Altwood Road, Maidenhead. It opened on July 8th and closed on 26th July. This exhibition was of new work from members of the Berkshire Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers and draws on our three core skills and explores them in different and sometimes surprising ways. The exhibition demonstrated excellence of craftsmanship, a sense of beauty of texture, colour and design and communicated information and stimulated curiosity around the ways in which we create and use yarns. Whilst our core techniques are timeless, the ways in which we used them showed them to be not only innovative but relevant for the 21st Century.

BSWD Summer Challenge 

Throughout the year our Guild Members are presented with a series of challenges. These are not competitions but rather opportunities to explore techniques and ideas either individually or working with other members collaboratively. Our summer Challenge is "Pot luck". The idea is members donate 200+/- gm of fibre, yarn, material etc. The materials are redistributed and put in bags members recieve in July. Their challenge is to make something out of the diverse selection of materials and bring it to the October meeting. They can weave, spin, dye, knit, felt, crochet or any number of techniques.