BSWD 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.
'Just the right sized notebook'
Pleated Scarf
'Blairgowrie Bonnet'
Exhibitions
2013 Inspirational Threads
The Inspirational Threads exhibition is on from the 13th - 18th June 2013 in the Old Firestation Gallery in Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 3AG.
This biennial exhibition of the Berkshire Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers is open from 10am to 4.30pm each day. Come and feast your eyes on a smörgåsbord of hand spun, hand woven and hand dyed textiles!
There will be demonstrations, have a go sessions and workshops for those wanting to get hands on.
Guild members all share a passion for fibre - from wool, silk and flax (linen) to crab or banana! These are spun, woven, dyed, knitted, felted, crocheted and much more, into a plethora of different textiles. The skills involved have often taken many years to learn and the crafted items many months to complete. You may find a few items for sale in amongst these treasures.
Visit the demonstration area and watch craftswomen spinning and weaving, and have a go yourself.
Full details of the taster workshops are here... or can be downloaded here
Competitions.
Each year we have a competition based on a particular theme or topic. At least one of the core skills must be used in creating a finished piece of work. These are usually judged by an outside expert and three prizes are awarded: the Armada Plate for the 1st prize winner, the Sheperds Crook for the scond prize winner and the Morton Casket for the originality prize winner. The competition topic for 2013 is 'Animal, Vegetable and Mineral'.
Photos of winning entries can be found in the Gallery and on the left are the three 'highly commended' entries.
Challenges
We use 'challenges' on an ad hoc basis to provide opportunities for members to explore new skills or ideas, to extend exisiting skills and knowledge or to collaborate with others in different disciplins. The outcomes of challenges are not judged in anyway and form part of the monthly 'Show & Tell' when members share with others what they have been doing, what difficulties they have faced and how they have overcome them or where they are still looking for input for others.