We are currently experiencing gale force winds , red warning flags on the beach and Im not sure what to expect when I go to the allotment next.
So Im glad I recorded a view when things were calmer
The foraged willow has been used to good purpose as plant supports. Thankfully it is a very flexible material and can withstand strong winds but….the beans and squashes …are more delicate
Summer view
we are grateful for funding to extend our online learning, we have trialled using WhatsApp as an accessible and readily available app. We are keeping sessions short and have found that making tutorial videos helps to consolidate the learning. This week we are going to make a decorative wall hanging. We have been able to deliver materials and equipment to drop off places in the community. We have also received a large donation of Romney Wool so there are opportunities for extending the size of projects in the future maybe a bath mat or fireside rug???
OWLS our wool learning scheme
The students have made a wool heat pad which can be used to protect your dining table when serving hot food from a pan/casserole.The process of working with raw wool van be very relaxing, the lanolin in the wool is very good for your skin. Its a great project for beginners and we were able to give lots of ideas from our own experiments. We are hoping that we can get new funding to continue this outreach work…the applications are in…wish us luck!
Peg Loom workshop 5
Peg Loom Workshop Session 1
1 Source simple tabletop loom, string for warp and various yarns for weaving
2 String your loom
2 https://www.wikihow.com/Weave-on-a-Loom
3 Get weaving
My mum loves to weave. I always look at her setting up her large loom and feel very daunted. It seems very technical and all the stringing up looks like a real pain. Weaving on a little table loom doesn’t need to be.
This little project took less than a day. Stringing took a few minutes. This little loom comes as part of a set, and there was a bit of fiddling about adjusting a few things. Then we just went with the flow. I wanted to try out different materials, and even had a go at some different stitches, and needle felting over the raw wool.
I always remember my mum getting so frustrated when her edges weren’t nice and straight. Fashions change and now there are plenty of wonky weavers out there.
My daughter took over and did a whole section too, it is her loom after all. After getting over the horror of ‘freestyle’ weaving she really embraced the whole ‘make it up as you go along’.
We commented on how bright and cheerful it ended up being. I enjoyed introducing some bright summery colours, thinking about Romney Marsh landscape and warmer days.
Nikki Tompsett, Maggie Agg, Imogen Hooker-Tompsett 2021
Romney Marsh Sketch 4 – Weaving Loom
1 Source rolling mat, mesh fabric, warm water, soap, plenty of wool tops
2 https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Felt
3 Get rolling and rolling and rolling. Keep going.
I love felt making. It’s the oldest known textile, predating even spinning and weaving. I love the alchemy of turning light and fluffy wool into a solid strong fabric, with only a little bit of soap and water and a lot of energy. Make clothes, bags, jewellery, vessels, slippers, super fine scarves, or round beads.
This is such a fantastic medium for kids as it’s a great use of energy, especially when the weather is bad and they’re bouncing off the walls. When it’s warmer, make larger scale projects outdoors and jump and stamp all over the work.
Indoors, make sure work station is water safe and use as much soap as is fun. We don’t need THAT much soap, but it doesn’t do any harm to the project. My daughter completed this project mostly by herself with a little extra rolling from me here and there.
Merino wool is a lot easier to felt than other wools, but the Romney Marsh wool did felt well in most places where it wasn’t too thick. I’m quite tempted to sew into the felt that was made and embroider more details into it.
Nikki Tompsett & Imogen Hooker-Tompsett 2021
Romney Marsh Sketch 3 – Felt
1 Source string, wool, raw wool, scissors
2 Source peg loom or make your own
3 http://craftyism.com/how-to-tutorial-beginners-peg-loom/
4 Get weaving. I made this seat pad in a few hours.
Weaving is one of the oldest crafts in the world tracing back to Neolithic times, making it approximately 12,000 years old.
Peg looms are a fantastic introduction to weaving, suitable for all ages and abilities. Use wool, cut up fabric or raw wool, or anything you can wrap around the pegs. Plastic bags have been used to make sleeping mats for homeless people. We love the warmth of a raw wool rug.
Skill sharing with my mum and daughter.
The atmosphere was relaxed. I was proud how quickly I learned what to do and that I could produce a squarish chair cushion in around 3 hours. My 7 year old said it made her happy.
Nikki Tompsett, Maggie Agg 2021
Romney Marsh Sketch 2 – Peg Loom
1 Source raw wool
2 Source drop spindle
3 https://www.wikihow.com/Spin-with-a-Drop-Spindle
4 Spin some wool
“Spindles and spinning are such an integral part of our world heritage that the mention of them is found in many myths and folklore. Plato mentions the axis of the universe to be like a spindle with the stars as the whorl. The goddess Spider Woman taught the Navaho to spin. The goddess Minerva was challenged by Arachne to a spinning and weaving contest. The three Fates spun, and fairy tales such as Rumplestilskin and Sleeping Beauty mention spinning.” Historical Folk Toys
We chose a cold bright January day to go searching for wool. We found some. Not so much to be honest. But luckily we had some Romney Marsh wool to hand. It was soft and had a very long staple. It was clean enough to spin straight away, without carding or washing. We might use it for Finger knitting or to put into some weaving that we have planned.
The fresh air energises us, hunting for cast off wool gives us a sense of purpose. Touching the wool grounds us and spinning it gives us such great satisfaction, making us think of the thousands of years that people have been living alongside sheep and spinning their wool for such warm garments and furnishings.
Nikki Tompsett, Maggie Agg 2021
Romney Marsh Sketch 1 – Drop Spindle
A BIG thank you to @woodlandtrust for the trees that arrived last week
For her amazing #shorthaired #bumblebee #project across the marsh
#Dungeness is such an amazing inspiration for #creatives whatever the weather
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