Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Today I went to my first meeting with the Western Australia Weavers Guild.  Part of the adventure was getting there.  I spent a good chunk of time on the Perth Transpo website trying to figure out the best options to get to Alexander Park from home.  Then I carefully wrote out the step-by-step directions to avoid getting lost (I’m notorious for my lack of any sense of direction).  I also remembered to look up the return trip as well.  The “Journey” involved a walk, and a bus, and a second walk, and a second bus, and a third walk. The walking bits added up to just over a kilometer in total.  Well, put me on foot on any street corner and tell me to head East, and I will invariably turn the wrong way.  Even with a map in my hand.  I was nervous.  Just to be on the safe side, Ron told me to take the I-pad so that I could always check to see where I was just by looking for the blue bouncing ball.  Thus equipped, I carefully packed my bag with my lunch, my weaving stuff, and my directions and headed out the apartment door.

Went. Like. Clockwork.

Alexander Park Craft House is a wonderful facility located in a green park.  The main craft room is very large and spacious with lots of room to set up for workshops.  The room does have a metal wall on the sunny side, so it can be unbearably hot in the summer time.  Today however, with the door wide open a nice breeze blew in and it was quite comfortable.  I was met at the door by Sally, who then introduced me to the other weavers.

Today was Weaving Day, a casual drop-in format.  Tables were being set up and table looms brought out from the back.  Each loom was set up for a different weave structure and the participants work in a round robin format, so that each person has an opportunity to weave a sample on each loom.

Alexander Craft House

The Western Australia Guild has a huge tapestry loom, about 8 feet wide, and several ladies were busy adding to the tapestry in progress – a tribute to a doctor who is building a Cancer Clinic and Camp.

Guild tapestry loom

Close=up of tapestry loom

Before long I was set up with a loom, and started to work on a sampler in Theo Moorman technique.

After a nice lunch that included show and tell from the group, we packed away the looms.  Sally asked if I would like to go with her to Bilby’s the one and only weaving and spinning shop in the area, specializing in Australian wools and products.  Of course, I said yes, and of course, I had to buy some fibres for spinning.