If you scroll down to the bottom of this page you will find pictures of past events and activities from the guild or find more photos on our Facebook site.
Our History
We are working on documenting our history about the guild. However, we have a beautiful excerpt from one of our previous newsletters please read on:
"I can remember the beginning of the Guild better than the 20 years between... In 1975 Pat and I had been put in touch with each other by Sylvia Blanchet, then on a year’s secondment from Bryn Mawr U.S.A., and the talented and energetic Sue Mortimer, now Henegar, who was married at the time to an Englishman living in Upper Bangor.
From these meetings grew the birth of the Guild, starting in March of the following year and held in my barn at Plas Gwyn in Pentraeth. The first meeting was a talk on Navaho weaving by Mrs Jenkins. Jan was there, and Mr and Mrs Vernon Barker, and Sybil Gray who became our first Treasurer. Some of you will remember our summer visit to Felin Cochwillan when Vernon Barker showed us over the mill he had restored. Now 87 he is still there, having recovered from 10 weeks in hospital and coping with a replaced hip. I saw him at the end of July and he was keen to be remembered to us all and looks forward to reading these memories.
We soon moved to Bodeilio at Talwrn where Joyce joined us, already working there. Lisbet Gifford, who owned Bodeilio, herself a weaver, held courses there, and I took part in the one on table looms run by Jane Hills and Phil Houlihan, and the needle loom weaving by Elda Abramson. Later Elda returned to give a day’s course on circular weaving. Samples of all are still on my wall. Early speakers were Kim Dixon Wright with his emphasis on quality and teaching the difference between Worsted and Woollen spinning, and Roy Russell’s dyeing system set up in the outbuildings.
Granville Marshall held a weaving day at Bodorgan: we learned how to warp up a loom single-handed, and a glorious felt making day was held at the Plas Newydd labs when we all finished with some amazing hats. The tent at Jean Price’s at Llwynnon was full of eager spinners, a very special day. Jane Goodyear who taught me to spin on a course at Malvern was full of ideas and criticism that I’m sure we deserved. Me Patterson came twice from York with tales of his detective work on early weaving.
Our next base was the George Hostel of the Normal College in Bangor. About this time the Llyn Guild split off to form a successful branch at Glynllifon and we have shared many good collaborative meetings. Dyeing with Adrian Farlam and Etta Ingham were memorable, and of course Jean’s peg-loom got us all going. Morfudd Roberts came to the George site, Daisy Williams involving us all in Natural Dyes, my mother-in-law with her patchwork, Gwilym Pritchard emphasised the importance of looking, and Sue Henegar has been twice showing slides of her weaving and designs which she produces now at La Jolla in California,
We have now moved to perhaps our favourite venue, the tropics of the Botanical Gardens U..C.N.W. at Treborth. Roger Smith gave an exciting slide show of work by children at the Nature Centre in Delamere Forest, and some of us were lucky enough to visit him there that autumn. Recently there have been talks on embroidery, felt making aiming for a pair of boots, and Ann Hill showing us the results of her Art and Textile course. We have shared wool to be spun and made into scarves and mittens; members have volunteered to give talks about their special skills or achievements. Always the Committee has come up with varied and stimulating subjects, and we have been lucky to be in the midst of people gifted in the hand craft skills, all the fun and companionship has contributed to a group steadily improving in knowledge and standards, and many, many happy times."
- Liz Wood, September 1996
Our guild is affiliated with the Association of Guilds of Weavers Spinners and Dyers. The association publishes 'The Journal', a publication that provides insight in to events and techniques associated with the guilds.
"I can remember the beginning of the Guild better than the 20 years between... In 1975 Pat and I had been put in touch with each other by Sylvia Blanchet, then on a year’s secondment from Bryn Mawr U.S.A., and the talented and energetic Sue Mortimer, now Henegar, who was married at the time to an Englishman living in Upper Bangor.
From these meetings grew the birth of the Guild, starting in March of the following year and held in my barn at Plas Gwyn in Pentraeth. The first meeting was a talk on Navaho weaving by Mrs Jenkins. Jan was there, and Mr and Mrs Vernon Barker, and Sybil Gray who became our first Treasurer. Some of you will remember our summer visit to Felin Cochwillan when Vernon Barker showed us over the mill he had restored. Now 87 he is still there, having recovered from 10 weeks in hospital and coping with a replaced hip. I saw him at the end of July and he was keen to be remembered to us all and looks forward to reading these memories.
We soon moved to Bodeilio at Talwrn where Joyce joined us, already working there. Lisbet Gifford, who owned Bodeilio, herself a weaver, held courses there, and I took part in the one on table looms run by Jane Hills and Phil Houlihan, and the needle loom weaving by Elda Abramson. Later Elda returned to give a day’s course on circular weaving. Samples of all are still on my wall. Early speakers were Kim Dixon Wright with his emphasis on quality and teaching the difference between Worsted and Woollen spinning, and Roy Russell’s dyeing system set up in the outbuildings.
Granville Marshall held a weaving day at Bodorgan: we learned how to warp up a loom single-handed, and a glorious felt making day was held at the Plas Newydd labs when we all finished with some amazing hats. The tent at Jean Price’s at Llwynnon was full of eager spinners, a very special day. Jane Goodyear who taught me to spin on a course at Malvern was full of ideas and criticism that I’m sure we deserved. Me Patterson came twice from York with tales of his detective work on early weaving.
Our next base was the George Hostel of the Normal College in Bangor. About this time the Llyn Guild split off to form a successful branch at Glynllifon and we have shared many good collaborative meetings. Dyeing with Adrian Farlam and Etta Ingham were memorable, and of course Jean’s peg-loom got us all going. Morfudd Roberts came to the George site, Daisy Williams involving us all in Natural Dyes, my mother-in-law with her patchwork, Gwilym Pritchard emphasised the importance of looking, and Sue Henegar has been twice showing slides of her weaving and designs which she produces now at La Jolla in California,
We have now moved to perhaps our favourite venue, the tropics of the Botanical Gardens U..C.N.W. at Treborth. Roger Smith gave an exciting slide show of work by children at the Nature Centre in Delamere Forest, and some of us were lucky enough to visit him there that autumn. Recently there have been talks on embroidery, felt making aiming for a pair of boots, and Ann Hill showing us the results of her Art and Textile course. We have shared wool to be spun and made into scarves and mittens; members have volunteered to give talks about their special skills or achievements. Always the Committee has come up with varied and stimulating subjects, and we have been lucky to be in the midst of people gifted in the hand craft skills, all the fun and companionship has contributed to a group steadily improving in knowledge and standards, and many, many happy times."
- Liz Wood, September 1996
Our guild is affiliated with the Association of Guilds of Weavers Spinners and Dyers. The association publishes 'The Journal', a publication that provides insight in to events and techniques associated with the guilds.
Photos from the Past
2012
2011
2010