SPINNING: Marie Williams, secretary of the Handspinners and Weavers Guild, spins some yarn in preparation of the quilt and craft fair.By TANIA MARTIN
ENTHUSED by spinning and weaving, Cockatoo resident, Marie Williams has been spinning yarns for more than 20 years.
Mrs Williams, a talented spinner and the secretary of the Handspinners and Weavers Guild is looking forward to the start of the 2005 Quilt and Craft Exhibition.
The fair gives craftminded people the opportunity to display their skills in patchwork, mosaics, applique, picture framing, spinning, and weaving.
Held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, visitors would find the biggest selection of the latest craft supplies and hard to find materials all under one roof, she said.
The Handspinners and Weavers Guild will be taking part in the fair with an information display about the craft of spinning.
Mrs Williams said visitors could look forward to seeing spinning wheel demonstrations, along with a display of a wonderful and unique range of works created by members of the guild.
She said the guild met regularly in North Carlton and experimented with a variety of spinning, dyeing and weaving techniques, and also ran a number of workshops and classes for those wanting to learn to spin or weave.
Mrs Williams said the guild often tried spinning with different mediums including soya bean fibre and paper.
“Our gallery is very popular with the craft fanatics, as there are very few wool shops around these days,” Mrs Williams said.
She said the guild members were always trying something a “bit different or funky” as younger people were learning to knit and looking for outrageous colours.
Anyone interested in learning how to spin yarn or weave should have a look at the Spinner and Weavers exhibition at the fair, which opens on Thursday, 28 July and closes on Sunday, 31 July.
