Workshops get underway in town known for its textile history
Newtown Textile Museum is running four weaving and woven arts workshops during September.
The first of the workshops – peg loom weaving – is being held on Sunday, led by Sharon Smith from Wild Welsh Wool. She will teach participants how to weave a comfy cushion pad from fleece from her own sheep on a peg loom.
Victoria Haire, a designer of woven textiles and weave tutor, with many years’ experience teaching at art colleges and other venues, will lead workshops on hand loom weaving at the museum on September 10 and 24.
The workshops are suitable for complete beginners, as Victoria will give an introduction to weaving on a table loom. The loom will be already threaded up, so participants will be able to experiment with different yarns and structures and take home a length of fabric.
Victoria will also lead the woven artworks workshop on September 17, teaching participants how to create a mini woven artwork.
Participants will wrap coloured yarn vertically around a thin wooden board and then weave yarn horizontally through it with a tapestry needle to create simple weave structures. A frame will be available to purchase for the finished artwork.
All the workshops run from 10am to 4pm and cost £50 each, with all materials supplied. Refreshments are included but participants are asked to take a packed lunch with them.
To book a place on a workshop or for more information, visit the museum website newtowntextilemuseum.co.uk/events.php.
Aiming to bring to life the town’s industrial heritage, Newtown Textile Museum is housed in an original hand-loom weaving factory, built in the 1830s in Commercial Street, Newtown.
This volunteer-run museum shows how people lived and worked in the building, the industrial history of Newtown and the processes involved in turning fleece into flannel.
In addition, industries linked to wool – tanning, clog making and drapers’ shops, including the Pryce Jones family who pioneered mail order – are also featured.
The museum is a member of MWT Cymru, an independent organisation that represents around 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Snowdonia.
