To see the 2025 programme please see here
The traditional UFO workshop to kick off the new year is back. Those of you who have joined the Online Guild in the last 18
months might not be aware of what this workshop is all about, so I'll give a brief explanation.
Most "crafters" work on more than one project at a time and whilst this satisfies our busy, creative mind and hands it does mean that sometimes,
(maybe often?) the odd project gets left behind and languishes in one of our workbaskets whilst we are busy on something new and exciting.
Does that sound familiar? Well, the UFO workshop was created to help us reduce the number of our unfinished "objects" or projects.
How does it work?
Working with other like-minded persons enthuses us and encourages us to "fish" out those unfinished, and neglected projects, discuss them if we are so inclined,
ask advice if we need it, and because working with others is always stimulating and fun most of us will clear the decks, or at least complete some of those UFOs.
There will be two of us "hosting" this unusual workshop, Alice van Duijnen, from the Netherlands, and myself from Western Australia.
Have you ever looked at the heap of discarded wrapping paper after Christmas or a birthday
and thought ‘What a waste’? The Japanese have a better solution which is to wrap a gift in a
beautiful cloth, carefully knotted. In the spirit of mottainai (‘regret for waste’)
we will make a giftwrapping cloth using the techniques of boro and sashiko. Boro literally means “rags”. Boro also
describes clothes and household items such as futon covers that have been repaired by
patching and repatching over and over again. Sashiko is the companion technique to boro. It is
a running stitch originally used to mend and strengthen worn clothing and household textiles.
A furoshiki can be almost any size, depending on what you want to wrap. Commonly used sizes
are: 54 x 54 cm (approximately 21 x 21 inches); 70 x 70 cm (approx. 27 x 27 in); 98 x 98 cm
(approx. 39 x39 in). The material needs to be strong but lightweight so it can be knotted. Old
shirts and blouses are examples of suitable fabrics.
As well as textiles you will need needles, pins, sewing thread, scissors, measuring tape, ruler
and tailors’ chalk or fade-out marker pen.
Gethin is a weaver living in Co Dublin, Ireland. Her main interest is in creating patterns in
balanced weave, mostly using fine yarns in cotton, linen, bamboo and wool.
This workshop is for anyone who has spent time trying to figure out the details of a weaving
draft. It is suitable for novice weavers and those with some weaving experience using harness
looms. It will incorporate paper-based work and a practical element in which weavers will have
the opportunity to create their own draft, using variations in treadling and tie-up/shaft lifting.
Guidance will be provided on how to write a draw-down, how to reduce 6- and 8-shaft drafts to
patterns suitable for weaving on four shafts and how to interpret profile drafts. She will also
discuss how to record information on woven samples, such as would be required for submission
of work for a COA in weaving. Participants will be encouraged to experiment with the colour,
texture and design of their woven samples.
Each person will need a table or floor loom of four-shafts or higher, yarn for warp and weft (8/2
cotton or similar is good for sampling), squared paper, a ruler, tape measure and the usual loom
accessories.
Elisabeth Viguie Culshaw is a natural dyer and textile artist based in Glasgow in Scotland where
she grows a small public Indigo dye garden, #theindigoplot. She travels extensively to South
East Asia where she both teaches and learns from other dye practitioners. She teaches online
on zoom and she runs a yearly group of ‘home growers’ with whom she grows and dyes
sustainable ‘grand teint’ dye plants. Her aim is to find the most perfect green out of yellow and
blue dye plants.
This workshop is about creating a small dye garden of annuals and bi-annual
plants yielding blues and yellows, Persicaria Tinctoria, Woad, Weld… and others. This workshop
is suitable for beginners. Even if you don’t have a garden space, you could grow in containers.
Elisabeth will introduce us to a selection of dye plants which she will use for the June “Go Green,
dye workshop”
Kate’s live workshop consists of two separate courses: ‘Being a Good Zoom Trainer’ and ‘Being
a Good Zoom Student’.
Being a good Zoom trainer could be especially useful for anyone thinking of offering to run a
workshop for the Online Guild! She will tell you how to run a good workshop online combining
the cameras and audio facilities available on your phone, tablet and computer. She will take you
behind the scenes to see the ‘Heath Robinson setup’ that ArtyBird Carnforth use for running
their Zoom classes, will share tips and tricks, and suggest ways of varying your use of Zoom to
keep the class interested and engaged.
A reminder of her top tip in connection with this - don’t try to be perfect. One thing guaranteed
by technology is that things will go wrong, you just have to be relaxed about it so you are not
stressed and can enjoy your class with your students.
Her other course, ‘Being a good Zoom Student’, will assume you know nothing and will bring
you into Zoom, show you around the basics and get you working with it.
Learn how to use up those short pieces of yarn and little scraps of fabric by weaving them into
a new piece of material. In this workshop we will discuss the need for reducing waste in handcraft
and learn which fibres are most suitable for breaking down into a new material.
You will learn
how to create long lengths of yarn from short scraps and how to turn old fabric into yarn. After
creating your new yarns, we will discuss the suitability of various recycled yarns for warp vs weft
and begin to warp up our frame looms. We will go through the methods of weaving without
producing waste as well as developing a new appreciation for unplanned creation. We will
discuss the interaction of colour and texture when unrestricted by a set palette.
Finally, we will
look at reproducing traditional weaving patterns with recycled yarn and how the recycled yarn
produces different effects to a traditional yarn.
“Go Green”, A natural dye workshop using home grown and foraged dye plants to achieve the
most perfect green. (We will use the plants grown in our “Go Green” garden). In this 4-week
workshop she will take you on a dye journey using a limited number of fresh home-grown and
foraged plants to create yellows, blues and greens on cellulose (linen) and protein (silk and
wool)
We will learn to select material, efficiently mordant it, create the dye bath and finally dye using
our home-grown plants from the “Go Green dye workshop”.
We will finish our dyes to a high standard.
A time of evaluation for the Online Guild. This week features an open discussion in which all members are encouraged to participate.
Here in Scotland, we are very privileged to have such a wonderful variety of native sheep and
such an array of beautiful natural colours. During the six-week study we will be looking at the
origin of each sheep breed, their diet and studying the fibre each produces and how best to
process and spin.
The weather, terrain and food all have a big impact on the sheep's wool; for example, a Shetland
sheep living on grassy pastures in England will produce a very different wool to a Shetland
sheep living on peat lands in Shetland.
For participants sourcing the wool for their study, keeping notes of the origin of your fleece or
roving will be as important as the breed.
Participants will also be able to purchase packs I will be making available containing washed
fleeces and roving along with a colourful, spiral-bound journal to record your findings.
I have had so much fun travelling all over Scotland this past year collecting fleeces and taking
lots of photos for this course and I am sure you sheep lovers will enjoy this study as much as I
have creating it.
Depending on what can be done in 2 weeks, I will go through the processes of personalising either a second hand 80 cm Ashford rigid heddle loom (age unknown), and/or 1970’s Ashford Traditional spinning wheel and/or a second hand 4 shaft Ashford table loom. It will start with dismantled equipment which will be cleaned/sanded/painted/varnished and decorated then reassembled. All equipment will be decorated using the method of decoupage. I will use napkins or wrapping paper or my own eco prints on wet strength tissue paper. But I will also mention the use of decoupage rice paper, speciality decoupage paper, make your own decoupage paper (where you trace an image or design onto plain rice/tissue paper). I will include the use of wallpaper, and thin gauzy fabric (commercially printed old silk or organza cotton scarves, hand dyed or hand printed silk/cotton gauze or cotton lawn). I will also apply the method to bobbins/shuttles. This will allow members to experiment with the method without too much expenditure of materials/time. I may even show other wheels I’ve personalised.
As textile creators we often have small amounts of leftover fibre, yarn or fabric. Traditionally
nothing was ever wasted but over the years we have lost sight of this. However, sustainability is
becoming more important to how we live our lives. Many of us feel increasingly uncomfortable
throwing ‘waste’ away, yet are unsure of what to do with it.
We will look at ways to reuse, recycle and repurpose our waste to reduce our textile footprint.
The workshop will explore techniques and ideas. We invite you to share your thoughts and
creativity on how we can apply these and incorporate new ideas to make our textile crafts more
sustainable.
We have set a challenge for this workshop. Just how many ways are there to use thrums and
other textile waste? Our target is 101, can you help us reach it?
An opportunity for members to upload Festive Greetings, created by any means, to a dedicated photo album.
 
An Individual Project
The inspiration source for this year’s challenge is earth. We follow last year’s example of using
one of the four fundamental elements, water, and now turn our attention to a second, earth. The
word ‘earth’ has many connotations: from ‘earthy colours’ to meaning safety and stability (think
of the earth in electrical wiring), as a medium that supports and nourishes the growth of plants
and subterranean animals. And, of course, the planet Earth.
The challenge is to interpret the theme in your own way using one or more of the key skills and
to submit your project with the submission form. Photos of all submissions will be in the Annual
Challenge 2024 album under Photos, as well as your pictures of inspiration sources and work
in progress, but there will also be an e-book at the end of the year.
At least one of our core skills should be used.
The deadline for submissions for inclusion in the e-book is 30 September 2024. The Photos
album will remain open longer than that, so you will still be able to upload photos of your work
after that, but don’t forget to do it - it’s fascinating to see all the variations and each individual’s
interpretation of the theme.
The traditional UFO workshop to kick off the new year is back. Those of you who have joined the Online Guild in the last 18 months might not be aware of what this workshop is all about,
so I'll give a brief explanation.
Most "crafters" work on more than one project at a time and whilst this satisfies our busy, creative mind and hands it does mean that sometimes,
(maybe often?) the odd project gets left behind and languishes in one of our workbaskets whilst we are busy on something new and exciting.
Does that sound familiar? Well, the UFO workshop was created to help us reduce the number of our unfinished "objects" or projects.
How does it work?
Working with other like-minded persons enthuses us and encourages us to "fish" out those unfinished, and neglected projects, discuss them if we are so inclined,
ask advice if we need it, and because working with others is always stimulating and fun most of us will clear the decks, or at least complete some of those UFOs.
There will be two of us "hosting" this unusual workshop, Alice van Duijnen, from the Netherlands, Guiliana Bond from Western Australia.
This workshop is for anyone who wants to learn how to dye self-striping sock yarn. It is
suitable for beginners, and for those taking their dyeing to the next stage.
Over four weeks we will explore how to calculate the amount of yarn to use to create a set
number of stripes when knitting socks. We will expand that information for larger items. We
will look at the whole process from designing our stripes to skeining and dyeing.
Over four weeks we will explore how to calculate the amount of yarn to use to create
set number of stripes when knitting socks. We will expand that information for larger items. We
will look at the whole process from designing our stripes to skeining and dyeing.
This workshop will provide an overview of many of the different weaving software
programmes available, with detail and explanations provided by the software providers where
possible. The main focus will be weaving draft software, plus some exploration of colour and
design software/websites, reference to past Online Guild workshops using computers in colour
or design, and even a few physical weaving aids.
The workshop will hopefully provide a framework for active discussion among our many
members using - or considering - various software for their weaving. The colour and design
area should also be of interest to non-weaving members who are encouraged to follow along.
This workshop is an opportunity for participants to explore the wonderful heritage of
traditional Sami band weaving and the amazing variety of patterned bands from the Baltic
region. I will give background information about the weaving and its uses. There are a variety
of weave structures in use within this region, however this workshop will concentrate on one:
the Baltic pick-up technique.
The workshop will start with the simplest pick up patterns using 5 and 7 pattern threads on an
inkle loom and provide instructions for using the standard rigid heddle with a back strap which
is the traditional method of pattern band weaving. The first week will also show how the
patterns can be woven using a pattern slot heddle, and on a multi-shaft loom for those who
wish to explore, or prefer to use, other methods.
For the workshop you will need access to an inkle loom and band weaving shuttle. If using a
backstrap you will also require a waist cord or belt and a band lock or clip-it.
I will be using wool which is approximately a 4 ply yarn with a thicker yarn for the pattern
threads. I have also used 4 ply sock yarn (which comes in a variety of colours) for the warp
and used two strands of the yarn for the pattern threads. Other yarns can be used and I will
give details during the workshop.
In summary, the workshop will cover the following topics.
Week one –5 and 7 pattern threads bands with a variety of weaving equipment.
Week two – 9 & 11 pattern threads.
Week three – 13 pattern threads and beyond!
Week four – Finishing woven bands. I will cover a variety of techniques to finish a woven band
or belt.
This amazing stitch is built from interlocking blocks that join as they go and create a bias fabric,
knitted on the diagonal. The blocks can be any size, worked back and forth.
It is easier to knit than to describe in words!
Basics:
We will begin by knitting a sample piece (photo top left): following the instructions carefully
will guide you through making not only the blocks, but including triangles on all edges so you
have a rectangle. Being able to make straight edges is useful for projects, for example front
edges, neck shaping, cushions etc, and once you have done this, you have done the most
difficult bit!
Once you start knitting the blocks, especially if working in the round, it becomes easier than
creating a small sample, and it’s possible to make complete garments with no seams.
Having learnt the basics (and you may already have used this stitch and be ready to
progress), the fun begins: there will be instructions provided for exploring working at different
scales, trying different stitches that cause completely different results both visually and in
shaping the fabric, and we will look at ways of dyeing yarn for patterning. For
spinners, there is the opportunity to investigate working with an energised singles yarn.
Even if you are familiar with entrelac stitch, there is so much to explore!
During this workshop, we will explore several yarn design techniques. Some will be repeats
from previous workshops and a few will be making their appearances for the first time.
Emphasis for this core information will be on spinning yarns suitable for weaving, knitting, etc.
Members experienced with the design methods will be invited to play with scale and/or fibres.
In addition, there will be opportunities to create textures and/or work with colours inspired by
images offered by the instructor.
A whistle stop tour of my fibre garden, introducing members to several plants that are easily
found in their own gardens or communal green spaces. Enabling members to identify everyday
garden plants (and weeds!) found throughout the course of the year that can be used in soft
fibre basketry. I will demonstrate how, when and what to harvest from those plants.
I will also advise on how to extract plant fibres and /or prepare harvested plant material.
Advice with how to store prepared plant material for later use in the soft fibre basketry
workshop later in the year.
Hopefully members will be amazed at what plants can be found in our gardens and communal
green spaces that can be used to make baskets.
A time of evaluation for the Online Guild. This week features an open discussion in which all members are encouraged to participate.
This workshop covers several subjects within tapestry weaving - the history, an introduction
for beginners, a description of outlining techniques, weaving complex shapes, weaving with
unconventional materials.
You are creating your own workshop by deciding which subjects are of interest to you and
what you would like to study during the 6 weeks. The tutors will be available to answer
questions and discuss the different subjects.
All the workshops can be found in the archive of previous workshops held within the OLG. You
will be guided to the various workshops within the archive. And you can learn how to access
the archive and how to find the amazing fond of knowledge on the subjects of weaving,
spinning and dyeing and other textile related crafts.
Chris is going to introduce the Association spinning certificates and discusses how to approach them. This talk is based on Chris’s own journey through the certificates.
Following on from the 2-week introduction to plants for soft fibre basketry earlier in the year, I
will guide members in how to use their prepared and stored fibres and plant materials. Which
were collected earlier in the year form their own gardens or communal green spaces.
I will cover several techniques commonly employed in soft fibre basketry, notably cordage,
coiling, pairing looping and strip weave. The aim would be to allow members to produce
woven items such as coasters, bowls, baskets and pouches from the plant material they
harvested.
However, if no material is harvested some of these techniques can also be used to make
baskets from high twist and plied hand spun yarn or commercial string or garden twine.
An opportunity for members to upload Festive Greetings, created by any means, to a dedicated photo album.
 
This year the inspiration for the challenge is fire and ice. What do these words bring to mind?
For fire it could be warm glowing embers on a winter’s evening or in the natural world there is
the spectacle of an erupting volcano. Ice could suggest a crisp winter morning with the sun
glinting off the frost coating leaves and berries, or perhaps the brilliant whites and blues of
icebergs. Do you use ice when dyeing yarn? Would you focus on just one of the elements or
look to combine the two to produce interesting juxtapositions of colour?
The challenge is to interpret the theme in your own way using one of more of the key skills
and to submit your project with the submission form. Photos of all submissions will be in the
Annual Challenge 2025 album under Photos as well as pictures of inspiration sources and work
in progress, and there will also be an e-book at the end of the year.
At least one of our core skills should be used.
The deadline for submissions for inclusion in the e-book is 30 September 2025. The Photo
album will remain open longer than that, so you will still be able to upload photos of your
work after that, but don’t forget to do it – it’s fascinating to see all the variations and each
individual’s interpretation of the theme.