By Fiona Durman of Ashculme Textiles, Wagga Wagga

With two days of weaving and learning behind me it felt wonderful to walk into the studio and have no less than 3 looms up and running with different projects. I also still had the dyed warp ready for rinsing.

But before any of that could begin we had some lovely visitors who were interested in seeing and hearing all about the residency. Like many arts, weaving can be a solitary activity, so it is always invigorating and inspiring to meet others, whether experienced weavers or just starting out. We can all learn so much from the conversations that flow so naturally with shared interests.

It was a lovely change of pace and a very enjoyable morning. Afterwards it was back to the looms and first of all I set about finishing the shibori weave. I am keen to get it off the loom and ready to dye tomorrow. Yesterday’s dyed warp was ready for rinsing. A simple enough process and it was soon out on the line drying in the sun. The colours have come out beautifully, rich and deep without being too bright. We dyed a skein too, using the same colours, but mixed differently, a softer, earthier colour. It will be interesting to see the changes when they are woven together.

I spent some time on the rail reed weaving today too. The weave is a very loose and fine one, with pops of blue and green throughout. Today I tried to slowly change it, spreading some colour along the full width, still loose and translucent, but with some solid blocks of white to counterbalance it. It is an interesting way to weave, being able to vary the movement of the warp threads, but having to take it slowly, not rushing the threads into their new positions. It is a fascinating concept that I am very keen to explore some more.

More to come