A couple of weeks ago we travelled to Scone in the Upper Hunter of NSW to do a Saori weaving workshop.  What a lovely venue and town it is.  I did a workshop here four years ago and this one was different again, engaging weavers and new artisans travelling in from around Scone, and even Dungog.  The venue is an Arts and Crafts collective in an historic Catholic church with added areas for the groups to use.  It’s a fantastic space with a charming feel.  The 40 degree heat wasn’t as bad as I was imagining either!  It’s a dry, oven like heat but not sweaty and wet with the humidity we get on the coast. So you feel hot, but intact.  A special thanks to Carol and Arts Upper Hunter for their wonderful support. They made a full Saori workshop with looms possible.

We travelled back through Gloucester and Stroud which was so green it looked like England!  Avoiding the Pacific Highway, now called M1, was definitely the way to travel.

The Upper Hunter is an historic area, starting from the Maitland region and there are many historic buildings.  However it is also special for textiles of the Aboriginal people.  A Possum Skin Cloak was collected in the area in 1839 by a US Expedition and is now held at the Smithsonian in the US.

Here is a little taste of the delights over the two days.  Thank you to all the weavers who wove themselves into cloth over the workshop days –  Dianne, Elizabeth, Lorri, Rachael, Kat, Dana, Cheryl and Carol. 

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