Last Saturday I was asked to speak at the New South Wales Spinners and Weavers Guild in Sydney.
I was quite nervous, as most people are when public speaking, but I have to say that it was a wonderful day! I was so impressed by the high standard of work shown at the meeting before I spoke, and the very professional manner of the guild - it really made you want to be a part of it! I have placed the Guild's website on our links bar, so if anyone is in Sydney check out their meeting schedule - I highly recommend it.
I have to say that it was truely wonderful to see so many people who I haven't seen for so long - people who have seen me grow up in textiles, people who have known me through my mother's business and people with who I have had just a brief contact with but have left a huge impact.
Preparing the speech, and then seeing so many familiar faces really made me think of where I've come from. It was always filled with textiles. So here I present :
Mel's child-state
(in brief)
When I was still a wee bub my parents decided they wanted to live on a farm. I suspect they were also watching many episodes of the BBC's 'The Good Life' as we were soon virtually self sufficent. We also ended up with about 120 angora goats.
Which naturally lead Mum to spin and weave the mohair. Through an interesting set of circumstances Mum started a spinning and weaving supplies mail-order business. I was about eight then, and inquisitive so I was learning everything I could too. I also had awkward hair, and it was the eighties... and this ended up in the local newspaper.
That is still my spinning wheel in the picture although poor 'Alice' doesn't get much use anymore, although I look at her everyday when I walk through my from door...
After a while Mum bought a spinning mill (factory - more on that another day) so we were producing our own yarn. This was where I spent most of my time. I learned to weave from Mum, but I learned about fabric production from old mill records given to me by the previous owner of the factory.
And we had stands at shows to promote the yarn (and my hair had still not decided what it wanted to do...).
This photo was taken just before I went to Italy to study, age 18.
And many, many tales were told after then, but this was the beginning...
And I wanted to make Belinda laugh at these silly photos!
cheers,
Mel.
