I have been a member of the Online Guild (OLG) for about 12 years. Each month there is either a tutored workshop or a series of talks online. All the files are archived so one can always refer to something you may have missed. There is a daily digest of queries and answers; whatever the question, someone somewhere in the world will give an answer or opinion! The OLG is a great place for learning new techniques; at present I am doing a course on Echo and Iris technique, a complicated design giving a beautiful outcome which I shall certainly use in my future work. I weave using a large selection of techniques and designs depending on the outcome I wish to achieve. I enjoy weaving floor rugs with thick Axminster rug wool, both in a straightforward threading for plainer rugs but also in Boundweave, the latter producing small motifs in strip form. But I also enjoy weaving with fine yarns, many of which I dye myself using either silk, or mainly, Tencel. These yarns take dye beautifully and by painting the long warps in a piece such as a scarf I can produce unique designs with colours merging into each other. My main sources of inspiration come from nature, either by colour or texture. I often take photos when out, such as rock formations, coral, landscapes, flowers, fungi and bark, and use these as a stimulus in mv work.
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