All is Revealed

The secret is out! The work that Peg has been putting so much effort into over recent weeks can now be revealed. It is a hanging for Rangi Ruru school where Peg was educated, planned to coincide with the 125th anniversary of the school.

The finished work, the full length of Peg's work table

Using her tried and true construction method Peg has used the cloak form
which has worked so well for her in the past

The warp is a fine white merino wool, the weft, which emerges to become the long drapes,
is unspun pure silk fibre

A close up of the woven heading which is embellished with just a tiny amount of sparkle

The long strands of silk sliver are bound and secured with fine ribbons, complementing the sheen of the silk

Peg attended the anniversary celebrations right from the start of the dawn ceremony and didn't miss anything. Not bad for a lady who is to celebrate her 97th birthday on 9 July! She made a speech to the girls and unveiled the hanging to the delight of all present. Hopefully for the next post we will have a photo of Peg making the presentation and also the hanging in place.

What's Peg up to?

Sorry, can't tell you just yet. She has a top secret project on which you will see in due course.

In the meantime here is the view from her house on a gloriously sunny Mothers Day, 11 May.

More news when it happens.

Happy Easter

Here we are in April, and here is what Peg has been up to lately.  Not fifty but just a few shades of grey.

 Plus a burst of colour. These could be called Easter eggs!

Keep watching for a work in progress.  Happy Easter.

Marching on . . .

Here is a full length view of the hanging shown in the last post just before the camera batteries went flat. This does not do justice to the subtle greens and the bright colours within the diamonds don't show up at all. You really need to see it.

Since then Peg has experimented with unwoven sections of warp, to excellent effect.

And, as promised, here are the bobbles. Not too many as they are 'too slow' !

At times when Peg is not at her loom she can usually be found with her feet up but still as busy as ever. She has made several of these 'snails' with stuffed circular knitting. Mounted on board they are quite spectacular. A black and white one was sold in double quick time.

Next weekend Peg will be thinking of her Professional Weaving colleagues who will be gathering for their annual seminar. This time it will be at Coopers Beach, just a bit too far for a 97 year old, but she will be there in spirit.

Instead she will be enjoying the placid peaceful Marlborough Sounds, still with a twinkle in her eye.

Here's Peg - Smiling into the New Year

Bright as a button, both her work and herself.  These are some of the hangings to come off the loom at the beginning of 2014.  Who knows what will be next.

Keep watching. There were some very colpourful bobbles on the loom so something exciting is happening.

PWN Exhibition

Along with three colleagues from the Professional Weavers' Network of NZ, Peg is participating in an Exhibition at Fibre Spectrum, Trafalgar Street, Nelson for the month of January.  Here are the works she is showing:

 Four of the hangings are in the classic damask weave Peg is known for. Three of them are the long narrow ones (blue one on the left has been named Summer) on a swivel so both sides of the work can be seen. On the right is a green hanging with gold rayon and metallic motifs, titled Golden Moss.

 Another of the long ones, Symmetry, is seen here alongside a deflected double weave scarf by Sue Broad.

 And this one, named Queen Bee, is hanging beside a turquoise wrap by Rose Pelvin.

Some of Peg's more recent work incorporates Japanese paper and, in the top piece, felted yarn.

The exhibition will be on for the whole of January. More photos can be seen at marlboroughweavers.blogspot.co.nz and warpedtoweave.blogspot.co.nz

December Update

Not only does Peg have a wonderful view just outside her studio/home. She also has a constant companion in the form of a small but LOUD bellbird who seems to sing all day every day. What a delight.

Here is Peg having a look at one of her most recent hangings.

These ones are on a natural colour linen warp
with really exuberantly textured yarns in the weft.

Check out the fringe and think about how many knots Peg needs to tie
when she changes to a new warp.

One of the highlights for Peg in 2012 was having her portrait painted by Motupiko artist Emma Panting.  Now she is not sure whether it is good news or bad news that the painting has been sold to a private collector in USA.  This is quite a buzz for both Peg and Emma but . . . when it is gone it is gone!  Emma will just have to get to work and do another.