Hand Weaving & Yarn Design
Marianne's interest in weaving goes back to when, as a secondary school student in Basle, Switzerland, she was given unfettered access to the handicraft teacher's loom during the holidays. It was the late 1980s, however, before she had her own loom. At around the same time she inherited her great-grandmother's spinning wheel. After minimal restoration this wheel was, and still is, fully functional and on it she taught herself to spin, with helpful guidance from tutors at the national centre for the furtherence of Swiss crafts ( Heimatwerk , Richterswil, Zurich 1987).The character of her wheel and the nature of the tradition she was working in, meant that she developed the skill of spinning fine fibres from the beginning, and as a result is known today particularly for her work with silk, linen and angora fibre.
On her move to England Marianne took further instruction in spinning from Marion Boniface and Rita Sinkkonnen Davies, and attended courses in both spinning and weaving at the Lewes Tertiary College (1990/1). Additional help with weaving followed from Maikki Karisto, Ingrid Eggimann-Jonsson, Janet Phillips and Anna Leutert.
She is particularly fascinated by natural dyes, and one of her earlier projects was a 6m stair carpet with wool she spun and dyed herself with plants from her garden, and wove on a counter-balance loom.
More recently she has expanded her techniques by completing a course in experimental textiles with Kim Thittichai (Northbrook College, 2005/6), and learning felting with Janice Britz. Marianne has also attended a course in tapestry weaving with Pat Johns, and an introduction to Kumihimo with Jacqui Carey, both at West Dean College, Chichester.From 2006 she began a three year training as a professional weaver at the Zürcher- Stader Centre near Berne. She was awarded a diploma in 2009. She now teaches a two-year modular course in the art and craft of handspinning at the Zürcher-Stalder Centre.
She is a member of the East-Sussex Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, the UK Online Guild and the National Angora Club. She is particularly interested in the Angora fibre, and the yarns and products she has produced from it have won her a number of awards, including "best in show" for a shawl in the Bradford products show, and "best hank" in both the London 06 and Harrowgate 07 shows.
Marianne has seven Satin-angora rabbits and one English angora producing fibre which she hand-spins to yarn for luxury garments.
A full list of Marianne's designer yarns and woven products is available on request.
Handbraided clavichord lid cords
I braid cords and bands from 100% linen, preferentially. This material doesn’t stretch lengthwise, is very stabile, colour true and lasting.
Linen has a beautiful sheen and I have access to a wide range of colours. Bands and cords can also made using silk or cotton.
Prices:
A handwoven round cord, about 50cm in length, Fr. 42.-
A handwoven flat band, about 65cm in length, Fr. 48.-
Here are a few examples (click to enlarge):
Multicoloured pieces, for example four colours, are also possible. Because every cord or band is an individual article, please contact me to discuss your particular preferences.
Links
www.wsd.org.uk Weavers Spinners and Dyers Guild
www.winghamwoolwork.co.uk Wingham Wool Work, tools and fibre for hand spinners
www.onlineguildwsd.org.uk Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, Online guild
www.zsag.ch/kurse.asp Zürcher-Stalder AG, yarns and looms, training and workshops for spinning, weaving felting, braiding
www.esgwsd.org.uk East Sussex Guild of weavers, spinners and dyers, meetings, workshops, talks on textile related items
www.angorarabbits.co.uk The National Angora Club
