Summer School Silent Auction - call for sellers (and buyers)

Click image to enlarge.
Ann Baseden might recognise the felted object?

The best way to stash or de-stash (individually or as a guild) may be on hand if you are attending the summer school auction or know someone who is doing so. Pictured are a few of the things which we expect to be offered as part of the silent auction this year. There are also larger equipment items (e.g. an Ashford Joy (single treadle) with bag offered by Stratford guild. Items both large and small are welcome but they do need to relate to the activities of the Association. You also need some way to get them there on the day.

You can offer items as donations (in which case they will start with a low reserve and 100% of income will go to the AGWSD bursary fund). Or you can also sell on commission (in which case you get 80% of the sale price and the bursary fund gets 20%). You can also just go along to look and buy (we encourage you to do this).

Brenda Crocker of Cotswold Guild explains a little more here ...

Now is a good time to sort out all those pieces of equipment, wool, books and anything else you would like to enter into the Silent Auction.  It will be held in Moreton Morrell Sports Hall on Wednesday August 19th and run from 10am to 8pm (for viewing/bidding). First bid must be made by the owner of any item, this to be the lowest amount you will accept (the reserve price). Sellers need to fill in the form and bring this with the item for sale between 8am and 10am on the morning of the sale. 

At the end of the Auction the hall must be cleared.  So if any item offered on commission is not sold you must make sure you or a friend collects it.  Please fill in the form to bring with you with your Auction goodies to sell. 

You can download the form for sellers using this link or complete one on the day.  Please read the terms outlined on the form. If you have any queries please email wsdss15auction@gmail.com.wsdss15auction@gmail.com

'Showing off' at summer school

In the month running up to the start of summer school we will be sharing some of the events that are happening there. In this post Ruth McCartney of Coventry Guild shares plans for the fashion show on Thursday 20th August and asks for early information about entries. (Remember that if you are not attending as a student you can still sample some Summer School fun on the Open Day on Saturday, 22 August).

Those of you who are “old hands” at Summer School may be rummaging through your projects from 2014 and 2015 to find items you would like to share with us in the Fashion Show. If this is the case then please keep searching, as another fashion show will take place this summer. For new members to Summer School, hopefully I have caught your attention and you are looking for more information.

The Fashion Show this year we are hoping will be bigger than before and we know many have not been to one before - hence the forward notice. The type of items we are looking for can be anything that you would like to share with others, so demonstrating weaving, spinning or dyeing skills, construction techniques or imaginative objects that you feel would inspire, encourage or interest other members this summer. These can have been made prior to attending summer school or indeed made during one of the classes during the week. To help us plan, it would be useful to have information now on the item/s that you are thinking of bringing with you.

Andrea Cross shows off
some woolly items at Summer School 2013

You can use this form (link) so that you can let us know the important details. We want to give your item the best introduction when it hits the catwalk. The form asks key questions including about:

• Skills you used to make the item; 
• Whether items should be grouped or shown together; 
• Interesting background details to describe the inspiration, planning and construction that may be of interest to others whilst the item is being shown. 

As much advance notice as possible is requested about what you may be showing so that we can start to plan the event. We hope to accommodate as many items as time permits, but please read the form and note possible restrictions.

If you have items to show you can download an entry form HERE (click download to make a copy to write on/print out). Please return this as an attachment to an email addressed to wsdss15fashion@gmail.com. Blank printed forms will also be available from the summer school office while at summer school.

If you have any queries about the fashion show before summer school starts please email Ruth at wsdss15fashion@gmail.com - she will be pleased to help. She looks forward to finding out more about your proposed exhibits (as do we all!).

Will we have silkworms at Summer School?

 Here is a silkworm update from Jane Deane (tutor of Cocoons to Cloth) about the extra participants in her class. I am sure we will all be interested to see how these develop ...

 

Polyphemus female with new baby silk worms. Called Polyphemus because of the huge eye spot on the lower wing, after Greek one-eyed giant!

Will we have silkworms at Summer School? Well, I was beginning to worry a bit about that but I have just received some Chinese Oak Silkmoth eggs and if everyone crosses their fingers, toes, whatever, and they hatch within the next week, we might have some and they might even be spinning along with us! They may, of course, not hatch and then I'm not sure what we'll do. My Chinese Moonmoths will all have cocooned by then, and I suspect my Polyphemus caterpillars will also have tucked themselves up.

We'll just have to hope....