FREMANTLE WEAVERS are planning a comeback at St Paul’s, Beaconsfield, after a break of three years.
The weavers used to meet in Legacy House, but got their marching orders when Covid-19 forced the manager to stop leasing them a room.
FW facilitator Ann Richardson said a lack of alternative affordable space had made it difficult for the group to get back together again.
She approached Fremantle City for help, but she recons they were “difficult to work with, negative, [and had] lots of red tape”.
The group stayed in contact for a while online, with some members lumping their looms and yarn out to the Handweavers, Spinners and Dyers Guild of WA in Stirling, but eventually things fizzled out.
But now Ms Richardson says she found “gold” in the form of the St Paul’s Hall, which is in weavers’ price range, and she’s confident the previous members are ready to get back together.
Ms Richardson calls them “a get-together of women or men, who meet once a week to weave, learn to weave, and complete projects.”
She says it’s a casual gathering with a wide range of ages and they pump out shawls, rugs, scarfs, and other practical objects.
Ms Richardson said she “got into weaving because of the sustainability of the process, and the understanding of the process.”
She’d initially signed up to study visual arts at Edith Cowan University with vague ideas of being a painter, but the tutors were heavily into textiles and it soon became a core part of her output.
She says over the years she’s managed to make a crust out of her work and still runs an Instagram account selling her works, but says the time and materials that go into a piece puts them in the slightly pricey range.
The Weavers also practice sustainable weaving, using natural fibres and dyes, recycling yarn, and sourcing their yarn from op-shops. Sometimes the group experiments with unconventional materials, such as sail cloth strips and old plastic.
Ms Richarson encourages young people interested in weaving to reach out to members of the weaving community, but says it can be hard getting that message through because the craft doesn’t get a lot of exposure in WA.
The Weavers are most likely to meet on Thursday mornings, with a small donation to cover the cost of rent for the space. To confirm times and register interest, contact Ann on 0402 832 198 or email aerichar@gmail.com
by AMY PERROT