June 2015 update

~JUNE 2015~

We've had many visitors coming through The BACH to see the Community Tapestry over the past few weeks. As work on the project had come to a pause while we came to terms with the passing of our Tapestry Master Beverly Compter, we also needed to decide how to proceed without her guidance.

Naoko Watson, Beverly's Assistant has stepped up to take on the role of Tapestry Master and Karen Taylor has offered to continue the dyeing of wool for the project.

Glenda Fergusson, Life Member of The BACH and Loom Designer/Story Board Writer and Editor wrote a lovely tribute to Beverley and update details for the public in memory of her.

Lesley Marshall had a go at weaving with friend Johanna.

Johanna was visiting Whangarei from Blenheim.

Work has started on the sun. We were just waiting on the wool 

being dyed and thank Karen for offering to do this for us.

 Weaving on the mountain is on hold while wool is being dyed

Thank you to all of our volunteering hostesses and the public 

for your patience while wool is being dyed to continue weaving.

Our Treasured Tapestry Master

It is with much sadness that I write this post...

On the 26th April 2015, our precious and treasured 
Tapestry Master Beverley Compter passed away suddenly
 after a short and totally unexpected illness at Auckland Hospital, 
aged 72 years. She inspired and taught so many people
 to weave and her work with the Tapestry project was
 unstinting. It does not seem possible that someone
 so full of life and enthusiasm is gone from us.

 She worked tirelessly and with great inspiration....

 ..and she always had a warm smile on her face.

 She had a wealth of weaving knowledge, had travelled
extensively and leaves behind a wonderful legacy, not just
within her family and friends, but the many lives she touched.

She inspired many of us to "give things a go"

..and she worked "behind the scene"

 graciously, without any expectations.

We shall dearly miss her.

Beverley with one of her daughters, 

Patricia and some of her grandchildren.

Beverly (bottom right) with Naoko Watson (front left)

Jill Ruddell, Nancy Jackson and Jill Hartles (holding cake)

 

Beverly, you will not be forgotten..

End of March 2015 update

 27 MARCH 2015

 Every now and again we get a group of people like 

these lovely ladies who are interested in participating 

with the Whangarei Community Tapestry Project. 

 They arrange a day and time to come in so we can have our 

 hosts available to assist and explain weaving techniques.

It's a great way to relax in the company of friends

and be involved in a community project.

Thank you ladies for being involved. We hope you enjoyed

your experience and would love to see you all again soon!

APRIL 2015

 We are now over 3/4 completed!

 Here's some close-up photos showing the blending of

 colours.This weaving technique is called "hatching"

 We often have people coming in thinking we

 have commenced a new weaving project. 

 When we take them around to the back of the loom,

 they understand how the tapestry is being done. There's

 always something to talk about with a community project!

 Yarn ends and bobbins at the back of the tapestry...

No, they don't "get knotted". We cut them to an

 inch, and sew up the seams with a fine cotton

 thread as we go. The compaction of the wefts 

keeps the ends from unraveling undone.

29 MARCH 2015 

 As well as groups of people coming in to work on the tapestry

regular individuals come in to The BACH to see how the

project is coming along. Jean Cartwright is one of those "regulars"

Here she is (front in red) talking to Jason Kena (in green)

and Charmaine Soljak from The Hits Radio about weaving.

Charmaine has had the opportunity to do some cloak weaving

enjoyed conversing with Jean, comparing weaving processes.

Jean Cartwright has been a weaver for a long time and 

has started up a number of wool groups over the years.

Jean's daughter in law, Helen (taking a photo of the

 tapestry painting) is from Te Puke and she brought her

in to seeing the Community Project but ended up giving 

the "Tapestry Project Talk" to Charmaine and Jason as 

there wasn't a hostess available at the time. How lovely

to see a member of the community educating another

on our wonderful Tapestry Project! Thanks Jean :o)

Mid-March 2015

Sorry for my absence.. I had surgery in February, hence the lack of updates.

 Here's a few recent photos of our tapestry project and a newspaper clipping with the story behind an amazing cake presented to the Tapestry Committee Members by Diana Johnson from the Whangarei Cake Decorators Guild. Click on the article below to enlarge....

(edit to apologize for the small font of the print. I will scan 

the newspaper article clipping for easier reading shortly!)

 

Thank you to the Whangarei Cake Decorators Guild

for choosing The Whangarei Tapestry Team to 

receive The GOOD SORTS Cake Award !

Some photos of where we are at...

 Some close-up pics...

 ..of the left-hand side of the tapestry..

 the center...

and the right hand side.

January 2015

With many visitors in the area and the festive season behind us 

it's time to "dust off" the camera and get "clicking" again.

 Our hostesses have taken a much needed and deserving break

over the New Year so there's been a lot of viewing but no partaking

in the Whangarei Community Tapestry Project for a couple of weeks.

We rely on our hostesses to oversee the project as well as explain
how to weave with the correct weft tension. The weft is the yarn
that is woven in and out of the warps (vertical threads)

It was very fortunate for visiting English weaver Hilary O'Connell,
co-editor of Woven Art and member of The British Tapestry Group.
 She was thrilled to see the Whangarei Community Tapestry Project
 and it was seeing an article about it in the Northland Art Trail
brochure that brought them here to visit Whangarei. Weaving
hosts, Nancy and Jill were here to talk to Hilary about the project.

Annie another of a regular volunteering hosts talks with
Jonas while his friend, Shelly works on the tapestry.

 

Shelly and Jonas are from Germany.

Helen Wilson (seated) from Devonport,
Auckland was fascinated to see another
community tapestry project on the go.

Apparently the new library in Devonport
has a tapestry being made as well. Helen used to live in
 Whangarei and was a teacher at Maunatapere School.
Standing by Helen is Jill Purdom from Northcote.
She was here in Whangarei visiting a friend who had
just relocated from Auckland.

 Rebecca and Steve are from Southern Oregon,
 and  travelling around New Zealand on holiday.

Naoko oversees Rebecca's technique
while she has a turn at weaving.

We are so grateful to all those who have a go at
 weaving. Thanks for contributing to the
Whangarei Community Tapestry Project.

Saturday 27th December 2014 photos

Here's an update of where were at, at the end of 2014:

The Letter N in WHANGAREI is almost completed and

 the boats above OUR PLACE are being worked on.

The water is a wonderful blend 

of many shades of blue wool...

..and work has commenced on the sun's reflection

on the water. An exciting mix of yellow and gold

gives the sun's "glow"  radiance and glimmer.

A closeup of the boats on the water..

..and a photo showing the detail of the sun's reflection.

On Christmas Eve we had a returning visitor from the UK.

Catherine Davis had first seen our tapestry in May 2013.

It was fabulous that she made a point of
calling in again to see the progress!

The weekend after Christmas brought in many

 travellers in the area who were out and about

visiting the Town Basin in Whangarei.

Xan Guiness from Mt. Maunganui 

was up visiting his Grandmother.

Ruth Merriman (above) from Hamilton was up

visiting Whangarei before heading North to Kaitaia.

Below, Naoko shows Ros Morrison, from Devon, 

Torquay in England the technique of weaving.

Ros looks stunningly-summery in a locally made

sunhat purchased here at The Bach, Town Basin.

Ros has travelled to New Zealand for Xan's wedding

to fiancee, Sarah (third from left) Sarah's Dad, Brian

(far left) joined the happy couple for the day's outing.

Naoko shows Sarah who to weave

Sarah; the "bride-to-be" stops to smile for the camera!

Angelique, from Auckland is 

originally from the Philippians.

She has been living and working in Auckland for 8 years.

Angelique said she was on holiday with her Mum, Men 

(seated, below) who lives in Pakuranga, Auckland.

They both enjoyed their weaving experience.

Vivian Xu (above) from China is studying 

Human Resource Management in Hamilton 

and visiting the North while on study-leave.

John David (left) and Mum, Leyda are from Auckland. 

They have been there for 3 years, originally from the 

Philippians and have been on holiday up North. 

John David and his Mum enjoyed Christmas in the

 Bay Of Islands and were on their way back home.

Thanks for stopping in to The Bach and working

 on The Whangarei Community Tapestry with us. 

Thanks for being part of the project!