Thursday 21st January 2015

Hello lovely followers of the 

Whangarei Community Tapestry Project! 

 Today we had a few people interested in adding their 

bit to the tapestry while they had the opportunity. 

 Barbara Pennington wove a few rows as she

 chatted with her friend, Sheila Swarbrick 

before going to get a coffee together.

Barbara lives in Maunu and her friend,

 Sheila lives in Riverside.

~o0o~

 Christiaan Burger wove a few rows above the mountain

while his wife, Annelies and son, Juan (17) and daughter,

Brooke, 8 years old, watched him. They live in Auckland.

 Brooke had a go at weaving 

on ones of our mini looms.

~o0o~

 Ons Schoenmaekers worked alongside

 hostess, Annie while she conversed with

 a man interested in what we were doing

 Ons was born in Holland but moved

 to New Zealand in 1987.

~o0o~

International visitiors..

We have a lot of international visitors and shoppers over the summer period and many are enthralled at our amazing community tapestry project.

Allana, a local but has American Citizenship and currently studying there, was visiting her mum for Christmas along with brother, Reece from Auckland. They called in to see if they could do a little weaving before returning home.

~o0o~

Sophie, aged 9 years from Cairns, Queensland in Australia was visiting family with her Mum and Dad over the New Year. Her Dad grew up in Whangarei and Sophie had a Grand-friends Day at school where "Nana's" came to spend the day showing the children how to sew and knit and do crafts they learned as a child. Sophie thought the tapestry was amazing!

Our hostesses are back on deck after their holiday break so I hope to have lots more photos to share of our many visitors working on the tapestry in the coming weeks.

~o0o~

Happy New Year - 2016 is here!

HAPPY NEW YEAR fellow-followers of the Whangarei Community Tapestry Project blog. We've had lots of visitors from all over the world stopping to look at the tapestry since Christmastime. Our lovely hostesses are currently on holiday and be back after the 10th of January 2016.

~o0o~

BLENNZ - Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ

The Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ (BLENNZ) is a school that is made up of a national network of educational services for children and young people who are blind, deafblind or have low vision in New Zealand. It was wonderful to have this group visit our tapestry and help them to enjoy the weaving experience despite the fact they were sight-impaired or couldn't see at all.

Ngarangi had a go at weaving
 with Naoko on hand to assist.

 Alanya, with the assistance of Elly

Emil had a go on one of the mini-looms.

Natalie is completely blind.

 Elly guided Rachel's hands so she
could feel the process of weaving

 It was very humbling to observe.

Thank you for the priviledge of meeting and encouraging you

 to have a go at weaving and adding your stitches to the tapestry. 

You are an important part of the community 

and we appreciated your visit!

We're nearly at the top of the mountain..

We are nearly at the top of the mountain...not far to go!

And the W in WHANGAREI is almost finished, too.

 I snapped this photo of Naoko working on the mountain.... 

It got too tall to work on it sitting down! 

Time to roll the tapestry on.

~o0o~

SATURDAY 7th NOVEMBER

Kim Underwood worked alongside Naoko for an hour or so.

He said it was really calming and therapeutic for him.

 He has been living in the U'K for the past 13 years

 but has come back toNew Zealand to spend time with
family after learning that he has terminal cancer.
~o0o~

THURSDAY 12th NOVEMBER

German tourist, Nina Wissmann had a go at weaving.

Travelling companion and friend, Elizabeth Benedikter
chatted to Ellie, one of our hostesses while Nina
completed a few rows of weaving on a leaf.
 She thought that the tapestry was amazing!
~o0o~

October 2015 update

Another month has galloped by so thought 

it was time to do another update...

We are getting closer and closer to the finish line!

The left-hand side of the tapestry.

The "W" of Whangarei is nearly complete...

.......the centre, showing work on the sun...

...and the right-hand side of the tapestry.

Naoko working on the W and the Kauri tree.

~LABOUR WEEKEND~

 Dawn Abowat (at rear) is originally from South Africa and now lives here in
Whangarei along with Jaime-Lee Rowe (in red) who moved up from Christchurch.

~Saturday 31st October~

Judy Lamb from Maungakaramea works on the leaves of the
pohutukawa tree while Naoko weaves on the Kauri tree on the left.

I like to make people smile!
Judy said she had been in a couple years ago and thought is was time to come back and check on the progress. Thanks for coming back and weaving a few more rows.

6th September 2015 - New Zealand Father's Day

 Father's Day brought lots of people into Mokaba, the cafe 

next to The BACH and then many would wander around

the Art Gallery stopping to see the Whangarei Community 

Tapestry Project.  It was a busy day for our two hostesses!

Naoko and Jill were on hand to help visitors have a
go at weaving and to explain the process to them.

Linda Etwell has a go at weaving while Jill,

(back) one of our volunteer weaver's, explains

 tapestry weaving to one of Linda and her 

husband's international students who is staying 

with them while studying here in New Zealand.

Trinidad Wendt (above) is from Chile and said the

 tapestry project was amazing and was glad she had 

the opportunity to have a go at some weaving. 

She said the Spanish name for tapestry is "Telar"

Naoko, our Tapestry Master watches Krystal

Wang from China as she weaves a few rows.

Krystal is 16 and at High School. She plays

piano and viola and is a very good musician.

Krystal,s Mum, Lilly (also from China) had a 

go at weaving too and loved the design.

~o00o~

It's always great to see men having a go at weaving. 

Traditionally,it was the men who worked on a tapestry. 

Women spun the wool (and probably a tale or two!) 

Ralph Laing from Auckland was up in Whangarei for 

The Northland performing Arts Competition. While

his daughter was competing in the dance section, he

and his son, Alex had some Father/Son bonding time.

Alex Laing (18) is a first year Auckland University 

Architecture student. He is very much into "the Arts"

(according to his Mum) and both he and his dad thought

 the weaving was very relaxing and therapeutic. Alex's

Mum said she had tried weaving years ago and after 

today was thinking about getting a loom now.

~o00o~

There's always lots of interest from visitors so great to have

two hostesses available to explain the tapestry project to them.

Eve Potter (10) was with her family for Father's Day

at Mokaba Cafe and came over to see what we were

doing while they were finishing their drinks.She really 

enjoyed having a go at weaving and was very good at it!

Eve went and told her brother, Will (12) and sister, Grace (8)

to come see the weaving and both had a go, as well. Will 

attends Huanui College and both Eve and Grace go to

 school at Glenbervie.

~o00o~

With The Northland Performing Arts Competition 

on at The Forum North it wasn't long before we 

saw some dancers.

Hannah Thorne (13) is from Auckland and a tap dancer

with the Bay School of Dance, in Brown's Bay.

Sister Lucy Thorne (12)  is also a tap dancer and thought 

the tapestry was amazing. At the back, home-stay student

from Germany, Anna op de Hipt (15) weaves under the 

watchful eye of Naoko, Master Weaver.

Friend of Hannah and Anna, Brooke (15) is a

jazz ballet dancer and up for the competitions too.

She thought the tapestry was great and loved

 having a go at weaving on the tapestry.

~o00o~