Weaving with Invasive plants

Saturday Weaving Circle

Weavers of all levels welcome! Weave, learn and share ideas and techniques with other weavers and textile artists.

1:00pm - 4:00pm (free)

Tools and some weaving materials provided. Please bring weaving materials if you have some on hand.

Check our Facebook for updates!

Fall & Winter 2014 weaving schedule:

September 20

October 4 and 18th

November 1, 15 and 29th.

Harvesting Schedule

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Harvesting Dates for Spring 2014:

Join us in harvesting weaving materials for the studio:

February 8
March 8

time:  10:00am to 1:00pm

This event will meet at SPES office located in the Dining Pavilion (near the Rose Garden) in Stanley Park. New participants should come 10 minutes early to complete the required volunteer application and waiver form.

For more information (what to wear and bring, etc.) and to register for this event contact:
Ivy Smith, Stewardship Programs Coordinator
604-718-6547
stewardship@stanleyparkecology.ca

Be a volunteer!  Join SPES and their crew of volunteers two days each month!  Please see their calendar of events for other volunteer opportunities, dates and registration information:

Community Invasive Species Management Program - Calendar of Events

English Ivy harvested near Brockton Oval

Coiling Workshop

Recent workshop participants exploring coiled basketry:

Braided Flag Iris with Papyrus - Jen (2012)





Coiled English Ivy - Charlene (work in progress 2013)



An entertaining video on how traditional coiled bee skeps are made:

Braided Flag Iris



A few of the completed projects from our Fall Weaving with Invasive plants workshops.  

Participants learned about multi-strand braiding using Yellow Flag Iris - an invasive plant found throught the Vancouver Area. 

Learn more about identifing, harvesting and weaving with Yellow Flag Iris in this article previously posted by The Urban Weaver Project: Flag iris as an artist material



 

Flag Iris headband - woven by Claire (2012)





Mixed Media (flag iris, papyrus, ceramics) - braided and coiled by Jan (2012)



 



Mixed media basket

This small basket, woven by one of our beginner weavers, was started during the Cedar Weaving workshop and completed at the recent Weaving with Invasive Plants workshop.

Woven using a combination of materials: 

Red cedar provides the warp and forms the base of the basket. 

Yellow Flag Iris leaves give a beautifully textured and subtle coloured band. 

A couple of twined rows of yellow cedar finish the edge and lead into the driftwood handle.

Woven by Janice - November 2012

A fun "Crawl" was had by all

It was great to see all the enthusiasm from the community about the work we have been doing through our studio this past year. 

Thank-you to everyone who walked through the door to share our cozy space and to talk about

 weaving, spinning and knitting with us!  

 A big "Thank you!" goes out to all the Urban Weaver Collective members who helped set-up and clean-up the space, gave weaving, spinning and knitting demonstrations, talked to everyone who came through the door and provided the creature comforts to keep us going (including rice crispy squares with bacon - who would have thought it could be so good)!  The weekend wouldn't have been the success it was without you there to help!

 

Taking advantage of a lull in the crowd to focus on some spinning and knitting





The latest addition to my Event Basket collection:  braided yellow flag iris - coiled and stitched





What's in store for the coming year? 

New workshops ideas were discussed this weekend; keep an eye out for information on bookbinding with Martin, knitting side-ways sox, weaving a bicycle basket of English Ivy and more harvesting opportunities with SPES (Himilayan Blackberry, English Ivy, Yellow Flag Iris). 

Happy Weaving!

The Urban Weaver Project - Videos

A series of short documentaries were produced, by Martin Borden, for the Urban Weaver Project and the Stanley Park Ecological Society:

The Urban Weaver Project

English Ivy

Himalayan Blackberry

Flag Iris

Dancing the Scotch Broom