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Teaching , Talks and Textile Study Days

Classes Talks and Study Days are available throughout the year and can be arranged for group visits 

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Teaching 

Selected Classes,  Talks and Textile Study Days are available throughout the year at the school and can be arranged for individuals or groups of 4 or more.

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Spinning

Natural Plant Dying

Talks & Textile study days 

Classes of 4 to 8 can be booked for beginners and intermediate levels where you can learn more about the process of selecting, washing and preparing the fleece, before taking you on to

spinning your own yarn. we have a selection of wheels for people to try out and occasionally have wheels and fleece for sale.

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Natural Dying lessons Can be booked in the summer months  when we can take you out gleaning from the hedgerows, although we are working on our own Dye garden so that eventual we will have stocks of our own cultivated Dyes, either way we can teach you about the principles involved and show you some of the unexpected colours that can be gleaned from the wilds.

A variety of Talks and Textile Study Days can be arranged throughout the year, where you can learn more about the history and the techniques used in the production of many of the exhibits shown in the Museum and Gallery.

We can also prepare Talks for outside group visits, these can be on the general history of Textiles in Wales or on a subject of specific interest.

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Rag Rug Making

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Pieced Paper Patchwork

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Utility Quilts

Rag Rug making was practiced throughout Wales and in many areas of England , the variety of rugs is seemingly endless as the methods of hooking  and styles of rug vary from area to area dictated to by the materials available.

At the School we like to look at methods used in the old rugs comparing materials used before sending you away together your own rags.

wonderful textural effects can be achieved with the simplest materials .

Pieced Paper Patchwork was much a much favored pastime of not only Women but also Soldiers and Sailors, Pieced patchwork was much favored by the gentry who constructed intricate quilts from the fashionable and expensive floral chintz's, also by the rural Welsh who reworked old clothing and carefully gathered scraps, often emulating the fine gentry made quilts using simpler materials often with the most stunning effects.

Traditionally Quilt making was born from thriftiness, Cloth was a valuable commodity which could not be wasted, it was frequently used and re used within the home even the simplest of fabrics were ingeniously

 refashioned to provide warm and decorative covers with  the most pleasing effects, many are now considered to be folk art much due to their use of modest, even worn fabrics, also for their slight irregularities and 

 inconsistencies

Things to look forward to 

We are currently planning some new classes 

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Traditional Smocking

The Museum has one Smock which although Timeworn is always much admired.

So we thought it was about time to add smocking to the list of classes, we can teach you how to draft a pattern and design and execute your own smocking embroidery details.

This class will be suitable for people with basic hand sewing Experience.

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Weaving 

We have a number of table top looms for teaching , and Hope this year to be raising funds to build a loom room for the Hattersley, she is a beautiful little loom the type used on Harris to weave their famous Tweeds, These looms were designed to be operated by foot peddles so were also perfect for some of the small rural Welsh Mills who similarly used them to weave Tweed and Flannel.

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Stitching Samplers 

We have received many requests for hand sewing classes, there was once a time when sewing was taught in all schools. Girls were taught to prepare miniature stitching 

samples of Seam types, hems, buttonholes, darning and simple embroidery stiches. These miniature sampler were often mounted in books which have now become highly collectable, we now invite you to come and make your own .

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19th C linen Smock

The Smock was widely worn throughout England and Wales up until the early 1800s examples can still be seen in photographs up until the latter part of the 19th C in rural areas such as Wales. It is the most comfortable garment for working wear often made in a closely woven linen which protected  the wearer from light showers, Shepard's and farm workers smocks often had broad collars covering the shoulders for extra protection, these were often heavily decorated with embroidery.

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Girls Sewing Classes at Whitton 1930s

This beautiful picture shows the Whitton girls out in the playground engaged in their sewing lessons , we rather hope to continue this tradition in the summer months.

We were given this and three other photographs by an ex pupil the others show the Girls Cooking and the boys in the vegetable patch growing Peas which the Girls made into soup for Friday luncheon, ..the fourth shows the Boys woodwork classes, , all subjects we wholeheartedly 

approve of.

Next year we hope to put together a display showing these Photographs and giving a little of the early history of education in Wales.

This school was founded by the kind bequest of a local Lady in 1703. The new schoolrooms that we now occupy were built in 1834.Prior to that it is believed that the children were taught in the school masters house and also in a barn.

 

 

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