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Museum News December 2025 First I would like to thank all our visitors and Friends for another wonderful year, as always it is a pleasure to meet new people and to welcome back some old friends. We have also had some interesting Group Visits and some fantastic feedback, it is always so rewarding to receive an appreciative comment in the book or a thank you email from Visitors. We are now closed for Winter and hope to open again in Spring. Spring Opening We will be at Wonder Wool Wales on the 25 th 26 th April the Museum will then be open on the 27 th and 28 th we usually aim to be fully open on the May Bank holiday weekend with the spring plant sale . Sunday 3 rd Monday 4 th Tuesday 5 th May Spring Newsletter to come shortly Anyone wishing to visit by appointment or wishing to arrange talks and classes over the winter please use the contacts page or phone the office . Click Here Our Hattersley The Museum is dedicated to the history of the Welsh Textile Industry, However as a maker at heart the thought of producing some quality cloth is never far from my mind, The Hattersley Domestic was introduced in the early 1900s, now famed for being the loom used by the Harris Crofters to weave the original single width Tweed, It was also adopted by a number of small mills around Wales, Being foot powered it could be operated even when the river was dry and a water driven mill could do no other work, therefore it was perfect addition to a small mill. Getting her Weaving Again The Hattersley is perfect for weaving Flannels and Tweeds, Our Aim is to see her weaving again, first of all we have to build her a light and dry weaving shed, Once she is in a safe and dry atmosphere we can set about getting her up and running, I somehow doubt she will run without a little love, care and a few replacement parts, but applying the 'where there is a will there is a way' principle, I hope soon to be weaving our own Museum Tweed and Flannel. Fund Raising We aim to build her shed with plenty of natural light, having large glass windows will also mean that visitors can view the work in progress. We initially estimated a cost of £6,000.00 to build her her house and start the set up. We begun fundraising this year at Wonder Wool with a selection of hand made pincushions, I have lost count of exactly how many I have made but as we approach the year we are well on our way to the first £2,000.00. We will of course be continuing into the New Year hoping to get to the 2,000.00 mark by the time the weather is good enough to make a start on the building. Become a Friend or Sponsor us The Museum will be closed between New year and Spring, we will however be working away behind the scenes, if any one wants to visit by appointment we will always make a visit possible providing we are not knee deep in mess... We not only have the Loom shed to build but we also have a long list of things that need doing within the building, ...For those who haven't visited yet, The Museum occupies the Old School house which was built in 1834 since then it has seen various phases of modernisation, the Gallery and Workshop occupy the modern wing. When we first moved here we had great dreams about holding Summer Events and the possibilities of holding larger classes, whilst we have achieved a lot over the past years , there is still a lot more to do, we have to restore the old toilets and re decorate the office wing, fix the defunct heating system and bring some of the lighting up to standard. (and that is just the beginning ). If we could achieve all these in one year it would be a miracle, however the faster we get these done the sooner we will be able to do some of the really fun stuff like teaching and summer events which we hope will help us raise funds for the next stage . In the new year we will be launching our fund raising page Haberdashers Bazar which you will be able to find on Instagram, you will also find a selection of interesting things for sale in our sister shop especially made or donated to raise funds for the Museum please see links page for details If you would like to Donate or become a Friend and help with our Spring & Summer fundraisers, please contact us through the contacts page.

Classes 2025 Classes for individuals and groups. Here are a just few of the classes we will be looking forward to this year, please feel free to contact us about classes for Textile Study Groups and Schools. many of the classes we hold at the school are run by request if you have a group of 4 or more we will always try to make a class available, those of you who know us will be familiar with the things we teach but for those that don't here are a few of the popular subjects, Day and half day Classes These are some of the classes that are suitable for day and half day classes, Rag Ruging comes in many forms from Hooked to knitted, crochet and woven, you can choose a type for a half day class or come for a full day and learn more about all of the types then go on to choose one type for a practical session in the afternoon, We provide the tools you will need and hessian backing for you to start your project, you will need to bring a selection of soft cotton rag, cotton t shirt material or soft wool flannel. All full day classes start from £75 per day with a light lunch Half day classes start from £45 with tea and Welsh cakes. We also have a selection of tools and materials to buy. Rag Rug Rag Rug simple hooking The bottom rug was made in the 1920s from what we call thrums, this was wool waste from the mills, the wool was held in bundles and hooked through in bunches , this shows the innovative ways rugs were made from whatever scraps that could be found, the rug corner on top is a newly made version of the favorite woolen cloth scraps cut into strips and hooked through a hessian backing, this is a wonderful method for using up old blankets and clothing , here we have used an old white blanket and various old tweed skirts and jackets, unpicked and given a rough wash in the machine to lightly felt the cloth . this is a simple way to use up old cloth and make beautifully warm bedside rugs or something to chear a cold stone floor. Ribbon hooking Very effective patterned rugs can be made from hooking long continuous strips of coloured rag, this works very well with soft cotton cloth that can be torn which safes the bother of cutting all the strips, however as the effect is so nice cutting strips on soft wool is well worth the effort, this also works very well with t shirt cotton which will roll into a bouncy cord so will make a lovely soft rug . It is not so common to find pictorial rugs amongst the old English and Welsh examples however in America Pictorial rugs seemed to be very popular and are a much loved part of their folk art tradition which has been carried on until this day. basically the finer you cut your strips the finer detail you can add to your rug. Waste Wool Very nice effects can be achieved using waste wool hooked through in small bundles using the simple geometric patterns found in Moroccan nomad rugs and also geometric patterns found in the many types of kilim., these styles can also be carried out with soft rag using one of the hooked methods. many historic examples of Rag Rugs were made to emulate expensive hand woven rugs Crochet Rag There are also many kinds of Braided Rugs some rely on plating strips then joining them together using a needle, others can be stitched or Crocheted, Crochet is a nice method for making easily washable rugs of course you can do Round Square or Rectangular, you can use thin strips of Cotton rag , denim for a hard wearing rug or wool for something a little softer. Waste not Want Not Waste Wool often turns up in old rugs, simply because Nothing was thrown away, old knitwear was unraveled and if there wasn't enough to knit a new garment or if the wool was past its best for knitting then into the rug it goes. nothing wasted and great fun can be had deciding what to do with your favorite colours. Denim and Drill Denims and heavy drills also make interesting textures, these heavier cloths work well for Braided and Crochet Rugs and make excellent rugs for stone floors or areas that will get heavier usage you can rely just upon the natural indigo and use it in contrasting shades or you can introduce another colour in any drill of a similar weight T Shirt Cotton Strips T Shirt cotton is a wonderful material for creating pictorial rugs, one of the best tings about it is that it tears into strips which curl back on themselves and being a little stretchy the tufts contract into nice neat bobbles when tightly placed together this makes a very pretty decorative rug Fine hooked Pictorial Rugs This peacock rug is being worked in T shirt cottons. The Peacock is a symbol of good fortune used frequently in Indian and nomadic rugs, it is also in eastern European folk art, this peacock was taken from a piece of Romanian folk embroidery often these pieces were made as part of the wedding textiles which were worked by the women for their daughter to take to their new home ,

The Museum is dedicated to the Welsh woolen industry , with emphasis on the earlier work of the rural hand weavers, Museum of Welsh Textiles 2026 Museum Exhibition Things of Thrift and Beauty From Costume to Folk Art and the Quilt. This year we will be looking at some new pieces to the collection and looking at our relationship with cloth, the importance it plays in our lives, and the new question we all face of sustainability, This year we will look back at an old culture who's natural inclination was to cherish every last scrap of precious wool ingeniously working it into something not only of use in the home but also into much treasured art forms. Open from Monday 4 th May Monday 11.00 to 5.00 Tuesday 11.00 to 5.00 Sunday 1.00 to 5.00 It may be possible to visit by appointment at other times please call the office between 9.30 and 10.30 01547 560936

Teaching Natural Dying Natural Dye Classes are available throughout the summer month. We work with both locally sourced Dye plants and imported dyes such as Madder and Indigo, Our long term aim at the school is to develop our own Dye garden where we can also teach cultivation. Log Cabin Log Cabin piecing was traditionally a thrifty way to construct a warm quilt from worn clothing, the squares which make up the quilt are made separately and joined to make a full size Quilt, this makes it an excellent choice for hand work that can be easily constructed in stages, Examples of this technique are common throughout many parts of Europe and the America's as a much treasured part of their flok art traditions. Natural Dying Dye foraging Hand Spinning Hand Spinning with local fleeces, we always have a good selection of local fleeces waiting to be spun, Beginners classes start with an introduction to the craft and a chance to learn how and why different fleeces are spun up using different methods , and about their suitability either for knitting or weaving. Paper pieced Patchwork Pieced Paper Patchwork features heavily in the earlier Welsh and British Quilts. This method was commonly used to utilise small off cuts of fancy cottons. A pieced top being made up in stages before finally being made into a quilt, this method is hand stitched and can be worked in stages making it a wonderful winter project. Natural Dyes and Inks Natural Dyes and Botanical Inks Many of the plants we use for dyeing Wool can also be used to create beautiful tones to be used as Inks or Paints Natural Dying Collecting and Growing Natural Dye Plants Rag Rug making Rag Rug making in Wales was once a common pastime amongst the country dwellers. Rural homes made them to soften the cold slate floors and add a little warmth and colour, We have some old examples here at the Museum but most are a little worse for wear but are a wonderful source of inspiration. Traditionally they were made from worn clothing , wool flannels and tweeds, other examples show great ingenuity one favorite of mine uses waste wool, no doubt this was waste from a local mill Apply Today All Classes above can be booked for groups of 4 or over for booking please contact the office or use the contact form on the contact page. info@radnorshireartsandcraftsfoundation.org 01547 560936

Museum of Welsh Textiles, Museum and Gallery, The Old School Whitton, Museum of Welsh Textiles Museum and Gallery The Museum of Welsh Textiles is housed at The Old School Whitton, and is dedicated to the History of Woollen industry and Textiles in Wales. Each year we display a different aspect of the collection showing examples and focusing on their manner of production. ... Some highlights from previous years .... Welsh Folk Costume, A tribute to the rural weavers, who Spun, Dyed, and Wove the fleece of their own flocks continuing age old skills and traditions. In this this exhibition we took a closer look at the origins of what we now consider to be Welsh National Costume looking more closely at its origins, In Praise of the Hand loom Weavers. Took a closer look at the small Weaving Clutches who produced not only the cloth for everyday needs but who's master weavers produced the iconic Double cloths later taken up by the larger industrial mills throughout Wales.

Museum of Welsh Textiles 2026 Exhibition Things of Thrift and Beauty From Costume to Folk Art and the Quilt. This year we will be looking at some new pieces to the collection and looking at our relationship with cloth, the importance it plays in our lives, and the new question we all face of sustainability, This year we will look back at an old culture who's natural inclination was to cherish every last scrap of precious wool ingeniously working it into something not only of use in the home but also into much treasured art forms Open from Monday 4th May Monday 11.00 to 5.00 Tuesday 11.00 to 5.00 Sunday 1.00 to 5.00 It may be possible to visit by appointment at other times please call the office between 9.30 and 10.30 01547 560936 Gallery Exhibition 2026 Heritage Crafts Frame Quilting Welsh Quilting relies heavily on the use of the frame for quilting , Frame quilting now appears on the endangered red list of Heritage crafts. This year we will be giving demonstrations of Welsh Flannel piecing and Quilting , with the opportunity to book classes Smocking The linen Smock was worn throughout Wales during the 18th Century, the smock is practical and versatile garment that was worn by working men , great pride was taken in their stitching , with intricate regional patterns appearing in the smocking and the embroidered borders on the Cuffs and collar, Weaving Later in the year we will be looking at some of the weaving techniques used in Welsh Carthen weaving , with demonstrations of four shaft Twill and Double Cloth weaving More to come .. We will be adding some more to the list before opening in May ...... Reflections n Vernacular Welsh furniture Our workshop is often required to Repair and Maintain beautiful old Welsh pieces, With many years of restoration experience comes the desire to re create the occasional piece using entirely traditional methods, we look forward to displaying some examples later in the year. Sheaths and Spindles So many knitters admire the Museums collection of Sheaths and Spindles that we have decided to make some copies available , we look forward to adding these to the Gallery later in the year

Teaching This is a Paragraph. Click on "Edit Text" or double click on the text box to start editing the content and make sure to add any relevant details or information that you want to share with your visitors. Museum of Welsh Textiles The Museum is dedicated to the history of the Welsh Textile Industry, and exhibits a different Selection from the collection each year. allowing a rare glimpse into the craftsmanship of the past, Gallery The Gallery shows a selection of contemporary work from local Artists and Makers, Teaching Throughout the year we hold a variety of Classes and Study days where you can learn more about the history and the techniques used in the production of some of the exhibits shown in the Museum and Gallery. Museum of Welsh Textiles The Museum is dedicated to the history of the Welsh Textile Industry, and exhibits a different Selection from the collection each year. allowing a rare glimpse into the craftsmanship of the past, Gallery The Gallery shows a selection of contemporary work from local Artists and Makers, Teaching Throughout the year we hold a variety of Classes and Study days where you can learn more about the history and the techniques used in the production of some of the exhibits shown in the Museum and Gallery. Small Title This is a Paragraph. Click on "Edit Text" or double click on the text box to start editing the content and make sure to add any relevant details or information that you want to share with your visitors. Small Title This is a Paragraph. Click on "Edit Text" or double click on the text box to start editing the content and make sure to add any relevant details or information that you want to share with your visitors. Small Title This is a Paragraph. Click on "Edit Text" or double click on the text box to start editing the content and make sure to add any relevant details or information that you want to share with your visitors.

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Museum of Welsh Textiles, Museum Gallery and teaching center About The Old School Museum & Gallery Welcome to Radnorshire arts and Crafts Foundation, A group of Artists and Crafts people working in Radnorshire who came together to promote and exhibit handmade and artisan crafts. Inspired by the most beautiful countryside we reflect our appreciation for our surroundings by working in natural materials, drawing from traditional crafts and exploring true artistry to create something new for today. We began life in 2010 teaching and running Artist and Makers events, in 2017 we took on The Old School in Whitton, Radnorshire where we hoped to set up A Museum Gallery and Teaching Facility The old school has a delightful history it was bequeathed by A local Lady, 'Dame Anna Child' in 1703 for the education of local children, the old schoolrooms built in 1834, lend themselves perfectly to their new use as a Museum, whilst the modern extension houses a Gallery and teaching space The Old School The Old School is the new home of the Museum of Welsh Textiles, the Museum occupies the original School Rooms built in 1834 , The New wing Houses the Gallery and Teaching space. Museum The Museum is dedicated to the history of the Welsh Textile Industry, and exhibits a different Selection from the collection each year. allowing a rare glimpse into the craftsmanship of the past, Gallery The Gallery shows a selection of contemporary work from local Artists and Makers, 2026 The focus of this years exhibition focuses on Heritage Crafts, illustrating the techniques used in Traditional Welsh Whole Cloth Quilting Teaching Throughout the year we hold a variety of Classes and Study days where you can learn more about the history and the techniques used in the production of some of the exhibits shown in the Museum and Gallery.

Links Links, Friends and Information The Old School is the home of the 'Museum of Welsh Textiles' and houses the Gallery and Teaching Space, We still have a lot of work to do to improve the building and make more space available for teaching , below is list of friends and sponsors who have kindly donated to the project. Friends .... The Old Shop ...Presteigne The Old Shop sells an array of Hand Made Textiles and Artisan made items, ... not to mention a wide selection of vintage Welsh Blankets which are sold to support the Museum. The old Shop , 47 High St Presteigne LD8 2BE ...01544 260777 info@theoldshop.wales . www.theoldshop.wales N0 12 High St ...Knighton No 12 is a lovely little studio shop in Knighton who graciously lends us teaching space whilst we continue to work on the school. for teaching details ...01547 560936 Museum Plants ... As a part of our fundraising campaign we have begun a plant rearing project at the School, .The sale of plants will allow us to develop the grounds around the school and to grow Dye Plants for future classes . A selection of plants for sale can be found at the Museum and at The Old Shop 47 High St Presteigne. Haberdashers Bazaar Haberdasher's Bazaar is an online shop Selling Antique and Vintage Textiles, Buttons, Trimmings and sewing accoutrements. With a good range Natural fiber fabrics and Yarns specially sourced for restoration work and historical re creations. There will also be a curiosity department of specially selected White Elephants, some very nice pieces Antique furniture, Treen, decorative items and small collectables To be launched In January 2025https://www.instagram.com/habadashers.bazar/ ... .... ... ... Places to visit ... The Judges Lodgings ...Presteigne The Judges Lodgings Broad St, Presteigne , is an award winning Museum. A perfectly preserved example of a Victorian Court Room complete with the most commodious accommodation thought fitting for the presiding judge of a County Court. https://www.judgeslodging.org.uk/ N0 12 High St ...Knighton No 12 is a lovely little studio shop in Knighton who graciously lends us teaching space whilst we continue to work on the school. for teaching details ...01547 560936 Museum Plants ... As a part of our fundraising campaign we have begun a plant rearing project at the School, .The sale of plants will allow us to develop the grounds around the school and to grow Dye Plants for future classes . plants for sale can be found at the Museum and at The Old Shop Our Story

The Museum is dedicated to the Welsh woolen industry , with emphasis on the earlier work of the rural hand weavers, Previous years exhibitions Museum of Welsh Textiles 2023 In Praise of the Handloom Weavers This years exhibition celebrates the work of the Rural Weavers working within their own towns and villages, weaving primarily to fulfill the needs of their own communities. This years exhibition shows the variety of cloth woven, from that produced for daily use, to the heirloom pieces woven for special occasions, the majority of these pieces were not only hand woven but involved the work of both local spinner and dyer, before the yarn arrived at the door of the weaver. Welsh Double Cloth Quilt 19th C Double Cloth Quilt work of the Master Weaver, hangs behind a selection of simple indigo stripes. These simple stripes were woven for everyday use, in natural white or grey with the addition of a little simple colour, Work of the Master Weaver Lewis Jones , a Master Weaver from Lampeter weaving narrow loom tapestry on an old wooden box loom. These looms were frequently situated in the home or in a small shed attached to the house or farm. Fringed Narrow loom Cartheni The Double Cloth Quilts and the heavy fringed Carthen were frequently given as wedding presents many becoming treasured heirlooms handed down through generations, Visit