Future Threads

It is a legacy of something that is being passed along. [Fibre arts are] very much alive and living and evolving. That has been influential on me, to have an understanding of where it has come from, but also to be able to explore something new with it. There are just so many possiblities. There is so much to learn, so much to explore.

- Nancy Bowman

In its 73-year history, the Kingston Handloom Weavers and Spinners has continued to grow, evolve, and change, but its passion for the preservation of the fibre arts has remained constant. Facilitating education about fibre and providing a community for fibre artists with interest in weaving, spinning, felting, and dyeing has remained at the core of the organization, and, with over 85 members involved in the Guild as of 2021, interest in the fibre arts shows no sign of slowing down.

Susi Reinink reflects on how the Guild has changed since she joined in 1977 and discusses the future of the fibre arts:

Susi Reinink explains the continued importance of spinning and weaving guilds and discusses the future of the fibre arts.

As fibre artists respond to the needs of our changing world, new movements such as the Fibreshed Movement encourage the public to think more critically about the fibres and fabrics we use in our everyday lives. In the Guild, members with an interest in eco dyeing and natural fibres are exploring new ways of engaging with the fibre arts. Johanna Amos, who joined KHWS in 2018, describes the Eco-Fibre Study Group and the establishment of a dye garden at the front of the Tett Centre, both initiatives led by Katherine Romba:

Johanna Amos discusses the Fibershed Movement and how it has informed the creation of an Eco Fiber study group and natural dye garden.