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WORK WITHIN SCHOOLS I particularly welcome invitations to bring my peglooms to schools. We can work on one project or the children can work on small individual looms with four pegs.  Many things can be woven so that the sessions can be linked with course work or subjects that the children are studying. We can approach peglooming from the recycling angle, here old bin bags have been used to make a protective cover for a school vegetable bed. Ideal because it is lightweight and black absorbs the heat. Newspapers, clingfilm, tin foil and rags can all be used. Coloured wool roving can be used as with the Grange School Project below. Or raw rare breed fleece makes a great day both for children in and out of farming communities...especially when many children think that shee are mostly white. CHARGES As a whole I charge £150 per school day session, and £75.00 for a half day. Extra expenses may be invoiced if the travel is a great distance or the materials costly. I am keen to explore all projects so if you have something particular that you are studying with your pupils and you think peg looming might help then please get in touch and we can discuss it and come up with a workshop to suit your needs. GRANGE PRIMARY SCHOOL BANBURY This was a day session where a class of Year 5 and 6 wove three fleece roving colours each to make a hanging for the assembly hall. Firstly I talk about the history of this form of weaving, from the early three stick weaving from early Medieval times to the beginning of looms. Then we talk about colours and pass around balls of roving to be handled. We discuss that blue is not just for boys and that pink doesnt always have to make girls wink! I tell them to think about the three colours they will choose, that they dont have to match the ones beneath them, or blend with each other.  Threading up the Loom The second task was to thread up the warps. This was done with the help of a young lad doing work experience at the school. While this is being done the other students work on related projects and come in small groups to watch and help.  BEGINNING TO WEAVE The students then come up in groups of three and choose their colours. They are shown how to begin and are eager and quick to pick up the technique. They realise that although weaving appears easy, concentration is required to maintain the regular tension and continuity.  There is great excitement when the last of their three colours is woven, for it is now that the magic takes place...how does the weaving move from the pegs to the warp below...? Everyone is delighted with the end result, crowding around and pointing out their own contributions. Parents are brought in after school and proudly shown what their children have learned and achieved that day. I feel fantastic...it is wonderful to see their faces, everyone has been involved, even those who felt they couldnt do it managed with ease. The end result is a masterpiece, presented in assembly and hung on the wall. The drawback is that two other classes of Year 5 and 6 demand to know why they weren't taking part too! WARRINER SCHOOL CHERWELL DISTRICT COUNCIL HOLIDAY WORKSHOP  Liam, James, Page and Sally I was lucky enough to be invited to do a peg looming workshop as part of a district council run out-of-school project. With the help of the Warriner Farm staff the children were being treated to a wonderful week of activities, felt making, mosaic, willow sculpturing, farm animal handling...and peg looming!  The children worked in groups of three with the help of a support worker from the Sunshine Centre in Banbury and a young member from the Enterprise scheme. Each child had their own loom and settled down quickly and eagerly to weave. Feedback from the children was that they felt very calm and relaxed whilst doing the weaving. When the second group came along for their turn they were sent back again because the first three didn't want to finish! The session lasted an hour, a piece was achieved which the children proudly showed off. James, above right, commented that it had only felt like half an hour and was suprised that he had been sat still for so long. Liam showing Ryan how to Peg Weave Carla twizzles and lifts her pegs to release the weaving Workshop in the barn with the farm dogs Ben and Skye PEPPER HILL SCHOOL MILTON KEYNES The Rainbow is Pepper Hill School's motif and teacher Sarah Winsor invited me to help her infant class to weave a wallhanging for their school reception area. The hanging was part of their 'Belonging' topic and was woven out of fabrics, wools, carrier bags and lengths of material that had been tie-dyed and decorated by the children. |
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