Latest news with #WonderwoolWales
Western Telegraph
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
Wonderwool Wales bursary winners prepare for showcase
Textile artists Rachel Thomas from Aberystwyth and Nancy Una Simmons from Milford Haven, were awarded £1,000 bursaries by Wonderwool Wales after graduating from their BA Textiles course. As part of their award, they were also given exhibition space at Wonderwool Wales, the premier wool and natural fibre festival in Wales, held at the Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd. Both Rachel and Nancy are now looking forward to showcasing their skills, ideas and creations at New Designers in London in July. New Designers is an annual exhibition that brings together the best graduate design talent from across the UK. Over two weeks, the event showcases the work of more than 2,500 talented graduates in a range of disciplines, including textiles, graphics, product design and more. Rachel, who was weaver in residence at Newtown Textile Museum last summer, said she has been busy developing her textile work, working on commissions and experimenting. In the future, she would like to develop fabrics for costumes to be worn by actors in films and TV productions. 'Hopefully, I shall be exhibiting here again in a few years' time,' she said. Nancy, who has been developing her wall hangings, throws and cushion designs since graduating, plans to register her own company focused on weaving and running natural dyeing workshops. She grows plants in her garden for natural dyeing. Both said the bursaries from Wonderwool Wales have provided valuable support to help them develop their future career direction. Rachel has purchased a loom and Nancy plans to use the bursary to subsidise her visit to New Designers. They both also said how much they had enjoyed exhibiting their work and networking at Wonderwool Wales. Chrissie Menzies, Wonderwool Wales director, said: 'It was lovely to see Rachel and Nancy exhibiting at the show and we are pleased that the bursaries are supporting them to develop their careers as textile artists. We wish them success at the New Designers event in London.'
South Wales Guardian
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Wonderwool Wales bursary winners prepare for showcase
Textile artists Rachel Thomas from Aberystwyth and Nancy Una Simmons from Milford Haven, were awarded £1,000 bursaries by Wonderwool Wales after graduating from their BA Textiles course. As part of their award, they were also given exhibition space at Wonderwool Wales, the premier wool and natural fibre festival in Wales, held at the Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd. Both Rachel and Nancy are now looking forward to showcasing their skills, ideas and creations at New Designers in London in July. New Designers is an annual exhibition that brings together the best graduate design talent from across the UK. Over two weeks, the event showcases the work of more than 2,500 talented graduates in a range of disciplines, including textiles, graphics, product design and more. Rachel, who was weaver in residence at Newtown Textile Museum last summer, said she has been busy developing her textile work, working on commissions and experimenting. In the future, she would like to develop fabrics for costumes to be worn by actors in films and TV productions. 'Hopefully, I shall be exhibiting here again in a few years' time,' she said. Nancy, who has been developing her wall hangings, throws and cushion designs since graduating, plans to register her own company focused on weaving and running natural dyeing workshops. She grows plants in her garden for natural dyeing. Both said the bursaries from Wonderwool Wales have provided valuable support to help them develop their future career direction. Rachel has purchased a loom and Nancy plans to use the bursary to subsidise her visit to New Designers. They both also said how much they had enjoyed exhibiting their work and networking at Wonderwool Wales. Chrissie Menzies, Wonderwool Wales director, said: 'It was lovely to see Rachel and Nancy exhibiting at the show and we are pleased that the bursaries are supporting them to develop their careers as textile artists. We wish them success at the New Designers event in London.'
Western Telegraph
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
Pembrokeshire woman to exhibit at art show in London
Nancy Una Simmons from Milford Haven, who previously attended Carmarthen School of Art, will exhibit her creations at London art show New Designers. She will be accompanied by fellow ex-student Rachel Thomas from Aberystwyth. Both women were awarded £1,000 bursaries by Wonderwool Wales, a natural fibre festival, after graduating from their BA Textiles courses. As part of the award, the artists had the opportunity to display their work at the festival and network with other professionals. After gaining experience and exposure at the Wonderwool event at the Royal Welsh Showground in Llanelwedd, they now are preparing for the next step in their artistic careers. The New Designers exhibition in London is an annual event that provides a platform for the top graduate design talent from across the UK. It showcases the work of more than 2,500 graduates in a variety of disciplines including textiles, graphics, and product design. The bursaries from the Wonderwool Wales festival have been used to support their work, providing them with opportunities for future growth. They expressed gratitude towards the festival, acknowledging the indispensable support which helped them establish a future career direction. The exhibition in London provides the artists with an opportunity to showcase their work beyond Wales. Ms Simmons has been working on her wall hangings, throws, and cushion designs since her graduation. She plans to launch her own business that focuses on weaving and running natural dyeing workshops. She grows her own plants in her garden in order to use the natural dye in her work. Her passion for sustainably produced art finds a fitting expression in this initiative. The £1,000 bursary will help fund her trip to London for the exhibition. Rachel Thomas, who has also been productive since graduation, was equally enthusiastic. The artist has gained a position as a weaver in residence at Newtown Textile Museum, where she will work this summer. Ms Thomas has purchased a loom with her awarded fund and has ambitious aspirations for her future practice. She envisions producing fabric for costumes in films and TV productions. She is set to make profitable use of her skill by taking on commissions and exploring various facets of textile art. Chrissie Menzies, director of the Wonderwool Wales festival, said: "It was lovely to see Rachel and Nancy exhibiting at the show and we are pleased that the bursaries are supporting them to develop their careers as textile artists. "We wish them success at the New Designers event in London."
Powys County Times
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Rhayader shop dragon raises £1,700 for Wales Air Ambulance
A DECORATIVE dragon that was auctioned off for charity by a Powys shopkeeper has raised nearly £2,000 for the Wales Air Ambulance. 'Ffleur', as the dragon became fondly known, had entertained local children aplenty since Rosemary Stow put it in the window at her craft shop, Quillies, in Rhayader, June 2022. Rosemary had countless offers to buy the crocheted dragon, made by Vicki Gregory, from Aberedw. But due to the fact it took Vicki 80 hours to make it, Rosemary had been unable to put a value on Ffleur. Instead, she came up with the idea of raffling it off for charity, with the winner drawn at Wonderwool Wales, an annual craft event taking place at the Royal Welsh Showground in Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, at the end of April, with the proceeds donated to the Wales Air Ambulance. 'We managed to raise £1,729.70 for the Wales Air Ambulance,' said Rosemary this week. Sir Salman Rushdie to return to Powys for Hay literary festival No jail for man who punched wife after attending wedding at Powys hotel One person taken to hospital after lorry overturns on Newtown bypass 'The winner was Lesley Bishop, from Abertillery, who was absolutely thrilled to have won it, especially as it was her birthday the day after the draw. 'My shop window is quite bare at the moment but I have put in a photo of Lesley holding the dragon with a limerick underneath.' Quillies stocks textiles, art, jewellery, photographs, prints and ceramics, all made by a host of talented makers, with around 80 having sold their items in the shop. Rosemary, who opened the East Street shop in 2016, wanted a centrepiece for the front window, and Vicki swooped in with Ffleur. 'I had no idea it would prove so popular,' said Rosemary, originally from Kent. 'I wanted something to grab people's attention and visitors love it. Local children love it and it's always a talking point. They make 'rawr' sound every time they pass the shop.' She added: 'The maker took 80 hours to make so I couldn't possibly sell it and it would cost about £1,000 to sell, so I thought the best way to part with it would be a raffle. 'I decided that it would be appropriate to hold the raffle at Wonderwool Wales at the end of April and, because the Air Ambulance is the chosen charity of Wonderwool, they were happy to agree to the idea.' A Wales Air Ambulance propeller quilt was the second prize, with other smaller dragons as additional prizes, as well as other items. Rosemary said the quilt was won by Doreen Parker, from Swansea, while one of the baby dragons was won by a Powys resident, living in Bwlch-y-Sarnau. The other baby dragon went to a lady in Kirkintilloch, near Glasgow.
Powys County Times
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Wool art exhibition celebrating VE Day unveiled in Wales
A wool art exhibition celebrating VE Day was unveiled for the first time in Llanelwedd last weekend. The Britain at War exhibition – The Longest Yarn 2 – was displayed at Wonderwool Wales, the premier wool and natural fibre festival in Wales, held at the Royal Welsh Showground. The exhibition consisted of nine panels at its launch, but will grow to 80 as extra panels are added during a tour of the UK over the coming months. The first nine panels include VE Day, Buckingham Palace, The Lorry on the Strand, The Street Party, The Conga at The Ritz with Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, War is Declared, Coventry Cathedral is Bombed, Windows Taped up, The Few – Spitfire pilots with their dogs, and Lumber Jills. Founder Tansy Forster and her fellow knitters and crocheters are creating a new installation following the success of The Longest Yarn – an 80-metre, 3D wool art depiction of the D-Day landings in France on June 6, 1944 – which toured the UK last year and is now touring America. More than 1,000 knitters and crocheters from around the world contributed to the first project, which grew from Tansy's original idea of creating a display for a garden wall at her home in Normandy. Event director Chrissie Menzies said: "We were thrilled that Tansy and her group of fellow knitters produced the fantastic VE Day exhibition to be premiered at Wonderwool Wales. "The exhibition attracted huge interest and so many positive comments over the weekend and I am certain it will meet with the same response as it tours the UK." The Britain at War exhibition will be at Wells Cathedral until May 10, before moving to Gosport from May 12 to June 4, Plymouth from June 5 to 29, a venue to be confirmed from June 30 to July 21, Brecon from July 22 to 31, and Chiltern Open Air Museum from August 1 to 31. By September 3, at Southwell Minster, all 80 panels will be on display. The exhibition then moves to Stoke on Trent Minster in October, Sherborne Abbey in November and Leek in December. In 2026, the tour continues to Kilkeel, Northern Ireland in January, Enniskillen in February, Penrith in March, Belfast in April, Lichfield Cathedral in May, Peterborough Cathedral in June, Nothe Fort in Weymouth in July, Gosport in August, Welshpool in September, Wrexham in October and Chorley in November. Ms Forster, said: "Due to the positive reception and success we have experienced with the Longest Yarn, we are excited to further develop our initiatives to ensure these significant commemorations continue to be recognised. "Britain at War examines how Britain navigated the war from September 3, 1939 to VE Day on May 8, 1945. "Visitors to Wonderwool Wales were the first to see the start of 80-panel work we are currently working on. "When I first had my lightbulb moment, I really had no idea that it would lead to this incredible rollercoaster that I've been on for almost two years. "250,000 people have visited the first exhibition and raised the same in monetary terms." She explained that she hopes to double the £250,000 raised so far to help establish a halfway house for British veterans, while also supporting dog charities that assist people with disabilities and medical conditions. Ms Forster is also hopeful that The Longest Yarn will raise enough money in the USA to establish a halfway house for American veterans.
