You might like to know something about our members.
Janet's handspun boucle,woven into a silk scarf
Janet Major is Chair of the Guild. 
She is a spinner (her speciality being fine lace); a dyer (both natural and synthetic) and she is a novice weaver (currently making scarves on her Kromski fold up rigid heddle loom which she loves). She is also a machine knitter, seamstress & felt maker. She runs workshops & gives presentations for the Guild and also privately.
Annette Drake is Treasurer of the Guild
Annette has always enjoyed knitting and sewing, mainly for her own wardrobe and a few years ago her horizons expanded rapidly on joining the Alsager Guild. She is now weaving on a 16 inch Harris 4 shaft table loom and a mini size lap loom made by Joe Allen of Alsager. Her spinning is less advanced but she practises on a beautiful Bosworth drop spindle using local fleece which she has carded. She has a chunky and a standard gauge knitting machine and the combination of a knitted base with woven
decoration is producing appealing fabrics. Our regular workshops and annual exhibition are great motivators and she really looks forward to the sharing of expertise and good company at these events as well as our meetings.
One of Jane's woven pieces, 'Orange Glow'
Jane White is Secretary of the Guild
Jane is a weave designer, hand weaving ranges of scarves and cushions and also framed wall pieces and hangings. Colour has an important role in her designs. She plays with colour and different weave techniques to create exciting effects, she likes having the opportunity to combine colour and pattern. She make use of industrial surplus yarns, and also hand dyes yarn.
She is also part of Ten Plus Textiles group, who exhibit their textile pieces twice a year. http://tenplustextiles.com/
Sandra Price is a member of the Guild
Sandra works at Tatton Park in the Education Department as a Living History guide. Some of the work she does involves introducing children in Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 to spinning and weaving. After a visit to the Alsager Guild Exhibition at Little Moreton Hall in 2006 she decided to further her knowledge by joining the group.
She has had the opportunity to use a spinning wheel but found that weaving interests her more. At the moment she uses a small rigid heddle loom and also a peg loom and enjoys experimenting with them.
Besides developing her own skills she enjoys passing on an interest in spinning and weaving to others, especially to children and young people.
One of Cynthia's bags
Cynthia Dumbelton is a member of the Guild
Since joining the Guild Cynthia has learnt to weave on a rigid heddle loom. She has completed City and Guilds courses on upholstery, patchwork and quilting and also machine embroidery and tries to use the different disciplines in items she makes. For example she has completed an embroidered felted bag where recycled materials were used and the colour was restricted to green. The felted bag was embellished with threads and other fabrics and some knitted parts were added before lining it. In several stitched pieces and wall hangings Cynthia has used different techniques including dyeing with walnut ink, natural and synthetic dyes, cutting away with a burning tool & incorporating metal and beads in the final pieces.Cynthia is a member of the Embroiderers Guild and Staffordshire Patchworkers and Quilters as well as the Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers. She likes to attend relevant exhibitions and workshops to extend and grow her textile experience.
Elizabeth Craig is a member of the Guild one of Elizabeth's inkle braids
Elizabeth works at Quarry Bank Mill as a spinner and weaver, combining her interest in textiles and love of history. She initially learnt to spin cotton on a spindle wheel, and only later moved on to wool! She joined the Guild three years ago, and is particularly keen on natural dyeing, using everyday plants from the garden and allotment, and recently has concentrated on weaving with the inkle loom.