Weaving In City Workshop

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31319, 15 March 1967, Page 2

Weaving In City Workshop

“Whenever very important people come to my place for djnner I use your dinner mats,” said a letter from Uganda to a trainee at the Canterbury Sheltered Workshops. Handiwork bearing the blue bird of happiness and the weaver’s name has found its way to many countries—and the trainees occasionally receive such letters from satisfied recipients. The women in Uganda had been given a set of dinner mats before she left England after her husband was appointed District Commissioner. Her compliments were in

tribute to the weaver and to the Christchurch Sheltered Workshop Association, the organisation “behind the dinner mat” It is only 10 years since the workshop was opened in Christchurch with only one hand loom. Soon afterwards the association was given a foot loom. Under the guidance of voluntary helpers the trainees were taught weaving “from the ground up.” Initially, the weavers worked in a small room in Antigua street, but recently they moved to larger premises in St. Asaph street where 14 full-time weavers are kept occupied. Giving young handicapped persons a useful training and some purpose in their lives

has always been the first aim of the scheme. Voluntary helpers say that the Sheltered Workshop is one place where holiday announcements are received with glum faces and moans of disappointment. Money from sales help to defray the expenses of the workshop. Woven goods found a ready sale, but until recently goods had to be ordered and there was often a waiting period before delivery. “Now for the first time in 10 years we have dinner mats and other woven goods for sale, in stock,” said Mrs I. M. Lough, who is in charge of the weaving room. “Dinner mats in particular make ideal wedding gifts, and the girls have become so proficient they can execute

special orders very swiftly.” "Fleece rugs, Swedish rugs from new wool, babies’ feeders, nylon woven toilet and cosmetic bags and an enormous variety of dinner mats are on sale at our workroom here in St Asaph street” said Mrs Lough. Girls at the workshop have been given a patient step by step tuition in the craft and many of them are perfectionists. Weaving done at the workshop was of expert standard—visiting weavers (and they are frequent) bore this out, said Mrs Lough. “Our weaving room is unique In New Zealand. There is nowhere else you can go and choose your patterns and your colour scheme, and have your orders executed at once,” said Mrs Lough.