Spring 2020 update!

We love having enthusiastic people, of any age wanting to have a go at weaving. This is Pippa from Onerahi, Whangarei who is 6 years old. She was a very attentive weaver and good at it too!

We also get lovely messages recorded in our guest book..

Debbie and Paul from the Hibiscus Coast, Auckland wrote "Love this place! We come here every couple of years - such an awesome project!

So, this is where we were up to at the beginning of  September - working on "the foreshore" 

Charlotte, from Auckland (the Mayor's grand-daughter) enjoyed learning to weaving on one of the Harmony panels. Unfortunately, we couldn't persuade the Mayor, Sheryl Mai to weave! 

Naoko was on hand to give assistance to Charlotte.

 

Aaron Max Finn Caleb, from Taupo said it was an amazing experience to help make the tapestry and Oliver (above) from Mangawhai, who has just turned 7 liked having a go at weaving as well.

JULY 2020 - update

With the move to Alert Level 2 on 14 May 2020 in New Zealand and the re-opening of THE BACH gallery to the public, weaving recommenced on the tapestry again. 

Naoko started working on the left hand side of the panel - a "basket weave" pattern acknowledging the traditional Maori craft (Raranga -the art of weaving) For Maori, raranga evokes strong feelings of unity and togetherness; the weaving together of the people into their families (whanau) tribes (iwi) and into the Maori nation, and spiritually, the weaving together of all of creation into a single indivisible living wholeness.

 Meanwhile, Julia continued to work on the central area - the "water and mangroves"

 It was nice to "get back to normal" be able to do some weaving, chat to customer's some who were visiting the area but mostly people who live locally and share our community tapestry venture with them.

 Felice Croft and Maia Harris-Slade took some time out of their day to try some weaving on the Harmony looms.

Felice thought it was an awesome idea and was glad to be able to take part!

 Linda le Fleming, visiting from New Plymouth enjoyed having a go at weaving as well. 

Emily and Alan left a lovely comment in our visitors book, saying they appreciated hearing about our tapestry project and loved that it was "History in Action!"

JULY 2020

As we weave from the bottom up, Naoko and I have wound down the tapestry again. This makes it easier to sit and weave comfortably. Here are some close-up photos of where we are up to...

Thanks for stopping by and checking on THE BACH Community Tapestry Project. If you are in Whangarei, call in to the gallery at the Town Basin and see it for yourself. If you would like to try some weaving, let us know and we will show you how to do it!

March/April 2020 update and Covid-19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we live, not just here in New Zealand - but worldwide. As new cases of Covid-19 continued to rise around the country the Prime Minister declared on Monday 23 March that New Zealand would enter alert level 3, effective immediately, during the health ministry briefing. We were advised to prepare for alert level 4, effective at 11:59 pm on Wednesday 26 March that would see New Zealand go into lock-down. 

Along with hundreds of other businesses, THE BACH gallery closed up, uncertain of when things would return to "normal" life-as-we-knew it. With the country in lock-down and only essential services permitted to operate, the tapestry project came to a grinding halt. 

At the beginning of March 2020 we still had a number of foreign and domestic tourists enjoying Northland. 

 Petra de Koning Gans (above) and Jeltsje Wieroma (below) visiting from Ulrecht in the Netherlands, both enjoyed doing some weaving on the community tapestry 

They both agreed they enjoyed weaving experience and were grateful for the opportunity.

The day before New Zealand moved to Alert Level 3, Pam - a local from Kamo, took up the invitation to try a bit of weaving, opting for the harmony panel as she didn't feel confident weaving on the main tapestry. She too enjoyed the opportunity to "just sit and add her bit" to the community project.

This is where we are currently up to...

 

 

 Thanks for checking in!
We are looking forward to being able to return to spending time with members of the community, sharing stories and teaching the basic weaving techniques when it is safe to do so.

February/March 2020 update

FEBRUARY 2020

Klara from Germany enjoyed creating her own pictorial design on one of our harmony looms. These looms have been set up for those who would like to try weaving but feel a bit intimidated by our Town Basin series of panels.   

Laura Anderson, from Airdie, Alberta in Canada loved the opportunity to brush up on an old skill and share it with her two children.

Initially, her son Levi (9) wasn't very interested but after being encouraged to give it a go, he actually really enjoyed it!

 

Mariah (13) loved doing weaving and is keen to have a loom to weave on when she gets back home.

We always have visitors who enjoy watching the weaving process.

Cate Laurenson and her daughter, Meg  from Timaru, New Zealand were up in the North on holiday for a few weeks when they came across our tapestry project. They made a special visit the next day to do some weaving and Cate said it was a very special experience, one she would like to take back to South Canterbury as a project idea down there.

Mike Gilbert from Mill Stream Cottage, Langstone in the UK really enjoyed and appreciated to opportunity to weave. He found it very meditative and  soothing. The process reminded him of macrame, which he had done in the past. Thanks for your lovely feedback, Mike!

 Petra de Koning Gans (above) and Jeltsje Wieroma (below) from the area of Utrecht, Netherlands had a go at weaving which was a craft they had not done before. 

 They both appreciated the opportunity to weave while visiting Whangarei. 

New Year update..Happy Twenty Twenty!

Happy New Year - I can't believe we are over halfway through the first month of 2020 already. Apologies for not getting back to update the tapestry blog sooner but December/January are our busiest months in the gallery with Christmas/New Year, Summer holidays and tourists visiting.

 Here is a couple more photos of the lovely Emily who was visiting with her Mum and sister from Palmerston North in October 2019.

Emily is home-schooled, enjoys crafts and was really excited about learning to weave.

 

 Michelle Nichols, from the Sunshine Coast in Australia had a lovely relaxing time and was really glad of the opportunity to try weaving.

She also said she felt like she was leaving a little piece of herself behind in Whangarei.

 Pavi from Auckland said she had fun and was thankful for being shown how to weave. 

 Catherine, visiting New Zealand from Jedburgh, Scotland. 

She said she hadn't done any weaving but enjoyed learning how to do it and having a go on our harmony panel.

Brenda, from Maungaturoto she said she was very creative, enjoyed embroidery and wanted to give weaving a go. I think by the big grin, she enjoyed it!

Brother and sister from Whangaporoa enjoyed having a turn at weaving as well. 

 They thought the work was great and the project run by lovely people.

Thanks for your lovely feedback!

Sana, from Mangere in Auckland also loved doing some weaving. She had been up visiting Paihia with her family and passing through Whangarei on their way home when they decided to stop at the Town Basin. She appreciated being show how to do it and found the process very relaxing and enjoyable.

The kids looms have been well tended to over the holidays as well!

 The Harmony panels are growing!

 Naoko has been experimenting with the rings which will feature in the Town Basin Tapestry Colonial settlement panel.

 Julia has been working on "the water" (representing Hatea River) and the mangrove bushes.

Naoko working on the start of the anchor which is positioned on the Carruth tartan in the design.