A Short History of our Guild

In 1952 with help from the Ontario Craft Council, a group of 9 women organized the Leamington District Weavers Guild.  Under the tutelage of Bunty Muff, they began their journey into the world of weaving.  As the membership grew, they used various public buildings, and finally in 1994, they were fortunate to have a room at the Leamington and Mersea Historical Museum.

Although weaving  is the major focus of our group, several spinners joined our ranks over the years.  Beading, basketry, rug hooking, quilting and other related crafts have been the subject of meetings and workshops.  We have given demonstrations at local fairs, schools, Historical villages and even in a store window.  We celebrated our 50th anniversary in 2002 by hosting the Ontario Handweavers and Spinners Southwest Regional Conference.

Our membership consists of many people from all walks of life. We have had three life members who went beyond the call of duty.

 One was Nell Steedsman.  A master weaver and very active in the Guild of Canadian Weavers.  She taught weaving and transcribed her concise and clear explanations into a series of books.  Her skill in weaving and her desire to share her knowledge have been invaluable, not only to our guild, but to many others all across Canada.

Eunice Anders was also a life member, who was very involved with the OHS.  She shared her talent at many of our programs and workshops. She was well known for her three dimensional wall hangings.

Our third life member was Marg Cowan, who established a beginner weaving course. She presented this on a regular basis and encouraged many new weavers on their road to learning.

Another of our members, who cannot be forgotten, was Edith Bakes.  She designed the Essex County Tartan, which was registered in Scotland and in Ottawa on June 20, 1984.  This legacy is a lasting example of her talents.

Over the years the guild acquired an excellent library.  Much of it consists of material donated from long term members.  The records and books of Nell Steedsman, Eunice Anders, Juel White and others are invaluable to us.

There are many more people who have contributed to our guild over the years, each deserving of recognition in their own right.  Our guild is small, but draws members from not only the Leamington area but all across Windsor, Essex and Kent counties.  We are aptly named the Leamington District Weavers Guild.