Studio 7: Contemporary Textiles at Woolmers

An exhibition and program of talks and demonstrations on display throughout winter. Presenting the work of 7 Tasmanian textile artists, it is a creative distillation; worked in fibre and thread, dyed, stitched and knitted of the group’s partnership
with Woolmers throughout 2025

Working throughout 2025, the artists drew inspiration from the estate’s buildings, grounds, histories and stories to create journal works in fibre and thread, dyed, sculpted, stitched and knitted.

The results are intimate and layered. Some artists immersed themselves in the Archer dynasty and the Assignment System story. Others found their starting point in the gardens, the landscape and the natural world. As you move through the exhibition, you may recognise elements from the buildings and grounds that have made their way into the works. The artists invite you to let those connections deepen your experience of the estate itself.

Throughout the exhibition, artists will be on site for a series of talks, demonstrations and informal chats. Sessions run 10am to 12pm.

Artist Program
Wednesday 24 June – Spinning a Yarn

Spinning wheels were not imported into the colony until the early 1840s and it’s likely that most spinning would have employed drop spindles which were small, portable and able to be easily used by children and adults alike. Rowena will be spinning on a modern wheel using English Leicester wool a that breed first came to Van Diemen’s Land in 1824 from Leicestershire, England. Lynne is an art quilter and will show piecing and appliqué using wool fabric.

Your interaction is encouraged as the artists explain and demonstrate the differing ways they utilised this process to achieve their creative goals.’

Sunday 5 July – (W)Hooping it Up
Fashions, furnishings and traditional and contemporary stitching. With Lynne Hargreaves and Jane Roberts.

Wednesday 15 July – Caught in the Shrubbery
Collecting and using botanicals for printing. With Christine Davson-Galle and Jacqueline Swann.

Sunday 26 July – Life Behind Doors
The stories of women and children at Woolmers. With Leesa Greenacre and Marilyn Theisel.

Wednesday 5 August – Don’t Leaf Us Alone
Leaf transformations and creating three-dimensional leaves with stitchery. With Jan Charlton and Jacqueline Swann.

Sunday 16 August – Whispered Threads of Woolmers
How thread, fabric and image can carry traces of those who came before. With Leesa Greenacre and Marilyn Theisel.

Wednesday 26 August – Leftovers
Repurposing the resources left at the end of a project. With Jan Charlton and Rowena Butler.