January Meeting: The Flax Exchange Project

For our January meeting, the Belles went on a special visit to Craft Central on the Isle of Dogs to visit the Flax Exchange and learn about their project. With many Belles interested in different textile arts and sustainability it was right up our street! 

After we got settled in, Shane Waltener began by explaining the project, its origins, and its home and local connections. The Flax Exchange is year long project involving the local community in workshops processing flax and turning it into textile art, as well as incorporating performance. Flax is used which is grown locally at Mudchute Park and Farm. Shane began by growing flax in his garden and has been inspired in his work by the rhythm of textile art and preparation.

We watched as Shane explained and demonstrated the cycle of the flax and its processing. 

The flax is harvested from Mudchute. The bark is rotted – this is called ‘retting’ and can be a smelly step. 

Once it is ready, Shane steps on the flax as a first step to begin to break the hard casing around the fibre inside. 

It is then dragged through a breaker – this tool is one Shane made by hand. 

Next is beating it with a bamboo stick. 

After that is brushing the flex, which is now really shedding its bark, through a comb until there is no more resistance. The fibres left in the brush are carded, then a cord is spun using a drop spindle and at the spinning wheel – from harvested plant to a string in just a short time! 

At this point we got to get hands on which was really enjoyable – if dusty! Gathering together to spin the cords into textile webs was excellent. 

Throughout the session it was really interesting to hear Shane’s ideas about performance – the sound and movement of footsteps breaking the flax bark, of beating it with sticks, and the gathering and motion of people hand spinning a cord. 

We even got to peek inside the project’s studio space and see the different materials, dye projects, and finished pieces. 

We were sad to hear recently of Craft Central’s closure but pleased that the Flax Exchange project has a new home in Poplar, and many Belles are hoping to visit the project and its performance and exhibition in May.