George Weil Blog & FAQs

We're often asked by customers if we do any of the many crafts featured on the George Weil website. And yes we do! This still life was painted by our colleague Allison using Daler Rowney System 3 Acrylics on Canvas Board. She chose a limited palette of Burnt Umber, Yellow Ochre, Ultramarine, White. "I chose to keep the number of colours to a minim

Here we include tips on how to dye polyester clothing with Fibrecrafts Disperse Dyes and Jacquard iDye Poly Dyes. Things to Concider when Dyeing Polyester Clothes Firstly you need to be absolutely certain about the type of fabric and select a dye which will work on it. Polyester has to be dyed using Disperse dyes in boiling water. These dyes are

Understanding a little about colour theory can help you to decide which colours to choose for art or craft projects. The success of a project, whether it be woven cloth or a watercolour painting, can be determined by choosing the best colour relationships. Primary Colours The primary colours red, yellow and blue are the only colours that cannot be

Simple and effective Christmas Wreath decorations made from Merino Wool Tops by Cara and Jo Barrell. How to Make the Christmas Wreath You will need a framework on which to attach the wool tops, and these can be found in floristry sections in garden centres. If you can't find one, you can bend a wire coat hanger into a circle, leaving the hook a

Congratulations to our friend and colleague, Julie Scanlon who begins her retirement journey this week. If you have placed an order by phone, or called us with a query, you may well have spoken to Julie who has been part of the George Weil sales team for nearly 14 years. Julie has plans to fill her time travelling all over the world, doting on her

I am new to tapestry weaving and this is my first attempt at using a loom. To try weaving I used the Schacht Lilli loom. This is a simple design so it was easier for me to understand how the loom works. The first thing I did was print off a set of instructions on how to warp the tapestry loom and a simple guide on how to weave. This included diagra

You may have seen our post Tie-dyed Onesies using Jacquard Procion MX dyes in which professional nannies Cara and Kim did some fun tie-dyeing with the children they look after. This post shows what the children made with the left over dyes! Tie-dye Pillowcase Project The white pillowcase were first prepared for dyeing and then soaked in a solution

A visit to the Weald & Downland Living Museum takes us on a journey through 950 years of English rural history. There are 50 historical buildings which were carefully rebuilt within the 40 acre site, demonstrations and exhibits, plus an extensive artefact collection housed in the award-winning Downland Gridshell Building. Throughout the year, t

Wishing Liam (the tall one!) every success and happiness in his new job. We at George Weil will miss you. Liam has been working with us for a couple of years now and as much as we would like to keep him, he has received a job offer he can't resist.

Did you know that Doctor Ian Bowers, Managing Director of George Weil & Sons Ltd, has run the business since it merged with Fibrecrafts, over 20 years ago? Fibrecrafts was set up in 1982 by Anna Bowers, to offer textile crafts supplies for hand spinners, weavers, dyers, felt makers and knitters. Anna set the standard for the service we are prou

George Weil are pleased to have been able to support the 2017 Yvonne Arnaud Art Exhibition as a patron. The event featured 25 artists including works in oils, acrylics, pastels - and cement! Plus photographs on aluminum, sculptures and ceramics. The painting "Patti" featured here (right) is by artist David Dragon, and another of his paintings "The

Conte a Paris Crayons are square 'carre' sticks which are made using a combination of pigments, clay and binder. They are harder than pastels and charcoal, and can be applied with the corner for fine lines and the flat edge to make larger strokes. Conte a Paris Crayons - a small selection of the colours! These crayons with their 6x6mm cross-sect

Kyra has joined us for work experience this week where she's learning the in's and out's of how a business is run. Today Kyra has learnt about the steps for how orders are processed and packaged, as well as how businesses keep track of sales and profit. She's even had a sneak preview of our new and improved website, and had a summary of how it all

Jacquard Pearl Ex pigment powders are made from fine particles of glistening mica. The varying sizes of the coloured particles produce pearlescent and metallic effects. These ultra fine powders can be combined with any viscous material such as glue, paint, resin, varnish, or brushed onto tacky surfaces such as wax candles or modelling clay. Thi

What is Milliput? Milliput epoxy putty is used to repair damaged metals, glass, concrete, plastics, brick, cement and wood, and in places where welding is impractical. This malleable putty is also very popular with model makers for its work-ability and smooth finish. When mixed in equal quantities, the two-part epoxy putty cures to a rock hard, d

I decided to paint my son and his fiancé a painting to mark their engagement. The design needed to be personal to them, and to appeal to their "alternative tastes". I chose to paint three playing cards, the Queen of Spades, Ace of Hearts and King of Diamonds on a large canvas. As I'm not the most confident artist or the most experienced painter

Say hello to Cara! Cara recently joined the team here at George Weil, and a great addition she is! Cara carefully weighs, measures and packs your art and craft materials in our warehouse, ensuring you always receive exactly what you've ordered. She is responsible for checking in stock from our many suppliers, and beautifully displays the product

Why so many Coloured Pencils? We are often asked why we carry such a large range of coloured pencils. But what is the difference anyway? Here is a quick review of 8 of our most popular pencils, which we hope will help you to choose the coloured pencils most suited to your needs. Each of the pencils featured are available individually in a choice co

These water soluble drawing blocks and pencils can be use in countless different ways to create colourful artwork. Just add water to Derwent Inktense Blocks or Pencils to produce deep and vibrant permanent, waterproof ink colours on paper or fabric. If you choose to draw on fabric, your designs on cotton or silk will be hand washable at 30°C.

Wild Rose Escapes run craft, wild cookery and relaxation holidays and courses in the heart of the Highlands of Scotland. Their courses include natural dyeing and felt making. We invited owner Rosie to tell us a little more about their craft holidays. "I have been running craft courses in the Highlands of Scotland for over 7 years now and since the