Me with my winning Inkle bag and sash from the Bendigo Wool Show, 2011

Let me introduce myself. My name is Dianne McNamara and I live in Yarrawonga, Victoria, Australia with my husband and two little girls. I first started lace making and weaving when I was about twelve. I saw a bobbin lace pillow on a primary school excursion to the Old Gippstown Heritage Park at Moe, Victoria and thought, “I’m going to try that”. I made my own bobbins and proceeded to read a book and make lace. Did I understand what I was doing? No. Lace went into the back of the wardrobe for the next few years and I started weaving on an inkle loom that my mother had from her days of craft in the past. She had also written a small booklet on weaving as part of her teacher’s training so this was my first lesson guide.

The inkle loom and I became firm friends with lots of straps and narrow widths of fabric made then joined together to make larger items. In my later teens I decided to give lace making another go and suddenly it all made sense. I was able to follow a patetrn and work out where the threads went and why to create what ever pattern the piece was to be. Move on a few more years and a four shaft table loom was the next aquisition. I read another book and learned how to thread it and made a sampler which is still kicking around today. I was able to attend the weaving section of a  Melbourne College of Textiles Course in 1994 which really extended my understanding of the fourshaft loom and its many capabilities.

The years rolled on and my life took a different turn – skydiving! Craft work took a huge step into the background. Sky diving rolled into flying of Microlights and Ultralights and the creation of the business I run today – Punkin Head Air Sports – making aircraft covers and accessories.( www.punkinheadair.com.au ) It is amazing how your life turns because flying resulted in me meeting my husband, moving to the airfield at Yarrawonga, having my two lovely little girls, and suddenly realising I finally have the space and the mindset to go back to weaving and lacemaking. Naturally, that doesn’t necessarily mean I have the time! But, where there is a will, there is a way. I weave when I can, plan new and contemporary lace pieces, fly when the weather is nice, play with my little girls (actually, encourage them to weave as well, I have my old four shaft table loom set up for them), I’m learning to play the ‘cello and I even do get to say hello to my husband occasionally, too. This is my life and I want to share it with you if you are interested in reading it. Welcome.