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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Stitching today

 
The meeting of the Great Western Embroiderers was well attended today and as the date this month falls in the Easter holidays from school, we had a few youngsters join us with their Mums. Lots of artwork in the sketchbooks going on and in the case of this 6 year old.... stitching too. Such concentration and no pricked fingers!
 
 
A wonderful mix of stitching skills amongst the members in preparation for the Exhibition next Spring. It was bitterly cold outside, but the hall was very comfortably warm and  so was the atmosphere.

Fashion, Embroidery and Stitch Show, NEC Birmingham

 
I am so pleased we decided to visit the show at the NEC in Birmingham last Sunday, the roads were fairly clear of traffic. We decided to keep to the main roads and saw no less than nine  gritters on the M40 between Oxford and the M42. The photos show why there were so many and not much other traffic. Snow was drifting across the road with the strong winds and it was freezing cold too.

 
We were determined to get to the NEC and were very grateful to the gritter lorry drivers for their diligence in keeping the roads passable for us.

 
I was really looking forward to meeting Dionne Swift at her stand and I had managed to book a space on her mini screen printing workshop at the show. Which was brilliant.  I have so enjoyed taking part in an online sketchbook workshop with Dionne. So much so that I have had no hesitation in recommending the course to lots of my friends. Go and see the online workshops here. I have now enrolled with the Textile workshop which is due to start in June. I cannot wait!
 
 
The Studio 21 artists had a stand and I was very intrigued by their work .... very minimal in colour and size and the exhibition was called Chinese Whispers.

 
When we arrived at the NEC, there were very few visitors, which was lovely as we managed to make our purchases early, the downside of this was carrying the goodies and all the extra clothing around with us - it was warm in the hall - and bitterly cold outside! I should have really left all the outside clothing at the cloakroom, I will next time I go. After a much needed mug of tea... we then looked at many of the Exhibitions
 
 
 
The smocking exhibition by the WI was very well presented, and one which I really enjoyed. it was so good to see the old smocks as well as teaching materials and newer smocks. Seems to be such a sensible way of clothing growing youngsters. Why did we stop dressing them in smocks? ( all photos will enlarge if you click on them)


It took ages to find the Elizabethan Stitches display another must see on my list. So was pleased when I did. The display was in response to Jacqui Carey's latest research and resulting book - Elizabethan Stitches 
Well worth looking at. 

 
We left the show in the middle of the  afternoon, having had a wonderful time and we were not sure how the roads would be. It had been snowing all the time we were at the show, so thought it would be best to try and get home in daylight. We were relieved to discover it had warmed up to just above freezing .. just 1 degree C.... however the journey home was much pleasanter, some snow but the wind was still strong and very gusty.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Lots of Stitching

 
It was the meeting day for the Great Western Embroiderers yesterday. Always an occasion to enjoy.
Work from the exhibition was returned and some surprise last minute sales were also announced for some of the members. So a joyous occasion indeed.
 
  To help the celebrations along, on of our very talented members offered to coach us in the techniques of stump work. We were making a leaf and a blackberry, great fun was had by everyone, and we had a bumper attendance helped by visitors inspired by the Malmesbury exhibition.

 
One of Maureen's finished pieces of work.... what talent. Thanks for sharing your expertise with us. A great deal of discussion also took place amongst the members about our next Exhibition ( spring 2014)... lots of new great ideas.... what this space nearer the time.. I will share the details with you.
 
Talking about Exhibitions..... if you are travelling to South Africa this summer.. I really recommend you go and see my friend Penny's Exhibition. Her works is  truly fantastic, and you may remember seeing her gold work when she exhibited with us at Lydiard House in 2010. Details are below this photo of her wonderful gold work.
 
( click on photos to enlarge---- amazing!)

THREADS OF GOLD”

A solo exhibition by Artist-Embroiderer

PENNY CORNELL

 

To be held at the IRMA STERN MUSEUM

Cecil Road, Rosebank, Cape Town

22nd June – 3rd August 2013

 

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Studio mess

 
I am in the throes of just finishing a most interesting online course with Dionne Swift, and I found it has inspired me a great deal.. just look at the mess in my studio! I am so enthralled with creating that I have not had time to put all my messy arty stuff away. Just seem to be dragging more and more media out of the cupboards to use. Fantastic! Just what I needed.

 
It was Mothers Day in the UK today, and I have been so lucky to see all the children and grandchildren.
The grandchildren have been perusing my latest work in the studio and have not been able to resist the urge to go in and be creative and draw and paint. We have had a wonderful time..... but the mess in the studio. Has to be seen to be believed. :o)
 
 All the incredible artwork has gone home with them, I am left with my own stuff to dry, and I nearly lost my sketchbook to the youngest granddaughter, she was so enamoured with it, that she wanted to take it home - ( its the one propped up on end, in the photo, to dry the pages)  however, she assured me she would be happy to make her own at home.

Thursday, March 07, 2013

Cotswold - a stitching experience, more photos

 
Please click on the photos and then they will enlarge in a new window, if you click again they will enlarge again.

 
What strikes the visitor to this Exhibition the most is the variety of techniques and inspirations which individual members have used.

 
The Exhibition really does assault the pre-conceived notions of Embroidery. Visitors to this Malmesbury gallery have been very generous and  complementary in embracing our very broad definition of the word, even though we have challenged their previous knowledge and learning concerned with the word "Embroidery".

 
All the visitors I have spoken to, got it..... and enjoyed the work in the context of the Cotswold's. We are now starting to prepare for our next 2 exhibitions, Spring 2014 at Lydiard, and November 2014 at the Corinium Museum in Cirencester. We are retaining the theme.... Cotswold's - a stitching experience.... but will be showing new work and our latest discoveries of this wonderful environment called ... The Cotswold's. I will let you know all the details nearer the time.

Wednesday, March 06, 2013

More photos of the Exhibition ...... as promised

 
I was stewarding our Exhibition at the Gallery in Malmesbury Town Hall again today. I remembered to put the memory card into my camera this time! So here are some more photos as I promised. If you click on the photos they will enlarge for you.
 
We were very busy today and had lots of visitors, and I really enjoyed talking to everyone. Also many thanks to the gentleman who gave me lots of helpful tips about photography, absolutely fascinating. If you want to catch the exhibition, you will need to be quick, as the last day is this Friday.

It was lovely to see Ruth today, she has hung this exhibition for us, and has created a wonderful display of work. We are very grateful to her for her hard work.

I managed to get a photo today of the mosaic. We hope that this particular exhibit will grow over the next year, and be exhibited again in November 2013 in the Corinium Museum gallery in Cirencester.

 
More photos tomorrow, as I need to get back to my sketchbook. I have had a wonderful time doing Dionne Swifts online course.
 
 
As you can see I have been having lots of fun. The course is very well structured and such good fun to do. If you fancy joining in, then please tell Dionne you saw the link on my blog. Thank you
 

Tuesday, March 05, 2013

Two days of hectic fun

Yesterday one of the grandson's had an Ice Hockey match against Oxford. The whole family turned up at the ice rink to cheer the team, and were thrilled when grandson's team won
 8 -2.

One of the granddaughters had a day off school today, and so came and joined me in the studio. I have been having a wonderful time following an online sketchbook course with Dionne Swift. the studio was full of arty stuff that I had been using, and so we both worked together using whatever was on the table. I was working to 6 inch square paper and GD with A3. We had a wonderful time. After lunch we had more fun to look forward to, and  my daughter came to join us and we travelled to the venue of the Marlborough Branch of the Embroiderers Guild for a meeting. Quite unusual for 3 generations to attend a meeting together.



The speakers today were Kay and Michael Dennis who specialise in Stumpwork.

 
 A fascinating talk giving us details of their involvement and enthusiasm for Stumpwork and 3D embroidery.

I'm not sure I would have the patience for this work, but granddaughter was well impressed with the work, especially when she realised much of the early Jacobean work was created by girls of her age ...12 nearly 13.