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.