B.E.G.Stitchers: May 2017

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

May workshop

Sandra Kendal was out tutor last Saturday. I went along to see if I could assist and caught up on all the gossip. Sandra brought along loads of samples, photos and notes for all members. She demonstrated a few ideas and then the members got going, Most had chosen to work on the hand dyed fabric that Sandra had brought along. They stitches were not complicated so there was quite a lot of relaxed chatter , but at the same time, their work grew quite quickly. Another demo and time for lunch.

It was possibly the hottest day of the year. The sun was beating down through the velux windows so there was a lot of furniture removals as we moved tables to avoid the sunshine. We were actually looking forward to the predicted rain.

The thunder and lightening arrived but was not very dramatic and neither did it ease the heat.

Members carried on, using another technique of stitching onto muslin. About 3.00pm we accepted defeat and began to pack away. Of course we had the usual show of our work and Sandra would love to see the finished pieces.

Saturday, May 20, 2017

May newsletter

Embroiderer’s Guild – Bolton Branch

May 2017

Our next workshop “Encrustations and Lichens” with Sandra Kendall is on 27^th May at Bank Top United Reform Church. Some photos of her work to inspire you are on the noticeboard. Please give your name and payment to Clare if you wish to attend. She also has a list of requirements for the day.

Bolton Quilters exhibition is on the 10^th June at Lostock Parish Centre, Tempest Rd, BL6 4EL, open from 10 – 4pm. We will have a display of our work also so bring along your friends to show them what we can do. Admission £2

There are several interesting exhibitions in the region over the next few months:

Calm during the Storm – a poignant exhibition of EG items from World Wars 1 and 2 until 30th June at the Central Art Gallery, Old St, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 7SG.

Nikki Parmenter who came to our meeting in March has an exhibition at the Silk Museum, Macclesfield to celebrate UK/India year of culture. Her silk peacock will be on display, she brought some of the feathers she had made for it to show us when she visited. 17th June – 8th September.

Threads Through Revelation – a display of fourteen textile panels showing Jacqui Parkinson’s interpretation of the last book of the Bible – Revelation. At Chester Cathedral until 4th June. Also in Chester till 2^nd July is a National Open Textile Exhibition at Funky Aardvark, Bridge St Rows.

Further details of the above exhibitions are on the noticeboard.

Gawthorpe’s Great Lady exhibition celebrates the life and work of Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth and tells the story of her commitment to social action, education and the arts. It includes photos and personal objects rarely on display. Until 5^th November.

The Capability Brown Festival continues at Tatton Park till 30th July, work by Cheshire and Manchester EG members inspired by the landscapes and gardens of Tatton. Further details: www.events.tattonpark.org.uk.

Ten Plus Textiles have an exhibition of contemporary art textiles at Salford Art Gallery, Peel Park, Salford M5 4WH until 5th Sept. Open Tues to Fri and Sat & Sun afternoons. Free admission.

Ann needs handmade cards for sending to members. Any you make and can donate, please pass them on.

Raffle prizes are always welcome. Please see Judith. Items for the sales table to Janet.

If there are any library books you think would be suitable for us, please tell Jenny. (An ISBN would be helpful)

If you hear of any exhibitions or events that you think may be of interest to us, please let Sheelagh know and details can go on the newsletter or noticeboard. smtmadden@talktalk.net

The Northwest blog address is www.info@nwregionembroiderers.org

Our blog: begstitchers.blogspot.com

We now have Facebook pages for Bolton and NW Region. Please ‘like us’ to help publicise the Guild and our activities.

Guild website: www.embroiderersguild.com

Monday, May 15, 2017

April meeting

Bolton EG Meeting 25 April 2017

We had a quite a number of ‘show and tells’ this month including work from our three regional day prize winners – Marion, Carole and Barbara. Last month Eileen spoke about the tiny dresses and shawls knitted to dress stillborn babies before they are shown to their parents and this meeting she brought some tiny knitted teddies which are included in the memory boxes given to the parents.

Our last workshop was ‘Stitched Paper Collage’ with Marion and the designs and cards we all produced were on display.

Our speaker was Dionne Swift who is a textile artist and tutor from Holmfirth. She runs online workshops and also at the Janome Centre in Stockport and her work has been commissioned many times by interior designers. For many years she worked with devor velvet until it no longer was a challenge. Now she works in a more painterly direction creating machine embroidered landscapes interpreted in stitch from her photographs and drawings. She builds up multiple layers of thread in her landscapes as we could see from the examples of her work she brought to show to us. She also brought samples of the huge variety of threads she uses, from fine to heavyweight.

Currently she is the lead artist on a Military Wives project in Yorkshire called ‘Stitched Together’ - no singing in choirs this time, but coming together through stitch.

Shelagh

April Newsletter

Embroiderer’s Guild – Bolton Branch

April 2017

Competition success!

Congratulations to our prize winners at the NW regional day in Lancaster last Saturday. Marion and Carole won first and second prize in the Aurifil sponsored competition and Barbara won third prize in the Rose Bowl competition. Other information from regional day:

the NW journals for 2017 should be available next month.

the 2018 regional day will be in Leyland, organised by the regional committee.

the Trustees’ report to the national AGM is on the members’ section of the Guild website and includes a report on the past year and their thoughts on the long-term future of the Guild.

You will have received an email about the Sky Arts channel competition “Landscape Artist of the Year 2017”. There is more information on the EG website. It’s short notice but welcome recognition from the art world that embroiderers can also produce landscapes.

Exhibitions and events

Our next Saturday Stitch day is this Saturday at Bank Top United Reform Church, doors open 10am.

Bolton Quilters exhibition on the 10^th June has been relocated to Lostock Parish Centre, Tempest Rd, BL6 4EL. Please bring your items, labelled with your name, for our display to the next meeting on 16^th May.

Calm during the Storm – a poignant exhibition of EG items from World Wars 1 and 2 that portrays the role of needlework, especially embroidery, as a calming influence in troubled times and links it to personal experience. 18 April – 30 June at the Central Art Gallery, Old St, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 7SG. Open Tues, Wed, Fri and Saturday mornings.

The Capability Brown Festival continues at Tatton Park: 25 March – 30 July, work by Cheshire and Manchester members inspired by the landscapes and gardens of Tatton. Further details: www.events.tattonpark.org.uk. There is also a CB festival display at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire until 10 May.

Ten Plus Textiles have an exhibition at Salford Art Gallery, Peel Park, Salford M5 4WH from 29^th April – 5^th Sept. Open Tues to Fri, Sat & Sun afternoons.