NWRD preparations and then "Structure"

I was awoken just after 5.00am this morning by the sound of my burglar alarm sounding. Always a nasty thing, it took me ages to doze off. I think it was a cat trying to get through the locked cat flap. So I was a little later at Bank Top than I had anticipated. A small number of Bolton members were very busy making the latest preparations for our NWR day in 2 weeks. Some members were pricing fabric, others listing the work for our personal exhibition and more were filling a spreadsheet with volunteers to assist on the day. The Guild banners were there and thoughts as to how to rope them up. Raffle prizes had been allocated and I understand each prize is worth about £30.00.I took along the sashes and the last of the stands that I had found in my very disorganised garage. I checked through the protocol sheets with Clare and left them to it. I believe we can squeeze in a few more members so if you don't yet have your ticket, be very quick!!!

I then went on into town. Bella May Leonard was my tutor last year at summer school. She has just returned from Mexico but in time to set up a stunning exhibition in the Neo Gallery , upstairs in the Market Place. The exhibition by 11 textile artists and embroiderers really pushes the boundaries but I was very relieved to see a large amount of fabric and thread as well as the mixed media to which we are all becoming more familiar. The exhibition "Structure" is on until the end of May and I would recommend that you visit. I will attach a few photos to whet your appetite.

Out and about, Pendle

Good Friday was a very spring like day so I decided to drive over to the Higham Village festival. Our branch, Pendle had been invited to put up an exhibition. New to the area, we felt it would be an important venture and I have since learned that we have gained members through it. I cant emphasise enough how getting out into the environs gives publicity and a chance to show what we do. I had forgotten my camera so took just a few shorts on my phone.

You can spot Sue, Joan and Patricia amongst a very wide ranging and well stitched exhibition.
Our April speaker was unfortunately not available so I was asked to step in at the last moment. Days before, I had met with seven other members to swap ideas about The Collection talk. So I really had to get my act together. A few hours getting to know the content and personalizing the information, I arrived. Unfortunately we had a technical hitch with the technology and about 30 members squashed around my laptop. It certainly did not do justice to the photos but members were very kind to me and said that they enjoyed the information that I was able to give them. I have been asked back to do the talk again.

Capability Brown project

Time is passing by and it will soon be our exhibition at Gawthorpe Hall. I know that we have been very involved with the plans for the NWR Day but several members stated that they would like to be involved in this project as well. I gave out 15 instruction sheets and will bring more next month. I brought along my first piece, that I only started recently. I learned how to smock at Lesleys Thursday night class but wanted to be less traditional and use the smocking as a way to manipulate the fabric. So I managed to thread the smocking machine, {not as awful as I had thought} and smocked a really long piece. I then brought it home and dyed it with silk paints. Then I used the smocking stitches in a more random way. I removed the original smocking stitches, held my breath and looked. I was quite satisfied so went ahead and stitched a flight of steps , trees and some grass onto the surface. I then mounted it onto a piece of fabric and then onto an A4 canvas. members last night were very complimentary.

I decided to use the same photograph for my second pieces, one for Bolton and one for Pendle!!! I had thought about this weeks ago and collected a wide range of wool and silk tops, hand dyed scrim, handmade felts and of course , threads. This time I laid the scrim onto the felt and needle felted then together. I then added silk tops in blue for the sky and grey for the steps. The trees were layers of knitting wool and the grass in the middle was wool tops and stitch. Finally I mounted it onto hand made felt and added grass stitches to the front.

March meeting

Sometimes I listen to a speaker and agree so much with the way she thinks and it certainly encourages me. Last night was just such an occasion. Ingrid Karlsson Kemp arrived in very good time after what transpired to be a horrendous journey from Buxton and began to arrange her work. She needed many tables as much of her work is framed and needed support from a wall. Her title was Stitching in mixed media art and every word her counts.....yes there was stitching, she uses mixed media and it was wonderful art.

The first few pictures are examples of her work, with apologies for the light reflection. her talk was extremely personal, she was born and lived on a farm in Sweden and her first idea was to create her version of traditional Bonaders. She said that  there is no literal translation, but they were sort of tapestry/ mixed media hangings, that told stories. I will not spoil you chances of hearing her talk but she moved on through the years, illustrating her development with many slides. I loved the way she captured the Swedish landscape .However her final slide , a piece that will soon be found in Derby Cathedral, based on the stations of the cross was very powerful.

Embroiderers’ Guild – Bolton Branch

March 2016

News and Competitions  

The Rose Bowl competition title is “Under the Sea”, for our Regional Day in April this year, hope you’re working on it! There is no restriction on size as long as it was produced within the last 2 years. This will be voted for by members on the day.

Also the Coates Anchor award for Excellence in Embroidery, the design for which is your personal choice but must primarily involve hand or machine embroidery or a combination of both. You should involve Coates Anchor threads in your piece of work.

PLEASE get an insurance form from Brenda for any work you are entering.

 Exhibitions and Events

• NEC Fashion & Embroidery- Hobbycrafts- Sewing for Pleasure and Cake international from 17-20 March. See notice board.
• Details about Summer School at Widdow Hall, Clitheroe on 3-5 June, on the notice board. Booking suechisnall@btinternet.com
• Now & Then : 60^th Anniversary of the Manchester Branch. 14^th Feb- 22^nd May. Exhibitions and workshops see Salford’s What’s On booklet, www.salfordcommunityleisure.co.uk/culture/ordsall-hall. Workshops must be booked through Ordsall Hall.

 Advance Notice

Please bring your work for our Regional Day exhibition to Banktop Church on April 9^th, where it can then be collated. This was originally the date of our next Play Day which we have now cancelled. This may be reorganized at a later date.

There is a list of the workshops from which you may have some work on the notice board.

Also Debbie our IT rep has sent an email to us detailing this list.

PLEASE SEND YOUR WORK ON April 9^th to Bank Top Church. We need to put on a good show!!!

Other notices

• You can purchase an A4 canvas from Amazon –Quick Draw Supplies, cost -£3each including p&p. Ideal for the Capability Brown Project .

·         Sorry!! The workshop with Karen Casper last Saturday was cancelled due to an accident and it will now be rearranged at a future date.

Raffle prizes are always welcome.  Please see Barbara Ryall if you have anything. If there are any library books you think would be suitable for us, please tell Sheelagh Madden. (An ISBN would be helpful)

If you hear of any interesting exhibitions or events that you think may be of interest, please let Brenda Brown know and details can go on the newsletter; brownhovis33@yahoo.co.uk  Don’t forget our blog address for Bolton EG is http://begstitchers.blogspot.com/ . Also just a reminder that the Guild web address is www.embroiderersguild.com The Northwest blog address is http:/www.info@nwreg

Wiggly bags

I went to lunch with Pauline last week . She asked me to bring along my camera. I now see why!!! She has amassed about 130 wiggly bags that will be sent to a hospital. Pauline saw an article in Contact magazine, thought it to be very worthy, and encouraged  all Bolton members to contribute, We had one evening to stitch and then some members went on to

make many, many more. Pauline encouraged us to think of adults as well as children and to make the bags bright and cheerful. Hope you agree on all counts. My problem was , that there are just too many to photograph well on her dining room table.

Out and about Pendle

The last meeting at Pendle introduced another Halifax member, Sandra Wallace who spoke about Textural embroidery. She had an amazing range of work to see and much of it was passed around for closer inspection. The photos taken rather quickly, do not do justice to her work.

Amended Feb meeting report

Apologies, the preview was better than the final production. A paragraph has been transposed. Please read about Miss Coral       a cape       and then the delinquent paragraph that appears later                 you have a flavour of her work.. Some of the work is heavily padded , other pieces are scrunchy  and you want to touch. Karen explained her inspiration, techniques and then how she wants to have control when photographing her work.  She has been in several magazines and then back to the original. Hope this does not distract from the story too much...blame the pain killers!!!