Embroiderers' Guild - the UK's leading crafts association
sharing opportunities for discovery and creativity
Apt 41 Hampton Court Palace, Surrey KT8 9AU
T: 020 8943 1229 - F: 020 8977 9882 - E: administrator@embroiderersguild.com
Embroiderers' Guild - the UK's leading crafts association
sharing opportunities for discovery and creativity
Apt 41 Hampton Court Palace, Surrey KT8 9AU
T: 020 8943 1229 - F: 020 8977 9882 - E: administrator@embroiderersguild.com
Chat from the Chair
The daylight hours grow longer; buds look bigger every day; signs of new life are springing up everywhere and April sees the start of our project with Lincoln Cathedral as inspiration. I hope that in the practical sessions during the coming months, we shall not only learn new techniques and stitches, but also have the enjoyment of working together as a group with a common aim. The visits to the Cathedral sound as if they will be fascinating, as I know Joan has a wealth of knowledge which can be specifically geared towards us as embroiderers.
The pleasure and satisfaction gained from these activities should be great, so I do hope that everyone will take part and help to make the future exhibition as big a success as last year's Regional Day.
Also, don't forget the Mildred Higgins Day competition in July. Let your imaginations fly eastwards and produce something 'Full of Eastern Promise'. If you have not taken part before, do make this your first time so that we can have lots of entries to form a really good display.
I am sure I speak for everyone who went on the outing to the N.E.C., when I say that we all had a most enjoyable day. As usual there were many interesting and exciting things to inspire us, exhibitions, fashion shows, demonstrations and workshops; and many traders to tempt us to buy. And judging by the number of bags that everyone was carrying, they succeeded!
We purchased a number of books to help furnish our new library, so with these and those already donated, I hope to have it up and running by the May meeting.
With best wishes,
Dee.
Renew, Regenerate, Reinvent.
Textile Lincs 2010 touring exhibition. I thought that the standard of work was excellent and the styles of the artists recognisable but I felt that the space, at Grantham Museum, didn't do full justice to the pieces.(Perhaps I'm biased with having had the lovely gallery at the HUB).
Rosalind
Isabel Hall Workshop - Embroidered Books
The workshop that Isobel Hall ran on Sunday 14th March was a great success. We learnt how to add colour and texture to paper producing a book cover that is original and hard wearing. Making the book in itself was quite a task. Putting the whole thing together was great fun, and I am pleased with my little effort. I will go on to experiment further with the new skills that I learnt from Isobel. We worked all day, hardly stopping. It was a hard working day and Isobel seemed tireless. Thanks must go to Di McCatty and anyone who helped put the room together, for making the workshop run smoothly with everything that we needed on hand.
Hilary Farley
Jill Flower - Machine Embroidered Corsage
"Isn't it always the case when one dithers about doing something or other and then finds that to have taken the plunge whatever it was - turns out BRILLIANTLY...........................
And so it was for me, the occasion The Jill Flower Workshop making Flower Brooches using recycled papers and stitch ......................... a fun day working through the process and the Uuuuus and Rrrrrs at the end of the afternoon when we admired each others efforts, was even more rewarding.
Wonderfully unique - sparkly, lacy, rustic, ethnic - all achieved by way of paper be it a magazine, wrapping paper, a paper bag or tissue paper, the addition of beads, sequins, metallic or silk thread - and there you have a splendid creation.
A lovely Tutor and a great day......................"
Norma Bean
A VISIT TO BLACKWELL
I recently visited Blackwell, a beautiful Arts and Crafts house with breathtaking views over
Lake Windermere. The house was designed by Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott in 1898 and completed in 1900. Blackwell, was purchased by the Lakeland Arts Trust in 1999 and was opened to the public in 2001, it has undergone a comprehensive and expensive programme of restoration. This house has a wonderful atmosphere and visitors are free to move from room to room, sit in the window seats and take in the views.
The architect has made clever use of light, space, and colour, much of the decorative detail is inspired by the flowers, berries and birds local to the area. This house has an uncanny ability to satisfy all tastes, from the wood panelling and masculinity of the medieval style hall to the serene femininity of the white drawing room and the quirkiness of the arts and crafts bedroom. Blackwell has many original features, from the original hand stencilled hessian wall coverings in the dining room to the craftsmen made leaf shaped door handles and window catches. The stained glass is truly inspirational. Exhibitions are staged in some of the upstairs rooms, I was fortunate to see "Aspects of the Arts and Crafts Movement" the first public outing for a private collection of ceramics, textiles and silver used to furnish Barn Close, an Arts and Crafts house, near Carlisle, commissioned by The Scott Nicholson Family. The collection included items by William Morris and also some embroidered panels worked by Maud Scott Nicholson from designs created by her husband Edwin, a renowned architect. There is a William Morris Exhibition planned for the summer.
If you would like to further information have a look at the website www.blackwell.org.uk. And yes there is a tea room and a shop with a fantastic selection of locally produced textiles, pictures, jewellery, pottery and of course lots of books about the arts and crafts movement.
This was my second visit and I will be going back again and again and again............
Julie Robinson