Annual Textile Fair at Compton Verney - 4th November

This event has become extremely popular, and this year Leamington Embroiderers' Guild will have work on display. Do try and pay a visit - there are always lovely things for sale.

November talk: "My Life in Textiles" by Jayne Emerson

Visitors welcome - Friday 3rd November

Jayne trained at Loughborough College of Art, graduating with a First Class Honours degree in Multi Media Textiles, and went on to complete her Masters in Fashion Textiles at Central St Martins.  Since then her work has taken a wide-ranging path that has allowed her to express her creativity from craft through to couture.

For the past 18 years Jayne has created innovative fabric samples that explore the boundaries of modern embroidery, patchwork, fabric manipulation and needle felting.  Her samples have sold to a wide range of clients that include Chanel, Calvin Klein, Nina Ricci, Louis Vuitton, Dior and Balenciaga, as well as John Lewis Home, Top Shop, M&S and Boden.

Jayne is the author of five books and also taught Kirstie Allsopp how to needle felt on her show, Kirstie's Handmade Britain, as well as being one of her craft experts at her annual Handmade Fairs.

Jayne will be the tutor for our next Summer School in 2018: Creating Fabric Recipes for Collage.

Members' work

Here is a round-up of some recent work by Leamington branch members:

Firstly, the JETS entry for West Midlands Regional Day

At their recent sessions the JETS made pieces of wool felt, on which they appliquéd fish/shell motifs cut out from additional felt pieces, then they embellished them with beads. Each JET who entered received a certificate, and there was a goody bag with lots of useful materials for the group. 

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Sue Cooke has kindly allowed us to show a photo of the piece she has submitted for the Guild's Page 17 exhibition:

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The book is set in the Gothic quarter of Barcelona and starts in 1947, during Franco's dictatorship. Sue has used several techniques in her piece: the background is painted and leather book shapes applied; canvas work and leather are used for the library of books; the figure and the building have been machine embroidered on transparent fabric.

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Sue Frances was inspired by the mini workshop after the AGM in September to make a piece in the style of Gilda Baron:

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And if you are looking for inspiration for the branch Christmas competition, 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' (at the Christmas lunch on 2nd December), here are a few pages created by members of the Travelling Books Group:

Jean Myatt

Amanda Griffiths

Fiona Metcalfe

It's great to be able to post these lovely images, so do keep them coming, ladies!

Stevie Walker workshop, "Quilty Painty Landscapes/Townscapes"

Following on from a packed talk, "Patterns of the Earth", in which Stevie illustrated the influences, especially the area around her home, that had inspired her work over a number of years, we enjoyed a thoroughly absorbing workshop to make our own small stitched landscape or townscape.

For the purposes of saving time over the inevitable indecision of which picture to choose, quite a few of us elected to use one of Stevie's delightful templates to work with. Braver members had their own images to hand, and of course, there's plenty of scope for future pieces.  

The outline was transferred to fabric by machine stitch, then painted with acrylic inks, which was a lot of fun ....  

Some hand stitching rounded the day off nicely.  Here are a few pieces that are on their way ...

 

"Patterns of the Earth: My Work & Inspiration", Stevie Walker

A quick reminder that our talk tomorrow, Friday 6th is by Stevie Walker,

Patterns of the Earth: My Work and Inspiration

Stevie is a textile artist, craftsperson and tutor.  She loves printing, machine embroidery, creative stitch, felt and experimenting with all kinds of painting and drawing media.

It promises to be an interesting evening.  Visitors are always very welcome to come along.  (Please see links on the right for where we meet.)