JETS make mini 'Field' quilts

Our Junior Embroiderers, who range in age from 6 to 13, had a fabulous session making mini field quilts this month.

They each layered a quilt base, then cut out fabric patches, some of which they had painted previously with acrylics.  

A great time was had rummaging through the fabric pile on the floor to choose which colours would look best.

Once the patches were tacked in place, the students stitched round the edges using the sewing machines.  Ruth brought in her manual machine and they enjoyed having a go on that too.

Next month: hand stitching to make the fields come alive with flowers and, apparently, sheep ...

Three of the students went home and bought sewing machines, and one persuaded his Gran to part with hers, and has been busily sewing ever since.

Textured Landscapes

Catherine Lawes gave us a great talk on her textile life and experiences from when she started sewing at a young age in New Zealand, then in the UK - and back again.  Catherine started her career in architecture, then turned to creating textiles, which has been her main occupation ever since.

The talk was illustrated with a huge number of samples of her work - the tables were groaning under the weight of panels and quilts, not to mention her stunning silk and patterned coats.

Catherine Lawes in her Hundertwasser influenced coat

The workshop next day entirely lived up to expectations.  A kit prepared by Catherine of background fabric, wool fabric strips and textured yarns helped us to get on quickly. 

We were aiming for 'abstract landscape', and once happy with the layout (this took far longer than anyone expected), we used wool yarns to stitch the layers in place.

By the end of the session, all that's left to do is to add any finishing touches, and mount/frame our textured landscapes.

  

A really satisfying day!

May talk by Catherine Lawes

Our talk next Friday 3rd May, will be by textile and quilt artist, Catherine Lawes:

From here to there and back again

Originally from New Zealand, Catherine is now based in East Sussex, where she works with many textural mediums to create very intense and emotionally inspired pieces of wall art. These can be in quilt form or small textural pieces. 

Catherine's inspiration comes from the shapes of the landscape around her resonating on a deeply spiritual level. She uses her own photographs to capture the many changing moods of the day and the seasons. Satellite images showing all the amazing patterns formed by nature and man on the surface of the earth are another source of inspiration. Her recent five-year return to New Zealand renewed and deepened her connection to the land of her birth and upbringing, its history and all cultures living there. 

Visitors are welcome.

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There are still a couple of places left on the follow-on workshop on Saturday 4th May:

Textured Landscapes - with Catherine Lawes

This is intended to be a fun and freeing class using many textured fabrics and yarns. Paint a warm, impressionistic landscape or abstract piece where the layers of fabric and yarn and cross stitching or couching build the final finished picture. The technique is particularly suitable for mountain, water and hill scenes.

  

A kit will be available: price payable on the day £10 pp.

If you are interested in taking up a place, please contact Dayschool Secretary: leamingtondistrictdaysch@gmail.com for more details and requirement list.

www.catherinelawestextiles.com