Don't miss! Friday 2nd February: Zara Day - "From Textile Art to Interior Design"

Zara is an artisan designer who creates luxurious decorative embroidered fabrics for interior designers, architects and designers.  She combines hand embroidery with free machine and digital embroidery techniques to create designs specifically for the shape of each product - each one is unique and exquisitely made.

As a past member of Leamington & District Branch, Zara will take us through her journey from initially coming along to a series of talks to developing her business as a bespoke fabric designer. Proving that you never know where these talks will take you!

     

Visitors are welcome

Do you know someone who would like to join our Junior Embroiderers group?

Workshop at All Saints Church, Leamington

As part of the project at All Saints Parish Church to conserve and restore their historic textiles, a number of our members organised a workshop in the church cafe for interested members of the public to try their hand at stitching designs based on the beautiful embroideries.*

Fr. Christopher Wilson, Vicar of All Saints, showed the group some of the church's precious vestments and explained the ongoing project, which is likely to take some time to complete.

For our part, we had taken photos of some of the embroideries, and from the photos transferred outlines of symbols and designs onto fabric.  Threads, needles, scissors, sample stitch sheets and guidance from our members were provided for participants to have a go.

The original designs, mainly worked in gold thread on silk and velvet, were simplified to make it possible for inexperienced stitchers to gain a feeling of the work that goes into such pieces.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the experience and all made a great start - some were  returning to stitching after an absence, and others were novice stitchers, bravely taking their first step, like Father Christopher ...

We knew there wouldn't be time to finish a whole design in the time available, so people promised to bring their finished piece back for display in the church at a later date.  Watch this space!

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All Saints Church will be the venue for our next exhibition,

"On my Doorstep", in October 2018.  

More information to follow in a little while.

* Almost all the Parish Church's vestments, banners and altar furnishings were produced by The Guild of St Hilda, which was formed in 1899 to support the church in the area of fine ecclesiastical needlework.

With thanks to The Friends of All Saints' Parish Church, Jan. 2018

Happy New Year!

We were pleased to welcome Guild CEO, Terry Murphy, to our first meeting of the year.  Terry came to discuss the benefits of belonging to the Guild and to hear our experiences and questions, especially about the rising cost of membership.  He also called in to see the JETS who were busy in the upstairs hall finishing their De Denne competition work and their workbook covers.

Terry's main message was that, like other charities, the Guild is facing many challenges to support members and branches while keeping its costs manageable, increasing membership and complying with governance regulations.  There are no easy answers, and it is likely to be a continuing topic of conversation between trustees/staff and branches/members.

We thought Terry might be interested to see some of our members' work from workshops over the past 12 months:

 

After a lovely bring-and-share lunch, we were treated to a short talk and demonstration of lace making by member, Gaye Dopson, which was fascinating and illuminating.  A mind-boggling number of hours go into making even a small piece of lace.

Lucy's lacy reptiles - 3D shapes covered in lace and beads

We then had a couple of hours to start our own small piece of work incorporating pieces of lace, or to continue stitching an existing project.

The sales table this time groaned with books that members wished to recycle.  Quite a few bargains were snapped up, but that still left a couple of boxes full to be passed on to a charity bookshop.  Nevertheless there are benefits to everyone from weeding out things we no longer need - not least freeing up our shelves for new titles .... !

On the subject of giving to charity, Gill Dakin, who was the winner of our Christmas challenge, decided to donate the £25.16 raised through the challenge to Rugby Young Carers, who wrote a very nice thank-you letter, saying that it "will bring smiles to the faces of the children by funding the next workshop planned for early 2018."

Our next talk is on Friday 2nd February:

Zara Day, "From Textile Art to Interior Design".  

Zara is an artisan designer who creates luxurious embroidered fabrics for interior designers, architects and designers.

More details soon.

Junior Embroiderers' Programme 2018

We meet in the Upper Hall at St Mary's church, St Mary's Road, Leamington Spa CV31 1JW on the first Saturday morning of the month, 11.00 - 1.00 pm.

Our sessions cover all kinds of textile-related activities, such as hand and machine stitching, dyeing, printing, weaving, using beads, and much more. We have made a variety of things, from bags to cushions and wall hangings, as well as cards and gifts for special occasions, and we are keen to enter competitions and take part in exhibitions. 

If you are interested in joining the group and would like more information, please contact:

JETS Group Leader:  leamingtondistrictprogsec@gmail.com

www.youngembroiderers.com 
also has lots of information for young embroiders and textile students.

Below are the topics that are on our calendar for the rest of this year. (If there are any changes to these sessions, we will email you the new title.)

• 8th September - Mini Houses

Using recycled bottles and stitch, we are making miniature houses.

• 6th October - De Denne Competition piece
  
  

The activity will be set out once the title has been announced by the Guild.

• 3rd November - Santa Claus Heads

Making a decorative stick to put among flowers or a table decoration.