Don't miss these Member Exhibitions!

Branch members and other friends have been getting very creative - here are a few of their textile exhibitions coming up very soon:

Free-machining half-day course - CANCELLED

Unfortunately this workshop has had to be cancelled.  We hope to reschedule it for later in the year.

Organza Layers

  Saturday 2nd June: 1.15pm to 4pm

St Mary’s Church hall - Upstairs

Members £10.  Non-members £15

Run by Guild member, Lucy Wilson

This will be an afternoon of stitch, using different textiles to build layers in organza to enhance colours and create texture, and finishing with a 3D picture.

             There will be a short demonstration on wire boning, which is used to stabilise organza.

This session involves working with organza and soluble fabrics on your own sewing machine, using a free-machine foot.

Requirements list will be sent upon booking.

Non-refundable £5 deposit needed to confirm place  (15 spaces available)

Use your own equipment or Session Kit available at a small cost.

To book, please contact Lucy direct on w.lucy87@yahoo.com

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This half-day session follows on from a recent one working with organza and water-soluble fabric to create flowers.  This proved very popular with stitchers wanting to improve their free-machining skills.  Here are some examples of what they produced in the afternoon:

'Folded Book' mini workshop in June, and Weaving workshop

We welcome back Christine Plummer, for our next meeting on Friday 1st June, which will be a mini workshop rather than a talk.  Christine belongs to Jeudis, an exhibiting group who are often to be seen at the NEC and other venues.

Christine is a mixed media artist primarily working with papers, fabric and thread.  She dyes, paints and prints the majority of these to give a cohesive colour palette. They are assembled to form patterns and abstract designs which form the basis of pieces of work, based on or around a theme. 

Our mini workshop is based on Christine's special interest in books and collecting items to go in them. The covers are embellished with buttons, beads, overprinting and stitching to create unique personal journals and notebooks.

There is no need to book, but it would be helpful if you can let us know if you plan to attend (please just send a quick email to the Booking Secretary - see below).

Admission for non-members: £5

Kit for the mini workshop: £3

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Christine will also lead a full day workshop 

on Saturday 2 June: 

'Weaving with a Difference'

After making a loom out of cardboard, we will be weaving with all different kinds of materials, such as wool tops, cotton, wool, fabric, silk, velvet, to make a special background piece that in itself becomes an artwork.  Alternatively, it can be embellished and stitched into to create a completely unique and beautifully woven hanging.  Driftwood or other found objects can then be used to hang your unique piece.

There is still a place available on this workshop.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact our Booking Secretary: jennyarcher401@gmail.com

Starting our Sumptuous Sacs, workshop with Sandra Jenkins

It's always a great help on a one-day workshop when the tutor provides everything you need to get on with the fun stuff, including pre-cut silk pieces, dyes, stamps, surfaces for printing and dyeing on, mixing pots, pins and even baby wipes and kitchen roll for cleaning up!  Sandra's former life as an art teacher obviously meant she realised how much time can be wasted looking for all these things.

So, we spent a happy morning printing and dyeing various types of silk fabric.  The more tricky part came in combining the printed and dyed fabrics into a coherent design - not nearly as easy as it may seem.  Nevertheless, some lovely compositions were emerging .....

The importance of achieving a satisfactory design meant that it was time-consuming, and not many of us got to the point of stitching the pieces down.  However, completion of our 'sumptuous sac' (or book cover or panel) can be done at home ....

Something like these samples made by Sandra is what we will be aiming for:

 

Many thanks to Sandra for lots of useful tuition, and a very full and satisfying day.