A couple missed the post ...

Apologies to those two members whose photos slipped off the last post.  Unfortunately, a little gremlin got in the works.  So, here are a couple more Travelling Books pages to drool over:

Aboriginal Art (Dorothy)

Spring Flowers (Tess)

A Year of Travelling Books

The travelling book group has recently completed the cycle of book swaps.

Travelling Book Bag

The first travelling book group was started in February 2014 by the then chairperson, Mary Holden. Gill became the coordinator in 2016. Five books later the only original members are Sue, Jenny, Beth and Gill.

The coordinator for Book 6 will be Dorothy and an invitation for people interested in joining will be circulated once we are back in a hall.

Originally the swap lunch for Book 5 was arranged for April 2020 but was cancelled due to the pandemic. We met in Leamington's Jephson Gardens in July this year

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Travelling Book Group meet

Everyone was able to make it except Diane but, thanks to Zoom, we were able to share our books with her the following week.

This year's themes were: stained glass; nursery rhymes; the colour wheel; coast; a stitch you have not tried before; communication; walls; a new technique; skeleton; round ‘n’ round; spring flowers; aboriginal art.

It can be very daunting for members to join established groups, but taking part for the very first time were Caroline, Diane, and Tess. They thoroughly enjoyed the experience, so we hope new members consider joining the next book group which works like a round robin, adding an entry every month and then getting your own book back at the end - full of a super collection of small artworks.

The completed books will be displayed at the first member's day when we are back in a hall, but here are examples of each of this year's themes ...

A New Stitch (Margherita)

Walls (Sue)

Communication (Anna)

Coast (Diane)

Nursery Rhymes (Caroline)

Skeleton (Beth)

Round and Round (Fiona)

Stained Glass (Jenny)

A New Technique (Gill)

Colour Wheel (Wendy)

 

'Mapping your Journey'

The recent summer school with Anne Kelly was very successful and popular.  

Jenny's map of her visit to Brazil is the first to be posted, and we're hoping to see lots more maps of precious memories inspired by the summer school.

Jenny says: "This represents memories of our first visit to Brazil when our son and now daughter-in-law were married in Ouro Preto. Little did they know when they sent us the postcard in 2009 that they would be married there three years later. 

"The majority of the stitching is in yellow blue and green - colours of the Brazilian flag. Although the butterflies on the collage are not native species, Brazil does have enormous butterflies in a gorgeous turquoise, among other colours, and brilliant mesmerizing blue."

A couple of collagraphs

Members are naturally still completing their collagraphs as and when they get them back from Sue Brown, so it's great to see a couple more stitched pieces.

The stitching and textured threads on Caroline's beehive scene really bring it to life, with the bees streaming into (or out of?) the hive.

Janet R coloured the water lily leaves and surrounding water area on her lily pond with a fabric crayon, used stem stitch to outline the leaves and veins and also the writing. The surrounding area represents the rockery stones around her pond. They are stitched with French knots and free machine embroidery.

 

What talented members we have!  It's never too late to send photos of work you have stitched, so please do keep them coming.

A few more 'Same Sea, Different Boats' collagraphs

Here are a few more images shared by members of their now stitched collagraphs.

Firstly, a few words from Sue Brown:

"I really enjoyed being part of your group's creative weekend and I am looking forward to you all being part of Same Sea, Different Boat - pushing it into panel 7 as I only have 12 spaces left on panel 6 ... I am committed to in-person workshops, nothing quite like them and perhaps when this madness has eased I can come and give your group an in-person workshop with my portable presses (yes more than one!!)

"Thank you all for being such warm welcoming hosts and pushing me into extending my zoom skills. I look forward to stitching squares on your behalf.

"Very best wishes, Sue"

Gill has finished her two pieces. The Zoom one is completely stitched, with no printing:

On the clock face the tangled threads in the middle denote the world in a mess, although Gill says, "for me personally I have relished having the extra time to sew and draw and have taken the opportunity to take part in so many free courses online available from generous tutors. I always enjoy Sue Brown's short Sunday prompts which she puts on Instagram."

Jenny completed this striking piece:

Collagraph

and Wendy's has lots of textured stitching:

It's wonderful to see such different takes on the same theme, and we are looking forward to seeing them on Sue's finished work.

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