April Members Day, 9 April

Gill and Lucy, our programme secretaries, arranged a surprise day for us. Members will have received an email now with details of the seasons project that we will be doing over the next four members day.

Our task on Saturday was to make a book or other holder for the seasons project.

Gill had detailed instructions and was very helpful during the day.

Busy at work.

Our new member enjoying the day.

There was also lots of time to chat.

Some examples of the CB300 work were brought along. Members were also handing in their forms about the pieces they intend to show. If you haven't already done so, please email your form to Sue.  Please also let her know which days you can steward the exhibition.

 At the end we showed the frames that we had made. As usual, it was amazing how different the work was. The books now need to be completed ready for September when members will be tacking "Autumn".

We had a thoroughly enjoyable day and a shared lunch up to the usual standard. At the end of the day we felt relaxed and had a sense of achievement.

What's happening, April & May

Members' Day, Saturday 9th April

Our next meeting will be Members' Day on Saturday 9th April, which will run as usual from 10 am to 4 pm at St Mary's Church Hall.

We have a mystery stitch project planned (requirements were emailed about a week ago, but shout if you need them again), which will be an ideal way of using up some of those appealing oddments of fabric you've been holding on to.  If you prefer, though, feel free to bring other work to do.

Please bring your work for the Capability Brown project and the form to go with your entry.  

We would also love you to bring along any items you have made recently, 

including the Travelling Books.

Lunchtime is a chance for a break and a natter over a bring-and-share lunch.

Entrance: £5 for the day

Friday 6th May: "My Journey through Stitch", Kirsty Whitlock

Kirsty will be talking about her work in mixed media textiles.  Embroidery is the primary signature of her work, along with discarded household items (... an excuse, if we ever needed one, to hoard those interesting bits and pieces of ephemera).

Visitors are welcome - please see 'About our Branch' (top right) for details.

Capability Brown Festival 2016 at Charlecote Park

17 MARCH – 30 OCTOBER 2016

Leamington & District Branch is one of three branches of the Embroiderers’ Guild who will be exhibiting textile works based on Capability Brown’s landscape at Charlecote Park over the next few months.  The exhibition is now open, so do try and take a look if you can - details are shown below.

Solihull Branch exhibition: Thursday 17 March – Tuesday 24 May

‘Drop in’ days: Thursday 24 March; Saturday 2 April; Friday 8 April; Thursday 21 April; Sunday 1 May; Tuesday 10 May; Thursday 19 May, Sunday 22 May.

11 am - 3 pm on each day

Leamington Branch exhibition: Wednesday 25 May - Wednesday 10 August

‘Drop in’ days: Friday 10 June; Tuesday 28 June; Monday 4 July;

Saturday 6 August (National Stitch Day).

11 am - 3 pm on each day

In addition, Leamington Branch’s Junior Embroiderers will be displaying their work in the Summer House, and they will hold an Open Day on Saturday 11 June.

Birmingham Branch exhibition: Thursday 11 August – Sunday 30 October

‘Drop in’ days: dates to be announced

‘Drop in’ days are an opportunity to see a demonstration or to sit and stitch for a while (activities may vary).  Visitors are invited to participate in stitching a 'Charlecote Bayeux' by adding a few stitches to an image of Charlecote.  At the end of the Landscapes of Capability Brown exhibition, the ‘Charlecote Bayeux’ will be on display in the Education Room at Charlecote Park.

The Embroiderers’ Guild welcomes new members.  If you would like more information about any of the branches, please use the following links:

Birmingham:  http://birminghamembroiderersguild.blogspot.co.uk

Leamington & District:  http://leamingtonembroiderersguild.blogspot.co.uk

Solihull:  http://solihullembroiderersguild.blogspot.co.uk

Transfer Painting Workshop

Following her Friday evening talk, in which Mary Gamester took us through a whistle-stop tour of her textile travels in India (and which left us exhausted!), Mary led a workshop that was packed with activity.

We were divided into two groups on arrival.  One group was set to paint and stamp as many papers as possible with transfer dyes ...

... while the other group painted detailed pictures provided by Mary:

After an hour or so, the groups swapped over.  The level of concentration needed was reflected in the fact that it was a very quiet morning - there was just no time to waste!

In the afternoon, Mary showed us some of her many beautiful samples and explained how different effects were achieved.  This was a real eye-opener.  We were let loose then to iron our designs onto fabric, which gave us lots of samples to take home for further play, experimentation and stitching:

By the end of the day we were exhausted, but happy to have spent a very productive and inspiring few hours.  Besides our samples, we took away a wealth of ideas for new techniques.

"My Textile Travel Adventures", Mary Gamester, Friday 4th March

Mary has been stitching for over 65 years and for many of them has used her travels to India as inspiration for her textile work. She has studied City & Guilds in Patchwork & Quilting and Machine Embroidery, and is a member of Chiltern Embroidery and Textile Group with whom she exhibits. 

Mary has won awards for her quilts with the Berkhamstead Quilters (Hoffmann Challenge), at the International Quilt shows (NEC) and at the National Quilt Championships. She has perfected the art of using transfer dyes in her work and has recently published a book about this technique.

Visitors are always welcome to come along to talks.  For details of times and venue, please see 'About our Branch ... How to find us' .

Textural Rhythm and Line exhibition, Banbury

Regional Day 2016 (and 2015)

Our thoughts are turning to this year's Regional Day, which is being organised by Birmingham branch at Oldbury on Saturday 18th June.  Leamington members have received details and are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible.

As a reminder of what it's all about, here's a re-post of the entry about last year's Regional Day in Leamington.

Regional Day 2015

Leamington & District Branch of the Embroiderers' Guild were hosts for the annual West Midlands Regional Day last Saturday, 20th June.  Over 100 delegates from thirteen branches in the West Midlands came along to make this a fun, informative and stimulating day.  It was an opportunity to catch up with fellow Guild members, browse some of the Guild's historic gold work samples, and check out some lovely pieces of work produced for the competition, both adults and young embroiderers, to name but a few of the things on the menu.

Firstly, the shopping, which started just after people arrived!  The 'pre-loved' book stall was an immediate temptation:

while some equally tempting 'lucky dip' packs waylaid people

on the way to the main traders' stalls - fabric and threads, dyed felt, silks, gold work supplies and accessories, mmmmmm ...

Following a few words from Leamington Chairman, Mary Holden and West Midlands Chairman, Stephanie Harper, one of the highlights of the day was an extremely interesting and entertaining talk by Professor Giorgio Riello of Warwick University, titled "Decorating Textiles".  Already a well-known author of a number of books on the things we wear, including the fascinating and readable Cotton: The Fabric that Made the Modern World, Professor Riello's appearance on BBC 2's "The Great British Sewing Bee" in 2014 brought him to an even wider audience.  In his talk, Professor Riello gave us an insight into aspects of producing textiles that were a revelation to most of the audience.

Professor Giorgio Riello, "Decorating Textiles"

After a relaxed lunch and further chatting, shopping and browsing ...

... we were treated to more delights and insights by Nicola Jarvis in the afternoon Madeira Lecture, "All that Glisters".  Nicola, who trained at the Royal School of Needlework, is also well-known as a gold work teacher and embroiderer and for her recent exhibition "The Art of Embroidery" of work based on the designs and textiles of William and May Morris.

Nicola took us on a journey through the history of gold work, from its medieval beginnings in ecclesiastical and royal textiles, through Tudor, Stuart and Georgian garments, furnishings and trinkets, Victorian costumes and regalia, to the present-day applications of gold and metal threads in a much more informal manner.  Some sumptuous slides helped to paint the picture.

Nicola Jarvis, "All that Glisters"

The day was rounded off by the presentation of 25-year certificates to four Guild members, the lucky ticket draw, and then the award of prizes to winners of the competition, "All that Glisters".

Here's Leamington's own Gill Dakin, being presented with her First Prize certificate by Nicola Jarvis and Stephanie Harper, Regional Chairman:

Gill also won the Members' Choice certificate for her entry, an intricate combination of machine surface, hand embellishment and 3D construction:

Anne Thumpston of Solihull won second prize for her panel, which drew the comment from Nicola, "A beautiful panel ... technically very good standard of gold work flowers."

and Leamington Chair, Mary Holden was awarded Third Prize for "a lovely 3D flower with a very appealing colour scheme":

Junior Embroiderers prizes went to:

Isobelle Jones (South Cheshire) - First Prize and Best in Show (all age groups) - Isobelle won a Janome sewing machine.

Joint 1st: Toula Gryparis (Leamington)
2nd (14+): Jess Franklin; 2nd (13 and below): Evie Griffiths; 3rd (14+): Phoebe Frendt; 3rd (13 and below): Katie Brain - all Leamington.

Of the Group entries, Stourbridge won First Prize (14+) and Second Prize (13 and below), while Lichfield won Third Prize.

Prizes were generously donated by the Janome, Embroiderers' Guild Bookshop, John James Needles, Wonderfil and Coats Crafts.

The day was rounded off with a welcome cup of tea and some very scrumptious strawberry sponge cakes before the homeward journey.

Our grateful thanks go to the suppliers of prizes, and especially to our official sponsors, Coats Crafts, who supplied the Adult competition prizes, and Madeira Threads, who supplied First Prize for the Lucky Ticket draw and thread packs for all delegates, as well as to North Leamington School, which was the venue for the event, and to everyone who put so much time and effort into making the day a success.

"Lichen ... exploring colour, texture and mark" by Maria Boyle

Our talk on Friday evening, 6th February, will be given by Maria Boyle, who was selected as Embroiderers’ Guild Graduate in 2014, and already has many achievements including Ambassador of Compton Verney.

Maria is driven by her passion for colour and texture particularly from observing nature and interesting surfaces or shapes. Colour psychology is important to her, so specific hues are carefully blended through dye and print. She integrates texture through stitch, knit, frayed edges and needle felting. Combining these techniques in various layers creates a tactile and organic cloth that is more of a 3D narrative, somewhere between representation and abstraction.

Lichen: this collection is inspired by her love of forests from a childhood spent visiting her maternal family in Northern Sweden.

Visitors are always welcome to come along to talks.  For details of times and venue, please see the column on the right under 'About our Branch ... How to find us'.

Embroidery Workshops at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

We have been sent details of the following courses at the Ashmolean, in case any members are interested in signing up:

OPUS ANGLICANUM 3 YEAR COURSE

Tutor: Tanya Bentham

Year 1 dates: Saturdays; 9 April, 30^th July and 17 September

Future dates to be arranged with the class once the course is running, 3 per year.

Time: 10.30-4pm

Venue: Education Studio, Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street Oxford OX1 2PH

Cost: £250/£240 concessions per year for three taught classes and all materials required for the project.

This is a 3-year course to produce either a 12 inch square panel or a medieval purse.

You will be taught this ingenious stitch technique used in Medieval Europe to create beautifully nuanced images employing the natural lustre of silk. Participants will be taught all the techniques they need to create a complex embroidery of their own.

LAID AND COUCHED WORK COURSE

Tutor: Tanya Bentham

Dates: Sundays 10 April, 31 July and 18 September 2016

Time: 10.30-4pm

Venue: Education Studio, Ashmolean Museum Beaumont Street Oxford OX1 2PH

Cost £210/£200 concessions including all materials.

An in-depth look at this fun and easy technique most famous from the Bayeux Tapestry but used throughout Europe for centuries. Using naturally dyed wools you will create an embroidery panel with an image of your choice from a variety of medieval sources. Images will be provided for you to choose from to personalize your embroidery.

Booking information:

Book via Tickets Oxford:

Online www.oxfordplayhouse.com/ticketsoxford

By phone 01865 305305

In person at the Oxford Playhouse box office, Beaumont Street Oxford.

Further information is available from Jude Barrett, Ashmolean Education Officer

Jude.barrett@ashmus.ox.ac.uk

01865 288078 direct line.

Members' Day

Our January Members' Day was well attended, and there was plenty going on (including a groaning table of delicious goodies for our shared lunch).

We made good use of our store of lucky dip bags to create crazy patchwork panels, and it was great to have a choice of fabrics, threads and trimmings that we hadn't had to haul from home! 

 

There was also an opportunity to brush up on machine stitching techniques for those who wanted it.

The bring-and-buy stall was a surprising success, since at one point it looked as though the towering pile of items hadn't budged. It provided a welcome top-up to branch funds, and enabled some of us to do a bit of recycling or to bag a useful bargain.

We spent some time discussing the Guild’s consultation documents, and branch member, Ruth, talked about her experience on the Guild’s Level One Hand Stitch distance learning course and showed us the work she has been doing.  Ruth said she liked being able to work at her own pace and to fit the course around family life, and feels she has amassed a useful portfolio of samples, notes and research that will give her confidence and help her to structure the way she approaches projects.

We briefly discussed CB300 - the deadline for confirming what you plan to exhibit will be next Members' Day, 9th April.

Our next meeting will be on Friday 5th February, 

when Maria Boyle (2014 Guild Graduate) will talk about 

"Lichen ... exploring colour, texture and mark".