LINDA RUDKIN–TALK AND WORKSHOP

On Saturday 12th May Linda Rudkin will be with us for her talk on ‘Colours from Nature’ which will be followed on the SUNDAY – 13th – by her workshop on ‘Flower Pounding’.

This workshop involves using fresh flowers, leaves and of course a hammer to create lovely images on fabric – instantly!
The designs can be used as a background for embroidery; quilting; beading or any other form of embellishment you enjoy.
The work also covers additional techniques – like flower trapping which extends the range of designs that can be produced.

Linda has an excellent website with lots of very good images on both her talks and workshops - to see images of what she will be doing with us you can go to her website - www.lindarudkin.com 

    

The charge for the day is £20 to branch members and £25 for visitors who will be most welcome to come to both the talk and the workshop – please contact Sue Chisnall to book - suechisnall@btinternet.com
Tea and coffee will be available all day – you will just need to bring a packed lunch.

 

APRIL TALK BY JANET BROWNE

What an amazing afternoon we had and what a huge amount of work Janet brought to show us – not just her stitched pieces but the actual drawings in full colour, for all of the pieces as well.
Someone after my own heart - she can’t possibly have time for housework.  I have great admiration for someone who can be so focused – a real treat for us all to see this display she had brought with her.

She explained that she had spent almost all her life ‘drawing’ her journeys – from the car, the train, plane and on foot – worked in 100 metre sections to form a 1000 metre ‘walk’ which, to fit on a page or a finished piece of embroidery has, over the years, become a series of ‘zig-zag’ or ‘up and down’ works. 
So different from anything I had ever seen before and I do envy those who will be attending her summer school course at Alston this year.

In addition to her walks, she has picked out from some of them, birds, flowers, gardens and allotments to concentrate on for a different collection of pieces so from one idea, many others have evolved – Janet says these are not ‘new works’ but parts of her originals.

She maps out her work by first doing a full scale colour painting of the idea which is then translated into a tracing attached to a backing of various suitably dyed fabrics before building up layers of stitch for the foreground.

  A walk in Cornwall.

Another one from Cornwall.

A local village walk.

 Some of her birds.

Janet’s garden.

Photographs taken with Janet’s permission.

REGIONAL DAY AT PRESTON–28TH APRIL

We are joining with the Preston Branch to run this year’s Regional Day and are looking forward to a good day at the Crossroads Centre, Fulwood Methodist Church in Preston (PR2 8EA for those with Satnav).
Details of how to get there will be printed on the back of your ticket, including parking arrangements; bluebadge parking; buses from the station etc.

Doors and trade stands open 9.30 – regional day meeting commences 10.30a.m
The morning speaker will be Doctor Caroline Alexander talking about “Horrockses Dresses” and in the afternoon the Madeira lecture by- Sue Rangeley “Fashioned with Stitch”.

Don’t forget our two competitions – 
1)  Rosebowl – title “2 Ps in a Pod”
2) Coats Anchor Open – your own work created in the   last 2 years and including some Anchor threads – to be judged by the membership. 
We hope to see a lot of entries from Parbold!!!

There are still a few tickets available - £25 to include lunch – from Sandie Meher, Preston Branch.

Hope to see you there – you can hand in your competition entries to me!!!

 

CREATIVE STITCHES AND HOBBYCRAFT EXHIBITION 26-28 APRIL 2012 AT AINTREE RACECOURSE. 9.30am to 5pm daily.

Some of our branch members who belong to the One Step On and Preston Threads Textile groups will be displaying work at this event.
Both stands will be at the rear of the hall, near the Lecture Theatre so should be easy to find –  some of us will be stewarding on the Thursday so do come and say hello.

Preston Threads work – “Coloured Threads”.  
One colour with its shades and tones, was chosen at random by each member for a study of individual starting points –  all in sketchbooks showing the original inspirations.   These will be on display together with a collection of the finished pieces and resolved samples.

One Step On’s work – “Tiffany in Stitches”
Following a visit to the Tiffany collection at the Howarth Gallery in Accrington, the group decided to make a three dimensional object for their final piece based their observations from that visit.  These will be displayed together with other work which will include hangings and framed pieces.

The Embroiderers’ Guild - This year for the first time the Guild will be having a stand to promote Guild membership and the two Guild magazines – ‘Embroidery’ and ‘Stitch’. They will also be holding mini-workshops and demonstrations.

On Saturday 14th April I will bring a supply of advance booking leaflets which give you £2 off each ticket for all advance orders made up to one week before the show.
Adults £7 (£5 offer) Seniors £6 (£4 offer)

APRIL UPDATE AND REMINDERS

Just a few things you need to know -

REGIONAL DAY ITEMS -
HORROCKS DRESSES – this is definitely the last call for any ‘dresses’ that have not been returned.  I have one spare one looking for a partner so if you have it, please bring on Saturday.  I think we now have about 33 so there are definitely more out there somewhere – I drew up 40!

ALSO – We are looking for photographs of you or a family member in a Horrocks ‘type’ dress of the 1950s for a display of memorabilia being organised by Marie Brown from Preston branch.  I have only got 2 and would like more if possible, though most of you will probably not be as old as me!!

 
Don’t tell but this is me in 1954 with a waist, legs and loads of hair!

INCHIES WORKSHOP – MARCH
If you took part in this Hands-on session last month could you please bring in any finished or unfinished items you have made for our usual monthly display.  I filed mine away so carefully I couldn’t find them until this morning so I will try to finish at least one item – probably a card!!

REGIONAL DAY – SATURDAY 28TH APRIL
Don’t forget to order your copy of the Regional Journal which this year has a cover designed by Kathleen Slinger our longest serving member. 

We have also been making our raffle bags to be filled with matching colour ‘goodies’ so if you have anything to spare, the colours are red, yellow, orange and black/white.  If the national AGM was anything to go by, there will be lots of interest – there were 27 bags to raffle and they made a great display and a lot of money I believe.

ALSO – talking Raffle – we are looking for goodies for the half yearly raffle in June, so anything you have spare please bring along  for our 3 usually very full goody baskets.  Sue was obviously overwhelmed by her good fortune last December!!

That’s it for now – see you on Saturday – looking forward to a good speaker.

APRIL COLOUR RAFFLE–SILVER/DIAMOND

APRIL MEETING–SATURDAY 14th

A talk by Janet Brown on ‘Quilt Journeys’

Janet Browne  lives on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. Her work is developed from a visual diary of observations that she makes each day.

Her early work mapped the places, towns and landscapes she travelled through, but recent pieces have focused on birds and plants.
Folk art and naive painters  also influence  her approach using pattern and stylised forms  to capture movement and behaviour.

Long periods of observation using rapid sketches of the birds, plants or landscape features are  recorded together with the images and colours while they are clear in her mind.
The design process for each piece is lengthy, the image constantly being  refined and adjusted.

She uses calico, silk and stitch to construct the work and the fabric is hand dyed or painted, the dye colours often mixed just for that piece, and changing through the seasons.  
Hand and machine embroidery is simply another way of drawing but she enjoys the surface texture she is able to achieve.

Janet is one of the Regional Summer School tutors this year so it will be a great opportunity for some of you to see her work before embarking on the course.

The words and picture have been taken from her website – do have a look – there are some really great photographs of her work – go to www.janetbrownetextiles.com

The image shown below is called “Are We Nearly There Yet?” – how many times have we MUMS heard that question???!!!!!