To keep you in touch with what another of our Branch members’ exhibition groups is doing next – Preston Threads will be showing some of the work from the Fashion & Embroidery show at the NEC earlier this year. SO if you missed it - this will be a chance to see a selection of the work which will be on show from 13th June to 13th July.
The Branch are holding their first exhibition for 7 years and members were asked to base their work on ‘SCAPES’ of all kinds – Landscape, Seascape, Skyscape etc..
This work will be on show at the ART HOUSE Gallery on Eastbank Street, Southport. The Gallery is closed on Sundays and Mondays
We do hope that some of you will be able to come along – members of the Branch will be stewarding throughout the 2 weeks and will also be running 3 short Workshops which must be booked through the Gallery.
If you require further information on how to find us, opening times etc., you can contact the Gallery on 0754 1156119 – not as shown on the poster below.
Our speaker this month - Jane Smith will be talking on “Traditional Japanese Embroidery” – exquisite fine stitching in silk thread. Highly coloured and technically perfect – oh I wish how I could do it but the ‘old eyes’ are not good enough now!!!!
SO I think the best thing to do is to sit back, enjoy and marvel at the stitching.
Come and join us to see how it should be done.
THE MONTHLY RAFFLE
This month ORANGE as in “Oranges and Lemons”……………
and don’t forget it is also time for the half year ‘bumper’ basket raffle of stitch/craft related items. If you have anything to spare please bring it along.
Just thought we would show you what we got up to with Patricia Barrett last Saturday – all work in progress – this technique does not grow quickly!!
Thanks go to Pat for her work in getting us all under way – what patience! You may yet see some completed pieces in our exhibition which starts on the 11th June – watch this space -
Our only gentleman member has again won a prize for his exquisite embroidery – John Clarke won the Madeira competition at the Fashion & Embroidery Show in March at the NEC and has received the wonderful prize for Hand Embroidery of a large collection of threads and the Madeira Rose Bowl – shown here in the photograph. WELL DONE JOHN.
Our May meeting was a thrill a minute with Patricia telling us of her worldwide travels which started as a child of 5 when her family went to Aden with her father, who was in the Airforce; and all the while being taught by her mother to knit and sew, draw and paint. She especially liked making dolls clothes.
After training as a teacher for the deaf and living in many parts of the world she ended up teaching at a School for the Deaf in Nassau, Bahamas and this was where her travels really took off – literally in a seaplane!!
Countries included - Peru, Lima, the Andes, Haiti, Panama where she picked up some San-Blas ‘Mola’ work – shown below, then on to the Galapagos, Chile, Ecuador…….
After travelling back on a cruise liner that was being brought to Europe to be scrapped (so a cheap passage!) she returned to her teaching in Rochdale - and took a course to teach English as a Foreign Language.
She was soon off again, this time to Africa – Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, Seychelles and Zanzibar AND -
eventually to Moscow – at the end of the Gorbachov era and from there excursions to Uzbekistan, Armenia, Georgia etc… and a wonderful woollen embroidered cloak, shown below.
At some stage she had tried to join a night-school class for Weaving in London, where she was working at the time, but found it was fully booked and by chance joined the Embroidery classes with a wonderfully inspiring teacher who encouraged her to develop her own work.
Throughout her travels she has kept sketchbooks which include all sorts of interesting drawings and notes – a great inspiration for the work she does now.
We are looking forward to her ‘Darning Stitch Techniques’ workshop next Saturday the 18th – look out for some ‘pics’ – I will try to take some examples from all those attending.
Just a bit more stitching for you.
Following recent tradition, Anne Baldwin and Sue Tyldesley wish to remind members that as this is their last year as (joint) Chairman they would like to invite members to enter a piece of work for the Chairmans’ Challenge.
This year’s title is ‘Your Favourite Place’ worked in any technique or media, and the only restriction is the size – no bigger than A4 (approx 8” x 11”) – sorry I don’t do metric!!
So get your thinking caps on and your camera’s out while you are on holiday or even at home and let’s have lots of entries – please!!!
