RAINBOW SQUARES UPDATE

At the beginning of September the Rainbow Squares from all over the North West Region were on showat the Manchester Central exhibition centre – see if you can find yours in the green strips – I have found 2 of mine so I know they are all there.

Thanks to Monica Selway for providing the photographs – unfortunately I could not attend but they look a pretty amazing display to me – well done everyone who took part.

DON’T FORGET – they will be on show again at Quarry Bank Mill 10th and 11th October, together with part of the World’s Longest Embroidery to celebrate the Big Draw event.  Do try to go along.

A VERY UNUSUAL HOLIDAY VISIT

Sue Tyldesley has sent me this article on her holiday to visit her daughter in Africa – an amazing experience by the sound of it.

Swazi Secrets

Whilst browsing through ’Contact’ magazine , I noticed the Embroiderers’ Guild trip to Swaziland and South Africa.-just where I was heading this summer to visit my daughter.

I mentioned it to her and it turned out that the group the EG were to visit was one her friend has been helping to support! They would be delighted to have a visitor , so with my husband and brother in tow , we arranged to visit.

The group was set up by Kathy who found herself living in Swaziland and liked embroidery. She’s tried to combine pictures of traditional Swazi life with traditional embroidery stitches to create pieces which can be made up into bags, cushions , glasses cases etc. Her office is above ‘Swazi Secrets ‘ another small business which makes soap and beauty products from the nut of the local Maruba tree. We had a trip round that too , having a go at pressing nuts !

Kathy took us out to meet some of the ladies who do the sewing (EG Swazi style !) See below. This took place in a local community room and the children came too -not always assisting the process! Each person involved has to buy a piece of fabric with a picture traced on and some threads (cost about 40p) and then goes away to embroider. When the work is complete they bring it back to the meeting , Kathy checks it and makes a note of it as the ladies get paid when the piece is sold ( each piece is sold with a label on with the name of the embroiderer who did it). It’s been hard work for Kathy teaching the stitches , but the women do some lovely work . It is to a very high standard and the business had been doing well. The recession has hit there like everywhere else though and they’ve a lot of stock at present . They’ve grown to the stage where they employ staff to manage /help with finances and Kathy was feeling a bit anxious.

If you would like to see their work try www.litsemba.org I’ll bring a bag along to the October meeting for you to see.

Thank you Sue - how wonderful it must have been to see the project ‘in action’ – do contact us if you were one of the EG members on the trip.

SEPTEMBER MEETING

Hope you have all had good holidays - the weather has not been great so maybe you have had more time to stitch?
I can't be at the next meeting as I have a family wedding to attend, but I have actually been busy sewing for it - a small fabric and paper book to be passed around at the reception for the guests to sign - based on the colours and flowers that have been chosen. Just hope they appreciate 'modern art embroidery' or it might be consigned to a drawer somewhere - let's hope not.

Anyway, to business. This is just to let you know that the new branch programme is now on our branch web page, listing all twelve month's meetings and four full day workshops - all looks very interesting.

The monthly colour raffle is a great tradition in the branch and this year is based on Coral Reefs and their Inhabitants - this month's subject being 'The Leafy Sea Dragon' whose colours are gold, red and white and our Chairmen (yes - there are 2 of them sharing the workload) have suggested that the winner of the basket of goodies, also be given a picture of this 'creature' so that they can perhaps design and make a piece of work using the fabrics and threads that have been donated.
I'm looking forward to seeing how many winners will do this - when and if you do please bring it to a meeting and I will put a picture on the blog. HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!

A picture of this creature is shown below, though the colours are not too clear.

Regional Matters

Rainbow Squares

All the Branches in the Region who are taking part will have their squares displayed at G.Mex, now called Manchester Central, over the weekend of 4 to 6 Sept – do try to get there if you can.

They will also be on display at the National Trust property - Quarry Bank Mill, Styall, Sat 10 and Sun 11th October and will then be returned to Branches at the Regional AGM in Preston.

Regional AGM - Sat Oct 17th, 10.45am.

All members are eligible to attend; the cost to include welcome drink and de luxe sandwich buffet lunch at £13.00.
We are sorry that we are not able to accomodate anyone wanting to bring sandwiches to our venue over the lunch break, but there are several cafe’s nearby.
Lancashire County Hall, Fishergate, Preston,PR1 8XJ is opposite the railway station or car parking is at the rear of the building. Please book via your Branch Treasurer by Oct 7th.

HANDS-ON LOCAL HERITAGE 4

On Saturday 8th August, we held the last of this series – on Wakes Week Postcards and what a good meeting it was.
Tracey and Sue had really spent a lot of time on researching all types of postcards and had brought in a huge amount of source material for everyone to look at for ideas.

There were books on the subject, Seaside tea towels, actual postcards old and new and two work areas had been organised for members to print, paint and emboss some of the backgrounds and embellishments provided.

The following postcards had been made by Sue and Tracey and we now look forward to many more made by the members.

This picture shows part of the  variety of source material available.

Two of Tracey’s cards – using a printed ‘picture fabric’ for the central design in the first one and hand painted sandcastles in the other.

 

Two of Sue’s cards – appliqued beach huts and a painted picture of  a boat and ‘treasure’.

All the work produced from these sessions will be on display at our Open Day next May when many items will be displayed and some will be for sale so come along and see how it all turned out!! More details of this event later.

As soon as I have it, I will publish the branch programme for the coming year and a reminder to members – your membership renewal is due at the September meeting – a slight increase this year to £26 and £6 for Life/Friend and Associate members.

Have a good break and let’s hope the remains of the ‘barbeque summer’ will turn out to be just that.

Hope to see some of you at the Festival of Quilts at the N.E.C – I am going to be there on the 20th and 21st.

Byee  for now.

PHOTO UPDATE

Just a few more photographs to keep you going over the summer months -  Don’t know who they belong to apart from the last one which is John’s – a real expert in fine stitching and who has obviously done this before!!!
A good one to start with as it shows how you mark your pattern and start the stitching – worked in silver thread on black  - this will make a lovely finished piece.


One step on – a bit more stitching – filling in the areas with different techniques.

Somebody worked hard on this one – finished I think and showing a variety of techniques filling each area.

John’s piece – the centre design was stared on the workshop day, -he works very quickly.  A box lid I think.

To the members reading this post please let me know if this is your work and I can credit it to the right person – you bring them to meetings for me to photograph for the blog, but almost always there is no name on the back, or even on a piece of paper alongside.  It would be nice to know.

I have to admit to not being able to do Goldwork (along with Beadwork as reported earlier).  Believe me, I have tried – doing 18 samples of all the Goldwork techniques when I took City & Guilds, but I really can’t see well enough to get my couching stitches straight and unobtrusive, and I have to admit to being a bit of a perfectionist – if it is meant to be done in a certain way, that is the way I like it to be done.
SO my samples ended up being presented in a little handmade book in a matching bag, which made them look so much better and nobody noticed the uneven stitching!!

AND – I did it – the bag I produced from my summer school printed fabrics.  I really love these ‘messy’ courses – especially when they produce such exciting fabrics.

Front view

Back view

Hope to see some more finished pieces from the other members who attended,  later in the year.

REGIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL

The annual Regional summer school is always eagerly anticipated at Alston Hall in Longridge near Preston – a very comfortable residential college in lovely grounds with fantastic views across the Ribble Valley.  A central venue for the whole region with 42 members attending from as far afield as Carlisle to South Cheshire.

This year 6 of our members attended the 3 different courses on offer and as usual had a wonderful few days.
4 of us did the Printing Techniques course with Sue Chapman starting on the Thursday evening with dinner and finishing on Sunday with afternoon tea.  
1 member attended the ‘Flower Power’ course with Diane Bates  and 1 member attended the Hand Applique course with Lucy Smethurst.  These courses started on the Friday evening.

Needless to say, the food as usual was excellent – especially now with the new chef – some really great imaginative food.  Anyone would think we only go for the food – we don’t of course but it does help us to be extra creative!!!

Some pictures of work are attached – just hope I have the correct names for  all the pieces, but apologies if not.


This is the start of a piece of Applique by Monica Selway – you don’t get a lot done very quickly if you want to make a good job of it  as it is such fine intricate work -  so we are looking forward to seeing a finished piece in some months time we hope.

I think (and sincerely hope) that this piece belongs to Sue Tyldesley who attended the Flower Power course.  She wasn’t in the room when I took it, but I was assured it was hers!

The next pictures show some of the work done on the Printing Course – a tiring few days bent over print screens, cutting print blocks and experimenting with Procion printing.  We all went home with masses of work which will take us some time to turn into finished items I feel.

 
This work was done by Pat Fisher - her designs were based on shapes in the funnel of a cruise ship.

   
These pieces were created by Tracey Ramsey using a series of rubbing blocks to form the patterns.

  
My prints were on silk and old linen tablecloths which had previously had iron-on transfers applied many years ago by one of my family.   I foolishly promised Sue Chapman that I would make something from them to take to the Quilt Show in August – better get my skates on as I only have 4 weeks. 

Unfortunately Sue Abbott had to leave early so I hope to be able to show some of her pieces later, plus some of our finished work whenever that gets done!!