Sunday 6 July 2014

June & July 2014 Meetings

Apologies for the lateness of this post.

JUNE

We welcomed Karen Babayan to our meeting on 17th June (meeting moved because of Appleby Horse Fair).  She gave a very interesting talk about her work and how her Persian heritage has informed her work.  Karen is multi-talented and as well as a being a great artist is a novelist and actor. She has exihibited work which has included screen printing, heat flocking, photography, reverse printing, etc.  Here are some photos from after her talk.







JULY

Again more apologies, I forgot my camera.  However for our meeting on 1st July we had a show and tell of members work.  A great display (sorry again) of work.  City and Guilds Year 1 and 2 portfolios, fine traditional pulled thread, work from the Lady Anne costume (detached buttonhole stitched flowers on a sleeve), etc.

NEXT MEETING
The next meeting is the 2nd September where Isobel Hall will be talking about texture with cocoon strippings.  All welcome.

I feel that there should be a photo to finish.  I attended a workshop with Sandra Kendall in Lancaster where we looked at lichen for inspiration.  Here are some photos of the attendees work.






Sunday 11 May 2014

May Meeting : Emma Wigginton

There was a real buzz around the May meeting, with a very good turn out.  An update from those who attended the NW Regional meeting was given and a confirmation on the next dates for our diaries.  (more about that later in this post).

Guest Speaker

Our guest speaker was Emma Wigginton, a very talented local textile artist.  She told us about her creative journey and how she goes about making her works of art which was followed by a demonstration of using machine embroidery to paint pictures and make other 3D objects.

She brought a good selection of her work for us to look at and get inspiration.




There was even a basket of goodies - how lovely are these brooches.



Emma uses two machines to make her pictures; an Embelisher and a sewing machine.

First of all you lay down strips of fabric over a piece of old blanket, and you use the embelisher to matt the pieces together.  The emblisher is a large felting machine which uses a groups of felting needles, so it felts really quickly.  It was quite noisy.  It does look a lot like a sewing machine, but there is no threading involved.  She was asked if you needed one of these machines? "you can felt by hand but it would be a very good workout".  Another item for the 'I want one of those' list.



 
Next she uses a sewing machine to add texture and applique to the surface to make the pictures.


 
Emma uses an old Pfaff sewing machine, a basic model which shows that you don't have to use a fancy sewing machine to get results. 
 
 
The sewing is freehand with the 'teeth' disengaged, you are in control of the length of stitch.
 
Further items are made separately or appliqued onto the work.  You don't have to stick to just fabric, this flower is being made from cheese paper (yes the stuff they wrap around cheese in good delis).
 

If you practice and let your imagination run wild you can create wonderful textiles like this below.
 
 
If you are wish to view more of Emma's work, please use this link to her blog. - Emma Wigginton
 

Other news

Tied by Stitch, Lancaster 21st June - would anyone like to go?
 
Woolfest , Cockermouth (27th and 28th June) - a list was available tonight, which day do we want to go?  Please let Barbara know if you would like to go.
 
Lady Anne's Costume Workshops
These to be held in the Riverside Building, unless advised otherwise.
  • Tuesday 3rd June, 6pm to 8pm - non tutor led workshop
  • Tuesday 8th July, 9am to 3.30pm - Tutor led workshop (no fee)
  • Tuesday, 12th August, 9am to 3.30 pm - non tutor led workshop
National Stitching Day - Saturday 2nd August - venues/times to be arranged.
 
Next meeting is to be held on Tuesday 3rd June during the Lady Anne's Costume Workshop.
 
 
 
 
 

Saturday 5 April 2014

Meeting April 2014

The meeting we had on Tuesday, 1st April was well attended and there were some new faces.  We also had 2 presentations.  The first was by HighlightsNorth.  They have an arts programme which runs across Cumbria and County Durham, this spring it is entitled Textile Stories.  Check the link to find out what they are up to and where you can go to see these exhibitions.

The second presentation was by textile artist Stella Adams Schofield, who talked about her creative embroidery journey and brought along some great art work to look at.  Below is just a flavour of her work.  Here is a link to her blog.  Story of a Quilt



At the March meeting we made felt and dyed it, and were challenged to creating something with it, and boy did we!!!!    Wow look what we did with some wool and threads.


Well done everyone who entered the challenge.

Did anyone catch our very own Phillipa on the TV last Saturday (29th March), if not here is a photo



Another event you might be interested in is The Secrets of Silk, 2 talks by Prisilla Lowry, Saturday 26th April 2014, Newbiggin Village Hall - Contact Carole Dickens on 01900 827829 or Aelwen Evans 01768 361216

Next month - Tuesday 6th May, 7.30 pm Guide Hut, Appleby in Westmorland, where our guest speak is Emma Wiggington.  See you there.

Friday 7 March 2014

Space Dyeing Workshop

We all had great fun on Tuesday, turning this

Using these

Into this

Guild Member, Jackie Watkinson, ran a workshop on Space Dyeing, which uses a microwave.

We made felt from some lovely merino wool tops



If you have never made felt before, here is a quick overview.

  • Pull small pieces from your wool top
  • Make a 3 layered sandwich on a piece of bubble wrap (bubble side up)
  • Cover with a piece of old net curtaining and add some hot water (as hot as you can stand it)
  • Rub over with soap
  • Keeping rubbing until it makes a flat pancake
  • Now roll it in the bubblewrap and bamboo mat (optional), until all the wool fibres have matted together and you have your felt.

  • Wash in clean water to remove the soap and dry

Everybody made a piece of felt which was then put into a roasting bag and the dye sprinkled on top.



The dyes used are all in one acid dyes. Two tablespoons of water were added and the bag cooked in the microwave for 4 minutes.

Taa Daa - we have some colourful felt.



Challenge for the next meeting is to make something with the felt that we made tonight.









Next meeting is on Tuesday, 1st April 2014 and our guest speaker is Stella Adams Schofield.

Sunday 10 November 2013

The blog

Hello,

This is the first post on the newly created blog for the Appleby branch of the Embroiders' Guild.


Our stall at the North West Regional Day in Kirkby Lonsday.  Better photos coming soon.