Living where we do, with Ilkley Moor rising behind us to the south, there are a few weeks in winter when we don’t see the sun at all. So the solstice is definitely something to celebrate! And this is the song for it - no, not that Beatles one, but nearly as ancient (please don’t remind me exactly how old) -Jethro Tull, “Ring Out Solstice Bells”.
Wishing everyone a very happy solstice.
For many years now, Caroline Mornement’s “Craft Galleries Guide” (BCF Books) has helped me find new galleries to visit all over the UK. A new edition has just been published – but unfortunately it’s the last. Another casualty of the Internet I suppose.
But, there was a lovely surprise when my copy arrived - I got a mention! This piece of mine, Botanica 1, is featured in the Platform Gallery’s entry.
If you order before the end of March it’s only £12.50 inc. p&p from BCF Books.
Not much further to go now! I was determined to post this today but the light is awful so apologies for even worse than usual photos.
Week 44 - Autumn foliage at Newstead Abbey, Notts. Dyed scrims embellished onto felt from the back.
Week 45 – Launch of the new Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior. Digitised machine embroidery. Not perfect, but you get the idea.
Week 46 – Rolled up garments, illustrating article about increased prices. Thick wool yarns applied to felt using the embellisher.
Week 47 – “Field of Light” art installation in Bath. Free machined, trailing threads fixed down with Misty Fuse.
Only one more month to do, though it’s a five week one at a busy time… thoughts turn to next year’s project? I enjoyed using bought diaries for my first four years (!) of this, it’s a good challenge to do something you wouldn’t necessarily choose plus I liked being able to look ahead and make notes for future weeks. Using newspaper pictures this year was tougher, but I doubt I can go back to a diary as there’s not much choice of suitable/appealing ones (A5-ish with an illustration for each week) that are different to the ones I’ve done already. Maybe I could take my own photo to use each week? Hmm…
It didn’t snow! No fog or rain! Unusually lucky for the annual pilgrimage to the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate. I’ll never understand why the most northerly of the shows is the latest in the year, but we got away with it this time.
So, into the labyrinth… five big halls to explore, and the ways between them don’t seem to get any less confusing with practise. Eventually realised I’d managed to miss one corner, a supplier I knew was in there somewhere, but too exhausted to fight my way back through the crowds by then. 
The highlights, as ever, were the Textile Gallery and the Graduate Showcase. The Textile Study Group had a polished exhibition, “Individual and Collective”, each member showing a picture of an artwork that inspired them beside their own work. But the catalogue didn’t mention these, or even include many of the works on show – I think it must’ve had to be produced too far in advance? (Know the problem, gg)
I really liked minimally stitched pieces by Pat Clayton (coast/shoreline) and Joan Lamb (dusky East Africa sky and grasses) in the Textile Expressions exhibition. Beautifully done, very evocative; sadly I can’t find any websites for them or their group.
Ten Plus Textiles also had an impressive show for their 20th anniversary year, and I surprised myself by picking woven, not stitched, pieces as my favourites - Jane White’s painted warp. Guess what… no pics.
In the Graduate Showcase, I was delighted to see some of Diana Barrett’s degree work – I know her as a machine embroidery star, making stunning vessels and unique intensely stitched wall pieces, but she’s really branched out for her BA. Here she also had long hangings with limited areas of stitch or even none. Beautiful laser cut patterns in off-white fabric, well of course I’d love those, I always go for pieces that cast lovely shadows. Congratulations on your First, Diana, well deserved. 
The other new graduate who excited me was Melanie Kay, with her stitched beer cans. She had lampshades and reconstructed embroidered cans but what really worked for me were the lacy pieces, heavily perforated with lots of punched holes. She has pics out on the web so I don’t think she’ll mind if I show one here. (I don’t take photos at these shows, it seems wrong to put pictures of other people’s work on the web if they haven’t done so themselves.)
What did I bring home? Not a lot really… it’s one of those rules, I’m always between projects when the show rolls round and then the following week I’ll be desperate for supplies I could have got so easily if I’d known. Some Razzle threads to try on the machine bobbin, dyed scrims to use on the embellisher, some green rubbery stuff to make print blocks (those starlings maybe?), the new Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn book (Stitch Rhythms & Patterns), lots of cards. But mostly – inspiration, a renewed determination to try harder with my own work!
Isn’t that a wonderful word for a wonderful phenomenon?
This week we took a quick trip to Leighton Moss RSPB reserve to catch the spectacular sight of up to 100,000 starlings swirling over the reed beds before finally settling down to roost. It’s one of the great sights of autumn/winter in the UK, catch it if you can! This site lists some of the best places.
The constantly changing patterns painted in 3D across the sky are just stunning, different ever
So now I’m wondering, is it possible to capture the spirit of this in stitch? I’ve had quite a few attempts at flocks of birds, using shadows to add another layer, but for these massive flocks it’d need to be on a completely different scale. Hmm… thousands of tiny black dots… not ideal for machine embroidery!
(one of my Flock pieces)
Our latest show is now on at the Signature Gallery, Kendal, until the end of the year.
There’s an amazing variety of textile art, from framed pieces to jewellery and accessories. You can see machine and hand embroidery, felting, rag rugging, handmade books and mixed media. Something for everyone and lots of great Christmas gifts.
This is one of my pieces that’s included – Botanica 3. Unfortunately the gallery lighting doesn’t show it at its best, it’s meant to cast shadows as in this photo. The little motifs are made using a Flower Stitcher attachment and suspended on fine wire.
More photos on the group website here. The hanging team did a great job in tricky circumstances – the walls of this old building are far from straight, so you’ll have to excuse the slightly drunken appearance of some pieces; they’d look MUCH better on YOUR walls!
You won’t be surprised to hear that I got a bit behind with this month! But I’ve caught up now.
Week 40 – Graphene. New “wonder material”, a lattice of carbon atoms one atom thick.
Free machine embroidery on dissolvable fabric, with hand sewn beads.
Week 41 – T-Pylon. New design for electricity pylons.
Hand stitch on painted canvas.
Week 42 – Balloon seller in Kabul.
Bonded and machine stitched sheers.
Week 43 – Advert. for Audi winter tyres.
Strips of felt decorated with auto machine embroidery pattern; eight-strand braiding.
This year (unusually) we didn’t get to Origin, so it was compulsory to go to this – the north’s nearest equivalent – yesterday. It’s going from strength to strength, lots of exciting new designer-makers and not too many of the same people each time. In fact many of the makers who were new to Origin this year were ones we’d already seen at GNCCF in 2010 so we didn’t miss too much.
An exciting new discovery – Yu-Ping Lin, who makes ingenious textile jewellery. Her complex origami-like forms, made of layered, bonded and cut fabrics, can be transformed by manipulating the folds and turning them inside out.
Another textile artist, Caroline Kirton, takes her inspiration from teenage life.
Altogether a fabulous show, very inspiring. So much more I could write about… but why not browse the GNCCF website and see for yourself?
…RIGHT beside the sea! This was the view from the house we stayed in for a few days this week, in Northumberland.
We had a great time exploring the coast, brilliant blue skies and “fresh” winds made for spectacular sea views. Very relaxing, just what we needed.
Came across this seat in the dunes, an unexpected textiley creation:
Driftwood, woven rope, festooned net – love it!
The inaugural Ilkley Art Trail has been a great success! Visitor numbers peaked on Sunday as the weather cooperated and word got around. Or to be fair, was put around by wonderful volunteers accosting passers-by in town. Many thanks due to Lorna and Lucia and their helpers.
The garage is once more bare, and quite a few items have gone to new homes - from brooches and cards to little thread bowls and framed pictures. But there’s a lot still to be put away. Never mind, it can wait… I’m having a well-earned break now!
Once again the garage is bedecked with bunting and transformed into my own little gallery for the final weekend of the Ilkley Art Trail.
I’m showing over twenty wall pieces, a selection of my ‘soluble lace’ bowls, textile jewellery, plus cards, bookmarks, unframed pieces and more. Take a look at my website and Etsy shop to see examples of my work.
The weather looks promising, so where better for a day out than beautiful Wharfedale?
Full programme (with map) available on the Ilkley Art Trail website, or pick up a paper copy when you visit me (email if you need directions).
Hope to see you soon!
I’m a bit late with this! But even the Ilkley Art Trail can’t stop me now, when I’ve got so far through the year. Each week a little textile doodle in response to a picture from the newspaper.
Week 35 – Space junk orbiting Earth
Paint spatters and cross stitch.
Week 36 – David Hockney’s Yorkshire tree paintings
Background of embellished felt/wool fibres, free machine embroidery.
Week 37 – New Dyson “Hot” fan heater
Paperclips, hand stitch.
Week 38 – Protest against corruption in Brazilian politics
They planted hundreds of brooms on Copacabana beach! Great idea, would I have heard about it if they just had boring placards?
Free machine embroidery on soluble fabric for broom heads, zigzag covered wire for handles.
Week 39 – Proposal to raise speed limit to 80 mph
Head- and tail-lights.
Free machine embroidery.
Here’s a glimpse of my garage gallery!
Open 10-5 this weekend and next weekend. There are around 30 venues, all different media – take a look at the IAT website. The Literature Festival is on too, and Ilkley’s a great place for a day out anyway – glorious Wharfedale scenery and the famous Betty’s tearoom, what more could you ask?
Wow, it’s come round fast – the Ilkley Art Trail/Open Studios begins next Saturday. A first for Ilkley, and a first for me too!
When I first heard about it in the spring I thought it’d be businesses in town giving over some of their window space to artists – that’s what Art Trails often seem to mean. And there is a bit of that… but what I’ve ended up doing is turning our garage into a little temporary gallery!
Now the spiders have been evacuated (sorry guys), new lights installed, it’s all painted white inside and just about ready. The hooks are in place to hang the wall art, but being a garage, in October, I’m not leaving it all in there until next weekend.
This week ALL I’ve got to do is signs and labels, plus cards and other small bits and bobs. And work out how to display all those things, along with some of my little thread bowls and some mini framed pieces.
If you’re not too far away, how about coming along? The Trail has over 30 artists, showing paintings, prints, glass, jewellery, ceramics, wood… and several other textile and mixed media people including my friend Linda Dewart. And it’s all timed to coincide with the Ilkley Literature Festival too. What more could you want?
Not a good pic, sorry, but it reads “Thunderous water conquers rock – a waterfall is born”. 
It’s that time again! Working towards several exhibitions, I wonder if I should make time for this – but I’m hooked, over half way through the year I really can’t let it slide now.
French knots. Enough French Knots to last this machine stitcher a long time.
Week 32 – Bristol International Balloon Fiesta.
Different textured yarns couched onto felt using the embellisher.
Week 33 – Heather in bloom on the North York Moors.
Yes, that’s the North York, not North Yorkshire, Moors all you southern hacks!
Dyed scrim embellished onto felt from the back.
Week 34 – “Life comes in 8.7m varieties”, 2.2m of them in the sea
Free machining on felt over Romeo.
Turned out interestingly stiff, hmmm, potential…
This new piece is a celebration of the dragonflies that brighten our pond and garden every summer. Well, every summer until this one, it seems! Maybe it was the recent bad winters… I hope they’ll be back next year.
These dragonflies are machine embroidered, with delicate wings of Lutradur touched with silver. They float above the surface on fine wires, casting shadows that add to the dance.
Month seven, and I’m still going (just). Can’t say I’ve felt spoilt for choice of inspiring images in the newspaper – each week there seems to be just one that might work, and sometimes that’s only found by rummaging in the recycling bin!
Week 27 – Obituary of Cy Twombly.
Needle felting.
Week 28 – Thailand stock exchange.
Cross stitch. Yes really, counted cross stitch on Aida!
Week 29 – Umbrellas.
Ribbed Spider’s Web.
Week 30 – Eden Project biome.
Hand stitch with metallic thread on card.
Just realised – no machine embroidery at all! Well that’s what this exercise is all about, a bit of variety.
