Murmuration

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 every time.    

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)

Textilia III exhibition

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! 

Sample Diary–October

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. 

Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair

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.

As last year, one of my favourites was Catherine Fuga-Carr, who crochets glass dishes. Yes really – a very clever, unique process Delighted to hear how successful she’s been since her debut last year as a new graduate. A little example came home with me this time, gorgeous.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.  

 

 

I always enjoy Clare Lane’s striking canvases, even though urban scenes don’t usually appeal to me. Love the way her digitally simplified photos are enhanced by densely stitched areas.

 

 

 

 

 

Another textile artist, Caroline Kirton, takes her inspiration from teenage life.

 

 

As always, it seemed as though there were more jewellers than all other crafts put together. I’m not complaining… wonderful stuff, I can’t get enough of it. When the lottery numbers come up, it’s kinetic jewellery from Victoria Walker and Alan Ardiff for me. My favourites were a poppy seedhead ‘locket’ by Walker, which opened into a flower. Beautiful magic, and so skilled. Of Ardiff’s pendants I liked ‘new leaf’ – turn the tiny handle and the suspended leaf flips over to reveal a different coloured side. 

Altogether a fabulous show, very inspiring. So much more I could write about… but why not browse the GNCCF website and see for yourself?