Awayday!

On 17th June, we had our annual KEG outing. It's always a good day, with some textile inspiration, and over the years we have travelled far and wide to find somewhere different. Sally sends this report on our visit to Halifax.

Trip to Bankfield Mansion - 17 June 2010

Our annual trip out this year was to take us to Halifax to visit Bankfield Mansion, a museum and exhibition centre. The mansion started as a modest 4 bedroomed house and was the principal home of Edward Akroyd, a woollens and worsteds manufacturer in the early 19th

century. He purchased the house in 1838 and, after his marriage and inheriting a substantial fortune, he set about enlarging and decorating the property in the Italianate style to become the Mansion that stands today.

We entered the house by an enclosed lobby and ascended some stairs to enter the ballroom, now a beautiful room with a painted ceiling and patterned wooden floor. It contains a small shop and a large exhibition of modern patchwork and embroidery.

The embroideries comprised many  mixed media, batik, appliqué, and machine, all very colourful, clever, and well thought out. One section of flower drawings in black machine stitch on white organza were quite lovely. Some modern sculptured dolls made one smile with their funny faces. All these embroideries had been done by members of a sewing

group 'TenPlusTextiles' (http://www.tenplustextiles.com/).There were patchwork hangings, small, but perfect in the use of colour, design and stitching, adding to their beauty. A triple hanging using blue/pink fabric was the highlight.

Leading off the ballroom were many rooms housing things from the past; books, jewellery, clothes and textiles, toys, and household/kitchen equipment. One room was dedicated to the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment and followed its history up to the present day. Another room was The World of Textiles Gallery, with fabrics from India Africa and China.

Upstairs the exhibition cases had models wearing clothes from many nations as well as interesting old garments, shoes, boots, hats etc. from this country.

Another display was of Jewellery by Charles Horner, a new name to me. He had a thriving business through two world wars expressing his his great skill in Art and Craft style designs but went into voluntary liquidation in 1986.

We spent a very pleasant afternoon looking round the house and its displays and returned to Keswick feeling inspired by the modern work and fascinated by our trip into the past.

Woolfest 2010 /Keswick Embroiderers' Exhibition

I met up with lots of Guild members and other friends at Woolfest this weekend, and caught glimpses of several others in the distance! I went both days, and managed to find plenty of things on Saturday that I'd missed on Friday. It was a lovely show, and I came away with bagsful of goodies, and ideas. I think  I was more realistic this year about what I'd actually use, but still managed to have all kinds of purchases to enjoy all over again when I got home and unpacked them. The attendance seemed to be good............ I hope that all the stallholders felt it worth coming, because it really is wonderful to have this show here, so close by.

Among my favourite buys were a little felt doll from Diane Gaffney's stall, where I was also seriously tempted by the batik fabrics, and two of Jackie Cardy's beautiful felt and velvet embroidered brooches, which I have seen  on her blog. (http://www.dogdaisychains.blogspot.com/)   Her felt vessels were lovely too. Otherwise, my buys were supplies of threads and fabric.

 I'm sure , if you went, you enjoyed it, and if you didn't, look out for Woolfest 2011.

Our Exhibition is the next Big Thing for us! It may not be on the same grand scale as Woolfest, but will show the kinds of things we do, and the results of  workshops over the last two years or so. We're hoping for a good response at The Moot Hall on Friday.  Refreshments will be served!  See you there!

May's Meeting; Goldwork

Pat's report, and Melanie's pictures............

On Thursday, 20th May, we were lucky to have 'Golden Hinde' visit us, with Sue Hinde giving us very clear tuition in goldwork, and her daughter Sarah Rackstraw aiding her, and letting us have many tips on how to get to grips with our attempts at a beautiful finished product. We were asked to choose a motif (mine was a shell shape) and a little kit of materials (gold or silver, lovely coloured beads, etc), and it was explained how to transfer the pattern to the fabric, by stitching through the tissue paper, and then removing it carefully. We then couched threads, sewed on padded shapes in soft leather, and cut up sparkly lengths, which then were threaded into place as beads. The overall effect of all our efforts was charming, and in her friendly, chatty way, Sue Hinde persuaded most of us that there was no fear in having a go at goldwork; indeed, I came away with inspiration to complete my Chairman's Challenge Sampler with a three inch square of goldwork, and to incorporate these well-explained techniques into future pieces of embroidery, be they traditional or contemporary. A very relaxed and enjoyable day!

Out and about this summer!

This is Marilyn's review of a visit to Farfield Mill, Garsdale Road, Sedbergh



I have just visited the Trees in the Park Exhibition and found it very interesting, however these are Art quilts and are certainly not for the bed!

Most are long tall quilted wallhangings, as you would expect a tree to be. A variety of techniques, are displayed, including some hand and machine embroidery.

Worth a visit if you are in the area.



Mary Taylor ( machine embroidery based on landscapes) also has her workshop here, so you can see her work whenever you visit and she is often working there. I love her landscapes and also the range of embroidered jewelry she creates. The workmanship is to such a high standard, so neat and accurate and her use of colour is excellent.



Summer Exhibitions 2010

12th June to 11th July - Trees in the Park (quilted textiles)

10th July to 5th Sept - Lancs & Lakes Guild Of WSD (woven textiles)

7th July to 30th Aug - Nora Ball textile (woven textiles& mixed media)





More info at www.farfieldmill.org

May meeting

At last the weather seems to be improving! Everything looks so much nicer in the sun.

This Thursday's meeting will be a goldwork workshop, led by Golden Hinde.(http://www.golden-hinde.co.uk/)
 It promises to be interesting, and I am very sorry that I will not be there, as I am, (hopefully) off on holiday. So there will be no blog about it, or pictures, immediately, but I am hoping that someone will write a report, and perhaps take some pictures of what I expect will be lovely work! I will upload anything sent to me as soon as I get back next week.

Don't forget that we are still meeting at Threlkeld!

Val's Scissor Keeper

Our April meeting featured a workshop by our chairman, Val, who showed us how to make a canvaswork scissor-keeper. Val's workshops are always very hands-on, and this one  involved us learning 'Norwich Stitch', new to me, and to others, too, I suspect. It did demand concentration, and silence reigned for a while as we got to grips with the stitch itself. It turned out to be the ideal stitch for the project, of course, and the beautiful space-dyed threads that Val had chosen for us complemented it perfectly.

At least one person had made the little scissor keeper before lunch, but most of us worked on, and some had to take it home to complete. It was a lovely relaxed session, once we'd mastered 'the stitch', and normal chatting was resumed after lunch. Pictures below of work in progress..................... and thanks to Val for something new.  (And another stitch to feature on the sampler, which is needed soon!)

Latest News from Pat

KEG Newsletter April 2010

A belated Happy Easter to all! It really is lovely to see the daffodils blooming, and to feel the garden will once again be surprising us with what it can do. PLEASE REMEMBER – the next few meetings will be at Threlkeld Village Hall, until the Friends’ Meeting House has completed its works after flooding. We expect to be back there in September!

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Our next meeting is at 10am on Thursday, 15th April (coffee available at 9.45am), and Val Osborn is guiding us in making a very pretty scissor keeper. A kit is supplied, so all you need to bring is your ‘usual sewing kit’ and your lunch, and enjoy a day of pleasant stitching.

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On 20th May we have a visit from Golden Hinde. Sue and Sarah Hinde are teaching us the techniques of Goldwork, and will bring along their shop for the purchase of goodies which you might need. There will be a kit of materials available for the actual workshop, but I am attaching the list of things for you to bring, as it is pretty lengthy. Don’t be put off though – there is lots of help available, and we can share most things, as usual. This is a great opportunity to learn, or recap, with a very good tutor, on techniques which give such a beautiful result! Val will take names on the 15th April, or please ring Pat after 18th April and by 22nd April at the latest.

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17th June is the grand KEG outing, and this year we are going south to visit the Bankside Museum in Halifax in the afternoon, following on from lunch at the Mereside Centre at Shibden Hall. Bankside Museum has an internationally renowned collection of textiles and costume, plus contemporary exhibitions, in a Victorian Italianate house built by a gentleman in the wool trade.


To organise the transport and catering, we need to know numbers, so please let Val know on Thursday, 15th April, or ring Pat on 017687 79448 after 18th April and by 22nd April at the latest. Entry to the museum is free, we are finding out about costs for lunch, and transport is yet to be decided. Val will explain on Thursday 15th April.

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Keswick Embroiderers’ Exhibition – Moot Hall Keswick – 2nd July 2010

We are hoping you will have lots to show at this exhibition.  Please let us have your insurance forms by 20th May so that the appropriate Insurance form can be completed, etc.

To remind you of our exploits - during the years since our last exhibition we have produced the following: Crewel embroidery (x2), Calico Creations, used transfer paints, made felt, made textile flowers, doll heads, stars, Mountmellick, fabric jewellery, canvas work, made appliqué angels, silk paper, and will no doubt have produced a scissor keeper and some goldwork by then! Don’t forget, your pieces don’t have to be complete; work in progress is just as interesting for our visitors.

The Chairman’s Challenge samplers will be interesting to exhibit (hope you are proceeding well on that!) and we hope to have the Rainbow Squares back in our possession. We will have a sales table, and it would be great if you could make some cards, or little items which our visitors might like to buy when they visit. If you want to sell any of the items which you are exhibiting, you are welcome to put a price on them and the group will accept a 10% commission if they are sold.

Sally Evans is still wanting our ideas, sketches, drawings, examples and explanations of fabric used, etc, for the motifs supplied to the KEG banner. Sally will create a file which will contain all the information, for posterity, and we would like to put that information in our exhibition. Just jot down what you felt about your piece, and the materials you used, etc, and we will make a display to supplement the KEG Banner.

Pat Knifton 017687 79448