Informal meetings

During the Autumn and Winter , these get-togethers happen once a month, are very relaxed, and a chance to chat, and get on with any pieces of work, embroidery or other textile crafts we like. October's was held at Gloria's house in Penrith, during that lovely sunny, warm spell. It was good to catch up with news, and the time went very quickly.


It was just as well it was nice, because Sally and I found the A66 had been closed, and we were left to find a very circuitous route back to Keswick.  We drove through the  gorgeous countryside by Ullswater, and were able to appreciate it because we weren't in a hurry!

I bought this book recently, and have enjoyed just reading it, so far. I hope to get round to trying out some of the techniques Linda Miller explains so clearly.




Our next formal meeting is on Thursday 21st, and is the design workshop with Sue Lancaster.

September meeting Marilyn's report

Thank you to Sally – Macclesfield Buttons          



After the AGM in the morning we spent the afternoon learning about and making Macclesfield buttons

Our visit to Macclesfield Silk Museum two years ago had inspired Sally to look into the history and production of these buttons. After a short talk and a look at some samples that Sally had made we were all keen to have a go ourselves.

Provided with a kit of materials we got started, but it was not as easy as it first appeared and we were amazed to know that it was usually the job of the children to make these. Traditionally the buttons were made by winding fine silk thread onto a wooden former to create a pattern. There was near silence as we all concentrated on getting the threads in the correct place and as work progressed we were delighted to see the pattern appear.

The last part was the trickiest, but after a few struggles we all managed to complete this successfully.

A big thank you to Sally for preparing and running this workshop, we all enjoyed it and were very proud to take home our own Macclesfield button.

September already!

And today it feels like Autumn.

Have you seen.................

I have just bought this wonderful book, and have spent hours poring over it.

It's a mixture of carefully-researched information about Early English textiles, beautiful photography, and examples of Jan Messent's own interpretation of techniques and stitches. I thought I'd read it all, at one point, but in fact, every time I go back to it, I find bits I've missed. Not a 'How to..' book, exactly. but it does have plenty of ideas and inspiration .

    
 Time to look forward to lots of sewing, and some workshops to inspire. Our AGM is next Thursday, back at the Friends' Meeting House, and will  be followed by Sally's workshop on Macclesfield buttons.

I have been asked to publicise this exhibition at The Drumcroon Gallery in Wigan


A Fine Line: Audrey Walker and Bob White

Thoughts on drawing, narratives, cloth and the processes of making.
The first combined exhibition of work by two influential artists and art educators.
Trained at the Slade in the immediate post-war period, drawing has been fundamental to their practice for over six decades. "It's something that's just a part of you; a process of thinking; of becoming continuously."


September 20th-November 26th 2010


Drumcroon Gallery, 2 Parson's Walk, Wigan WN1 1RS (01942 321840) Open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm Admission free

August Newsletter from Pat

Keg Newsletter

August 2010

Our AGM will be at 10am on Thurday 16th September 2010, and will take place in our normal venue, the Friends' Meeting House opposite Booths Supermarket

The business meeting will be followed by receipt of subscriptions, and then the opportunity to make a Macclesfield button, led by Sally. The kit will be free. Bring your lunch, or visit Booths, if you prefer!

Please bring to the AGM your Chairman's Challenge sampler, finished or not, as the Chairman has not seen our efforts. It will be good to see everyone's interpretation of the Challenge!

We are very happy to be returning to the Meeting House following repair of the flood damage.

The Programme for the coming year is now arranged, and we hope you find it interesting and inspiring. It will be great to meet up with old friends again, and we all look forward to seeing you on 16th September.

21st October's meeting is Design with Sue Lancaster. This promises to be a really good day.

 A fun morning involving games(!) to make you totally stress-free, followed by some hand-stitching with admirable guidance from Sue. We start at 10am sharp, so do arrive by about 9.45am for coffee, etc., if possible. We are hoping that this will be a useful addition to our skills. Please bring;

• 
  
  Apron or clothes you don't mind getting paint or dye on,
• 
  
  All the ingredients for hand embroidery... fabric, and threads ( your choice of colours), base fabric such as calico, embroidery ring if you like to use one, needles, scissors, etc.

The maximum number suggested is 15, and the workshop will cost £15. To book a place, either enrol on the day of the AGM in September, or contact Pat before 15th September.

November's meeting

Please bring your own sewing for the morning or catch up with the gossip, and then around midday, we have an interesting talk about Viking Warriors and Weavers with displays of textiles.

Local exhibitions, etc.

Thornthwaite, Braithwaite and Newlands Home and Garden Show     11th September. You are invited to enter in the Handicrafts Section with your knitting, sewing, etc. (entries free up to 7th September) For more details contact Melanie Vincent.

5th September   Kendal Mintfest     1pm -4pm in Abbot Hall Park.  The Embroiderer's Guild will be represented at the SEWING PICNIC and would like volunteers to go along and demonstrate their sewing skills, as a chance to raise interest in our craft, and possibly recruit new members. Contact Pat for more information if you can go.

6th September  SEW IT'S MONDAY  a group of stitchers get together in Penrith (above Just Sew) on the first Monday of the month throughout Winter from approx 9.30am to do their own thing and share their skills, etc. If you are interested , ring Lena to find out more.

Regional News     Would you like to represent the club?

The regional AGM is being held in Preston on Saturday 16th October at 10.45am, and is open to any member of the guild.

There is a business meeting, plus a speaker and trade stands, and lunch is included. We are hoping that there will be a member or two who could attend on behalf of Keswick Branch, so that we are represented.

The group will pay the expenses involved. If you would like more information, or would like to attend, please contact Pat. It really is an interesting day out!

I hope to see you at the AGM, but if you have any questions, suggestions, etc., please contact me.

Pat Knifton

NB   I (Lesley, that is) do not feel comfortable in publishing other people's telephone numbers online, and so have not included them in this newsletter from Pat. If you do want to contact any of the people mentioned, the numbers are all on the membership list given out to Keswick Branch members. Alternatively, you could leave a message here on the blog, which will be passed on to the relevant person.

Fobbles Exhibition/ Lynette Anderson

Fobbles Needlecraft Workshops and Supplies will be staging their annual summer Exhibition on Friday23rd, and Saturday 24th July from 10am -4pm, at Gubbergill, near Holmrook. On display will be examples of Needlework, Patchwork and Bead work. Entrance is £2, and all proceeds are in aid of Hospice at Home.

Fobbles also invite you to an Evening Presentation by Lynette Anderson, of Patchwork, Quilting and Stitching. to be held in Calderbridge Village Hall, on Monday 16th August at 7.30 pm. Tickets for this are £5 each, to include refreshments. There will be a sales table, and raffle.
http://lynetteandersondesigns.typepad.com/

For more information about either event, contact 019467 24764, or look at the Fobbles link on the right of this page. Both will be well worth a visit!

Keswick Embroiderers' Exhibition

Joan's Crewel work

(Updated 13th July ; see below.)

July 2nd was a lovely, sunny day, and Keswick was busy with lots of visitors. Many of them made their way up the steps of the Moot Hall to our exhibition. From early on, there was a steady stream . I wasn't involved in setting up the exhibits; those who were did an excellent job, and our work looked very impressive. It's easy to forget everything that we've done over the last two years, and this was a reminder of the variety of our workshops, and the quality of work produced by our members. Not forgetting, of course, the talented and generous tutors, (some of them members) who have given us the benefit of their talents.

Several people had risen to the Chairman's challenge, issued by Val last September. Each had interpreted it in a different way, all very clever, some ingenious!  Pictures of some of the exhibits are posted here; I'll add more to the gallery later.  Some are labelled; some not, some have names, some don't. Some are taken from an odd angle, and I apologise for that, and for the reflection from the flash.

Chairman's Challenge..Marilyn's book, Gloria's Trees, and Val's sampler.

                             

                      Sally's doll.......                               Beyond Canvaswork  (Sally)

Lace, and fabric beads............

Beyond Canvaswork.............Pat

 Patchwork Applique.............Gloria

Stumpwork ( Marilyn)and Canvaswork............

Needlelace flower.............

Sally, on the door, and stitching, as ever!

 Reverse Applique............

Beyond Canvaswork     Marilyn

Just some of the work we had on display.  It was a lovely exhibition, and we enjoyed the chat, the tea, and the cake, as well as welcoming old friends and new to the Moot Hall. If you can put the correct names to any of the featured work, I shall be only too glad to credit it.

A visitor left this message;

What a stunning collection of work, extremely hard to pick a favourite. Well done to all, thank you for sharing. How about an embroidered cover for a ‘visitor book’ so we can leave comments at your next exhibition? J. H. Cockermouth

Thank you very much! And what a good idea!

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.