Happy New Year!

Our first informal meeting of 2011 drew fourteen of us to the Friends' Meeting House in Keswick today. A good crowd, and lots of different aspects of needlework being worked on in between the chatting and catching up. Patchwork, Knitting, stumpwork and applique, Machine embroidery and crewel work, progress on some of those coloured squares for the newly-refurbished Meeting House,  are some of the examples of members' work today. I photographed several pieces, ready to upload here. Sadly, I then left the camera in the Meeting House, and though it is being kept safe, I will have to post the pictures later. Actually not for a fortnight! Embarrassing!

It was good to see everyone again, and look at what we're all doing, and to troop over to Booths for lunch.
Shame about those photos!

Christmas Lunch in Threlkeld

Well, the weather relented last week, just in time for our Christmas lunch at The Horse and Farrier. Fourteen of us made it, and enjoyed a lovely meal. For most of us , it was our first visit to this lovely old Inn, and judging by the comments afterwards, it will not be the last!  We were treated to a wonderful meal, with plenty of choice, and very generous portions! Pat's warning to 'arrive hungry' was proved to be quite right.

We were a very lively group, and after the crackers, and three courses,we opened gifts. As is our tradition, these were all either made by the giver, or had some connection with embroidery and, as always, showed great ingenuity on the part of our members. Lovely presents, all appreciated by the recipients.

Not many pictures, I'm sorry to say, for a variety of reasons, but a few shots of some of the gifts.

Then came the mince pies, mulled wine , coffee and chocolates, before we all set off for home. A lovely occasion! Happy Christmas,everybody!

December Newsletter from Pat

       The Keg Newsletter

          Dec 2010

                Happy Christmas!

 By now we should have enjoyed our Christmas get-together, will be counting down the days to Christmas Day, and hoping to get that Christmas shopping done (weather allowing). I hope we are all lucky enough to enjoy the season, and get together with people we love.


A reminder – our next meeting is an informal meeting and will be on Tuesday, 4th January at Pat’s house – 10 till about 3pm. Ring 017687 79448 if you’re unsure about the weather, or for directions if necessary, and bring along your own work and your own lunch, or some lunchy things to share if you wish.

NOTE – Tuesday, not Thursday!!!

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Don’t forget, we are hoping to hold another swap, jumble, bring and buy of sewing, knitting, craft items, etc, so when you are tidying / sorting out in the new year, think ‘JUMBLE’. More details of date and location later.



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Our next ‘proper’ meeting is on 20th January, at The Friends’ Meeting House, and is entitled “Mystery Stitch”. This should be relaxed and enjoyable, and is a chance to re-visit stitching. The requirements are as follows:

•  Approx ¼ metre of easy to stitch-into neutral open weave cotton or similar

•  A range of threads from fine to chunky in a colour range of your choice (ie blue, green, red etc)

•  A small quantity of threads in a complementary colour

•  Basic sewing equipment, including needles large anough to take your thickest threads

•  A frame for hand stitching if you use one (8” to 9” approx)

•  A stitch book if you have one (we will bring some)

• Your lunch (or Booths may beckon)

If you don’t have any of these items, don’t worry – we usually share!

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There is an informal meeting on Thursday, 3rd February (yes, back to Thursday), at Pat’s house 10 till 3 and all are welcome, and the usual arrangements apply.

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The 17th February meeting is Machine Embroidery with the popular tutor, Jan Hicks, and should be a good chance to experiment with modern techniques. You will need to bring:

•  Sewing machine (need not be fancy)

• Usual sewing kit including scissors

•  Threads (machine and thicker)

•  Hoop (8” to 10”)

•  Scraps of fabrics (assorted, including sheers, velvets, etc)

•  Firm cotton to practice on.

Jan will bring oddments of fabrics and threads, and soluble fabric will be for sale.

Look forward to seeing you on the 4th January! Any questions, ring Pat Knifton 017687 79448

The Knitting and Stitching Show 2010

Although we didn't have an official 'trip' to Harrogate, several of us made the journey over on the Thursday, some in groups, and others under their own steam. Going on the first day turned out to be a good decision, because of the weather ,which was just beginning to turn wintry, and giving some of us nightmares about getting back. I'm sure it put off lots of visitors on the other days.

A shame, because it was a good show, with plenty to see for anyone interested in textiles. Almost too much, really, and I was glad I'd decided to stay overnight, and visit the show twice.It meant I could have a good look round on Thursday, and leave buying anything until Friday. One hall after another of equipment, threads, fabrics, and beautiful creative work to inspire.  I loved talking to the creators of work I'd seen in Stitch magazine, and to Janet Browne, whose embroidery was featured recently in Embroidery. Part of  her work is based on 'maps' of the area where she lives, interpreted in felt, calico and stich. I thought they were intriguing when I saw them in the magazine, and was even more impressed when I could look at them close-up, and talk to her about them. There were some of the larger pictures I'd dearly loved to have brought home, but settled for a small picture of a bird, which is waiting to be framed, and a bookmark, a printed copy of one of the larger works.

This sea-bird is machine-stitched on painted calico over felt, and there is some hand embroidery added.

I was lucky to be staying very close to the Show, and fortunate that I was travelling by train, getting home just before the weather really closed in. Even on that Thursday, parts of North Yorkshire were under snow, but there was very little in Harrogate while I was there. I hope the other Keswick Embroiderers I saw there got home safely!

'Six Hens' bookmark, Janet Browne

Let's hope we can all make it to the Horse and Farrier in Threlkeld on Thursday 9th for that all-important Christmas lunch!



The Vikings are coming!

             ..........or, at least, pictures of Vikings, sent by Lyn,after the Guild meeting last week. 

And Pat's report...............

The Vikings are coming!


Our meeting on Thursday, 18th November was certainly interesting. We were awaiting a guest speaker for the afternoon, so spent the morning swapping yet more fabric for bags, and discussing, demonstrating techniques, and admiring BAGS. Some of us carried on stitching, and a very relaxed morning passed quickly. After lunch, we trouped down to our normal meeting room, to be greeted by a fully kitted out Viking - Mr Ian Uzzell, a man totally immersed in the Viking period, and whose Norse name was Snorri. He looked magnificent (and huge) with his chain mail, helmet, sword and knives, etc, and he started proceedings by blowing a very long blast on a horn. It was almost ear-splitting, but gradually became strangely evocative of vast fiords and all we think we know about the Vikings. Ian then proceeded to divest himself of his layers, explaining carefully the various materials used, transforming himself from a wealthy warrior to an upper class gentleman. Snorri’s wife was represented by a tailor’s dummy and, again, we learnt about the various garments she wore, and her embellishments in the form of jewellery, etc, and the arrangements surrounding dowries around the time of marriage. We were shown weaving and embroidery which had been closely copied from well-researched items in museums, and the equipment upon which it had been made. We were lucky to be able to handle a lot of the items and, although I haven’t a chance of remembering everything we were told, I feel I now have a broader background of information, which has somehow brought alive that period. It was interesting to note that so little is known about the Vikings’ normal lives because they had no written record of their own, but all the bad press was written by the monasteries they sacked, so was bound to portray them as warlike thugs. We all thoroughly enjoyed the talk, and it made a real change from our normal workshops.

New Exhibition at Farfield Mill

This poster has been passed to me by the organisers of the Exhibition, which looks exciting, and certainly worth a visit to Farfield Mill between now and January.


Also, Beverley Trembath of Fobbles has asked me to pass on the following information;

Classic Inspirations,  the Australian Craft magazine is changing the way it supplies its customers. Fobbles is one of the retailers who will continue to stock this magazine.


The October Newsletter from Pat,

 Posting the October Newsletter was delayed because of problems with internet connections Here it is, now.

Keg Newsletter

October 2010

The 2010 programme has got off to a good start; we have just had our workshop on design with Sue Lancaster and I think everybody enjoyed the event and found it useful. At the AGM in September, the Committee and officers remained the same, ie.,

Val Osborn   Chair                Sally Evans

Lena Slater    Treasurer         Marilyn Hughes

Pat Knifton  Secretary           Lesley Rutherford

Lyn Armstrong                      Melanie Vincent

Christmas lunch

The KEG Christmas lunch will take place at The Horse and Farrier in Threlkeld on Thursday December 9th. We will meet there at 12 noon, and there is plenty of car parking. Please bring a gift to swap in the (anonymous!) lucky dip. The cost is £14.25, payable by 18th November, please. Warning; Come with a good appetite!

Informals

There will be no informal meeting in December, but then we will try alternating Tuesdays and Thursdays. Thus, the dates will be;

Tuesday 4th January

Thursday 3rd February

Tuesday 1st March.

We are considering holding another textile 'jumble' event, either on one of the informal days, or as an evening event sometime in the early months of 2011. So, when you are sorting out your cupboards, shelves, etc., think about holding on to your swaps, books,and so on, so that we can recycle/recirculate.

Our next Meeting

We will have a talk on Thursday 18th November, about Vikings, Weaving, etc. This will not start until around 12 noon, so the committee thought it might be a good idea to resurrect the BAG day. So.........can you please bring

• Any made-up bags you'd like to show
• Suitable fabrics to start something with, or swap
• Patterns to lend/copy/share
• Sewing machine (if you wish....... some available to borrow)
• Usual sewing kit
• Lunch (there might not be time to visit Booths)

Once the talk is over we may have time to return to our bags, be it talking about them, swapping ideas or cracking on with making something bag-like.

The FRIENDS' Squares

We are hoping to produce some 4" squares to be displayed on a textile background to be hung in  the room where we meet. Sally has distributed some calico, the designs and a 4" template, and colours have been allotted. The plan is to produce four squares in each of eleven coloure, but if you have missed out on this and would like to take part, please contact Sally, who might know if we need help with some of the colours. The deadline is Easter 2011.

NorthWest Region  have begun advertising their Residential Summer School for July 2011, at Alston Hall. near Preston The classes on offer look very interesting;

Frances Pickering-Books to Cherish (transfer dyes, pelmet vilene, papers, hand and machine stitching, etc. 

Clare Hanham-Clensy Modern 3-D Crewel work (a new look at traditional Crewelwork, incorporating fine fabrics, beads etc.

Liliane Taylor  Pictorial Collages  (using natural fabrics and threads you dye yourself, producing a collage of your own)

The leaflet will be available at the November meeting....contact Pat if you are interested.

The Embroiderer's Guild is displaying some of its collection at the Quilt Museum in York from 23rd October 2010 till end of January 2011. Perhaps we could arrange a car-load or two to York?

Pat



NB  One of the things that infuriates me about this blog, is the way that it does not up-date the blogs we are linked to, properly. It is always worth clicking on the links, as it often takes over a week to acknowledge that blogs have been changed. It's not just ours, I have noticed this on other Blogger sites, too.