October Meeting - Isobel Hall and AGM

Our speaker this month was Isobel Hall, experimental mixed media textile artist.

One of Isobel's bowls (image from her website)

She brought with her some of her exquisite collection of books, bags and boxes, created using an innovative range of fabrics. These fabrics included cocoon strippings, PVA, and her own 'scrimmy paper', which were then manipulated and embellished.

Rose Vase (image from Isobel's website)

Isobel's theme for this new body of work, is The Briar Rose, and her collection is to be exhibited at the Knitting and Stitching Shows this autumn. She explained some of the techniques she uses to create the rich surfaces, and many of our members were able to try out these techniques at the workshop she gave the next day, before she bundled everything back in to her car to set up at Alexander Palace. Closer to home, we should be able to see her work at Harrogate in November.

In other things....

The next Young Embroiderers meetings will be on the 28th and 29th October. The theme will be 3d vegetables! For contact details, see the Young Embroiderers page 

The Programme for 2016 has been announced, and can be seen in full on the Programme page

Members are encouraged to make work for the Capablility Brown exhibitions next year. As a reminder, we will be linking with the Ryedale and Hull branches to put on an exhibition at Scampston Hall near Malton. The gardens are open this year until the end of October, and Embroiderers' Guild members may have one free entry, on production of their valid membership card. (The gardens are closed on Mondays).

We had a sneak preview of our entry for the Regional Challenge which will be unveiled at the Regional AGM next Saturday (10th October) at Scarcroft Village Hall. Coffee is served from 10:30, with the event starting at 11:00.

AGM news

Kath gave a resume of the last year (which I won't repeat here - you can read all about what we've done over the last year in the blog!), and thanked all the committee for their work over the year, especially Dulcie, Pauline and Sheila who are standing down this year. She welcomed Gillian and Caroline on to the Committee, and added that there was still a need for more committee members - so if you could volunteer your services, please speak to any committee member for more details.

The other announcement at the AGM concerned the Bursary. This was set up several years ago, using money raised from our triennial exhibitions, to support the development of an embroidery student whose home residence was in the Yorkshire and Humber region. Despite our best efforts and contact with all relevant colleges, there have been no applicants for the past three years. It has been decided that the scope of the bursary will now change, and members of Embroiderers' Guild branches in the Yorkshire and Humber region may apply for the bursary, to help towards the cost of a relevant embroidery course. Details will appear on the Bursary page shortly. The first award will be made in October 2016, and entries must be submitted by March 2016.