February Meeting - Alice Fox

The Talk at the February meeting was given by Alice Fox and described her experiences during her Artist's Residency at Spurn Point and her newer work which has developed from her initial excitement in discovering and making marks in the natural environment.

Alice at work (image taken from her blog)

Of course, she explained it all much better than I can and her blog is full of examples of her work. Alice's talk was illustrated with many images and video of her time at Spurn Point and highlighted the unpredictability of the weather there. You obviously need many layers of thermals and waterproofs for a residency during a Yorkshire summer!

Throughout the talk Alice's enthusiasm, in discovering marks in the landscape and then creating marks on fabric and paper using found objects, shone through. Not surprisingly, these Coastal Perspectives have fed through into her more recent work finding inspiration in the streets of Saltaire and beyond. Alice brought along examples of her collographs presented as concertina books, sketch books and stitched pieces so we could see up close how she successfully integrates her found images into finished pieces. A really interesting and inspiring talk.

Other things

Booking for a dayschool with Jo Wilson to make altered books will open at next month's meeting.

The sales table raised over £100 to send to the Sreepur project 

Tracy Franklin has been shortlisted for the Embroiderers' Guild Beryl Dean Education Award

NELLI The New Earswick Less Loneliness Initiative is having a Hobby Craft Fair at the Folk Hall on 12th April and the branch will be having a stall. Volunteers are sought to help on the day.

There was an announcement from the committee about a branch entry into the Regional Competition. Shirley mentioned riding a carousel at the seaside. I'm intrigued but non the wiser. Further details at next month's meeting.......

January Meeting - Cluny Chapman

Happy New Year.

The speaker at this month's meeting was Cluny Chapman - textile artist, York Minster broderer, owner of Highfield Textiles and member of our branch.
Her talk 'Generations - a family history of textiles' linked the history of embroidery over the past 150 years with her own family's involvement with textiles over this time...
from the sampler stitched by her great great aunt...

Sampler dating from 1879

...to the costumes designed in London by her great grandfather...

Design including the caption 'Lampshade' !

...and her grandmother's involvement with the Needlework Development Scheme...

...leading on to her mother's work including a major commission for the Guildhall of the Glazier's Company in London...

...and Cluny's own work including her exquisitely embroidered wedding dress...

...and showing how she is now passing on her skills to her own children.

Many of the textiles which featured in Cluny's talk have now been passed down to her and she was able to bring a wide selection of garments including dresses, Christening gowns, and some exquisite embroidery for us to ooh and aah over after the talk. A really interesting and enjoyable afternoon.

Other things:

The morning Stitch Club next month will include more developments of ATCs and Josie will be showing how to make raised work faces.

Gina Smith announced her exhibition 'Journeys with a Needle' is now at Helmsley Arts Centre having previously been at Dales Countryside Museum

Bookings for Ruth Brown's Cyanotype Printing workshop on 8th March will open at the February meeting.

AGM September 2014

Please note there has been a change to the date of the AGM in September 2014. The AGM (and branch meeting) will now take place on Saturday 13th September 2014.

December Meeting

The December meeting was a very sociable occasion, with members making Christmas themed gift bags based on a design by Kumiko Sudo from her book 'Omiyage'.


Everyone was very engrossed in the task and keen to complete at least one bag. As the serious stitching business was nearing completion there was time for cake.

Two lovely cakes with prancing reindeers along the sides were made and decorated by Liz and rapidly demolished by the members - stitching and talking is energy sapping work after all...

 

Just some of the completed gift bags - filled with chocolates

After the exertions of the afternoon, the competition winners were announced. The theme this year was Christmas Pudding.

Second prize probably encapsulated a sentiment many members could agree with...

 

 

 

... and First prize was won by someone who has an uncanny resemblance to one of our long-standing members and who was photographed modelling her prize winning festive fascinator!

November meeting

This month's speaker was Wyn Ingham who gave us a very interesting and highly entertaining talk on the life and times of Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Eleanor and Henry II - Effigies in Fontevraud abbey

Wyn confessed to a long standing interest in medieval architecture often to the bemusement of her family. Visits to places such as the Church of Notre Dame in Poitiers with a connection to the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine have inspired a series of pieces of textile art which Wyn brought to illustrate her talk.

Textures and colours in her work are based on wall paintings and ancient plasterwork.



Felting, fabric manipulation and embroidery feature in Wyn's work.

In several examples of work, Wyn used cocoon strippings to create silk paper which was then painted and stitched in to. It has been proposed that we invite Wyn back to give us a dayschool on some of her techniques. Watch this space...

Announcements:

The Christmas meeting starts at 1.30. There will be a Stitch session in the morning and lunch will be available from 12.00.
The meeting is a members' day and we will be making small Japanese bags. Please bring the usual sewing kit - needles, threads, scissors, and pins. It was also suggested that a ruler would be useful.
Small, stitch related, wrapped presents for the bran tub are welcomed. There will also be a raffle and the judging of the Christmas Competition. There will be cake!

At the January meeting Artists Trading Cards (ATCs) will be re-launched. There will be a demonstration on how to make these cards in the morning stitch club.

Josie will be continuing with teaching raised work in the morning Stitch Club and her next session will be in February when she will be showing how to make raised work faces.

Young Embroiderers

Young Embroiderers met for two mornings this half term holiday. Cords were made and leaves were embellished to create a striking collection of trees. As this was Halloween there had to be a pumpkin...


Just three of the many trees that were created by enthusiastic young stitchers.

October Meeting

Our speaker this month was Alison Bramley whose talk 'Frazzled and Bedazzled' was illustrated with many of the quilts and hangings she has made since completing an Art and Design course at Loughborough in 1990.

Coco the Escaping Elephant



She brought handling samples so that we could examine at close quarters the cut back applique techniques that she uses.

Her impressive sense of colour and design skills were evident in the quilts she had brought with her including 'York 800' created for the exhibition of quilts displayed in many locations in York as part of the celebration of 800 years since the City of York was granted its Royal Charter.



York 800

Events:
Knitting and Stitching tickets can be bought at the November meeting for £9 each.

Yorkshire and the Humber EG Regional AGM is to be held at Scarcroft Village Hall on 11th October 10.00 onwards.Take a packed lunch!

Ryedale Branch meeting on Sat 30th November 2.00pm at Wrelton Village Hall will be a talk by the North Eastern Region on 'Mining a Golden Seam' the exhibition that was shown at last year's Knitting and Stitching Show.

An exhibition of Textile Art by Decora will be held at Otley Courthouse from 4th November to 30th November. 10.00 - 4.00 Monday to Saturday. There will be an accompanying workshop on 24th November (details from the Courthouse) and a Demonstration on 16th November 2.00-4.00pm.

Gina Smith's exhibition 'Journeys with a Needle' continues at the Dales Countryside museum in Hawes until 9th October.

Announcements:
The 'C' word was mentioned - the Christmas meeting is a members' day and we will be making small gift bags based on the Japanese custom of Omiyage. The theme for the Christmas competition is Christmas Pudding.

Josie Storey is running the morning Stitch Club at the moment and is teaching stumpwork techniques. Bring a basic sewing kit to join in. If possible also bring an embroidery hoop and some fabric to work with, though Josie says she will have some available.