Remember the shoes?

 

It was way back in March 2025 when I did my last post about the ongoing series of work for the EAST exhibition planned for May 2026. 

Lots of other things got in the way - teaching, exhibiting with Out of the Fold and Juxtasposition, and a wonderful trip to India.

The original inspiration was the discovery of a pair of old children's shoes when clearing out my nother's house. No-one knows who wore them.

The title "Wearer Unknown" was reinforced by my visit to the Northampton shoe museum and the discovery of the Concealed Shoe Index (CSI) which records finds of shoes hidden in old houses. The index lists the location, finder and date for each shoe but never the wearer.

My aim is to make as many shoes as I can before the exhibition. The Consealed Shoe Index has almost 2000 entries - this is a little ambitious as so far I have managed ten!

It is quite a long process as after casting each shoe needs to dry before being subjected to various ageing and distressing treatments and I am still experimenting with different effects. So far I have used tea - coffee - iron filings - vinegar - hydrogen peroxide - soot - mud - salt - copper water and sand. 

EAST work with a group mentor Anthea Godfrey who visits our monthly meetings and we all have a one-to-one session to discuss our work. Anthea asked the questions "How are you going to display your shoes?" and how are you going to tell the story of the Concealed Shoe Index? Both good questions.

My solution is to give the shoes a path, made up by stitched hexagons, with each one suggesting an entry in the shoe register. 

I can repurpose some hexagons from a previous installation and add lots more using recycled materials from my vintage fabric stash.

There is a paper record in each hexagon detailing the location, image or history of each shoe find.

My old friend the rust bucket is proving useful once again and the smell of vinegar pervades the house as stitched hexagons are given the rust treatment.

I like how the rust brings out the stitching of a Concealed Shoe Index register number - CSI. 894 - this one from a find in Clare, Suffolk

The initials E.K. where already embroidered on this repurposed linen. I do not know the identity of the stitcher and like the shoes her name is unknown but her story can be imagined.

Each hexagon is double-sided and can be rearranged to fit different spaces.

So I will continue to make my steps and shoes until I run out of energy or time before the exhibition. It will be an installation, exhibited on the floor of the Grundisburgh House Gallery with visitors invited to move the work around if they wish. 

Hopefully the smell of vinegar will have evaporated by then!

"Wearer Unknown" will be exhibited as part of the EAST exhibition 'Paradigm Shift' at the Grundisburgh House Gallery, near Woodbridge, Suffolk from 20th May until 2nd June 2026

 

Juxtaposition at Spring Into Textiles East Fair

 

Juxtaposition - Textile Artists Heather Evans, Penny Evans and myself - will be taking a small exhibition to the Spring Textiles East Fair

Dates: Saturday 21st and Sun 22nd February 2026

Opening times: 10.30am - 4pm each day

Venue: Rowley Mile Racecourse, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 0TF

Entry: £10 (Sat) £9 (Sun)

Lots of free parking

www.textileseastfair.wordpress.com/

Textured and smooth

 'Juxtaposition' is placing two or more contrasting items side-by-side to highlight their differences or surprising similarities creating deeper meaning.

Each of the three exhibiting artists work in very different ways and use different materials and techniques.

Thick and thin

'Touch' is invited by raising the surface

'Direction' is given with lines to follow 

'Glow' is illuminated by the use of light

Light and dark

 'Form' is explored with the deployment of fins

'Fragility' is strong

'Transparency' can be spurprisingly opaque

Reflections on India 2025

 

The Aahilya Holidays Embroidery tour of India I led in October 2025 was one of the best experiences of my life

The tour was designed to visit embroidery specialists in their own homes and learn those techniques

We travelled to four different states - Delhi - Bihar - West Bengal and Gujarat and witnessed many great sights.

I cannot possible cover everything but these are a few reflections from the trip with the help of the letter C

COLOUR

It was everywhere. Even in the poorest of living conditions where people were living in shacks by the road ankle-deep in filthy water the women were wearing the most beautiful and brightly coloured saris

The fabrics, threads, clothing, embroideries and even the food was a riot of colour. It was joyful.

That so many of the artisans that we visited used natural dyes was an added bonus.

CULTURE

although the trip was focussed around textiles there were opportunities to visit museums and galleries

The Bihar museum was a highlight and the local people pleased that tourists were visiting their state which is one of the poorest in India. 

The Victoria Monument in Kolkata was an oasis of serenity in the busy city

The Craft Museum in Delhi started us on our textile journey of exploration

CRAZINESS

I had been forewarned about the chaotic roads, the noise, the smell, the just sheer differentness of India. I loved it.

Six lanes of traffic on a two lane road. 5 people on a scooter plus a goat. A whole family of 12 squeezed into a tuktuk. Bicycles with huge loads. Camels, cows, dogs all over the road. And the constant tooting of horns to warn other drivers. We only saw one accident, but our drivers were excellent and the air-conditioned coaches were very comfortable.

COWS

As a sacred animal in India cows are protected and revered. There are cows everywhere.

The only place you did not find cow was on the plate. No beef. We ate mostly vegetarian food and it was universally excellent, in the hotels for breakfast and dinner and at local restaurants for lunch. Lunch and snacks were often provided by the workshop venue and that was the best of all. 

COTTON

Still one of the most important products in India exported all over the world. We saw it in the fields and being processed at a cotton gin.

Cotton fabrics, block printed, dyed, stitched, were seen everywhere. Some were purchased!

I would have liked to have seen and bought some silk but that is grown in Southern India. Oh dear, I will just have to go again!

CRAFT

The trip included workshops on many different embroidery techniques.

Phulkari from the Punjab 

Sujani in Bihar

Kantha in Kolkata

Bandani in Bhuj

Mirror embroidery in Sumrasar

The tutors were experts and committed to sharing their skills with the world

COMMUNITY

The mirror embroidery workshop was my favourite day of the whole holiday. Sat outside under the trees in the family compound of Geeta Ben and her ladies. No-one spoke English, yet learning took place through the  shared language of stitch. The women laughed and sang as they sewed and lunch was cooked for us over a burning branch. A special day. 

COMPANIONSHIP

This was a small tour with only five guests. None of us knew each other before the holiday. But the delight in seeing some of India, visiting some really out of the way places, and learning embroidery skills was heightened by sharing it with other textile lovers. 

New friends made.

Our guides and drivers were excellent. Every flight was on time. No baggage was lost. Everyone remained healthy throughout. The whole tour ran like clockwork, thank you Aahilya.

I am delighted to be returning to India with Aahilya in 2026. This time to to visit the Textile Treasures of Rajasthan. 2nd - 13th October. 

For more information and to book please contact Aahilya Holidays www.aahilyaholidays.com/tour/f05c/textile-treasures-of-rajasthan-with-mary-mcintosh-2026 

  

Glorious Reflections

 

When Out of the Fold were invited to take part in the artcontex event at The Minories Gallery in Colchester I went along to look at the venue and was delighted with the space we were allocated by the organiser Lorraine Traer-Clark.

Out of the Fold were given a long wall in the first floor ballroom with white walls, high ceilings and natural light streaming in through the large windows. A perfect space to show off our series of 'Reflections'

The 'Reflections' work was unveiled a week earlier in an equally beautiful space, also a ballroom, at Bury St Edmunds Guildhall. Also with high ceilings and large white display boards. The light levels are a little different here with the traditional chandeliers.

With these two venues in mind members of Out of the Fold decided to make large pieces of work 40cm x 150cm and all to be displayed in portrait format. 

This way of working is unusual for the group and the size and uniform method of  presentation on stretcher bars proved quite challenging. 

But it was worth the effort. The end result is a spectacular series of ten works of textile art. 

You can see the 'Reflections' exhibition as part of ArtConTex at the Minories Colchester from 2nd - 5th October 2025

Read more about the inspiration behind the work on the Out of the Fold website outofthefold.com/blogsand don't forget to subscribe to receive our regular updates

There will be work on show from many East Anglian Textile groups and individual makers at ArtConTex - a real celebration of textiles in our region 

The Mirror Crack'd

 

When Out of the Fold selected the theme of 'Reflections' for our 2025 exhibition I spent some time thinking about how I might interpret the subject.

Literature, art and musical inspirations were considere; as well as self-reflection, introspection and even Plato's cave. However it was the poem by Tennyson "The Lady Of Shalott" which fired my imaginationwith the tragic tale of the lady cursed and trapped in a tower, only able to view the world through a mirror and passing her time weaving

She is content, but when the beautiful Sir Lancelot  rides by on his way to Camelot she is tempted to gaze upon him and all is lost.

"Out flew the web and floated wide;

The mirror crack'd from side to side;

"The curse has come upon me" cried

The Lady of Shalott"

The choice of materials for "The Mirror Crack'd" was key to the whole work. Reflective shiny fabrics, glitzy sheers, metallic silk, and laminated plastics were all selected to suggest the mirrored surface.

Words from the Tennyson poem were made into fabric using the paper lamination technique. Colours were restricted to a cool palette of blues, greys and purples., with a hint of silver.

"The Mirror Crack'd" will be exhibited alongside work on the same theme by members of Out of the Fold. These are large pieces measuring 16" x 60" so when displayed together will make a real statement.

The 'Reflections' exhibition will be on show at the Guildhall in Bury St Edmunds from 23rd - 28th September 2025

There will be a second opportunity to see the series as part of the ArtConTex event at The Minories, Colchester from 2nd - 5th October 2025

Also on show as part of the 'Reflections' exhibition will be our previous series of work from 2024 entitled 'A Splash of Colour' which was seen first at Snape Maltings in October 2024

This includes a whole series of Cubes made by all members of the group

There will be 19 groups and individual artists from all over East Anglia taking part in the ArtConTex event - a real celebration of textile art in our region

Out of the Fold will be in the first floor ballroom.

On the catwalk at Festival of Quilts 2025

 

'A Coat for Elizabeth' got an outing to the Festival of Quilts 2025 as part of the wearable art fashion show

The coat was made for the E.A.S.T. exhibition 'Bridging the Gap' at The Minories, Colchester, in 2025.

Inspired by early women herbalists and in particular by Elizabeth Blackwell who wrote "The Curious Herbal" book in 1737

The coat features a leaf design to suggest the plants gathered by herbalists for medicinal purposes

The surface design is produced using discharging and bleaching techniques as well as markal oil sticks and applique with many different materials.

The plant names, as well as some of the diseases of the time, with the help of paper lamination, are concealed within the stitching

A commercial vogue pattern was used

The hem is weighted to help it hang (and swing!)

Appearing on the catwalk was slightly nervewracking; modelling was never in my job description. But the coat was well received and much photographed throughout the show.

Thanks to Wendy Gardiner and the team at Immediate Live for mounting the fashion show, and the whole Festival of Quilts event.

It was a very busy five days in Birmingham. I taught whole day workshop on the day before the show opened.

Some lovely 'Precious Pojagi' pieces were constructed with students from all around the UK, Denmark and our furthest travelled - Australia. 

I love teaching at the Festival of Quilts because of the mix of  international guests

Plus my usual Quilting in Action stand at the show with a display of my work.

To help cover the cost of the stand I offered project packs and other materials relating to the techniques on display.

I always demonstrate on my stand - the zone is called Quiting in ACTION - and this year I showed the Monoprinting Magic technique printing with gathered foliage. 

Monoprinted cotton organdie pieces ready to be made up into packs

I also demonstated this technique in the Creative Textiles Studio on Sunday morning. This wet studio with different textile artists sharing their skills and showing their techniques, completely free of charge, is a great asset to the show.

Many thanks to Hazel and Terry from In Stitches and to Leah Higgins for giving their time for free to organise the studio. 

Great to see so many friends, past students, workshop participants and hearers of talks at the show. And the biggest thankyou goes to Jayne Emsden who covered my stand on Sunday. Thanks Jayne. 

Shiny, shiny stuff

 

These very shiny, sparkly fabrics arrived in the post today..........they will be joining.......

......these semi-transparent fabrics.......

Quite a different colour way for me

Work in progress for  the "Reflections" exhibition with Out of the Fold in September 2025

Very early stages. 

Venue: The Guildhall, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1PR

Dates: 23rd - 28th Sept 2025

Times: 10am - 4pm each day

FREE entry