Knitting & Stitching Show 2021

 

Well I have taken the plunge and booked my own stand at the Knitting & Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace

Stand TGC54

Dates: 7th - 10th October 2021

I will be displaying some of my work and selling fabrics and kits to inspire you to make your own. 

Please come along and say hello if you visit the show. 

Sales for Out of the Fold exhibition

Out of the Fold will be selling work at the Guildhall exhibition. I have been making these eco-printed paper book covers for a variety of sizes of sketchbooks.  Come along to the exhibition to see the range of items on sale by the eleven members of Out of the Fold.

A6 spiral seawhite sketchbooks

8" square spiral bound sketchbook

A5 softback Daler Rowney sketchbooks

 Venue: The Guildhall, Bury St Edmunds  IP33 1PR

 Dates: Wed 22nd - Sun 26th 2021

 Times: 10am - 4pm each day

 Free entry and disabled access

Getting ready for Out of the Fold exhibition

 

With the Out of the Fold exhibition postponed from Spring 2021 members of the group had time for an extra group challenge the results of which will be displayed at the forthcoming exhibition - here is a sneak preview into part of my mine. 

To see this and the other pieces by all eleven members of Out of the Fold please come along to the exhibition.

Dates: Wed 22nd - Sun 26th September 2021

Times: 10am - 4pm each day

Venue: The Guildhall, Bury St Edmunds IP33 1PR

FREE entry and wheelchair access

Natural Dyeing (late) Summer School

 Natural Dyeing Summer School

Dates: Monday 12th and Tuesday 13th September 2021

Venue: 22 Orford Street, Ipswich IP1 3NS

Cost: £100 (inc all materials)

   Day one: natural dyeing

  Day two: eco printing

Materials provided to include:

- Cellulose fabrics (cottons, linen)

-  Protein fabrics (silks, wool)

- All dye stuffs

- Mordants

    - pans, hotplates and other equipment

For more information or to book your place please contact

maryelmcintosh@gmail.com

or telephone 07443474903

Out of the Fold exhibition

 

The twice postponed Out of the Fold exhibition is finally confirmed for 22nd - 26th September 2021

All eleven members will be exhibiting work plus we have had time to do another whole project due to the lockdown delay!

Creative Stitch Graduate Show 2021

 

Workshops for QG AGM

The Quilters' Guild AGM was to have been held in the Suffolk/Essex region this weekend. However......it is now a virtual event with lots of workshops, talks and social events as well as the AGM itself. I have been busy preparing for my workshop Layered Landscapes which will be taught twice, both sessions fully booked, over zoom. I am looking forward to meeting' quilters from all over the UK.

Bluebell Wood 

Poppy Field

Workshop participants can choose to create landscapes in either Bluebell Wood or Poppy Fields designs - both inspired by landscapes near my home on the Suffolk Essex border. Here is my photo taken last year. This year they are not quite out yet, only a few more weeks before they reach full bluebellness

Bulmer Bluebells

I hope to share some of the results from the workshops, with the makers' permission. This workshop can be booked by groups, on zoom or in person. Packs of materials are also available for £10

STARS continue to shine

 STARS members and visitors made some delightful Thread Bowls at a recent zoom workshop. The finished results have been shared with all the participants via WhatsApp (STARS is a very friendly and supportive group) and I have the makers' permission to share them here too. 

Denise Sullivan

Heather Parker

 Denise Sullivan was one of our visitors - an honorary STAR for the day

Denise says:

"I really enjoyed Saturday and was surprised how successful a zoom workshop can be"













Heather Parker selected a range of blues and greens for for her lovely fluted edge bowl

Heather says:

"Bowl completed!"

Jackie Ferguson

Jackie Ferguson was inspired by leaves when stitching her fresh Spring bowl

Jackie says:

"Thank you so much for the great workshop today Mary, thoroughly enjoyed it"

Jane Marsh

 Jane Marsh could not attend the workshop on the day but worked completely from the set of instructions provided for all workshop participants. Lovely colour combination of turquoise and orange

Jane says:

"Thank you Mary for very comprehensive and clear instructions"

Sarah Burke

Sarah Burke selected a range of icy blues for her bowl.

Sarah says":

"Lovely workshop thank you. Having seen other people's bowls I feel the need to make another one with less fabric and more gaps. The free motion zigzag was an absolute revelation for me"

Caroline Anderson

 Caroline worked with a purple/green colourway

Caroline says:

Thoroughly enjoyed the day. Learnt a lot. Excited to make another to develop the technique. Thinking one could make seasonal ones, Christmas, Easter, Spring......endless possibilities"

Jenny Butcher

Jenny's Fire bowl is wonderfully jagged

Jenny says:

"All went well"

If you would like to learn the Thread Bowl technique the workshop can be booked by groups for delivery either by zoom or in person. Oliven are booking now for the workshop there on Tuesday 15th June https://www.oliven.co.uk/  or look out for the workshops at The Festival of Quilts when booking opens in May

STARS produce some stellar bowls

Members of STARS (formerly Suffolk West Emb Guild) and guests took part in a zoom workshop to make Thread Bowls.   Many were new to using soluble film and to free motion machine embroidery. Each person used the same taught techniques but worked in their own chosen colourway. The results are great.

Kay Phillips

This gorgeous bowl was made by Kay Phillips.

Inspired by bull rush heads. Kay says:

"An excellent day, I've always enjoyed being taught by you Mary. Overall I am very pleased with my first attempt. I will definitely do this again, ordering more Romeo today!"

Jenny Jarvis made this beautiful bowl in a range of purples with angelina film for extra shine.

Jenny says:

"I really enjoyed the day. Going to try another design today!

Suzanne Morton

Suzanne Morton is a highly accomplished hand embroiderer  but relatively new to machine stitching. Here is the fabulous 'Fire' bowl she created with a range of vibrant reds and oranges.

Jean Hurlock

Same technique but quite a different look to the bowl made by Jean Hurlock.

Jean says:

"My attempt a a seaweed looking rock pool. Thank you Mary for the workshop and an opportunity to develop this into more fun work"

Jane Kelly

Jane Kelly used the pack of materials supplied in the green/gold colourway to make this super bowl.

Jane says:

"I love how all the bowls are different. Love this technique, I am going to make lots of small ones as gifts"

Sue Morgan

Sue Morgan has a delightful fluted edge to her hot colours bowl.

Sue says:

" I just wanted to thank you for such a lovely workshop. I was a little uncertain as to whether I would be able to keep up in a real time on-line workshop, but your pace of delivery of each stage was so well-timed.

By the end of the workshop I felt confident to finish my bowl, that I had worked quite hard, but had a really fun day and was buzzing with what I achieved"

More bowls to follow in the next blog post. If you would like to learn the Thread Bowls technique I  offer it as an online zoom workshop or a face-to-face workshop for groups. 

Or book for the workshop at Oliven on Tuesday 15th June https://www.oliven.co.uk/

The Thread Bowls workshop is also being offered at The Festival of Quilts  https://www.thefestivalofquilts.co.uk/  Booking is not yet open

Out of the Fold Exhibition for Sept 2021

 The much postponed Out of the Fold Exhibition 'Drawing Threads' is now confirmed to run at The Guildhall, Bury St Edmunds, from Wed 22nd until Sun 26th September 2021. All eleven members of Out of the Fold will exhibit work and offer items for sale. We hope to see you there. 

Drawn Thread work in progress

Summer Workshops 2021 Putting on the Glitz

 Working on a base of black cotton velvet we will use fabric paints, sheer organzas, transfoils and glitter films to create a sumptuous panel ready for stitch. Choice of colourways. 

Putting on the Glitz 'leaves' panel

All materials and equipment provided.

Cost £40

Date: Monday 19th July 2021  10am - 4pm

Venue: SEFWI, 22 Orford Street, Ipswich IP1 3NS

Date: Tuesday 20th July 2021  10am - 4pm

Venue: Nowton Village Hall, Nowton, Bury St Edmunds IP29 5NE

For more information or to book your place please contact Mary McIntosh

email: maryelmcintosh@gmail.com   or  Telephone: 07443474903

Summer Workshops 2021 Shrivel Up and Dye

 Work on a base of shrinkable fabric to layer up and machine stitch lots of different fabrics - silks, velvet, cottons, linen and lace before dyeing in a colourway of your choice. You will then take your piece home to wash and shrink. Perfect backgrounds for further embellishment with hand or machine embroidery.

Detail of s Shrivel Up and Dye textured panel

All materials provided to include the shrinkable base and 12 different white fabrics, lace and cotton tapes. Procion dyes supplied to create all colour choices.

Cost £40

Date: Monday 12th July 10am - 4pm

Venue: SEFWI, 22 Orford Street, Ipswich IP1 3NS

Date: Tuesday 13th July 10am - 4pm

Venue: Nowton Village Hall, Nowton, Bury St Edmunds IP29 5NE

For more information or to book your place please contact Mary McIntosh

email: maryelmcintosh@gmail.com or telephone 07443474903

Summer Workshops 2021 Life's a Bleach!

 

Life's a Bleach! Workshop

Discharging colour from cloth using Jacquard decolourant and Milton sterilising fluid to create unique fabrics ready for future stitch.

All materials and equipment provided.

Cost £40

Monday 28th June 2021  10am - 4pm

Venue: SEFWI, 22 Orford Street, Ipswich IP1 3NS 

or  Tuesday 29th June 2021  10am - 4pm

Venue: Nowton Village Hall, Nowton, Bury St Edmunds IP29 5NE

For more information or to book your place please contact Mary McIntosh

email: maryelmcintosh@gmail.com  Telephone 07443474903

Natural Dyeing Summer Schools

 

Gathered weld

 Learn the skills of natural dyeing and eco printing and   colour lots of cloth ready for future stitch projects.

 Day One: prepare mordants. We will use four different   mordants to extend the range of dye colours and mordant   both protein based (silks) and cellulose based (cottons)   fabrics

Day Two: prepare natural dyebaths. We will make four different dyebaths using natural dyes

- weld

- madder

- avocado

- mahonia

Madder dye bath

Day three: eco printing. We will print silk and cotton fabrics with a range of gathered leaves and plant material and make use of spend dyebaths to increase our colour range

All materials will be provided. This will include 

4 different plant based fabrics  (cottons, linen)

4 different protein based fabrics (silks, wool)

4 different mordants (Alum, aluminium acetate, rhubarb, soy milk)

4 different dyestuffs (weld, madder, avocado and mahonia)

All equipment will also be provided.

  Cost for all three days is £150 

(Numbers strictly limited to 5 to comply with Covid guidelines)

                                                                                                                                                                   

Weld dyed fabrics

Ipswich weekend

Friday 4th, Sat 5th and Sun 6th June 2021    10am - 4pm

Venue: SEFWI, 22 Orford Street, Ipswich IP1 3 NS

Bury St Edmunds weekend

Friday 11th, Sat 12th and Sun 13th June 2021  10 - 4pm

Venue: Nowton Village Hall, Nowton, Bury St Edmunds

IP29 5NE

Eco printed with acer leaves

For more information and to book your place please contact Mary McIntosh

email: maryelmcintosh@gmail.com

telephone: 07443474903

Out of the Fold project

 The much delayed Out of the Fold exhibition ‘Drawing Threads’ is now confirmed for The Guildhall, Bury St Edmunds from 22nd - 26th September 2021. 

As part of the exhibition we have a new project. This is a detail of one section to whet your appetite. Lots more to come.........

 Suffolk puffs for a Suffolk Show

Creative Stitch Open Days

 Creative Stitch Tutors Mary McIntosh and Diane Tompkins will be demonstrating and available to give information on the Creative Stitch courses and workshops. Plus a display of student work in Patchwork and Quilting and Machine Embroidery. 

Shrivel up and dye

 Using one of my all time favourite techniques of stitching different fabrics to a shrinkable base before overdyeing for a new project to be shown as part of the next Out of the Fold exhibition in Sept. This is a small corner detail of the first section made.

Shrivel Up and Dye with machine stitching, additional hand stitching and beading

I offer Shrivel Up and Dye as a one day workshop. New dates coming soon................................

Creative Machine Embroidery Short Courses now booking for June 2021

With venues starting to reopen for groups of six we can now run the planned Creative Machine Embroidery courses from the beginning of June 2021.

These will on Wednesdays at The Cosy Cabin in Risby, near Bury St Edmunds with tutor Mary McIntosh and on Thursdays in Ipswich with tutor Diane Tompkins.

For more information or to book a space please contact mary.cs@sefwi.org.uk

 

Experiments with texture

 I have been playing with some ideas to create the textures of corroded metal and crumbling plaster work. Not quite there yet but some of the techniques have potential.

Nasty nylon nets and lace transformed by burning

Humble craft vilene with lots of colouring and metallics. Areas removed and reattached with a soldering iron

The back of the vilene is quite interesting too......

More experiments to come - I will keep you posted!

Quilters' Guild AGM Workshops

 The Quilters' Guild AGM is being held as a virtual event on the weekend of 16th, 17th and 18th April 2021 with an exciting variety of talks and workshops offered by textile artists from the East Anglian region.  To book please contact the Quilters' Guild shop  QG Shop

The workshop is called Layered Landscapes with a choice of either Poppy Field or Bluebell Wood - both inspired by places near my home on the Suffolk Essex border

The first workshop date of Sunday 18th April has sold out but a second date has been added on Saturday 17th April at 2pm

Poppy Field

We will use commercial fabrics to build up a landscape picture and capture snippets under net before stitching by machine. A good place to start with free motion embroidery for those new to the technique.

The piece can be further embellished with hand stitching and beading

Bluebell wood (work in progress)

Texture Adventures workshop now online

 The Texture Adventures workshop is now available as an online video. 

Cost is £15 with the option of a kit available in your chosen colourway for an additional £10

To book please visit https://www.oliven.co.uk/

Sample of Texture Adventures technique (red colourway)

Sample of the Texture Adventures technique Green colourway

Textures Adventures sample shown in the video (Blue Colourway

Detail of the free motion embroidery and additional hand embellishment