Sudbury Christmas Craft Market 24th November 2023

 

I will have a stand in the newly opened St Peters Sudbury Arts Centre as part of the Christmas Lights Switch On event on Friday 24th November 2023

The Christmas Craft Fair will be part of an evening of entertainment, music and food stalls all over Sudbury Town Centre. The Craft Fair will be inside with stalls offering handmade crafts.

Friday 24th November from 5pm until 9pm

Free Entry

www.sudbury-tc.gov.uk/christmas

Playing with Pojagi workshop results

 The new 'Playing with Pojagi' workshop I am offering is yielding some lovely results. I love to receive images of completed pieces. 

Yvonne Romain attended the 'Playing with Pojagi' workshop as part of the Quilters' Guild  Regional Day in Essex.

Yvonne made this beautiful piece specifically to hang in her downstairs bathroom. Doesn't it look great with the light shining through?

If you have a particularl space in mind then bring the dimensions along to the workshop so we can adapt the design to your size.

You can also choose from a wide range of colour combinations to match your decor.

The next 'Playing with Pojagi' workshop will run at www.thecosycabin.co.uk/ on Saturday 27th January 2024

Cost £45. To book please email mary.cs@sefwi.org.uk

Mutual Appreciation Meeting

 

It was an absolute thrill to meet Maureen Condon today who came to the exibition to see the pieces of work I had made using her hand embroidered silk.

Here are the two makers in front of the two 'Precious Pojagi' pieces of work. She had travelled all the way from Kent with her daughter.

Maureen used the Honesty plant seed and leaves as the inspiration for her design stitched on to a delicate silk georgette. These had been planned to hang in a window in her house. But life got in the way and they were put away to be completed later. 

Maureen moved into sheltered accomodation earlier this year and donated her embroidery resources to Creative Stitch for student use. 

The beautifully hand stitched pieces were discovered inside a roll of silk fabrics.  

"To be completely honest" and "In all honesty" were made using Maureen's silk and my Pojagi piecing to show off the delicate double-sided work. 

Maureen and I also discoved that we also had a history of bookselling in common.

Also visiting today was Judith Mann who brought us together. Judith was Maureen's neighbour and friend and a student of Creative Stitch who brought in all the materials which Maureen donated. 

The 'Playing with Pojagoi' exhibition continues until Wed 25th October so still time to see these and all the other exhibition work.

Quay Gallery, Snape Maltings, Suffolk IP17 1SP

www.marymcintosh.co.uk website updated

Updating my website is always the last job on the list. Apologies for it being so out of date recently. But ahead of my solo exhibition opening this week I have finally added a whole new series of one day workshops, workshops for groups and a new talk. Check out https://www.marymcintosh.co.uk/

India Embroidery Holiday

 

I am delighted to have been asked by Aahilya Holidays to host a fantastic trip to India in October 2025

This exciting holiday will take us to Delhi, Patna, Kolkata and Ahmedabad and visit brilliant textile museums and galleries as well as practical sessions on embroidery techniques, printing and dyeing.

You can book the holiday now on the Aahilya website with no deposit payment required until March 2024

https://www.aahilyaholidays.com/tour/0716/an-indian-embroidery-holiday-with-artist-mary-mcintosh

Twice as good - two textile art exhibitions at Snape Maltings

Textile Art Group FibreFusion fibrefusiontextiles.com/ are exhibiting in the Pond Gallery at Snape Maltings from 13th October until 25th October. Their exhibition is inspired by the 'Fragility of Nature'

If you visit during the second week of the Fibre Fusion exhibition you can also vist the Quay Gallery on the Snape Maltings site to see my solo exhibition 'Playing with Pojagi'

 https://brittenpearsarts.org/visit-us/snape-maltings/quay-gallery

Playing with Pojagi Solo Exhibition

 

Coming up soon is my solo exhibtion 'Playing with Pojagi' at the Quay Gallery, Snape Maltings, Suffolk IP17 1SP from 20th - 25th October 2023

For the past couple of years I have been developing ideas using the versatile piecing techniue to create light semi transparent double sided hangings.

Pojagi is a traditional Korean patchwork technique originally done by hand with tiny stitches and the Korean fabric ramie.

My contemporary interpretation is all done by machine and using cotton organdie fabric combined with lots of other materials.

On show will be pieces which have been seen at other group exhibitions aroudn the region during 2022 and 2023 plus some new pieces made for this show

This piece "Dallinghoo Hoard" was fisrt seen at the the CQ Iceni exhibition but will look different when seen in a white walled gallery and aginst the light

It wil be lovely to welcome visitors from 10am - 4pm each day

Free entry

In action......talk for Quilter's Quilt Regional Day

 

Being in front of the camera means that I do not often have images of myself in action teaching, demonstrating or giving a talk.

Thanks to the lovely Jayne Emsden who took lots of photos of my talk at the Quilter's Guild Region 8 (Suffolk and Essex - my home region) on Saturday

The title of the talk was a new one and put together just for this event called "Is Mary McIntosh still a quilter?"

I definitely started as a quilter but as I have worked with more experimental materials such as paper, plastic and metals then my work have become more mixed media. However almost all of this work is also contructed of two or three layers stitched through - the definition of a quilt

For example this triptych made using cellophane sweet wrappers inspired by a stained glass window in the Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona may have used a heat gun and soldering iron but is still stitched through all six layers of organza, cellophanes, felt, and finally fabric. It is still a quilt.

Combining experimental techniques such as lamination with materials like newsprint has resulted in this piece "Opinion(s)ated made for the Contemporary Quilt challenge 'In Print'

But despite the unusual materials it is still four layers (voile, paper, felt and fabric) stitched through - still a quilt

But the talk did include some pieces - particularly those done in the last couple of years exploring the Korean Pojagi technique - which are definitely not quilts. Only a single layer of fabric patchworked together with enclosed seams

And definitely not this dress made from dress pattern tissue and combined with other sheer fabrics and stitched. Inspired by a wedding dress pattern from 1962

But I will always be a quilter at heart and aim to use the traditional skills passed on from previous generations to make new and hopefully exciting work

For me the choice of materials as well as technique are key factors in determining the outcome of the work

If you would like to book a talk for your group - quilters, embroiderers, textile artists, artists - then please email

maryelmcintosh@gmail.com

Cost is £125 for an in-person talk or £100 via zoom

Out of the Fold Exhibition ON NOW

 

'Cross Words' was revealed as a finished piece at the 'Unfolding' exhibition by textile group Out of the Fold on now at The Guildhall, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1PR

Open until Sunday 8th October 2023. 10am - 4pm each day

'Cross Words' was made using cutting from different daily newspapers, many telling stoires of the battles, arguments, disagreements going on in our contemporary world - not hard to find!

These paper cuttings were laminated create a stitchable fabric before beng stitched with letters to form words.

Black squares were also made using the lamination process but onto black fabric

All 169 squares were joined using the Pojagi piecing technique with every seam stitched twice - it all took a while.

The result is a large work measuring 56" square.

You can see 'Cross Words' at my solo exhibition 'Playing with Pojagi' at the Quay Gallery, Snape MaltingsIP17 1SP  from 20th - 25th October 2023

General view of the Out of the Fold Exhibition - lots to see

New one day Monday workshops at The Cosy Cabin

 A new series of one day workshops at The Cosy Cabin, Risby Barns, Risby, Bury St Edmunds IP28 6QU

Monday 13th November 2023

Playing with Pojagi

Choice of three different designs and lots of colourways to make a double-sided semi transparent panel using the Pojagi patchwork technique. Sewing machine required. 

Monday 27th November 2023

Putting on the Glitz - back by popular demand!

Building up layers of colour, texture and shine using paints, sheers, foils and glitter film to create a sumptuous piece of cloth ready to stitch. Surface design.

 Monday 22nd January 2024

 Monoprint Magic

We will make simple stamps and com ine these with monoprinting to create unique fabric before using this to stitch a small panel using the Pojagi piecing technique.

Monday 12th February 2024

Lovely Lutradur

Working with th spunbond to colour, foil, stitch and burn. The result will be a small vessel.

Monday 11th March 2024

Working with Solubles

A good introduction to working with solubles to make stitched and wired slips ready to apply to a small stitch panel

  Monday 8th April 2024

Pattern Of Life

Using dress pattern tissue and the paper lamination technique to create a stitchable fabric which will then be stitched using the Pojagi piecing technique.

All workshops are £45 for the day. 10am - 4pm

To book please email mary.cs@sefwi.org.uk

It's an honour!

I am proud, and very touched, to have been awarded honourary membership of the CQ Iceni group.

We started this new Contemporary Quilt group for the East Anglia region in September 2021 and I was joint chair with Annette Morgan until no longer able to attend meetings owing to the best of reasons - looking after my grandson every Thursday

At the AGM this year the group kindly awarded me honourary membership so that I can continue to be involved and sometime in the future begin to be more actively engaged again.

May I personally thank Annette, the committee, and all CQ Iceni members for this honour.
 

'To be completely honest'

 

Treasure unrolled

This is a nice story. 

Creative Stitch is often approached by people wishing to 'destash' and wish their resources to be used by students. This is a good way to keep down the costs of materials required by the courses.

Judith Mann brought in a whole car load of donated materials and equipment from her neighbour Maureen Condon who was moving into sheltered accomodation. 

This treasure trove was sorted through, some sold to students, some offered for sale at the Graduate Show, and some added to the Creative Stitch resources for student use.

I selected a roll of what looked like silk fabrics to add to my 'Shrivel Up and Dye' box. When I unrolled the bundle I discovered that there were several beautifully hand stitched pieces on the lightest silk georgette with designs inspired by Honesty leaves and seed heads.

Work in progress

I thought that these double-sided light and floaty pieces deserved to be celebrated and the original stitcher ackowledged.

The Pojagi piecing technique I have been using all year is a great way to showcase precious pieces when combined with white cotton organdie. All the raw edges are enclosed and looks beautiful with the light shining through.

"To be completely honest" was made for the STARS annual challenge on the theme of 'Going to Seed' and can be seen in full at my solo exhibition in October 2023

I will be completely honest on the label and admit that I am not responsible for the hand embroidery but just the facilitator to bring the work to light and will of course completely acknowledge and credit Maureen Condon who is now 90 and living in Kent. Thank you Maureen.

20th - 25th October 2023  

10am - 4pm each day

Quay Gallery, Snape Maltings, Snape, Suffolk IP17 1SP

Free entry

CQIceni Exhibition 23rd and 24th Sept 2023

 

Please come along to the first exhibition by Contemporary Quilt group CQIceni

There will be a range of work on display by members of the group inspired by the Iceni tribes of East Anglia

Croxton Village Hall, Croxton, Thetford IP24 1LN

Entry £3 (inc a donation to the East Anglian Air Ambulance)

Traders: Cosy Cabin, Mellymade Designs and The Woodland Haberdasher(Sun only)

Refreshments with homebaked cakes!

'Symbol' challenge - members made 8" square pieces inspired by the theme

'Block Print' challenge - A4 sized pieces

'Dallinghoo Hoard' - a large piece of work inspired by the find of  840 Iceni coins in a field in Suffolk in 2008

Dallinghoo Hoard

 

The inspiration for my piece for the CQ Iceni exhibition is the Dallinghoo Hoard discovered in Suffolk in 2008. 

First step was to make some stamps using simple designs taken from the coins - lots of moons and crowns and the funny looking Iceni horse!

Then used a gelliplate and acrylic paint to make monoprints. I think this 'moon crown' design is my favourite

Then second and third overprints with ink sprays and brusho washes to build complexity and a suggestion of ageing and decay

 The original hoard find was 840 coins. I am aiming for 60.

Using my current favourite colour palette of paynes grey, rust orange and turquoise

Stamps looking well-used. Still lots of life in them - may make a second piece!

Next step to dye some background fabrics. Really should have used natural dyes used at the tie of the iceni but all out of madder and woad so used procion instead. 

Orange and turquoise joined by indigo, forest green and burgundy. The cotton organdy dyes really well and retains it's crispness after washing

The first 'minted' coin - 59 more to go

This piece of work will be shown as part of the CQ Iceni exhibition at Croxton Village Hall, Croxton, Thetford IP24 1LN

Dates: 23rd and 24th September 2023

10am - 4pm each day

Entry £3

Solo Exhibition

I am returning to the Quay Gallery at Snape Maltings for a new solo exhibition of work in October 2023

All year I have been playing with the versatile Pojagi piecing technique to create a whole series of textile hangings.

Some of the work has already been exhibited with Spotlight Textiles earlier in the year and shown at Festival of Quilts but there will be some brand new pieces revealed at the exhibition.

The light from the many windows and the plain white walls of the gallery should show off the light semi-transparent double sided nature of the work to good advantage. 

Please spread the word and visit the exhibition from 20th - 25th October 2023

 

CQ Iceni Exhibition

 

CQ Iceni will hold their first exhibition of contemporary textile art on 23rd and 24th September.

There will be group displays of work on three challanges set by members of the group whilst leading sessions at our monthly meetings. 

The exhibition will take place in Croxton Village Hall, Croxton, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 1LN

Entry £3

The first challenge, set by me, was a small 8" square piece on the theme of 'Symbol' 

This is my piece, inspired by the Iceni design of 'Moon Crowns' ofter seen on coins and jewellery. There will be lots of other 'symbols' by group members.

The second challange was set by Melanie Missin-Keating when she led a session on block printing. The challenge was to make your own block and make a small A4 piece of work using your block printed fabric.

Here is mine. Design inspired by the shape on a celtic brooch I was wearing on the day.  Again there wil be lots of other block printed pieces on show by CQ Iceni members.

The third challange was set by Anna Ladds to make a piece using recycled materials when she led a session called "How Green is our craft?" to consider the impact on the environment by using fabric, threads etc 

This piece can be any size as it is lkely to be dictated by the chosen fabrics to be recycled. 

I am using old lace, tablecloths, antimaccassars, old collars etc collected over many years for my entry

The final part of the exhibition is to make a larger piece of work inspired by the overall theme of 'Iceni'

Mine is as yet only in my head but will be inspired by the Dallinghoo Hoard - a large collection of 840 Iron Age coins discovered in 2008. Watch this space to see how it develops.
 

Unfolding

 

The 'Unfolding' exhibition by textile group Out of the Fold will include a display of handmade fans by all eleven members of the group. 

We had a group visit to the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge and were fortunate to have a private handling session to view some of their fan collection fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/about-us/collections/textiles-and-fans

A holiday to Seville in April also gave me an opportunity to see lots of different fans including this beautiful lace example from the Real Alcazar

So I wanted to make something light and open but using mixed media. Not lace, but suggestive of lace....

Whilst in Seville I purchased a plain white fabric fan to use as a starting point

However the technical challenges of making a fan proved to be not inconsiderable! Even using an existing fan to deconstruct and use as a template.

Lots of changes of plan later.........we have a completed fan.

This is just a small section to give you a flavour of the 'Fanning the Flames' piece. To see the whole fan, plus those by all the other members of Out of the Fold, please come along to our exhibition at The Guildhall, Bury St Edmunds IP33 1PR from Tuesday 3rd until Sun 8th October 2023 burystedmundsguildhall.org.uk/events/unfolding

 

Playing with Pojagi packs

 

The new 'Playing with Pojagi' pieces which I designed and made for the Festival of Quilts 2023 are now available in three different designs and a range of colourways.

Each pack contains 0.5 metres of either white of black cotton organdy plus 4 coloured pieces of organdy 10" x 20"

Plus a full set of illustrated step-by-step instructions for each design

Cost is £30 per pack plus £3 p&p

Left is Playing with Pojagi (log cabin) Colourways:White/ Blues, White/greens, White/pinks

Started whilst demonstrating the pojagi piecing technique at Festival of Quilts this version is Playing with Pojagi crazy showing off the use of black. This is also available with white as the background colour.

Cost is £30 per pack plus £3 p&p

Colourways: Black/red/pink/peach/lemon or black/green/blue/purple/turquoise

Final pack of Playing with Pojagi (stained glass) able in black or white background versions.

£30 plus £p&p

Playing with Pojagi is now also available as a workshop which can be booked for groups of 12 people (more by arrangement)

Workshop cost is £129 per day. £225 per day from 2024. Or via zoom.