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. 

Fibre Transformations Exhibition

As students complete the Advanced Creative Textiles course with creative-stitch most classes wish to continue to design and create original textile art.  Strong friendship groups are also formed during the courses and students gain a great deal from the support and feedback of others. 

Almost every year graduating students form a new textile group and 2023 is no exception. 

Fibre Transformations are made up of five artists:                  

Jenny Lam, Helen Ross, Sue Welch, Therese Gant and Nicola Whayman. 

Their first major exhibition will take place in the Pond Gallery at Snape Maltings from 28th Sept until 4th October 2023

Please support these rising textile stars

Find them on Instagram @fibretransformations

 

Putting on the Glitz technique

 

'Neptune' by Lindy Lodge

This is NOT my work but a piece by Lindy Lodge who was inspired by the 'Putting on the Glitz' workshop I ran in Nottinghamshire earlier this year.

Lindy has used the technique with her own original design to great effect.

As a tutor is gives me real delight to teach a technique and then have a student really run with it. 

Lindy entered her quilt into the Pictorial Ssection at Festival of Quilts 2023 and was awarded Third Prize.

Congratulations Lindy. 

Lindy now plans to make other pieces using the 'Putting on the Glitz' technique

Detail

 If you would like to book a 'Putting on the Glitz' workhop for your your group, in person or via zoom, then please email maryelmcintosh@gmail com

Workshops cost £195 per day (up to 12 people) plus mileage of 40p per mile

Zoom workshops are £150

Festival of Quilts 2023

 

Quilting in Action Stand 10

Festival of Quilts 2023 was an exhilarating four days with large crowds of visitors every day. I missed last year and it was great to be back in the thick of it.

Here is my stand, only small but enough room to demonstrate (thank you to Janome for loaning me a machine for the show.  The MC200 model stitched like a dream!) and to display lots of 'Playing with Pojagi' pieces of work which I have been making all year. 

Plus packs and fabrics for sale.  

Playing with Pojagi pack £30

Playing with Pojagi Packs. This blue colourway and pattern were the most popular line - should have taken more!

New stocks of the cotton organdie fabric are due this week so if you would like one posted just drop me an email: maryelmcintosh@gmail.com

 

I also delivered a talk 'Looking for Inspiration - different approaches to making new work' at the show.

This is me all set up ready to start. Thank you to everyone who came along.  This talk is available for groups to book, either in person or as a zoom talk. When I visit groups I take lots more of my work to show. 

And I demonstrated the 'Putting on the Glitz' technique as part of the Creative Textiles Studio on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Lots of interested visitors came to watch these free demonstrations and great to be working alongside other tutors and textile artists. 

Thank you to Leah Higgins, Hazel Ryder and Terry Donaldson for organising the studios and to Fibre Arts Takes Two for their sponsorship

A huge thankyou too to Elizabeth Ingle, Elaine Aston, Bridget Anderson and Philippa Taitt who covered my stand whilst I was away talking or demonstrating.

Stand QIA10 already rebooked for 1st - 4th August 2024!

'Putting on the Glitz' packs are available in four colourways. Blues/Greens/Pinks and Coppers

£25

If you would like a pack please email maryelmcintosh@gmail.com

Bridging the Gap Course

 

Bridging the Gap 

One Year Course

This course will run on one day per month introducing some of the techniques covered by the Advanced Stitched Textiles course but run as one day workshops. There are no assessments but students may wish to go on and create more fully resolved work from the sessions and there will be an opportunity to exhibit these at the Creative Stitch Graduate Show 2024. 

Cost: £120 per term (three sessions) SEFWI wil invoice at the beginning of each term

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

Dates: Mondays 10am - 4pm

18th October 2023    Life's a Bleach!

6th November 2023   Paper Lamination

4th December 2023   Shrivel Up and Dye

15th January 2024     Burn your bra for art's sake!

19th February 2024   Putting on the glitz

18th March 2024       Lovely Lutradur

15th April 2024        Felted vessels

20th May 2024         Natural Dyeing

17th June 2024         Eco printing

For more information and to book a place please email mary.cs@sefwi.org.uk

Proud tutor moment

 

Set of dresses by Anne Shaw

The Creative Stitch Graduate Show 2023 was a fantastic show of work by students completing Creative Stitched Textiles and Advanced Stitched Textiles courses.

28 students exhibited work so it is impossible to show it all here but as a sample of the huge variety of work here are just a few.

So proud of eveyone for not only the original textile work they designed and produced but for the way everyone pulled together to put on a great show

Fantasy costume by Ashley Jane Moore

The standard of work and originality on show was amazing.

The challenge of hanging some of the installations was considerable.

Most of the Advanced students will now go on to exhibit their work as individuals or as members of textile groups

Installation by Elaine Aston

 Students select a theme to research and inspire the body of work created during the course. These are as varied as the students themelves. This year we had 'Bees'  'The Human Figure' 'The Deben Peninsula' and 'Nature's Way' as just a few of the themes. 

Shingle Street by Nicola Whayman

The next Creative Stitch courses begin in September 2023.

Creative Stitched Textiles with tutor Diane Tompkins

Advanced Stitched Textiles (Distance learning only for 2023-24) 

For more information and to make an application look at out website

sefwi.org.uk/creative-stitch/courses/