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 Apologies for it being so out of date recently.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