And on to the next......

 

Out of the Fold are preparing for a large exhibition of new work on the theme of 'Material Dialogues' which will be shown at the St Margaret's Gallery in Norwich from 21st Sept until 4th October 2026

As part of 'Material Dialogues' we are working in collaborative pairs, drawn at random. 

My partner is Frances Overy and we are holding a material dialogue between the traditional woolen, red madder dyed fabric of Norwich where Frances lives and the silk, blue indigo dyed fabric of  Sudbury where I live

We have both dyed a mixture of woolen and silk fabrics in madder, indigo and mustard and shared these to create pieces of work

The range of colours we have acheived is amazing - the same base fabrics have dyed in very different ways. The water of Norfolk has produced much deeper, redder colours whilst the limey Suffolk water has given me a more orange palette - but they all tone in together

I am using sections of old woolen blanket resuced from my Mother' airing cupboard as the base to embellish and kantha stitch.

The results will be displayed on wooden spools turned by Frances using chestnut wood from her garden

Out of the Fold are one of the Alumni Groups taking part in the fnal Creative Stitch Graduate Show 2026 and all six of the collaborative pairs will be showning their results

Sat 18th and Sun 19th July 2026

Needham Market Community Centre

School Street

Needham Market

Suffolk

Wearer Unknow installation finally on show

 

After two years in the making 'Wearer Unknown' finally went on show as part of the EAST exhibition Paradigm Shift at the Grundisburgh House Gallery near Woodbridge in Suffolk.

The work is made up (so far) of 12 plaster cast shoes inspired by my original discovered clogs which walk on a path of 24 (so far) hexagons

As they are all separate pieces they can be moved around and shown in different ways depending on the venue

In a smaller venue just the shoes could be shown

Each shoe has been cast from one of the originals and then 'crusted' and rusted to give an antique feel

Each hexagon represents a shoe recorded on the Concealed Shoes register held by the Northampton Shoe Museum and includes the CSI number or location of the find.

The hexagons have also been rusted

'Paradigm Shift' will move to The Minories Gallery in Colchester in April 2027 and be shown in a much larger space. So the plan is to continue adding both shoes and hexagons over the next few months.

I will also contact the Northampton Shoe Museum to see if they might be interested in showing the work

Eco Print Silk Scarf Workshop

 

New workshop for 2026  Eco printed silk scarf

Learn the skills of mordanting and eco printing onto a 100% pure silk scarf using gathered fresh leaves. 

I will provide all the equipment needed - pans, stoves, drainpipes, iron water etc. A 100% ponge 5 silk scarf 28cm x 114cm with a hand stitched rolled edge from George Weil can be supplied for £6 if ordered in advance.

Date: Saturday 4th July 2026   10am - 4pm

Venue: The Cosy Cabin

Cost: £55

To book please contact The Cosy Cabin  01284 811 222 or visit www.thecosycabin.co.uk/

Handmade Book workshop - another date added

 

New workshop for 2026 Handmade Fabric Book

Learn the skills of basic bookbinding to make an unique A5 sketchbook from scratch. We will print the fabric for the cover and paper for the endpapers before making up the the book. Suitable for all levels

All materials provided for £10. Choice of colourways.

Date: Saturday 27th June 2026  10am - 4pm

Venue: The Cosy Cabin, Risby Barns, Risby, Bury St Edmunds

Cost: £55

To book please visit https://www.thecosycabin.co.uk/workshops-events/ or telephone 01284 811 222

Textile Discovery Day In Ipswich

 

I will be just one of the many textile practicioners demonstrating at the Textile Discovery Day at Christchurch Mansion in Ipswich on Tuesday 26th May. 

This is a FREE event from 10am - 3pm

www.ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/events/textile-discovery-day/

Out of the Fold members Nicola Whayman and Sarah Boardman will also have stands at the events

Beyond Stitch, an exhibiting group based in the region, will have a display in the kitchen

You will also be able to see the 'Constable250 Set of Characters exhibition www.ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/constable250/#characters

First Lutradur Lantern workshop - a success!

 

Video made by Lizzy Curtis showing off her Lutradur Lantern

Although I have been working with Lutradur for many years, and teaching it as part of the Advanced Stitched Textiles course this is the first one day workshop making the Lutradur Lanterns. 

I must acknowledfe Amanda Neville for the idea when she made a tea light holder when we used Lutradur on the Bridging the Gap course in 2024 and, with her permisssion, I 'borrowed' her idea and developed it into a larger version.

The students at the Cosy Cabin workshop created some lovely examples, in lots of different colourways

We first painted papers with transfer dyes and hund them outside to dry

After stitching and colouring with the transfer papers, and foiling to add extra bling, it was time to get out the heat tools

Here Juliet is using her soldering iron to make marks and holes in the lutradur

Juliet's completed vase

We also used heat guns to burn the lutradur so it opening up into a filigree look surface

Here is Teresa in action

If you would like to book the Lutradur Lantern workshop then please contact me by email

maryelmcintosh@gmail.com

I can provide the materials for £6 and provide the soldering irons and heat guns for class use

£240 per day for a group up to 16

Out of the Fold collaboration

 

The theme for Out of the Fold's 2026 exhibition is 'Material Dialogues'

For our group challenge this year we are working in collaborative pairs, drawn at random, to make new work on the theme

Some pairs are producing a single piece of work with both artists working on different elements

Other pairs are 'swapping' elements throughout the process and incorporating these into separately produced works

Some are discussing ideas and interpreting them using their own choice of materials and artistic practise.

The process is challenging and stimulating in equal measure. 

My partner is Frances Overy who lives near Norwich. The city was famed and made wealthy by the woven wool industry and the use of madder to dye the vibrant red cloth.

Norwich has many landmarks in the city which record it's textile history including the Madder Market.

I live near Sudbury which has a great tradition of silk weaving and whose mills still produce woven silk of the finest quality.

Sudbury also has architectural evidence of this past with streets such as Weavers Lane. Sudbury blue, also known as Lavenham blue, was achieved by dyeing with woad and indigo

Out third dye inspiration also comes from Norwich and the other product produced in the city -  mustard

Frances and I have both been dyeing a variety of wool and silk fabrics and are sharing these for the joint collaboration

What will we do with these fabrics? And how will the theme of 'Material Dialogues' be translated into finished work?

The other materials we are exploring are paper (Mary's favourite) wood (Frances is a wood turner), and plaster (a new material for both of us)

Weaving  is the link between Norwich and Sudbury, and so we will present our joint installation on a series of spools inspired by those used on the looms.

You will be able to follow the progress of our collaborations on this blog and on the Out of the Fold website where you can read regular blogs posted by group members www.outofthefold.com/category/blogs/

The whole series of work from the collaborations will be seen first at the Creative Stitch Graduate Show 2026 where Out of the Fold are one of the invited alumni groups

Venue: Needham Market Community Centre, School Street, Needham Market, Suffolk IP6 8BB

Dates: 18th and 19th July 2026

And then at our main exhibition in St Margaret's Gallery, St Benedict;s Street, Norwich NR2 4TU in Sept 2026

NEW Machine Embroidery short course

 

A brand new 6 week machine embroidery short course is now booking at The Cosy Cabin, Risby Barns, Risby, Bury St Edmunds IP28 6QU

A different technique will be explored each week, practising the skill in the morning session, and then applying it to a panel in the afternoon.

The outcome will be a finished panel mounted on canvas measuring 12" x 24" (30cm x 60cm) demonstrating several machine embroidery techniques.

Skill level: some experience of machine sewing would be desirable.

The course will run on Fridays, 10am until 3pm 

To book please contact The Cosy Cabin on 01284 811 222

Week one: Line (trees)

Explore programmed stitches for creativity and free motion stitching techniques  to 'draw with the needle' to create the structure of the panel and line detail.

Looking at different ways of transferring a design

Colouring the background ready for stitch

Week two: Colour (bluebells)

Free motion zigzag - learn how to 'sketch and scribble' with the needle. Using stitch to colour, shade, blend and infill to dd areas of opacity and detail.

Week three: Shape (leaves)

Working with sheer fabrics and applique techniques to build up layers of tranlucency and shape. Free motion stitch for detail.

Week four: Layers (more leaves)

Using soluble fabrics and sheers to create elemts to add to the design and create 3D effects. Making slips and plaques.

Week five: Texture (bark)

Learn how to raise the surface using couching, making and stitching cords to add bold line and texture

Week six: Finishing touches (more bluebells)

Using cable stitch to add further texture to the foreground.

Finishing off the panel and mounting onto a canvas

All the skills acquired and practised on the course can be used for future stitch projects.

British Quilt and Stitch Village event

 

After an absence of quite a few years I am delighted to be returning to the quiltandstitchvillage held at Uttoxeter Race Course on 24th - 26th April 2026

This is a regional show for the North Midlands with exhibitions, demonstrations, workshops and traders. It is a very welcoming and friendly textile event.

I will have a stand in the Staffordshire Stand of the racecourse where I will be demonstrating the Lutradur Lanterns technique (new for 2026) and selling project packs and materials. 

Looking forward to catching up with my Midlands based textile friends. 

Festival of Quilts 2026

 

Booking has now opened for tickets for the Festival of Quilts 2026

I am delighted to be returning to the Creative Textiles Studio www.thefestivalofquilts.co.uk/creative-textiles-studio/ and will be demonstrating on Saturday 1st August from 1pm - 4pm

The studio is FREE and open for everyone in the show to come and watch, ask questions, and buy the products being used.

This year I will be demonstrating using Lutradur to stitch, colour, foil and burn to make up into 3D items. Packs will be on sale.

And of course I will have a small stand at the show in the new 'Meet the Teacher' zone. My stand will be at the end of the row QIA15

It would be lovely to see lots of textile friends at the show, particularly if you have done a workshop with me and have finished your piece - please bring it along to show

The deadline to enter a quilt, or quilt creation into the Festival of Quilts is 10th June. 

www.thefestivalofquilts.co.uk/creative-textiles-studio/

Now what shall I enter this year? 

Complex Cloth Scotland

 

I was invited by Gillian Cooper and Sam Townsend to be a guest tutor at their City & Guilds Spring School near Sterling in Scotland. 

I spent 3 days with a group of students from all over the country creating unique pieces of complex cloth before piecing these with the Pojagi stitch technique.

Students had arrived the day before and been set tasks to draw personal objects and take inspiration from their surroundings. 

We took these drawings, identified areas of interest, and made stencils and stamps. I continued to work with the laces from my little shoes.

Working with three different fabrics - cotton - linen - organdie - we used acrylic paints to stamp and stencil onto fabric

Students were asked to restrict their colour palette to three colours

Each fabric had two or three overlaid designs. The plan was to use similar imagery to create a complex cloth with layers of depth.

These stamped and stencilled fabrics were then dyed in three separate dye baths - aagain with a limited colour palette

Washed out and dried overnight

One day two we got out the decolourant and using the same stencils removed some colour from the cloth to add another layer of complexity

Some fabrics were 'saddened' with a tea solution

Gelliplates were used to print onto cotton organdie with acrylic paint with acrylic inks used to add further depth and colour.  Everyone now had a pile of complex cloths ready to stitch.

Time to stitch!

Varying the different fabric weights and colourways the fabrics were joined using the contemporary machine Pojagi piecing technique. 

With the Pojagi technique each seam is stitched twice so that all raw edges are hidden. The seams become an integral part of the design.

The way that the paint lies on the surface of the different fabrics helps to give the feeling of depth

The way that the procion dyes 'strike' different fabrics gives a subtle tonal range to the colour palette

The varying levels of opacity of the different fabics changes the way that light is reflected

The repeated imagery gives a cohesion and as the eye links similar shapes it gives movement to the piece

Here are some of the works in progress at the end of the Spring School.

Everyone had the same teaching and resources but each person created their own unique panel

It was an intense 3 days and we covered a lot of ground but I hope that the students can take some of these techniques and ideas forward into future projects

I asked that when the panels were completed that students might send me images.

This is the finished piece by Susan Reay

Liz Collinson produced this lovely piece

A huge thankyou to the eleven students in the workshop. You all embraced the techniques and the process. 

I wish you all every success with your City & Guilds courses

More images of completed pieces will be most welcome or come and show me at Festival of Quilts where I will be on stand QIA15

Textile Treasures of Rajasthan Holiday

 

I am really looking forward to leading this exciting trip to India with Aahilya Holidays

The Textile Treasures of Rajasthan has a great itinerary with a mix of architectural sites, hands on textile workshops, visits to bazaars and markets, and cultural experiences.

Aahilya organise everything so that the guests can relax and just enjoy it all.

Knowledgeable guides who specialise in textiles. With access to artisan makers and crafts people which would be impossible to find as an independent traveller.

Comfortable air-conditioned coaches with local drivers who get you from door to door

The food is delicious and Aahilya ensure that guests eat at 'safe' restaurants to keep everyone healthy

The hotels are carefully selected and are the highest standard. There is a choice of sharing a twin room or a solo option.

The tour includes lots of workshops learning traditional crafts. I am really looking forward to the puppet making workshop - what a great thing to bring home as a souvenir or your trip!

Rajasthan is famous for blockprinting and we will be taking part in a workshop using traditional pigments and hand carved blocks.

What will you do with your pieces of printed cloth back home? 

Each region of India has their own embroidery style. Stitch is a universal language and a passion shared across nations.

The colours of India are wonderful. In the clothing, the buildings, the artifacts, the spices, and just generally everywhere. It is joyful.

If you would like more information or to book onto the Treasures of Rajasthan holiday please visit  https://www.aahilyaholidays.com/tour/f05c/textile-treasures-of-rajasthan-with-mary-mcintosh-2026

It will be the experience of a lifetime. Please join me. 

 

Creative Stitch Graduate Show 2026 - save the date

 

The end of an era. 2026 will be the final Creative Stitch Graduate Show.

This will be an extra special show and a real celebration of all that Creative Stitch have achieved since SEFWI first started supporting our courses in 2007. I was a student in that first cohort with tutor Annette Morgan and I am proud to have continued her legacy alongside many tutors over the years -   Marion Barnes, Diane Thompson, Kate Thomson and Tina Finbow.

There will be student displays by 10 Advanced Stitched Textile students with some very exciting, innovative and meaningful work on show.

As it is the final show we have invited some of the textile groups formed from past students. There will be exhibitions by

Out of the Fold 

Feed Dogs Down

Textile Connections 

Spotlight Textiles 

Fibre Transformations

There will be lots more information coming out in the run up to the show. But for now please save the date.

Sat 18th and Sun 19th July 2026   10am - 4pm each day

Needham Market Community Centre, School Street, Needham Market IP6 8BB

Entry £5, under 18's free

Wearer Unknown

 

It is two years since I joined E.A.S.T. and we have been working for most of that time towards the 'Paradigm Shift' exhibition.

Reasearch and experientation are at the heart of E.A.S.T.s working practice, looking for ways to make work with real depth and meaning. Alongside regular one-to-one mentoring sessions with the group mentor Anthea Godfrey.

Each new series of work takes a long time to evolve. I have enjoyed all the research, the finding of a story to tell, and the experimentation of new materials and techniques. It has been a struggle at times and lots of things I tried just did not give me the result I wanted. But finally..........

My series is called 'Wearer Unknown' as despite my best efforts I was unable to discover the owner or wearer of the little clogs found in my mother's house.

My research led me to the Concealed Shoe index held by Northampton Shoe Museum where each shoe, discovered in the walls or chimneys of old buildings, has been recorded. 

The index lists the place, the location, the finder, the date and the shoe description but never the wearer

I have been free to imagine the wearers of my own little shoes and of those concealed shoes.

Plaster casts from my original clogs can help tell the stories

Shoes have been hidden for hundreds of years. 

Some are in a very poor state

Shoes feel very human, taking on the shape of the (unknown) wearer which can still be seen.

To help tell the story of  concealed shoes and their imagined wearer the plaster casts will walk on a path made from mixed media, recycled and rusted hexagons

The CSI. index number gives the location of each concealed shoe find.

Each hexagon relates to a concealed shoe entry using maps for the location, related text, and imagined fabrics for the wearers.

All are aged and distressed to suggest the many years the shoes spent in chimneys, roof spaces, under floorboards and in walls. 

You will be able to see the whole 'Unknown Wearer' installation including the supporting research notes and design work, at the E.A.S.T. exhibition.

Grundisburgh House Gallery

Woodbridge Road

Grundisburgh

Suffolk

IP13 6UD

20th May - 2nd June 2026

10.30 - 4.30 each day

FREE entry