Textiles East Fair Opens

Textiles East Fair at Swavesey College, Swavesey, Cambs CB24 4RS opens on Friday 16th and Sat 17th February. Please come along and see my work as part of the Out Of The Fold gallery

Out of the North East - work inspired by the mats made by my Northumbrian Granny

Out of the North East - hookie

Finished my third piece for the Out of the Fold exhibition at Textiles East Fair in February. This is so unusual for me as I am normally still stitching the night before. 

This piece is also inspired by my Granny's mat making and is my interpratation of a 'Hookie' mat where short strips of recycled fabrics were hooked through the hessian  leaving both raw edges on the same side. Always worked from the back so you only saw the finished result right at the end. They were densely worked and took a long time to complete. They were my favourites - lovely and soft.

Out of the North East - Hookie (detail)

 My Out of the North East pieces are all double sided so I will need to find an appropriate way of hanging them for the show

Hookie - reverse side (detail)

Out of the North East - second piece completed

I am really enjoying making my exhibition pieces for the Out of the Fold exhibition at Textiles East in February 2018 https://textileseastfair.wordpress.com/

Inspired by my Northumbrian Granny who made clippie mats from old clothes. This second wallhanging is my interpretation of a 'proggie' where strips of cloth were woven through the hessian sacking. Mine is made from all recycled calico. Stitched, painted, dyed, and discharged cloth.

Out of the North East II (detail)

This is only a small close-up. To see the whole thing you will need to come along to the Textile East Fair in Swavesey Village College on 16th and 17th February 2018

Preparing work for Textiles East

Out of the Fold have a major new exhibition of work on the theme of 'out of the East' which will appear first at the Textile East Fair in Swavesey in February 2018.

My work will have the title 'Out of the North East' and inspired by my thrifty Northumbrian Granny who made clippy mats out of donated clothes.

Here is a glimpse of my first completed piece - number one of a series of three

Watch out for future blog posts showing work in progress

Spring Knitting & Stitching Show exhibition

I am delighted that my 'Finer Focus' triptych has been selected for the Quilters' Guild World War One gallery at the Spring Knitting & Stitching Show from 1st - 4th March 2018  https://www.theknittingandstitchingshow.com/

This is a piece made in 2013 for an Out of the Fold Exhibition. The three hangings measure approx. 15" wide and 100" long and are designed to drape and fold onto the floor to suggest the long and seemingly endless roll of names of those who lost their lives, from all nations, during the first world war.

Finer Focus - calico wholecloth, dyed, stamped and stitched

British panel (detail)

Each of the long list of names is a son, a brother, a father, a husband....

German panel (detail)

The First World War had fallen from many nations

Panel listing the battles of the Western Front (detail)

Harrogate Knitting and Stitching Show

If you are visiting the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate then please come along to the Artists in Action zone on Friday 24th or Sunday 26th November to see me demonstrating the 'Life's a Bleach!' technique

Life's a bleach experiments (WIP)

Out of the Fold mini exhibition

Out Of the Fold have an exhibition of small pieces in the first floor gallery at Denny Bros in Bury St Edmunds. Mostly framed or mounted pieces for sale - ideal Christmas gifts for the textile lover in your life.