To have and to hold

 

One of the 'treasures' I discovered when clearing out my mother's house as she moved into residential care was this Simplicity dress pattern. It was not used for my mother' wedding gown but I think for the bridesmaids.  The pattern pieces for view 2 had been cut out. I wanted to use the pattern tissue as one of the materials for my piece.

This formed my inspiration for the 'Monochrome' theme for the Out of the Fold exhibition in September 2022

Married in 1962 my parents had a wonderfully happy marriage which only ended after 47 years on the death of my beloved father in 2009

The words of the marriage ceremony really does reflect their life together through the many up and downs of life. 

At a three day workshop with Amanda Clayton earlier this year I discovered silk crepeline fabric for the first time - the lightest sheerest silk I have used. This has been combined with the paper pattern tissue, silk organza, cotton organdie and nylon tulle as the materials. All stitched with white cotton thread. 

Experiments with paper lamination also played a part as did pojagi piecing  techniques and the Amanda Clayton method of joining sheer fabrics (but by machine and not by hand)

Stitching onto such lightweight silk fabrics and net was a new challenge for me. Using soluble fabric and a washaway pen proved useful.  

The piece changed many times during the making; emerging from the planned wall hanging into a full sized three dimensional mixed media piece of work. 

'To Have and to hold' will be exhibited as part of the Out of the Fold exhibition at the Pond Gallery, Snape Maltings, Suffolk IP17 1SP from 30th September until 5th October 2022

No Festival of Quilts for me this year

 

Metallic Magic 

Well this was the workshop I was planning to teach at the Festival of Quilts this year but I am very sorry to announce that I am going to have to miss the entire event. 

I regret that I am completely out of action for the whole of  August and September 2022. Nothing to worry about but I just need to take some time to recover from a recent procedure.

A big thankyou to Helen Moyes who is taking over my workshop and will put her own interpretation on the theme of 'Metallic Magic'

Also thanks to Pat Archibald for filling my 'By accident or design' talk spot with her own talk on design tips and techniques.

Most of all a big sorry not to have my Quilting in Action stand on QIA10 next to my lovely friend Mel from Mellymade Designs. I will miss seeing so many old friends and past students from all around the UK.

I will be back in 2023!

Stitch21 'Legacy' exhibition

 As part of the Creative Stitch Graduate Show 2022 new exhibiting group Stitch 21 (made up of students who completed the Advanced Stitched Textiles course in 2021 - hence the name) had a small exhibition with the theme of 'Legacy'

My 'Legacy' pieces are inspired by the weaving industry. 

I was born in the Scottish Borders in the heart of the wool weaving industry. Each one of my 'Legacy' pieces includes a piece of wool blanket woven in Hawick and given to my parents as a wedding present in 1962

The wool blankets were used for many years on beds to keep my family warm during the very cold Northumbrian winters until the arrival of duvets in the 1980s. 

The blanket, liberated from my mothers' airing cupboard, has been dyed using natural dyes. Logwood, Madder and Weld.

Each piece also contains a piece of silk woven in Sudbury where I have lived for the last twenty years.  

'Logwood Legacy' shown here was first made for the STARS Challenge in 2021

'Madder legacy' was made in the same way using a variety of dyed wools, cottons and silk fabrics which are embellished to the blanket base.

With the very hard water in East Anglia it if difficult to get a natural madder dye to be truly red - mine have an orangey tone. You can see how the different wool, cotton and silk fabrics take up the dye differently with the silk viscose velvet being the richest colour

Hand stitching and beading is added for additional texture - I really enjoy this part of the process

'Weld Legacy' is my least favourite of the three. Weld gathered from the  hedgerows near my home dyes the most vibrant yellow. This was combined with another piece of Sudbury woven silk but needed the addition of another colour to make it work - hence the blue indigo dyed fabrics. 

These 'Legacy' pieces will form part of a large exhibition on work on the theme of Wool - Cotton - Silk at my solo exhibition at Snape Maltings in October 2022

Creative Stitch Graduate Show 2022

 I was very proud of all the Creative Stitch students who completed their course and exhibited work at the Graduate Show 2022. Here is just a sample of a few of the exhibits by my Advanced Stitched Textiles students.

Final piece by Heather Evans. Inspired by a flint stone.

A nuno-felted caplet as part of a fantasy costume by Irmgard MacAskill

Final piece by Phillip Rees. Inspired by the pneumatic bone structure of bird skeletons. Wax resist and multiple layers.

Fantasy costume by Penny Evans inspired by the Eri silk moth. This piece is featured on Fibre Art Now magazine summer issue 2022

The next Advanced Stitched Textiles course with Creative Stitch starts at the beginning of October 2022 in Nowton near Bury St Edmunds. More information at www.sefwi.org.uk/creative_stitch or from me by email maryelmcintosh@gmail.com

Eco printing with CQ Iceni

 

Multiple leaves

We had a hot and steamy session on one of the hottest days of the year with 16 CQ Iceni members all having a play with eco printing.

Six pans steamed away all day and then the bundles taken home to be unwrapped. Hopefully we will see the results at the next meeting in July.

The one of the left was a demo only, a new departure for me, but giving some nice colours. I am still learning about eco printing and enjoying the whole process of gathering, printing, unwrapping and then stitching. 

I was pleased with some of my fabrics with the ever reliable rose leaf on mordanted fabric giving nice clear prints. This one on cotton.

This was on un-mordanted silk and an unexpected pink colour from raspberry 

Creative Stitch Open Day at The Cosy Cabin

 

If you might be interested in taking a one year course to advance your design and stitching skills then this is an idea opportunity to come along and meet the tutors and discuss what course might be right for you.

Applications welcome from those with some stitching experience who wish to create original work. 

Entry to the Advanced Stitched Textiles is now possible without a first City & Guilds or equivalent qualification but by the submission of a portfolio of work. If you have taken lots of courses and workshops but want to now focus and use those skills to create a body of work then this might be the right route for you. 

Sarah has shrivelled (and dyed)

 I love it when having taught a workshop someone sends me a photograph of their finished item. As a tutor it makes it all worthwhile. 

Sarah Lally 

 I taught the 'Shrivel Up and Dye' technique at Alex   Waylett's Elm Farm Studio https://alexandrawaylett.com/earlier in the year to a very talented group including Sarah Lally from Bedfordshire.

This is Sarah's completed piece with the Shrivel Up and Dye panel inserted into the linen fabric background we dyed in the same dye bath.

I love how Sarah has used the additional pieces we dyed too to add the circles. All brought wonderfully to life by the stitching to give great movement as well as the colour and texture.

If you would like a pack of materials to try out the Shrivel Up and Dye technique yourself it is available in three ways:

- Just the wool shrinkable base fabric 18" square for £5

- The wool base plus 12 different fabrics inc silks, velvet, linen and cottons for £15

- The whole pack plus linen to make up into a cushion or panel as above for £20

Please email maryelmcintosh@gmail.com to order