Our May meeting

It was another lovely weekend in Yorkshire and our group met in Haxby Memorial Hall as usual.   The last sessions of the boro and foundation piecing stitch clubs took place this month.  Everyone involved had enjoyed them and made good progress and our thanks go to Eileen and Helen for generously sharing their knowledge and skills.  

Ann was working on a small elephant embroidery to go on her boro book wrap.   

Pauline brought in a beautiful finished piece.  She had followed Eileen's instructions and completed a fitted book cover with a very effective variegated zigzag edging.  The stitching was enhanced with needlework embellishments. 

On the other side of the hall there was a lot of detailed foundation piecing going on under Helen's guidance and encouragement.  Helen had also brought in fabric scraps and threads to demonstrate the process she uses when making small landscapes.

Helen's landscapes under construction

Stitch clubs are entirely optional and there is always a wide range of embroidery and stitching going on in the room.  Lucy was getting towards the end of her cheerful 'Early Bird' needlepoint piece designed by Hannah Bass.  Lucy had previously completed the 'Night owl' needlepoint by the same designer and found the stitching meditative.    I was very taken with Hannah Bass' modern and vibrant style and will be adding a cushion cover worked on one of her map kits to my 'wish list'! 

Lucy working on a needlepoint kit

For several years the YES group members have created pages in a 'travelling book' This month an 'old' book was on display .....

 Travelling book cover

Page about fabric collage (created by Helen)

Every May, funds permitting, we offer a bursary that a member can put towards a textile-related course.  This time the lucky recipient is Michele who intends to take 'An Introduction to Natural Dying: A self-paced online course' with Elka sustainable Textiles.  

Fran Brammer, Stitchy Me 

The afternoon talk was by Fran Brammer who is a landscape artist working in textiles.  She is a member of the York Artists Textile Group and regularly exhibits and sells her work.  Her fabrics are foraged, manipulated and worked in layers with paint and stitch. 

Because Fran is a local textile artist she is known to many YES members as she teaches others as well as producing her own pieces.   For our meeting she brought along a range of work including her early pictorial landscapes, recently finished pieces and work in progress.  It was interesting to hear how she works through ideas by sketching, memorising and absorbing familiar landscapes.  From her origins as an art teacher she explained how she had tried to apply foundational design and colour principles into her work with textiles.  This was a very challenging task (obviously threads don't mix in the same way as paints do and fabrics don't behave in the same ways as paper does).  She let us see and handle some of her exploratory stitched samples and talked us through the process of making them whilst emphasising that she loved to play and enjoyed experimentation.  Her exploration of hand and machine stitched surfaces was very relatable and she gleefully explained how grating, sandpapering and distressing fabrics in situ could change the feel of a piece.  She likes to work iteratively, revisiting work from previous years and trying new things. 

Fran Brammer - early landscape

Over time Fran's work has become less literal as she moved away from representing landscapes accurately towards trying to capture an emotional sense of place.  Her sense of fun was both infectious and inspirational and we are hoping that she will return and run some workshops for us in due course.

Fran Brammer - landscape

Fran Brammer - recently completed landscapes and work in progress

Further information about Fran Brammer can be found on her website https://franbramm.wordpress.com/

Further information about the York Textile Artists (who they are and upcoming opportunities to see what they do) can be found on https://www.yorktextileartists.com/

Architextures Exhibition

York Embroiderers and Stitchers will be welcoming everyone to their exhibition in the Tythe Barn, Nether Poppleton on 27th, 28th and 29th June (for full details see the tab above).  A challenge to the group was to individually produce a 'brick' that could feature in a 'wall' and lots of members have done so.  The next stage is to join them together ready for hanging in the venue. 

 

Do come along and see it in real life as the wall gives an insight into our wide ranging interests.  The exhibition as a whole will showcase traditional and contemporary Textile Art featuring work on a theme of architexture alongside other 2D and 3D pieces.  Admission is free and light refreshments will be available.  

We are always happy to see visitors at our meetings so if you are an embroiderer or stitcher do come along to our next meeting on 7th June. 

Our April meeting took place in lovely Spring weather and members were very pleased to see the sunshine.  

Eileen's boro stitch club continued in the morning.  Some people chose to do simple running stitches on their fabric whilst others used a wider variety of stitches and added button embellishments.  The process was both easy and conducive to chatting!  But what to do with the finished fabric?  Eileen had brought in her sewing machine and demonstrated how to create a book cover.  The fabric was bonded to pelmet vilene and then onto a cotton lining fabric.  The resulting 'sandwich' was cut to size, flaps created around a book and then the edges were satin stitched to create a neat and firm book cover.  

Eileen's boro sample next to completed fabric covered A6 sketchbooks

Eileen at her sewing machine

Fabric book cover

The other stitch club continued foundation piecing small blocks under Helen's guidance.  Some people worked on individual blocks whilst others were joining them together to make small hangings.  Small scale work requires a lot of concentration and careful hand stitching and     everyone involved made good progress.

Helen's star samples

Liz's trees and stars

Diane's star and rose blocks

Til Wright Upcycled Hats 

Til Wright is an experienced embroiderer and trained milliner.  She brought several boxes of hats with her and gave a lively talk about how she restored charity shop/unloved hats to make them wearable again.  She clearly loved wearing hats and had lots of simple ideas that could be applied to any hats lurking in the back of our cupboards. We learned that a good firm brush would improve felt hats, careful steaming could revive mis-shaped fascinators and hats, and that good quality ribbons could accessorize hats of all kinds.  We certainly have no excuse not to look fabulous at the next wedding or Ladies' day race meeting that we attend! 

Our next meeting will be Saturday 3rd May at Haxby Memorial Hall, 10.30-3.30.  Visitors and new members are always welcome.

Planning for the group's exhibition is well under way.  Full details can be found by clicking on the 'ARCHITEXTURE exhibition 2025' tab above.  Entry is free so why not come along? 

Our March Meeting

Stitch clubs were in full flow this month.  Helen's group were very busy creating foundation-pieced trees and stars.  Helen had brought additional tree samples and new star templates. Some of the group continued piecing trees whilst others had a go at stars.  Diane had been particularly industrious in the past month finishing six small blocks and making them into a bag.  Diane had used a William Morris fabric charm pack for her patchwork so the colours were very soft and harmonious.  

Helen's small but perfectly pieced samples

Diane's bag made from foundation pieced blocks

In the other stitch club Eileen was encouraging those who were working on their boro pieces.  Chris had retrieved a piece she had started some time ago and slung in the back of a cupboard!  Although it wasn't her usual style of work she was giving it another go in the spirit of 'make do and mend' which she had embroidered onto it.  The small and tidy stitches were starting to harmonise the piece nicely.

Chris's sample of boro

Elaine was also making steady progress with a colourful piece of boro.  Her process was to tack colourful patterned fabric scraps onto the base and then to attach coloured buttons.  She was matching the colours of the embellishments to threads which she intends to use for the stitching. 

Elaine's boro with embellishments 

Not all members choose to participate in a stitch club.  Many enjoy coming along to sit with their friends to chat and sew.  There is always a productive buzz in the room with a wide range of stitching going on.  Jill was sewing a piece of 'chicken scratch' embroidery which she was working on a small piece of gingham.  Barbara had got her started on the technique and Jill was enjoying the emerging lacy effect so much that she was considering using the technique to sew something original for our upcoming exhibition.

Jill's 'chicken scratch' embroidery

March competition 

The competition requirement was for a commercial design from a book, kit or magazine and a great variety of pieces were submitted.  It is always lovely to see finished work and every piece had merit.  The competition was judged without anyone knowing whose work was being presented and voting revealed three entries with the most votes.  However Angela's whitework drawn thread sampler (from a pattern designed by Linda Driskell) was our ultimate winner.  

Angela's drawn thread sampler.

 Runner up pieces were Celia's reworking of 1930's transfers and Monica's satin stitch and goldwork flower.

This month the 'Travelling book' featured fabric collage researched and created by Jill.  

Our afternoon speaker - Gill Roberts - "The Corset Unlaced"

Gill Roberts gave a wide ranging talk on corsetry in the afternoon session.  She is an embroiderer as well as a dressmaker and the first part of her talk was about the history of corsetry.  We learned that even before Victorian times people (mostly women) wore foundation garments to conceal their bodies, fit themselves into clothing and be presentable according to the fashions of the time.  However corsets were also made for men and children and the styles altered over time as new materials were discovered and garment fashions changed.  Many of the images she showed of corsets and advertisements for them were bizarre to modern eyes and possibly detrimental to health but that's fashion for you!  

Gill moved through the ages to explore recent couture designers' use of corsetry on the catwalk and its evolution to wedding and occasion-wear.  Gill took a very non-judgemental approach to corsetry and its links to lingerie, burlesque and fetish-ware for both men and women.  She described how some people today alter their bodies in quite radical ways through the use of tight lacing in corsetry to please themselves and also to present themselves to the public gaze as an artistic endeavour.

Nowadays mainstream corsetry is designed to enhance and celebrate the body and be very much on show.  Gill's own work certainly falls into this category and she had brought along examples of her beautifully embroidered dresses which feature made to measure and very flattering corsetry.  By basing her garments on historical patterns she was able to explain how complex and labour intensive it is to create a corset even using modern materials.  For Gill the smooth surface of a corset provides a canvas for embroidery and embellishment and we greatly admired her skill.  

Occasion wear corsetry embroidered by Gill Roberts

Our next meeting

We will meet in Haxby Memorial Hall on Saturday 5th April.  Visitors and new members are very welcome to come along and meet us.  

 Our February Meeting

There was a large turn out for our February meeting.  Two stitch clubs got underway (and will run for a further two sessions).  Eileen started a group off with Boro stitching.  Derived from the Japanese boroboro meaning something tattered or repaired boro refers to the practice of reusing and repairing textiles by piecing, patching, stitching and reworking them.  Nowadays we tend to be less thrifty with our clothing but still save small offcuts of fabric that can be pieced together and stitched to make decorative pieces. Running stitches were typically used but apparently there are no hard and fast rules!  Eileen brought some lovely samples in to start the group off.

A piece of boro worked by Eileen

A page of boro in Eileen's stitch sample book

This was a very relaxing technique and everyone made a start assembling small pieces onto a background and starting to stitch.  It will be interesting to see everyone's progress next time and to explore how stitch patterns soften and harmonise the little scraps.  

Helen led the other stitch club who were trying foundation piecing on a very small scale.  Helen had brought along some paper templates to which members were adding little pieces of fabric.  The technique yields very accurate blocks but requires careful consideration of the sequencing of the different sections.   

Helen's tree blocks

Linda backstitching fabric scraps onto the paper templates

Workshop participants managed to get their heads around the technique which initially seemed a bit tricky and fiddly.  However with Helen's encouragement and guidance they made good progress and we should see a mini forest emerging at our next meeting!

Elsewhere in the hall members were enjoying working on their own pieces.  Monica's lovely Japanese flower caught my eye.  The design is a kit designed by Samantha Bourne.  Worked on black silk the shaded flower will eventually be outlined in gold thread (and the central yellow ovals are padding over which gold stumpwork will sparkle).  Monica had started it years ago and had recently decided to give it another go - she was enjoying the colour work and working through the detailed instructions to learn new skills. 

Monica's embroidered flower

Sue was working on something entirely original. Many years ago she had travelled to Russia and was creating an embroidered piece for our upcoming exhibition.  She liked the shapes and colours of Saint Basil's Cathedral and had drawn up a design from a photograph.  Having stretched her fabric onto a frame she was making a start on one of the onion domes.  The architecture is certainly striking and colourful. 

Sue's work in progress

Marina had brought in a 3-d building made from wool fabric and felt which was much admired and will certainly be in our exhibition.  We are lucky to live in the beautiful city of York and one of the outstanding buildings is the 16th Century home of Sir Thomas Herbert (now a shop selling York Gin). We are intending to create a table display of 3-d buildings of various kinds for the exhibition and Marina has motivated us to get going with our own creations.  

Marina's model of York Gin Shop, Pavement, York

Jessica Grady, Journey into Unconventional

 

Our afternoon speaker was Jessica Grady who is a mixed media embroidery artist, workshop tutor and author.  She is a very inspiring and talented young artist who has developed a unique style developed over the last ten years since graduating with BA Textiles from Norwich University of the Arts .  Using playful embellishments created from recycled materials and hand embroidery she makes joyful sculptural pieces in bright and contrasting colours.  Her work has been recognised in the UK and internationally.  In 2018 she was awarded the under 30s Scholar by the Embroiderers Guild and in 2019 she was made a permanent member of Art Textiles Made in Britain.  In this capacity she was invited to travel to the Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival in 2020.  

What was particularly striking was Jessica's comment that only 5% of her time was creative, the rest being administrative, applying for grants and commission opportunities, taking stands at shows, showcasing her work, answering emails and attending to her social media accounts.  It certainly made us think that being a professional artist is a heavy lift!  However despite the difficulties she was enthusiastic and optimistic, we enjoyed her talk, admired her work and we certainly wish her well in the years ahead. 

Jessica working on a textile collage

A selection  of Jessica's sample pieces 

Further information about Jessica Grady (and links to her shop and social media accounts) can be found on her website.   www.jessicagrady.co.uk

Our next meeting

This will be on Saturday 1st March in the Haxby Memorial Hall starting at 10.30.  Visitors and new members are always welcome and there is parking behind the hall if required.  

Our January Meeting

The weather was snowy, sleety and consequently icy here in Yorkshire but most members braved the conditions to come along to our first meeting of 2025.  We were happy to meet some visitors and hope they found us welcoming.  New stitch clubs will start next month so January was a time for self-directed stitching and embroidery.  Did I spy a knitter in our ranks?  Well our members have a wide range of talents!

In June we will be holding an exhibition of work so members were encouraged to think about contributing to the displays.  This could be under the exhibition theme of 'Architextures' or simply to showcase their own talents.  In the months ahead the detailed planning will get underway.  Save the Exhibition Date : Friday 27th through Sunday 29th June 2025.

Julie had taken the travelling book home over the festive break.   She returned it with a lovely indigo and white Broderie Perse sample enclosed.  

Julie's page on Broderie Perse

The book also had a festive addition contributed by Barbara who had made a landscape at a previous stitch club (wet felting) and who had finished it off at home with embellishments.

Merry Christmas from Barbara

Browsing the fabulous work going on in the hall I stopped to chat to two people whose work was quite different, but who were both making well considered colour choices and extremely neat stitches.  First was Jill who was stitching a stunning piece of Crewel work.  Although it was a pre-printed panel she said that she prefered to sew according to her own fancies, choosing filling stitches and colours as she goes.  She expressed disappointment that the central motif had so much ink as she prefers outlines which allow her more flexibility.  However I'm sure that once she takes the plunge with the centre she will find a solution and it will come together harmoniously.  

Jill's crewel work in progress

The next piece that caught my eye was being done by Megan who had dropped in for a first visit.  She was working squares of Japanese sashiko patterns in a rainbow of colour using 2 strands of embroidery floss on aida fabric.  This is a modern type of sashiko that has been developed by Sashikonami who is a popular Japanese Instagrammer.  The book, 'Colourful Sashiko' was certainly lovely and inspirational and I hope to see the finished piece in due course.

Meghan's colourful sashiko - work in progress

Alison Larkin 'Arts and Crafts Embroidery'

In the afternoon Alison Larkin came to give a talk/slide show about the artists of the Arts and Crafts movement based on her personal interest in the Arts and Crafts aesthetic.  

Alison brought along some examples of her own beautiful historical embroidery and copies of her book 'Jane Austen embroidery' which was written with Jennie Batchelor and which showcases Georgian style work.  More examples of Alison's work and her book/kits for sale can be found on her website, alisonlarkinembroidery.com

Georgian style posies and part of one of Alison's cross stitch kits

Georgian style 'pocket' 

Regional information - The Yorkshire and Humber Embroiderers' Group (YHEG)

Many YES members also belong to other groups.  One local/regional group is the Yorkshire and Humber Embroiderers' Group which organises several meetings a year and hold a residential summer school in July (day rates also available).  They are actively looking for new members and participants for their activities.  

This year's Summer School will run from Friday July 11th to Sunday July 13th.  Several YES members endorsed the Summer School as being challenging, well run, fun and inspirational.  The workshop facilitators are well established professional practitioners as well as teachers.  

Amanda Hislop 'Land and Sea - print: place: stitch'.  Her website is amandahisloptextileartist.com

Julia Triston 'Between the Lines' Her website is juliatriston.com

Tracy A Franklin 'Contemporary Crewel Work'.  Her website is tracyafranklin.com 

Georgina Bellamy 'Contemporary Goldwork - Grandmother Mouse'.  Her website is thatembroiderygirl.com

Further information about joining YHEG can be obtained from Stephanie Palmer whose email is palmer@tect.co.uk and details of the summer school can be obtained from Pauline Heywood whose email is pauline@whitgifthall.co.uk

Our next meeting ....

Will be 1st February in Haxby Memorial Hall 10.30-3.30.  The afternoon speaker will be Jessica Grady 'Journey into Unconventional'   Jessica is a young but much lauded textile artist whose mixed media work is bold and tactile - if this sounds interesting please join us!  Visitors and new members are always welcome.  

Our December Meeting 

This took place on Saturday 14th December and was very well attended.  December is a social time and it was lovely to catch up with friends and do some sewing.  Some members worked on their own projects whilst others had a go at making a small decoration for which materials/threads/buttons/beads were provided.

Helen organised materials for a 'scandi' felt decoration and the birds and stars were popular.

Helen's sample decorations

Helen's lovely star garland

Gina making a start on a star garland in the 'scandi' style

Diane provided materials for Suffolk puff baubles.  These involved gathering a circle of fabric around a circle of cardboard and then adding a hanging ribbon and decorative centres with buttons or beads.  

Diane's Suffolk Puff baubles

 

Sara and Sue embellishing their Suffolk puff decorations

In December there was a competition for the best Christmas card, voted for by group members.  There was a diverse range of styles and they were all lovely.  What a talented bunch YES members are! 

Competition entries

And our chosen winner was ....... 

Moira's -  The photograph doesn't do justice to the delicate colouring of the original.

In the afternoon we enjoyed delicious fruit cake and mince pies with our teas/coffees.  Wensleydale cheese was a tasty accompaniment and a surprise addition for those not brought up in Yorkshire. The food historian Peter Brears has traced this tradition at least as far back as Victorian times.  There is an early written reference in Joseph Lucas's book of 1871 'Studies in Nidderdale' which describes Yule Cake being given to each family member along with a piece of Christmas cheese some of which was saved for Christmas morning.  Our heartfelt thanks go to those who provided the refreshments and as all the cakes and cheese were polished off in the afternoon they won't make it to Christmas morning!

Our next meeting

Our next meeting will be 4th January when we are expecting Alison Larkin to speak to us about Arts and Crafts Embroidery.  If this is of interest to you, please do join us in Haxby at 10.30am.  Visitors and new members are welcome.