Our July Meeting

Stitchers and embroiderers got together at the start of July in our usual venue, Haxby Memorial Hall, York.  Whilst many members progressed their own work, others tried something new.  The 'messy' side of the hall was taken up by Gelli Printing led by Sue.  This was the second session so participants had a general idea of what they were doing but like many printing processes the outcomes can be unpredictable.  Some people enjoyed using blocks and stamps whilst others used leaves and natural forms to create colourful fabric pieces. 

Gelli plate rollering in progress

Fabric pieces printed using a gelli plate

Meanwhile another group continued (or started) a piece of modern black work (many using colours other than the traditional black).  Nicky had produced some very clear instructions which built the block patterns up sequentially but which allowed for some experimentation and original design.  This technique is worked on evenweave fabric (aida) with stranded embroidery floss.  The addition of fine metallic threads adds a lovely sparkle.

Dilys was working on aida with blue embroidery floss.  She had made a charming needlebook up out of a piece of Wessex embroidery learned at a previous 'stitch club'

Dilys's sample piece

The travelling sketchbook returned with additional pages contributed by Gina that focused on patchwork and quilting.  

Colourful patchwork by Gina

Dawn Ireland, Textile Artist

The afternoon speaker was Dawn Ireland who gave an illustrated talk about her life as a textile artist.  Dawn was interested in drawing and making from an early age and studied art and design at her local college before taking a BTEC in Surface Pattern and Design.  This led on to a degree in Fashion and Textile Design, specialising in embroidery at UCE Birmingham.  Over time her practice has evolved to include mixed media and freestyle machine embroidery.  Alongside her studio/commercial work Dawn runs workshops and community projects.  It was lovely to see her early work and sketchbook process and also to see how her style evolved over time.  Dawn brought along a selection of her cards, framed pieces, kits and fabric packs to sell and many of us were tempted! 

Dawn Ireland's work and sketchbooks

Dawn showed a range of her commissioned pieces (some of which are also photographed on her website www.dawnireland.com).  Although her dominant style is of mixed media collage, she has produced custom made solid embroidery pictures of peoples houses, gardens and pets, as well as collages of important things for 'leaving' gifts.  The photographs don't really do justice to her charming and colourful detailed work which often incorporates tiny (postage stamp sized) elements, flowers, birds and animals.

Cards by Dawn Ireland

Commissioned work by Dawn Ireland incorporating unusual postage stamps

The next meeting is on Saturday 3rd August.  Claire Ketteman will be running a workshop on Devore Print.  This is an unusual technique that involves burning out areas using a chemical gel to create a cut velvet effect.  Numbers are limited for this so booking is required.  However visitors and those wanting to work on their own projects are very welcome to come along.  

Our June Meeting

YES got together on the first Saturday in June and social stitchers continued working on their individual pieces.  Two very different stitch clubs got started.  Sue led a Gelli printing session and Nicky led modern blackwork.  

Getting started with Gelli printing

Gelli printing samples

 

Gelli printing was messy and participants needed to work quickly and decisively to roll out the acrylic paint and get it printed onto fabric before the paint dried.  They used a range of precut stencils, leaves, sequin waste, bubble wrap, feathers, wooden stamps and even egg box bases to create interesting textural effects.  

Nicky's blackwork sample book

In complete contrast Blackwork required concentration and attention to detail.  Stitchers used Nicky's detailed instruction sheets to make a start on some stitch patterns and we look forward to seeing how their work progresses at the next meeting. 

Hidden Histories 

In the afternoon we were privileged to be able to see and hear about a range of work that members had brought in for 'show and tell'.  Many evidenced high levels of technical skill and married the techniques to a strong visual sense of colour, design and place.  We appreciated textile pictures and samples/items made at workshops where knowledge and skills had been generously passed on and explored.  We admired blankets made from an unusual technique found in an old book and 'works in progress'.  Several members brought '52 week' pieces that evidenced their involvement with the vibrant online community that emerged during the strange time that was 'lockdown'. 

However what was particularly noticeable was that many people really valued items for the memories they held.  This was frequently an outcome of time spent with a grandchild, a mother, a friend.  Revisiting stitched items made by someone whose style of work perhaps was imperfect or had dated in an aesthetic sense although its intrinsic value remained.  Discovering unloved but interesting old textiles in sales.  Bringing unfashionable textiles and objects out of drawers and boxes into the light, re-purposed, re-imagined and giving pleasure.  When we judge stitching in a competitive sense we overlook the hidden history that many textiles hold - the pleasurable hours spent making something practical or decorative, engaging the mind, stitching companionably or alone during "me time!" Enjoying the process as well as the outcome, creating tangible things whose histories might be hidden to others but known to the maker.  

There were so many interesting and lovely things that it wasn't possible to photograph them all so a (very small) selection of those that were pre-revealed by being displayed on a table ahead of the 'show and tell' are given below.

Denise's RSN stumpwork picture

Angela's interlocking crochet blankets

Helen's Victorian quilt finds

Josie's 1986 stumpwork piece 'In the Rough'

One of several holiday inspired mixed media pieces made by Eileen

Upcoming workshops

Helen will be running two one-day workshops on Scandi Style embroidery in June.  The first is on Saturday 15th and will be in Heworth WIthout Community Centre and the second on Monday 17th will be at the Viking Loom in Wiggington.  The workshops aim to be a fun and relaxed way to learn new hand embroidery skills using the materials, threads and embellishments provided.  

Next meeting

Our next meeting in Haxby Memorial Hall is July 6th.  Dawn Ireland will be our speaker in the afternoon "My Journey as a Textile Artist".  Visitors and new members are always welcome to join our friendly group.

 

Our May Meeting

YES members enjoyed the morning working on their own pieces and catching up with friends.  Diane was delighted to be awarded the Chairman's bursary which is worth up to £100 to be used for a workshop of the recipient's choice.  YES will be mounting an exhibition in 2025 and the theme which was most popular among members was Architextures.  This will give a focus for the exhibition but all types of work will be on show. Our exhibitions celebrate members interests and skills which are very wide ranging and everyone is invited to contribute. 

Rosie was making a start on a cross-stitch kit.  

She fund raises for the St Leonard's Hospice where her 

lovely hand made cards are popular.

Patricia was embellishing 

felt with embroidery and beads to make

colourful Christmas decorations

Travelling Book 

Pauline worked on the travelling book this month.  She is interested in the American technique known as 'Chicken Scratch' embroidery.  Chicken scratch creates a lace like effect on gingham fabric, typically made using one or two strands of thread and simple geometric pattterns.  The resulting pieces show how versatile a traditional technique can be when done on different scale fabrics. 

Mary Holt - Moving North from India

The speaker in the afternoon was Mary Holt who had travelled across the Peninnes to talk about Indian and Nepalese textiles and fibres.   Mary has been travelling to Asia since 2015, exploring the textile heritage and buying from artisan weavers and craftspeople in order to support traditional skills.  She was a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide bringing out examples of a wide range of woven and printed fabrics, shawls, felt and fibres.  A small sample is shown below.

Mary has become increasingly interested in Nepal, which produces a diverse range of fibres spun from yak fur and goat hair and others made from bamboo, banana, hemp, nettles, silk and organic cotton. Traditional techniques include block printing, hand colouring with black ink, kantha and tambour work.  She also showed Dhaka which is a cotton fabric traditionally woven on wood and bamboo hand looms.  In more recent times felted items have been made and new colourful blends of fibres have been created for hand knitters.  We were delighted to be able to handle old and new items and see how skilfully they are made.  Many items made for the tourist/export trade, although bright and fun, lacked the subtlety of older techniques and colourways.  

In lieu of a fee, Mary asked that we make a donation to Nepal-ease, a small charity that works directly with communities in Nepal, supporting sustainable charities identified by them. You can read more here: https://www.nepal-ease.org.uk/  

Mary Holt    Unravel    mary@unravelcrafts.org.uk 

Next time ...

Our next meeting will be on June 1st.  Visitors and new members are always very welcome.  

Our April Meeting

There was lots to see and do at our April meeting.  One of the morning stitch clubs was Wessex stitching with Angela.  Everyone had enjoyed learning this colourful technique, particularly stitchers who enjoy the precision and logic of counted thread work.

Nadine's Wessex stitching sampler

The second stitch club group were learning stumpwork.  This three dimensional technique is done with very fine threads and very small pieces.  All of the pieces being worked on were less than 10cm in diameter so people with good eyesight and/or good magnifying lights were at an advantage!  Annie and Josie were on hand to give guidance and encouragement.  

Annie's completed pin holder with tufted thistles, raised leaves and a tiny bee

Marina's satin stitched oak leaves ready for acorns to be applied

Annie's stumpwork picture with delicate needlelace 

Chris is experienced with the stumpwork technique and was working on the wired wings of a butterfly that could be cut out and applied to a box.

The Travelling Book

YES has a book which individual members take home and contribute something to.  The outcome is a sketchbook that features a wide range of styles and interests.  The most recent pages were 'Using the unusual'. 

Sally had repurposed coffee pods to create a striking applique piece

Unpacking the Equipment Store

York Embroiderers and Stitchers have some unusual pieces of equipment that members can borrow.  Just ask if you would like to have a go using them to dye, braid, pleat or embellish!

Spring Competition

Eileen was the winner of the Spring Competition for a piece of work from a commercial  pattern, book or kit.  She had attended a workshop with Liz Cooksey who had guided her through the process of attaching metal forms to wires and embellishing them with delicate crochet using fine hooks and hand dyed threads. The resulting piece was very lovely.

Other work submitted to the competition was also beautifully made and we appreciated every piece.  It was nice to see completed items framed or mounted.   We are starting to think about our next public exhibition so hopefully these will be shown to a wider audience in due course.  

Competition entries showcasing a wide range of techniques

An afternoon of Broderie Perse

Chris had arranged for members to have a go at Broderie Perse in the afternoon session.  In this technique elements such as flowers, birds and butterfies are cut from fabric and applied onto a background to make a scene or central design.  It was particularly popular in the 17th Century when Chintz fabrics became available.  We were able to choose fabric motifs, cut them out and start to arrange/apply them to the background.  Traditionally the motifs would be needle turned and applied by hand but most people were opting for raw edge applique, machining the pieces on (at home!) or bonding them using glue or fusible fabric sheets.  We were encouraged to finish them at home and bring them along to our next session. 

Chris had made some lovely samples of Broderie Perse for inspiration

Cate and Gill had made an excellent start on their Broderie Perse pieces

 Next Time ...

Our next session is on 4th May.  Visitors are always welcome to join us in Haxby Memorial Hall from 10.30am.