Our May meeting

May in Yorkshire is usually lovely and this year it hasn't disappointed.  Saturday was very sunny and a large group gathered in the hall in Haxby ready to stitch, embroider, knit and chat.  Members are always very generous with sharing their skills and knowledge and sometimes that is exactly what is required if someone is struggling with a project.  Equally a little encouragement goes a long way and one persons' disaster is someone else's gem in the making!  We always welcome visitors and new members so feel free to come along or recommend us to a stitchy friend.

Barbara's stitch club was focusing on appliqué and lettering.   This month members were trying a method of reverse appliqué which involved four layers (two for the circle top and two for the background) which resulted in a neat sandwich.  The central circle could be embroidered into with text/names (as Barbara had done in a mini autograph quilt) or with a small image.  Members were making good progress with an unfamiliar technique.

Barbara's appliqué sample

Lisa's reverse appliqué sample in progress

Close up of Barbara's quilt made using the reverse appliqué method.  

The birds are from a printed panel designed by ornithologist 

Lorraine Chivers whose work is on seaparrot.co.uk

The other stitch club was focused on crazy patchwork.  Marina had made lots of samples which members enjoyed looking at for inspiration and she spent the session encouraging people to experiment with a range of stitches.  These included variations of blanket stitch, cretan stitch, fly stitch,  chain stitch, chevron stitch, herringbone stitch, lazy daisy stitch and many more.  

Marina's sample of pictoral crazy patchwork

Some members had picked up the principles quickly and even done homework!  Jill who is an experienced embroiderer had enjoyed crazy patchwork so much that she had completed one sample square (see below) and was working on a second one.   She had used a wide variety of stiches including feather stitch, fly stitch and interlaced running stitch on lace.

Jill's crazy patchwork square

Maggie's crazy patchwork base of batik fabrics ready for embellishment

Also in the hall was a table full of pairs of lovely hearts which we had started last month and finished off at home.  These were gathered together ready to take to York Hospital.  These will be used by hospital staff to give to poorly patients as a way of connecting them with their families and giving comfort.  We enjoyed making them and more hearts are promised or still under construction.

Comfort hearts ready to go to York Hospital

Afternoon speakers - Diane, Celia and Chris

Unfortunately the speaker who had been booked was unwell so three of our talented members stepped in to fill the afternoon slot.  First up was Diane who is an experienced quilter.  She showed us how to join quilts on the sewing machine using the 'quilt as you go' method.  This involves attaching sashing strips and accurately cutting wadding, the quilt top and backing so that they all sit flat.  The end product is a neatly finished quilt.  

 

Diane's demonstration samples for quilt as you go

Our second speaker was Celia who got her first fan when she was eight years old.  Despite being a self confessed tomboy she was intrigued by the fragile and beautifully decorated fan and took great care of it. Since then Celia has amassed a collection of fans and brought a sample of them in to show the wide range of materials they are made of.  We passed many of the fans around to admire the workmanship, marvelled at the delicate fans too fragile to handle now and enjoyed how she had incorporated broken fan pieces into her own embroidery.  

A small selection of Celia's fan collection and own embroidery

Our final speaker was Chris who has been a maker of fibre art dolls for many years.  She was very actively involved in the 'dolly birds' group who made many characterful dolls using a range of techniques and materials.  Chris started off using patterns from well established artists such as the Canadian Margi Hennan.  She was also very inspired by Jude Hill's spirit art dolls.  Eventually she began designing her own dolls which could be soft sculptures or could incorporate wood and metal objects.  When Chris downsized recently she had to let go many of her creations so members brought back the dolls they had been lucky enough to be given and Chris talked about the dolls she kept and the dolls she was working on now.  

Two of Chris's fibre art dolls

Our next meeting will be Saturday 6th June in Haxby Memorial Hall, York.  The day starts at 10:30 and the afternoon session (a speaker or acitivity) starts at 13:30.  We end the day with tea and biscuits and clear the hall by 15:30.   Further information about the programme and contact information can be found by following the relevant tab below the YES banner heading above.  We are a friendly group and welcome visitors.