February Meeting 2014

Back by popular demand, Sally with her rotary cutters.

 Her talk was very informative, guiding the audience through the different sizes of cutters, rulers and cutting mats and pointing out the correct (avoiding injury) way to handle the blades.  She then went on to demonstrate how seemingly complicated patchwork patterns can be quite straightforward to construct and that there are even methods of machine stitching those shapes hitherto pieced by hand. Those who wanted to have a go with the tools were then supervised and there was even opportunity for the more clumsy or timid to use a protective glove.

I've always felt that blogs should be more pictures, less writing, but honestly (and apologies to Sally) how exciting can we make pictures of rotary cutters?

 No, not 16 tiny patches but rows of colour cut up and joined by machine.

 Is the curved handle (better grip for the more arthritic) taking a bite out of the pinking blade handle?

This photograph even includes a turntable cutting mat - not to be used for pizzas. If you're reading this Sally, I think better photographs could be organized, my fault. 

The afternoon talk was given by Sue Stone, a member of the 62 Group who lives in Grimsby. She described how the town, historically, had been involved in the fishing industry and how this had lead to her using images of fish in her work. Much of her recent work has been inspired by the works of fine and graffitti artists. Using the composition of artists such as Grant Wood she combines old family photographs and 'street images' to creative her very individual embroidered panels.

 Part of the self portrait based on Guadi's Barcelona - the whole piece can be seen on Sue's website.

 The companion piece to the self portrait, this one of Sue's husband.

 A detail from a panel based on graffitti

Graffiti combined with a photograph of four children in Sue's husband's collection - no one in the family knows who they are so we had a bit of a discussion at the end of the talk about whether they were the part of the family who emigrated to Canada or Australia. The signature fish are also included.

Another very enjoyable day.
Reminders for the members - don't forget to do something with the spoon!

January 2014

Happy New Year one and all.
January's morning stitch group had a go at applique chickens. The results are below.

 Hilary's work in progress.

 Judith's

 

 Jan's

 

Beverley's chicken and the book of poultry she brought with her. Sorry, I should have taken a photograph of the cockerel by himself.

And finally Sally's hen with attitude.

The afternoon talk was given by Alice Fox. 

She spoke mainly about her Spurn Point project and how she prepared the fabrics she displayed in the abandoned lighthouse on the point. I'm sorry I didn't take any photographs of her work, I think I was too busy looking at it.  I remember making rust marks on fabric a few years ago and wondering where to go with the finished product. Alice, on the other hand, had managed to link place with production. She showed photographs of the different textiles wrapped round rusting metal on the shore and how these were placed in the lighthouse. A really enjoyable afternoon, I do miss living on the East coast.

 So, apologies again for the lateness of blog entries but we're now up to date.

November 2013 part 2

Found them in with the Regional AGM photographs.

November's morning session was to make felt balls

 First the combed wool, felted into a flat piece, then felted into a Swiss Roll

 Small pieces were then cut off and felted into balls. These balls could also be cut in two to reveal spirals of colour.

In the afternoon we had a competition to make a name badge. The perennial problem of trying to get all the members to know each others names........ Will the badges turn up each month?

And by secret ballot, Sally was declared the winner.

The afternoon session was lead by Charlotte, one of our members, who demonstrated how to make a paper wallet. A useful skill to learn pre-Christmas. Hope everyone used the idea to wrap gift tokens in the festive season.

November 2013

Nearly there.

I know that the November meeting featured Charlotte's folders, and that I did take photographs, but at the moment I can't find them. Meanwhile, I did find the photograph above on the computer. An C18 cartoon on the ridiculous hairstyles of the day, but beautifully illustrating the contemporary dressing table and its drapes. Enjoy.

October 2013

Moving on swiftly, or I'll never catch up,

A busy month. Above are photographs of the tie back competition from the Regional AGM at Scarcroft. Last year each branch were given some tie backs and asked to make something out of them. The results were many and varied and Hilary's box, above in the second picture down, won the individual prize.

Below are examples of the birds finished in the two morning sessions in September and October, the bird in the tree doesn't stand out very well but a clue is that  its in the centre of the photograph. Hope they all enjoyed sitting in their Christmas trees.

 

The advantage of doing this blog retrospectively is that it gives chance to remind me of the really good speakers we had last year (though of course I could have just looked at the blog if it had been finished). This is Clare Lane's work, shown under the heading Urban Fabrics. I haven't taken photographs of her larger screen printed fabrics but have provided a link to her website to jog your memories.

Good, just two more months to catch up with.Don't forget, if you double click on one of the images they can be enlarged as a slide show.

September 2013

I see from the programme (which I have to refer to working so far behind the meetings) that September was a Member's Day. I hope I have this right, the afternoon session was a talk by Hilary on how she made a Christmas tree with the spokes from old umbrellas

 The cluster of birds on the top of the tree are examples of those to be made in the next two morning workshops

 Beverley also brought in examples of the work she is doing at the moment. Because I'm so far behind with the blog, I know now that she was working on ideas which would eventually be made into a Christmas card.

Flower Show 2013

Now that I know some of you actually visit the blog, I've made the effort to a) track down the password to this site and b) find the photographs from the Flower Show (I've also wasted a fair amount of time trying to find the photographs from the August meeting!).

A shot of our stall, showing the fantastic collection of Dresses for Africa. Charlotte is willing to accept more of these at the November meeting, so get those sewing machines out again.

At the Show this year the category of machine embroidery was re-introduced to the competition categories. Our branch scooped the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Highly Commended categories, well done all.

 Hilary won a prize in the crochet category with her bag made re-using plastic carrier bags,

 and a prize for her doll in the toy category.

 This photograph and the next few are shots of our stall at the Flower Show. For those who haven't visited the Show we are invited each year to put on a display of the work the members have done over the past year. The organisers have tried to encourage us to enter the competitions as well, hence the re-introduction of machine embroidery.

 These are entries into the patchwork competition

 Marie's entry in the hand embroidered category

 

Alwoodley Quilters

 

 Guild of Lacemakers

 I think this group are called Airedale Spinners, they meet at Armley Mills on Wednesdays, though I'm not sure whether that's every week or not.

The Committee, chilling at the end of the weekend.

 

The Edible Monster competition entries

and finally one of the entries into the 'any other craft' category. As usual, I don't think I took photographs of all the entries or enough of the display stalls but they should serve as a taster to visiting the real event next year.

Now, the next blog entry should be Riccall, Regional Meeting, where are those photographs?