Quilt Museum and Gallery

The image copyright belongs to the Quilters' Guild of the British Isles

The Quilt Museum and Gallery is located at Peasholme Green, York. It is based in St Anthony's Hall, a medieval guildhall in the centre of York.

Sashiko Exhibition

Image courtesy of Ogi Folk Museum in Japan

( I have taken this from the York Art Gallery website)

Major Japanese Textile Exhibition Comes to York

Sashiko Exhibition

October 10, 2009 - January 3, 2010

The first major British exhibition of Japanese Sashiko Textiles is being launched at York Art Gallery in October 2009.

The show and subsequent national tour will present traditional and contemporary textiles and garments, designed to decorate and protect the wearer both physically and spiritually.

Entitled Japanese Sashiko Textiles, it sets out to present a sense of time and place in which these works were created.

The exhibition has been selected by textile artist Michele Walker whose research has been facilitated by a three year Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Fellowship.

It is supported by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, the Arts Council Yorkshire and Renaissance Yorkshire.

Michele says: ‘The objects have been chosen for the stories they tell. My research is taking place at a critical time when the last generation of (now elderly) makers is rapidly drawing to a close together with their traditional way of life and the disappearance of the natural landscape to which they belong.’

The exhibition will investigate two major aspects of Japanese sashiko. The first will look at the lives of women who made and wore sashiko. Until the mid twentieth century it was the traditional method of making work wear in fishing and farming areas throughout Japan. The makers were the cornerstones of communities but their lives passed unrecorded. The historical work in this exhibition dating from the nineteenth to mid twentieth century documents these women’s achievements, perseverance and hardships.

The second aspect will focus on the fact that the physical protection of sashiko garments was reinforced by the spiritual protection thought to be associated with the stitched patterns.

Sometimes these ‘talisman’ took the form of small stitched symbols hidden on the inside of the garment, so as to protect vulnerable parts of the body, for example the neck and back. Or they may take on a more flamboyant character, as seen on the inside of fireman’s garments that picture heroic images applied using tsutsugaki (freehand resist-dyed technique.)

In total around 75 -100 garments and related objects, including videos and significant works from Japanese photographer, IWAYIMA Takeji (1920-1989) will be displayed in the exhibition.

Most of the exhibits are being shown in the UK for the first time. Lenders include The Japan Folk Crafts Museum, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, The Aikawa and Ogi Folk Museums, Sado Island, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Fukuoka City Museum and private collectors.

Alongside the historical items are examples of more recent work inspired by sashiko. NUNO Corporation creates innovative textiles that combine traditional aesthetics with the latest technologies. Textile artist TOKUNAGA Miyoko hand stitches one-off fashion garments. She combines sashiko and sakiori techniques and will produce a special collection for this exhibition.

A fully accessible on-line publication including images of works, installation shots and contributions from leading Japanese and British experts, will be created for the exhibition. .

Tour

The exhibition will launch at York Art Gallery 10 Oct 2009 – 3 Jan 2010, and will then tour around the UK.

27 February – 11 April 2010 (closed for Easter, 2 - 5 April) Collins Gallery, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

8 May – 4 July 2010 Ruthin Craft Centre (to be confirmed)

31 July – 26 September 2010 Plymouth Museum and Art Gallery

Stitch and Creative Crafts Show

We were invited to attend the Stitch & Creative Crafts Show at Manchester Central (GMex) in September 2009 to show a collection of work from the Altrincham Guild along side the North West Rainbow Squares

People visiting the show were delighted to see them.

The Rainbow Squares will be on display at Styal Mill on October 10th and 11th 2009

Meetings 2010

The Altrincham branch meets at the Altrincham United Reform Church, Woodlands Parkway, Altrincham WA15 7QT

Meetings commence at 10:30 with the doors opening at 10:00

13 January 2010
"The History and Techniques of Japanese Embroidery" by Jane Smith

10 February 2010
"Textiles, Texture and Techniques" by Sylvia Wood
A talk about her recent work

10 March 2010
"Throwing a Light on a Colourful Subject" by Pauline Coddington
Her own work in feltmaking, and the sources that inspire her

14 April 2010
"Ecclesiatical Embroidery" by Beryl Waterfield
A powerpoint presentation

12 May 2010
An outing to the Elizabeth Hoare Gallery at Liverpool Cathedral,
and to Voirrey Embroidery

9 June 2010
"Mad and Beautiful Things...and India" by Heather Wilson
Her Travels and Textiles

14 July 2010
"Autobiographical Landscape" by Shosh Lewis

August 2010
We do not hold a meeting in August

8 September 2010
"A History of Needlemaking" by Peter Collins

13 October 2010
A.G.M.

10 November 2010
"From Athens to Winchester - The Life and Work of Louisa Pesel" by Jacqui Hyman

8 December 2010
"Costuming the Past" by Elizabeth Tatman
Her work in theatrical costumes

Exhibition at Hale Library

The branch held an Exhibition at Hale Library from June 20 to June 27th 2009. Pictures of the Exhibition are shown below.

Venue for our meetings

The Altrincham branch of the Embroiderers' Guild meets at the

Altrincham United Reform Church
Woodlands Parkway
Altrincham
WA15 7QT

We meet on the second Wednesday of each month, excluding May and August. In May we have an outing.

In the afternoon we have a "Stitch and Chat" when we can do both!