Richard Box Workshop.

A visit to Merseyside

In August, Mary and I spent an enjoyable day with members of the Merseyside branch for a workshop with Richard Box.

We started off in a large group with scissors and glue, a piece of hessian, and scraps of fabric.

I had the best seat in the house.

 

 After that we went on to machine embroidery. Mary and I had a few teething problems with the embroidery feet

 

 

But finally ,success!

 

After that we began hand stitching

 Some of the glued bits weren't easy to get the needle through.

 

Here is a completed version of a similar piece.

 

At the end of the afternoon we had a show and tell, and a chance to buy kits and D.V.Ds

 

Goose Green

Group Embroidery

This is a photo of a watercolour painting owned by Sandra. She thought it would be a good subject for an embroidery, so, after getting permission from the painter's son a small group of us set to work. After enlarging the photograph, we coloured a building each by painting them onto white cotton with Inktense and Koh-i-noor paints and crayons, then using collage and  hand and machine embroidery,  we attached them to a firmer background.

The sky was airbrushed onto white cotton, missing out the multi-story building in the background, and all the pieces were appliqued on.

The geese, which gave the area it's name, have been re-located, but we decided to put them back. The passers by are Sandra's grandchildren and Leslie.

Summer Break

National Stitch Day

This year we had a pleasant day stitching in "The Cafe in the Park", which is in Stamford park Altrincham. We had a room at the back of the cafe with tea and very nice cakes conveniently to hand.

  We were embroidering leaves for our Capability Brown exhibition at Tatton Park, to be held next year

These visitors were admiring our embroidery of houses on Goose Green, a local landmark.

Shakespeare Exhibition.

We were asked by Art with a Heart if we could provide some needlework to help them commemorate the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death.

As there was not much notice it was decided that small pieces of work containing quotations from his plays would be very appropriate.

The following pictures were taken from the exhibition at their new premises, opposite the bus station in Altrincham.

A few were too high on the wall for suitable photos to be taken.

 

Exhibition

Our last exhibition was held in Altringham, at the premises of 

"Art with a Heart" which is a charity whose aim is to raise  awareness of the Arts and Heritage in the local community.

It was not possible to include photographs of all the work because of poor light in some parts, and too many reflections in the glass of others. so apologies to those whose work is missing.

 

 

 

 

This is a detail from the piece above

Our turquoise squares were much admired

Art with a Heart were the impetus behind the planters running the length of the main shopping street. In conjunction with this, members embroidered flowers on a six inch green square, to be hung as a panel. These were also very much admired.

Below are some of the squares.

 

February Meeting

Weird and Wonderful Dolls

Our speaker this month was one of our own members---Jenny Legge

Jenny has a large and fascinating collection of dolls, some of which have been bought over many years, and some that she has made herself

As you will see from the photographs, these figures are not what you

 expect to see from a traditional doll collection.

About fifteen years ago, Jenny started experimenting with making 3D figures

 based on images by well known artists. No need to name this artist.

The collection includes ethnic dolls and dolls made by other doll makers 

 that Jenny admires.

Her cloth dolls are often inspired by phrases or quotations that have caught 

her imagination.

Jennie's main interest now, is in using and incorporating found objects, such
as beachcombings, and distressed and recycled items to construct .figures that
could be found in museums, such as primitive fetish or ceremonial objects