Tuesday, 13 February 2018

Coffee, chat and stitch...

When possible we try to meet up mid-month at one of our homes, yesterday it was my pleasure to be the host. It's not an official Maids meeting, just coffee, chat and stitch if you feel like it.

I did manage to get a few snaps to share with you, the first being the 'From the East' postcard, which I missed, from our New Year lunch featured in a previous post...


'From the East' textile postcard


Liz - work in progress
Liz is creating a wonderful piece for her 'Containment' theme using Tumbling Blocks. Liz has machine quilted the top and is now adding hand embellishments.



Margaret - work in progress
Working on her 'Fragility' theme, Margaret was hand stitching into her delicate felting which will become a soft draping scarf and will be joined by two further pieces.


Maggie - work in progress
Maggie stitched a mass of glorious French knots in various threads, (and you know how I like a French knot), this piece is for her 'Containment' theme.


Debbie - work in progress
And the last snap is from Debbie, who was hand embellishing into her beautifully hand printed fabric for 'Containment'.


Hope you enjoyed this brief look at some of the work that's being produced. With only one more word to choose in March, we're all very excited how this body of work is progressing for our forthcoming exhibitions.

Back soon
Sue

Thursday, 1 February 2018

From 'Fragility' to 'Containment'...

Yesterday was our first 'proper' meeting of 2018, and although we were missing a couple of members, (gone to seek sunshine), we had a lot to catch up on.

Our pieces for 'Fragility' were mainly approaching finished...and the challenge of 'Containment' was chatted through.
It's always amazing to see such varied responses to one word, not just in the subject matter but in the approach and techniques used!

Margaret is so passionate about her felting, loves it and it shows in her work. She had quite a collection to share with us yesterday from calm, cool cobweb to bright and vibrant, with luscious inclusions producing a sleek and chic designer item!

Margaret - 'Fragility' theme

Margaret - 'Containment' theme

Jenni has concentrated on her hand stitched piece, looking lovely, and the care put in just oozes through the "cloth". Nothing beats the rhythm and pattern of hand stitched pieces in my mind.


Jenni - 'Fragility' theme

Jane has surpassed even herself, she has really found her own speciality with hours of precision work in her bird themed creations. The skilled detail needs to be seen, and you'll love it when you can!

Jane - 'Fragility' theme

Chris has just found her Mojo again, and has firm ideas for her way ahead with this latest word.....it might well include some watery element, an area she has successfully stitched before. But maybe more abstract, we are excited to see.

Chris - 'Fragility' theme

Diana had a change of heart with her last piece, how many of us can understand that feeling of trying to persist with something that just doesn't seem to work. However a fresh start "netted" a good result, with a thought provoking piece, and more to come with our next challenge.

Diana - 'Fragility' theme
Diana - 'Containment' sketchbook ideas

Liz has cultivated an off piste approach to her textile pieces for this current body of work, and has given them all friendly nicknames, the roll call sounds like something from a children's TV programme, "Zippy, Wavy, Snowy". Her latest for 'Containment' is really 'out of the box'!


Liz - 'Containment' theme

Liz - 'Undulating' theme



Sue spent yesterday adding detailed French knots to some exquisite little squares to make cards, reflecting her main pieces. She has such a flair for the depth of layers...strata.


Sue - 'Fragility' theme

I had had a couple of really happy days printing, stencilling and over dyeing some fabrics ready to work on yesterday. I was back with my favourite palette of colours, but overlaid with black and white. Now the thinking commences as to how to construct!


Debbie - 'Containment' theme

Debbie - 'Fragility' theme

As always, we chat things through together and the mix of ideas usually helps to resolve any issues that are stopping us making happy progress!


As I type we are collating a few representative pieces from our Cornwall.Collected. exhibition, to travel to the Spring Quilt Festival at Westpoint, Exeter in April. We are so pleased to be included in the Grosvenor Show again, and we will also have some of our dear, late friend's work on display, Margaret Garrood, thank you to her husband for supporting this.


On top of all this good stuff we had double cake, a mix-up that we all benefited from on a cold grey day in winter.....just delish


Chocolate mocha sponge

Summer fruit gateau

Back soon,
Debbie


About Me

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‘Textile Maids’ is a group of like-minded Contemporary Textitle Artist in Cornwall, providing encouragement; creative direction and the enhancement of techniques, with a view to collaborating in exhibitions.