Painted Landscape

(Images are the property of Skipton Branch of The Embroiderers' Guild)

Tuesday 25th February

One of the charitable aims of the Embroiderers' Guild is education and this weeks workshop certainly met that goal.  

In the third of our sessions with artist Jackie Lunn, we started by mixing dyes to create a set of unique colours that not only complemented the felt map we had made previously, but also reflected the Landscape of the Yorkshire Dales.  Freda and Cath from Grassington branch got to work at the mixing desk whilst Sue started painting the rivers on to a large piece of calico that would form the background for our finished piece.  It was a learning process for all of us as we applied the dyes, tentatively at first, but then with growing confidence we started blending them on the fabric to achieve a textured finish.

Although we have an outline plan and have made something similar with the Broughton Road Women's Group, the textile is being developed as we go.  At every step there is careful thought and discussion amongst the group: should we use this colour? would this be better stitched or painted? how will we finish the edge?  Everyone's ideas are included and considered and the finished textile will be richer for it.

In the afternoon we started stitching into the felt map.  Using a simple stab stitch in cotton thread, we traced the outline of Le Grand Depart route to add emphasis.  Further swatches of felt were made for future use as backgrounds for the 10cm squares that will border the map.

The plan is to continue working on the piece during our scheduled branch meetings on Monday 17th March and Monday 28th April.  All contributions for the border and key features should be returned to Jill Maloney by Saturday 12th April.   There will be a final session at Christ Church with Jackie Lunn on Tuesday 13th May to finish the piece.

We had some visitors too: members of the Christ Church family dropped in to see what we were doing and one member  her very well behaved grandson with her.

70 Years of Embroidery

Monday 17^th February 2014

The Skipton branch gave a warm welcome to Dot Drummand who spoke of the Life and Times of Hilda Brassington, her close friend and teacher in earlier years.  Who had over 70 years experience working in creative crafts.

Hilda Brassington was born in 1908 and brought up in the Staffordshire Potteries.  Her schooling had the usual classes of art and sewing, embroidery, knitting etc as was the norm in those days.  She travelled much during her life and was well known in her field of creative craft.  Hilda died in 1989, leaving her entire life’s work and collection of books, wonderful fabrics, including cotton, silks, velvets, as well as boxes of buttons and beads, threads in wools, cottons, silks etc to Dot Drummond!!!

The Collection Hilda brought together over many years was astounding.  Items such as table cloths, tray cloths, pillow cases, bedspreads and needle worked pictures that were framed and hung in her home.  She embraced many kinds of craft as they became popular and would turn out lots of work in each category.  Macrame, canvas work of varying types and even plastic canvas included.  Soft toys were embraced, Hardanger, Counted Cross Stitch, Free Machine Embroidery, cut work, Black, White and Gold work, not one craft escaped her busy fingertips.

She filled drawers, wardrobes, cupboards, boxes and shelving in may a room, all of which were inherited by our speaker Dot Drummond.

I believe the audience was incredulous!  I mean we all have our “wonderful stash of bits and pieces” we hoard over the years, but to find space for another’s “Stash” is mind-blowing.  But gosh, Dot Drummond did just that.

Some “work” did eventually find worthy homes elsewhere amongst nearest and dearest, but now much accompanies Dot on her travels, she shows the samples as she talks to groups such as our on the many materials she lovingly cares for, worked by the fair hands of Hilda Brassington.

Dot closed her talk with an invitation to all those present, to come view Hilda’s marvellous work, much of which took all of us back many years to what was in vogue through the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and progressive years.

Our Programme Secretary, Christine Patrick gave a warm vote of thanks on our behalf and we all added a resounding applause.  We then viewed and chatted over many lovely pieces of Hilda’s work and carefully sipped cups of tea and nibbled a biscuit of two, all agreeing what a lovely afternoon we’d had and what a brave lady Dot Drummond was.

Sue Sissling

Felting Masterclass

Tuesday 11th February

Jackie Lunn (far left) shows Claire Ketteman, Jill Maloney and Christine Patrick how to add features to the map, whilst Embroiderers' Guild Regional Chair, Pauline Heywood (centre) looks on.  Photo:  Enid Pyrah. property of Skipton Branch The Embroiderers' Guild

The second of our three StArt workshops became a masterclass of felting techniques and an opportunity for Pauline Heywood, Chairman of EG Yorkshire and the Humber region to see the project in action.

Jackie Lunn returned with the half-felted landscape from last week.  The colours had merged and blended but some areas needed extra attention to make subtle adjustments.  Jackie showed us how to apply colour to the reverse side if the work and then use a multi-needle tool to push the new fibres through to the front. Handled with care, this method adds small points of colour like pepper sprinkles.  At this stage, the fabric was cut roughly to shape, with a 4cm border to allow for shrinkage.

The next task was to add the route of Le Grand Depart as it winds its way from Harrogate down through the Dales to Skipton.  We had already made a piece of yellow felt and this was cut into narrow strips and the edges needle-felted to secure them in place. As towns and rivers were added, the map started to come alive.

So far, so good, but now we had to fully-felt the fabric without distorting it out of all recognition.  The fabric was doused once again in hot soapy water and then rolled up in a bamboo blind.  We took our turns at rolling, changing over as the piece was rotated in a circle, a quarter turn at a time.  As we measured the felt against our hand-drawn map, Jackie advised us to concentrate our felting technique on just one area at a time so that the fabric shank evenly.

By the end of the day we had a fully felted map of the Yorkshire Dales National Park ready to start adding embellishments.  Some of the group had been busy dyeing an assortment of fabric scraps for other members to stitch in order to create the border.  Throughout the day we had been collecting suggestions for the borders and refining our ideas for how to complete the map.

On our third session with Jackie Lunn (Tuesday 25th February), we will be painting the calico back-cloth onto which the felted map will be mounted.  Bring an apron and rubber gloves! 

Many Hands

(Images are the property of Skipton Branch of The Embroiderers' Guild)

Tuesday 4th February

Meet Jackie Lunn!  She's a textile artist and she specialises in making rich and sculptural pieces which are embellished with stitches, you might have met her at Yarndale last year.  Jackie is leading three workshops during February to create the textile map of the Yorkshire Dales National Park which will form the basis of our community art project StArt in the Dales.  The project has been funded by a Community Grant from Craven District Council and by the Yorkshire and the Humber Region of the Embroiderers' Guild.

Just over a dozen members of Skipton and Grassington Guilds gathered around the tables at Christ Church to discuss how we might bring our initial ideas for a textile map to life.  Inspired by Jackie's work we were all keen to get busy!  There was plenty to do: mixing colours using carders, making small swatches of half-felt, needle-felting small details that could be appliquéd on at a later date.  We then got started on the serious business of making the map. A huge mat of felt was laid out, gradually building up colour before applying the top surface.  We wanted to draw the contours of the hills and dales and be faithful to the landscape.  By the end of the day we had half-felted the main piece.  Next time we will be cutting into it to add features such as roads and rivers using the swatches to insert new colours and textures.

The next session will take place at Christ Church on Tuesday 11th February 10:00-3:00. Everyone is welcome.  Stay for as much or as little time as you can spare.  Bring an apron and some rubber gloves because we will be dying fabric and yarns!