Window Dressing

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

Monday 30th June

The StArt project is on the move again!  After two fabulous weeks at Grassington Festival it has now taken centre stage in the window of Fat Face in Skipton High Street.

Even whilst we were putting it up, we caused quite a stir with the Monday morning shoppers.  Lots of lovely comments and a questions about how we made it.  You might notice that we've also added a banner with the name of the Embroiderers' Guild.

Thank you to Gemma Edgar and the staff at Fat Face for making us feel so welcome and for giving us the opportunity to share our work with residents and visitors alike.

This way to Grassington Festival

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

Wednesday 18th June

It's a busy week as we head up to Grassington to take part in the annual festival of art and music.  

Today we have run a joint workshop with print artist Helen Peyton and we were joined by some of the lovely ladies of Broughton Road Women's Group.  Helen showed us how to print calico and swatches of hand-made felt using a traditional printing press and bold wood-block prints.  These were embellished with cotton or wool threads using simple running stitch or chain stitch.  A selection of beads and sequins added the necessary bling and 'hey presto' a fantastic piece of art!

After lunch, Claire Ketteman gave an open talk on the making of the Story Cloths and the StArt project.  Both pieces of textile art will be on display at Grassington Town Hall until Saturday 28th June.

Thanks to Bryony Pritchard, Visual Arts Coordinator for Grassington Festival, and to Helen Peyton and the team at the Word Lab.

Braids and Braiding

(Photos taken and reproduced with the permission of Marge Quinn. Images are the property of Skipton Branch of The Embroiderers' Guild)

Monday 16th June 

For those of us who just see plaiting as a means of keeping little girls' hair tidy, the world of braiding is a mystifying place. Luckily we had some expert tuition from Marge Quinn who gently guided us through the history of weaving and manipulating threads to make cords, braids and bands.

Most cultures have some kind of braiding technique but it is the Japanese who have taken it to it's highest art form.  Originally developed as a means of lacing the lamellar armour of samurai warriors with each suit using up to 400 meters of braid.  It was later used to fasten clothes or tying a kimono sash and the techniques produce wonderful designs and patterns.

Lucet braiding, French knitting and Corn Dollies are all forms of this craft but it is the names given to the various forms that delighted me so much:  words like sprang and inkle used to describe two ancient forms of braiding  are just so colourful.

The great thing about braiding is that it is not as taxing on the hands as sewing or knitting which means that anyone suffering from arthritis or similar limitations can still take up the craft.  It comes highly recommended by Marge!