Marking City and Guilds

Well, look at this lovely site. All eighteen students work, stitchbooks, files and sketchbooks laid out across my table ready for marking. It was a hard job to do as the standard was so high. Everyone did fantastic and for such a short course, only eight weeks. Each page of the stitchbooks are treasures. I am lucky enough as the tutor to have to hold on to this work until the end of the Summer so they are available for the examiners to mark and I take a section to Norwich for outside verifier's to mark.
The Stitchbooks will be on show to the public for two weeks, in my studio for The Norfolk Open Studios. Well done to everyone who took part.
See the full article on my website www.art2inspire.co.uk 

Hackers Tackers and Stuffers Quilt and Needlework Group Exhibition

Jenn and I went over to The Dragonfly Gallery, at Watton to visit the, Hackers Tackers and Stuffers Quilt and Needlework Group's Exhibition and as usual there was lots of inspiration and things on show to look at, admire and buy. Both Jenn and I entered the bag raffle and chatted with the ladies about the work and the group. I am teaching a mixed media cushion techniques in September 2012 for the group and have previously spoken at a meeting. Visit their site to see the other great meetings they have HERE

Speaker Linda Turner

I am a member of Alevea Quilters who meet once a month on the third Wednesday evening in Feltwell.
This evening we had 'Show and Tell', Meg showed her latest finished Scrap Quilt. Liz showed us a Pink Old Quilt she had just purchased, Barbara showed us her amazing wholecloth quilt that had taken her just over five years to complete. I just love these and one day, one day I have promised myself I will do a wholecloth quilt for myself. My 'Tell' for the evening was the City and Guilds had been completed and as their were two members in the group who had just completed the Patchwork and Quilting Level One I showed their finished quilts and my Stitch book. The 'Show and Tell' was so interesting but the evening didn't stop there, Linda Turner who is one of our members was the Speaker for the evening. She told us how she started only four and half years ago and her fist piece of patchwork which is photograph two above and then some of her work and latest creations. Linda also teaches in America regulary and has a log cabin there.
See her work on her wonderful website www.lindaturner.co.uk
See her blog HERE

City and Guilds first Taster Course Completed @The Gallery

The first City and Guilds Level One in Machine Embroidery and Patchwork and Quilting finished @ The Gallery and everyone felt happy with what they have been able to do in just eight weeks!
I have taught the techniques and design every week with them and their samples have all gone to make wonderful books, their 3D item. Every book is individual even though they were doing the same technique. Everyone has chosen different subjects and colours to portray their work to. We finished at lunch time and then waited for the news paper photographer to come along and you can see a full article HERE
Congratulations to all the students. The Level Two City and Guilds in Machine Embroidery and Patchwork and Quilting start in September 2012 at the Gallery on a Monday and Wednesday. I look forward to teaching those classes.

Mixed Media Textile Classes

What can I say the variety of items that are being made @ The Gallery is getting more varied as the weeks go on. The 'Show and Tell' is really inspiring and gets everyone wanting to create. I took a picture of one of the tables and as you can see by the items on the table creativity is endless. By the way the table show is used one person. Click to enlarge any of the photographs.
See more inspiration by visiting my portfolio site www.art2inspire.co.uk

Bag Making at Knitwits

We have been making bags at Knitwits since I started teaching there last year. I try and make and share a new style of bag each month, so there is a style of bag that will inspire someone to make it. These ones got finished this week by students and as you can see they are already being used.
See more of my bags and inspiration on my portfolio site www.art2inspire.co.uk
See more by clicking the written or photo tags below.

Mixed Media Tuesdays are just that, as you can see by the bag projects above they are all different and thats one of the reasons I love teaching a mixed media class textile because of the variety of things people can create and the many permeations that can come from the same pattern as students adapt the same pattern to make it their own. The chicken was made by Gill and has such attitude and exudes importance in the job he is doing looking after scraps and thread!
See more of what goes on @ The Gallery by clicking the written labels below. If you are interested in joining us on a Tuesday please contact me.

More Texture Textiles

Textured Textile classes are continuing@ The Gallery on Mixed Media Tuesdays as everyone is enjoying the techniques. You can see by the photographs above the surfaces are getting more textured and interesting with additional techniques and stitching layered on top of one another. I love watching pieces start as blank fabric such as calico( which many of these pieces started as) and develop into wonderful works of art. 

Sewing Tidies and Sewing Machine Mat

When new students come to class they often see lots of 'Show and Tell' and what they thought they wanted to make immediately often changes. Two such new students came along and this is what happened to them too and so they wanted to make the sewing tidies above and then go onto the sewing machine mat to. As you can see they are really useful and fun items to have as part of your sewing kit.
See more of what happens at classes by clicking the written labels below or to see the workshops and classes available click HERE

Princess Cushion

Thursday Patchwork and Quilting Class always has a lot of show and tell. The classes are very popular as students can make their own projects and as you can see Ann has made a start on a floor cushion for her granddaughter making her the feature! Beautiful! This is another successful item combining patchwork and photo transfer.
 The stripped patchwork and quilted runner was made by Ann's Mum, so you can see it is often a three generation class. The cushion has been finished and the Little Princess loves it.
See more of what goes on at Knitwits by clicking the written labels below.

Textile Evening Class

I teach an evening class at Kitwits in Dereham once a month, usually the first Wednesday.
I show inspiration and patterns and students can have a try at these or do their own project. Mandy wanted to use the photo transfer of her new kitten on a quillo and this is nearing completion. I do regular photo transfer sessions so people can personalise their work and gifts.
I love seeing all the different projects come to life and the evening is really fun.
Visit Knitwits shop website HERE

We have been decorating fabrics of all different sorts and using many different techniques over the months and as I had had such an inspiring workshop at the weekend I took another lot of oil bars, pastels and Markel Sticks and fabric media into The Gallery for Textile Tuesday. Soon everyone was busy creating and covering their fabrics with colour and stitch. Jane brought in Ruth Issett's book about 'Paint Sticks' and we all enjoyed looking through the inspirational pages.
 See Ruth demonstrating Markel Sticks on my Tech site HERE
Visit Ruths Study Group website HERE

Textured Textiles

Elisabeth Hennessey came along to The Kings Lynn Embroiderers Guild to give us a Saturday workshop on Textured Textiles. She spoke to us about her work and around the room there were different activities to do with looking at how we create textiles and the making of. Her work has a lot of surface decoration and she specialises in stitch. We had so much fun rubbing, painting, sharing thread and textures. Our sketchbooks were brimming over with ideas.
See more about our Embroiderers Guild Branch HERE

Quilt Making Classes

Quilt making Thursday is the last Thursday of every month at Knitwits. It is always full of lots of creative activity with quilts being designed and ones well on their way to be completed as you can see by the photographs above. Claire works at Knitwits and on her day off often comes along to class to move her projects onto the next stage. Here, she is making a double quilt using Japanese Style fabrics that you can buy from Knitwits. They have a vast selection and vary in price too! Remember there is are classes every Thursday with different inspiration each week and month.
See the classes that are available from September HERE

Norwich Maddermarket Theatre Costumes

Amanda, the costume mistress and designer from the Norwich Maddermarket Theatre came along to The Kings Lynn Embroiderers Guild to show us some of the costumes, tell us some of the stories behind them and how she puts together costumes for the show.  As you can see by the photographs, Amanda dressed a model and acted in some of the costumes to bring them alive. The theatre puts on around 12 plays a year and Amanda has £200 to spend on costumes for each show, so there is a lot of recycling going on. There are over 50,000 pieces of costume in the theatres storeroom and many are recycled over and over again in different ways to fit a show. Many of the costumes and accessories are vintage and original for the era, Edwardian, Victorian, 1940 dresses for example and all their extras. The oldest piece of accessory they have, is a 1730 Dorset Button, which Amanda passed around the audience for us to look at. It was a miniature button and had exquisite stitches. Amanda was wearing a beautiful Victorian style brooch which several of us admired and she told us it was from a friend who makes jewellery. See the website HERE 
Thank you Amanda for such a wonderful evening.
Visit the Maddermarket Theatre HERE