Previous Speakers 2020/21/22

14 November

PAM KEELING will be running a Zoom Stitch Workshop.

Instructions and materials will be sent at a later date. (Pam says that you will have all you will

need to join this workshop without needing to go shopping!)

12 December.

RUTH SINGER will be giving a Zoom talk on “Hidden Histories”

This talk will delve into the background to Ruth’s professional practice and explore her

work over the last 5 years including a number of solo exhibitions. Ruth will share the stories behind projects, artist residencies, museum research, personal and emotional experiences which shape the work she creates.

Ruth Singer is an artist-maker with a background working in the museum sector. She is fascinated

by material culture, history and the power of objects in human lives. Her work aims to explore and

illuminate human experience, our understanding of heritage and the traces and stories we leave

behind. Her work has a distinctive feel of preciousness and delicacy of touch created by the

combination of hand stitch, fragile fabrics and emotive subject matter. She produces exhibitions,

community projects and books and works as a consultant and mentor.

For information on Ruth and images of her work please go to: https://ruthsinger.com/

January 9th

KAREN NICOL. ‘24/7 Stitch.’

Karen is a London based mixed media and embroidery based textile

designer/artist working in fashion, interiors and gallery.

This talk will be about embroidery as a profession, the amazing breadth

and diversity of our fantastic medium and the magic of her ancient Irish

embroidery machine.

February13th

JENNIFER COLLIER. ‘The Art of Paper and Stitch.’

Paper pioneer Jennifer creates exquisite sculptures from vintage recycled materials in conjunction with stitch; a contemporary twist on

traditional textiles. Through this marriage of unlikely materials old papers are transformed into something unique ,delicate and complex.

March 13th

ANN BROOKES. 'From sketch book to stitch’

Anne Brookes HanneMade From Sketchbook to stitch. Anne is an artist and teacher living in Brighouse, West Yorkshire. She creates a range of bespoke artwork for both us and our homes. Her work is a variety of mixed media, hand and machine stitch, collage and print. Stitching has been a major part of her everyday life for the last ten years. In 2020 Anne started the #sew4sew challenge followed up this year by the #52tagshannemade challenge on youtube. These challenges are not for a particular end purpose but rather to stitch for the love and enjoyment of it and the journey it can take you on.

April 10th

JESSICA GRADY. 'Journey into the unconventional'

A talk discussing her textiles career in both art textiles and commercial print and embroidery design. Alongside her contemporary methods of creating embellishments using recycled and waste materials.

Her textiles showcase meticulous hand stitching and intricate detailing and are a visual feast, saturating the senses with colour and pattern. This juxtaposition of unusual media with traditional techniques creates a curiosity in her work.

May 8th

JENNY O'LEARY. 'Landscape Batik and Lockdown''

Jenny O’Leary is an artist and tutor living in Shropshire. Her specialism is batik - hot wax resist, which she uses on tissue paper, and occasionally on cloth and paper too. Her inspiration comes from her local landscape, and this has been particularly true during lockdown when she has produced many pieces of work and sketchbooks to record her daily walks and occasional drives out in the local area. Jenny uses other forms of resist in her work and also uses stitch to add an extra drawn element to her work.

June 12th

HELEN HALLOWS 'A Colourful Life'

A look back at Helens 20 years from travelling textile graduate to established landscape artist. The journey has seen Helen create a diverse collection of textiles and artworks, continually challenging herself and exploring new directions in her creative work. Be inspired by the colour and ideas in Helens portfolio and hear how she keeps her creativity flowing.

July 10th

EMILY NOTMAN. My journey with stitch from then till now.

Emily works from her studio in Loughborough. She mixes contemporary mixed media with traditional embroidery to create

her own work.

Emily works from her studio in Loughborough. She mixes contemporary mixed media with traditional embroidery to create her own work.

September 12th

HANNAH DODD

The versatility of Felt.

Hannah is a textile artist who uses felting techniques with finished details in stitch to create quirky designs to provoke humour and make you smile. Hannahs Webpage can be found by clicking here

October 9th

Margo Selby

An artist and textiles designer, making unique handwoven artworks that are exhibited worldwide. Her focus, in every aspect of her creative output, is colour and geometric form. Margo has recently been awarded the Turner Medal- a bi- annual honour by the Colour Group (GB) for Britain’s greatest colourist.

Colour is absolutely central to all of Margo’s work in textiles and design- the effects of colour and pattern- the relationship between colour and woven thread- and the physical impact of colour.

Margo frames her ethos as ‘Art into Industry’ - alongside her art practice,she oversees the design work of her studio for artisan and industrial textiles production, collaborating often with global manufacturers and retailers.

Margo studied Constructed Textiles at Chelsea College of Art and Design and the Royal College of Art in London and at Atelier National d’art in Paris. She established her weaving company in London in 2003 and her Whitstable studio in 2012.


December 11th Ninya Mikhaila

STITCHES IN TIME: THE BLACK PRINCE”


Ninya is a maker of high quality reconstructions and replicas of historic dress, working to the individual needs of heritage sites, museums and private clients. She is co-author of the best selling book The Tudor Tailor: reconstructing 16th century dress, published by Batsford in 2006


Clients include Historic Royal Palaces, The Royal Armouries, The National Trust, English Heritage, The National Archives, The BBC and Gainsborough's House.


Her aim has always been to provide museum quality garments and accessories made to the highest standards. Each item is handmade in appropriate materials with fastenings and trimmings reconstructed to be as close to the originals as possible.


Ninya works closely with a range of specialists such as embroiderers, shoemakers, milliners, armourers and silkwomen to ensure that every element is expertly crafted.






Left: Detail from the jupon.

(A jupon is a tight fitting garment, usually padded and quilted and worn in conjunction with armour)







HELEN BARNS February 13th


“From India Back to North Country Quilting”


My talk covers textiles from my trips abroad, particularly India and Peru, and

how I came to study the quilts from the Northern Pennines,

I will illustrate how North Country (Durham) quilts have developed over the years

and the wealth of inspiration they offer to Embroiderers and Quilters.

I have recently been awarded the Quilters Guild ‘Amy Emms’ Bursary’ to study

Northern Strippy Quilts, and will share my journey with you.

I will share my own textile artwork with you and I am sure you will see how my world

travel has influenced me in my response to my own heritage, the North Country

Quilts.

From my travels in India . . . . . . . . . .



For more about Helen and her work please go to https://helenbarnestextiles.co.uk


Viv (Branch Member) 9th April

Fabulous India



Aprils meeting will be “all about India!” Full of colour and excitement with a wonderful speaker talking about the huge range of embroidery techniques worked across this vast and diverse country. In the afternoon our speaker will run a Shisha workshop. We will have huge variety of Indian artefacts, clothing, shawls, cushions etc for people to look at and examine. In addition we will have Saris to try on and some delicious Indian food. Hope to see you there.