Wednesday, 5 July 2023

WOYWW - June you’ve flown by


I can’t believe I’ve written three blog posts in as many days,
but I have.

June has flown by in a whirl of activity like the rest of the year
so far.

As you can see we’ve been on the steam train again. This time
it was a Murder Mystery Trip with the theme
Strictly Come Dying’

It was brilliant fun but we all agreed we were more the bumbling
detectives than Poirot. We were absolutely useless, despite Trish
doing her best to solve who’d done it.


Back on a more normal train last week but one with lovely
views.  We went from Grange Over Sands to Lancaster via
Arnside & Silverdale in Cumbria.

Friends had asked us if we would join them in their 25th
wedding anniversary celebrations.  Well not one to turn down
an invitation, we spent two nights in our favourite hotel Clare House
in Grange Over Sands, Cumbria.


So I’ve not been near my work desk and it’s not likely I will
be this week either as we have brought Mum upto the Lake District
for a little holiday.



On the way up we stopped off for lunch at Ingleton and I
asked the Wandering Welder if I could have this gorgeous
French market basket as an early birthday present. I may
have to go back for another in a different colour way.


There’s plans to meet friends at the amazing Buddhist Temple
and gardens near Ulverston and maybe a walk along the
prom if the weather is kind to us.


Another June day was spent helping my bestie choose a special
dress for her son’s wedding and afterwards celebrating with
lunch at a lovely garden centre near Clitheroe.


Wishing all Julia’s Workdesk Wednesday pals a happy creative
week.  Hopefully I’ll have worked on something by next week.


See you soon 
Lynn xx

Here’s a link to what we got upto at the weekend

Monday, 3 July 2023

A grand day out part two - The 62 Group Textile exhibition




Stepping out of the magical performance of Hannah Lamb’s project
FRaGRMeNT of a DReSS


we made our way down the old mill steps of the Spinning mill attic rooms
to the Gallery in an adjoining bulding to view the ‘TAILORED’
exhibition created in partnership with Sunny Bank Mills
and The 62 Group of Textile Artist.


What an amazing light space, perfect for the work on show,
with lots of room to walk round each exhibit.


The wandering welder was particularly taken with Lucy Brown’s
‘Brown Suit’. A one off tailored three piece suit comprising of a
jacket, short pencil skirt and a pair of trousers. Made by Lucy for
herself.

Sunny Bank Mills commonly produced cloth for suits. The exhibition
celebrates textiles and their place in the local community and
economy as part of 10 years of culture at the mill.


Textile artist Ann Goddard, a favourite of mine, inspiration came
from two sources. Tailor birds who skilfully stitch leaves together
to camouflage their nests inside; and suiting fabric. A suit has been
deconstructed and the pockets reworked referencing the nests.



A favourite piece for me was Hannah Lamb’s ‘Deconstructed Shirt’





Sian Martin - repetitive and rhythmical stitching in the process of making
a tailored garment. Temporary tacking stitch to accurately mark lines through
layers of fabric.


Jae Maries - The weekend is over and it’s time to don your
armour plating and get professional.


Sue Stone - Muriel have had to stop work when she married,
but she never gave up tailoring.


Louise Baldwin - pieces together materials from the past. Parts of
an old drawer, a book cover, a decorative flower motif and uses simple
stitches, tacks and beads to mark out areas. Evokes a life pulled together
through its parts. Not exactly tailored but made to fit.


Jane Walkley - a study of colour and pattern from the archives of
the mill in the 1800’s. Embracing worsted spinning and weaving.


Hannah White - sculpted form from thread and fabric


Jennifer Smith-Windsor - Interlinings give a tailored garment form.
‘Inside - Out’ 


Helen Davies - Intrigued by gym goers selfies showing off their
tailored bodies. Made from Yorkshire wool from the mill shop.


Two pieces by Ealish Wilson based on pattern creation and manipulation.
A herringbone textile designed with sewing pins and over five thousand
stitches 

Helen Banzhaf - An embroidered neck piece


There was a lot more to explore as well as the gallery shop which
is also a good place to sit and have a coffee and cake as well as a browse.


We will be going again and booking on the Archives tour
which has a unique collection of 180 years of cloth produced
at the mill since it was founded in 1829.

So come on all my lovely No Rules Textile Society friends,
let’s organise a school outing.

Hope you’ve enjoyed my grand day out in Yorkshire.
Lynn x





Sunday, 2 July 2023

Eeh we had a grand day out


Eeh we had a grand day out over the border in Yorkshire at Sunny Bank Mills, Farsley, Leeds.


I was lucky enough to buy tickets for Hannah Lamb’s event  ‘FRaGMeNT of a DReSS’


The final episode of an idea borne by textile artist Hannah after being
commissioned by the Brontë Parsonage Museum in 2022 to create an art
installation inspired by Charlotte Brontes wardrobe.


Visitors to the museum where invited to write about a piece of
clothing that was special to them. That evoked strong memories
for them of childhood, relationships, emotions.

Then over two weeks with the help of students from the Bradford School
of Arts, the stories were embroidered onto fabric and made into a transparent
silk organza dress of memories.

‘FRaGMeNT of a DReSS’


So at the the end of the exhibition in December 2022, what next for the dress.
Hannah took back possession and came up with idea of sharing it and 
giving it further life.


And so a magical fascinating production was held in the Spinning Mill
attic room at the historic Sunny Bank Mills.

To a background of spoken memories playing softly the
audience were invited to cut a section of the dress to keep for themselves.


Then using her great granny’s Singer Sewing machine Hannah stitched
Cyanotype remembrance cards to each piece before placing them
gently into opaque envelopes for us to take home.


What next for our memory pieces ?

Well mine will be used to create another memory garment.
I am going to attach it to a Victorian cotton petticoat and it
will then be sent onto members of the No Rules Textile Society,
who will each add their own textile piece.  Eventually after a trip
around the UK and abroad it will end up as part of an exhibition of
work the group are planning to put together in the future.

Stay tuned for my next post on the wonderful
62 Textile Group exhibition we saw at the same time