Monday 19 December 2011

Beautiful Boxes!

Here are some of the new boxes I made with my embroidery class Autumn Term 2011.
We had a great time creating them - with inspiration from Janet Edmunds' and Jane Lemon's books on embroidered boxes.



Sunday 18 December 2011

Happy Christmas Everyone!

Last week the BB's held our Christmas get-together. Not much trifle was left, but here it is amongst some inspiration gathered from the stash of tailors remnants which we will work on in the New Year, as well as planning for a possibly curious event!



Monday 5 December 2011

Exhibition

Hi - Liz and I went to a wonderful exhibition at the weekend in London at the Crypt gallery in St Pancras Church. It was by an old friend of ours Catherine Dormor and the exhibition relates to her research for her Ph.D. Check out Catherine's website for images and times here just in case you are in London this week.
I found it a very profound and moving exhibition.
Kay

Friday 2 December 2011

BB Workshop Day

A couple more images from when we met recently and started some creative experiments for what will be our new exciting exhibition based on the wonderful collection given to us from a small tailoring business... more of this later...

Kay




buttonholes, feathers, corsages, patches, seams, pockets, fragments


Saturday 19 November 2011

Cross Stitch

This week Liz Hewitt sent a link to this - thought-provoking work, have a browse!
When we were at her home for our last BB meeting she showed us a piece from her textile collection....
Romanian dress top
It was made in 1967 and is worked as fine cross stitch on linen. 

Wednesday 16 November 2011

Whats in a name?

One of the best things about our meetings is that as we take it in turns to 'host' we often get to glimpse bits and pieces of each other's textile collections!

Liz brought out this wonderful late Victorian quilt 
- made in about 1890ish in silks, taffetas, silk ribbons, silk and cotton velvets 
and backed with papers written on in copper-plate script which may be letters. 







Liz can't find a maker's name and was saying how
 it made her think about how often we do 
name our work and why... or why not...

It is a beautifully preserved vibrant quilt - one to dream over.

Saturday 12 November 2011

Jan's commission

Hi - I have just delivered an interesting commission to a care home in Bristol. It is a funeral pall, to be kept at the home, and used when the family come to visit the person who has just died. I hadn't realised (never even thought about it I suppose) but when someone dies in a care home, the body isn't put into a coffin but into a bodybag and is wheeled out, like that, on a trolley. I was impressed that the care home want the visit for family members to be a positive one, so commissioned me to create a pall that would be used to cover the bodybag and trolley. Hope this isn't too much information!














We discussed their requirements (like you do!) - and I produced sketches and an almost-fullsize paper mockup with alternative colourways for staff to consider.
They wanted a fresh design, which was great to hear, but posed quite a challenge when they subsequently chose a rich grass-green velvet as the background fabric. It made sense though, for something that is planned to be used a number of times over the years.


The flowers in this mockup (yellows, orange and browns) were considered by the client to be too strong   >>>





Thursday 10 November 2011

Brunel Broderers Birthday Candles!

For our 21st Birthday there were many more than 21 candles at the Silk Mills in Frome!!!

Thanks to all who contributed by bringing a candle or
making one during the Curiouser exhibition
We hope to show Curiouser again at a Bristol venue
next year - will keep you posted!

Wednesday 9 November 2011

Sunday fun




Here are a few images on our workshop day we had at Liz Hewitt's house - what fun we had.

Monday 7 November 2011

A good meeting yesterday with a workshop beginning to think about using woollen fabrics from the tailors shop. We don't do enough of this getting together to try out ideas. Jan's talking about 'upcycled' clothes and bound buttonholes got me thinking about the days when I made altered and mended clothes and the skills used in plain sewing. Some of the fabric from the tailors shop had been attacked by moths. 'Eureka' lets mend it!
So here is my theme to worked on from time to time alongside my other work........patching..........darning ...........mending. Thanks Jan!

Thursday 3 November 2011

Crisp Packet Knitting!!

Look what Alison found!!!!!
Inspired by one of our exhibitions a poem was created...
Knitting Crisp Packets in a Shed - original poem by Sue Chadd - from Pulsar Poetry event, April 2010

Wednesday 26 October 2011

Embroiderers Guild

Went to Somerset to give a talk about the Brunel Broderers to the South Somerset Branch of the Embroiderers Guild - what a warm welcome and such interest - we had a great time! The new 'Chair' Janet Hiscox sent this lovely thank you letter:
'Can I say a big thank you both for your talk on Saturday - everybody thoroughly enjoyed it, said it was wonderful to be able to hear easily (no I'm not saying you've got a big mouth) it just makes it so much easier when you have everyones attention which you did.
They really enjoyed the talk but loved musing over the embroideries and of course made absolute pigs of themselves taking practically all the badges.
I am sure we will be using more of your group members for workshops in the future so be ready for us!!
Anyway, once again many thanks and please let me know of any more exhibitions'.

Monday 24 October 2011

New Quote

I found this quote recently and thought I would share it with you.
a rectangle of cloth
to wrap the baby; make the bed,
grace the meal and honour the guest,
to mop up a spill, encircle a waist,
screen the window and admit the breeze.
to proclaim a cause
to tend a corpse .....
Gwen Egg

Wednesday 19 October 2011

Exhibiton Visit



Liz , Liz, Susi and I went to the current exhibition at Brewery Arts in Cirencester last week - it was well worth a visit. I particularly liked the work of Rhiannon Williams and Ekta so I have included some images. We had a lovely time -
Kay

Saturday 15 October 2011

Following the Threads


Exhibition of Creative Textiles 20 - 23 October from 10 - 4 daily.
West Barn, Barton Grange, Pound Lane, Bradford on Avon BA151LF




Thursday 6 October 2011

Studies in Organdie - research continues..

Colours of a Winter Morning
Liz Harding

Blue Sky and Buttercups
Liz Harding

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Sunday 25 September 2011

Jan - The Barbie Story


The Barbie story that most shocked visitors was that of the 8-yr old
girl being injected by her mother with Botox. The mother has since retracted her story, but not before her daughter was apparently taken into care.
So when is it acceptable for little children to be dressed and treated as little adults?
Where do we finally draw the line?
Jan 

Daisymarmalade

There is a new blog called daisymarmalade 
Beautiful, colourful site and a few posts about 'Curiouser' with lovely images of
Carla, Alison, Lizzie and Jan's work - see here and here and here and here 
and the first one here

Have also put a link in our 'blogs we follow'.. Thank you!

Saturday 24 September 2011

Frome Carnival

Frome Carnival today!
The BB's like to be part of a buzz, so we dressed up
our model and here she is ready to be carried through the town, she has been busy welcoming people in all day!

Last day tomorrow 11 - 5 - come if you can..

Friday 23 September 2011

Young Embroiderers

'Frome Young Embroiderers' visited last Saturday and decorated the biggest candle which, as you can see, is
at least 8' tall; this group meets regularly under the guidance of Margaret Howard, was such a pleasure to meet them and see them enjoying everyone's work
Alison

Thursday 22 September 2011

Frome People!

What a welcome surprise! We found 2 sets of slideshow images of the Private View for 'Curiouser?..'. Katy Duke at fromepeople  has taken evocative images capturing the feel of the evening and they are on the site - have a browse -  here and then again - here - enjoy them, and thank you Katy!

Blue 11


Blue 11 is an exhibition of ten local artists on show as part of Somerset Art Weeks here  in Rook Lane
Chapel in Frome.
The artists have taken the theme from an 18th century Dye Recipe Book from Wallbridge Mill.
Annie Ridout, arts co-ordinator at Rook Lane Arts, did a lovely post about Curiouser here
We are enouraging people to visit both our venues..
It is a creative place Frome - see here


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Wednesday 21 September 2011

reflections

layers, facets, sides, back, front, inside,
many ways of viewing, understanding,
opening to experience...



reflections on Liberty lawn and silk - visitors sharing memories
of a child's dress, fluttering curtains, tablecloths, silk dresses,
a friend arriving in a wonderful old treasured Liberty tie -
the backs of things and what they reveal..
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Tuesday 20 September 2011

...Curious....?

then come to the exhibition!...






...whispered words,
softly float,
words of comfort,
reflected words,
thought, sound, serenity.


new work by Susi Bancroft.









...beauty in miniature,
fluttering wings of soft powdery moths and vibrant butterflies,
delicate stitching and intricate detail...

new work by Louise Watson...












spikes of colour,
swathes of paint and stitch,
loose threads,
frayed threads,
recalling journeys, capturing sights, smells and experiences of the place familiar...

new work by Liz Harding














muted palette, folds, seams, rhythm in stitch

work by Kay Swancutt.














...willow tears weaping....


work by Carla Mines.











Thursday 15 September 2011

Heartfelt Bristol

Jan Connet's Heartfelt Exhibition is currently showing at the Grant Bradley Gallery in Bristol. There is a British Heart Institute talk tonight from 6-7pm, also researchers are in the gallery every Saturday 12 - 4pm to answer visitors questions about heart research. Wine reception 12 - 4pm on Saturday 24th Sept. For more click the link..
Grant Bradley Gallery

Wednesday 14 September 2011

Extraordinarily Curious!!

At the  Silk Mills some very curious things were unpacked last week.
What is this about? How do glass mirrors and a real willow
weeping fit into it? What has Carla been working on?











A detail of one of the sides.. there was, and is so much more to be revealed..
And whose knitting in curious yarn is this waving at you in the wind and attached to a lamp-post just outside the gallery as you have walked through the gates and are looking for the way
in....! Look out for Alison's work signalling your arrival..


And what is this that Jan has brought? How does a wardrobe and The Body Beautiful fit in?
More of Jan in the next post...