Carolyn Sibbald

While evolving the work shown in this exhibition, Carolyn carefully researched aspects of Victorian childhood and education. 

From this, she meticulously hand stitched rhymes, sayings and even the details of British Education Acts since the 19th century onto antique children's clothes, bibs and napkins - which she sourced from local markets or the internet. All the pieces which resulted can be seen in Praxis, our exhibition currently on view at The Forge Needle Mill in Reditch. 

The number of hours she that must have spent on all this beautiful hand stitching is awe-inspiring.  

This work all sprang from a farmer's smock discovered when her family's farm in Somerset was sold and onto which she stitched the history of the family and of the farm. It can be seen again in this exhibition and is fascinating.

Margaret Robbie

Linda’s circling again …

Linda has continued to explore stitch and colour in her circles and has developed interesting contrasting surfaces, some simple, some very complex  

Where will this go next?

Lina Babb

Carla Mines - The Red List

Carla's textile practice for the last thirty years has given her a voice to try and change attitudes to the manufacture, use and disposal of plastic and the problems for wildlife caused by its use. For this exhibition, she has focused her attention on the plight of fish in the world's oceans and rivers. 

Her carefully researched work highlights the many marine and freshwater fish on the Red List (species considered by conservation bodies to be at risk of extinction). 

The long list of red machine stitched names cascading down the wall and onto the floor in the gallery, many of them familiar, makes for very sobering reading. 

This feeling is reinforced by the stitched words of Sir David Attenborough which hang alongside the Red List.

Extracts from her sketchbook describing some of the threatened fish in detail are shown in a display cabinet beside her work to explain her process and give background. 

Margaret Robbie

More Praxis

As promised, I'm posting more photographs of our exhibition Praxis which opended last week in the gallery at Forge Needle Mill in Reditch.

Since the subtitle of this exhibition was 'Exploring personal creativity through textiles', members have followed individual themes and interests. The work which has evolved is as varied as the personal processes which underly its making. 

For some members, there has been considerable background research and investigation of a personal theme. For others, the work has developed via personal photographs and direct exploration in sketchbooks of places visited or of personal interests. 

Shown above and also below (in this order) is work by Carolyn Sibbald, Linda Babb and Liz Harding.

... and above and shown below in this order is work by Liz Harding, Carolyn Sibbald and (just visible to the left in the main photo) Margaret Robbie. 

Finally there is a thought provoking piece by Carla Mines. More on this work in the next post!

Further details of all the artists whose work is being shown in this exhibition can be found in a previous post here. 

Quite apart from the unusual gallery space we are currently occupying, on a warm summer day, the Mill with its parkland surroundings is a lovely place to visit and offers a most interesting insight into the local history of Redditch. 

Full details of opening times and how to find Forge Needle Mill are available on their website.

Margaret Robbie

Praxis exhibition in Forge Needle Museum Redditch is open

Our exhibition Praxis opened last Wednesday. This is just a taster of what can be seen and gives an idea of the nature of this very unusual gallery. 

Featured here is work by Carolyn Sibbald, Linda Babb and Margaret Robbie. 

I will be visiting the gallery again soon to take more photographs that will be posted over the weekend, together with a longer post giving details of the gallery and the museum which houses it.  

Margaret Robbie