memories of Newark Park

Taking down the work at Newark Park it was a sad day to be leaving the wonderful National Trust property. Many thanks to all the wonderful people who work and volunteer there. It was such an inspiring place and I was fascinated to see how my work changed and now I am back home with my work I'm re-evaluating the pieces I've made to look at developing them more. The wear of daily life is still central to the work and I'm wondering if I should place them outside again now I know what the weather does to the fibers. The second idea is to re-structure them to make objects. Or possibly both...

Polly Gifford - Arts Director, Bridport Arts Centre

We are now into our third week of the Strand exhibition here at Bridport Arts Centre and the show continues to interest, engage and impress gallery visitors.  As well as being a beautiful show, the work raises all sorts of questions, both directly through the themes explored by the artists, and indirectly by challenging the perception of what it is to be a ‘textile artist’.

This was one of the main themes of the conversation I had with Erica Steer, Director of the Devon Guild of Craftsmen, on the opening day of the exhibition.  We explored the much-visited territory that seems to separate ‘craft’ from ‘fine art’, surrounded by work that clearly shows great ‘craftsmanship’ whilst also being ‘critically engaged’ in terms of its subject matter – all terms that are in themselves contentious.

We heard from many of the exhibiting artists, as well as other artists who were at the talk, about what terms they use to describe what they do.  The main position seemed to be that terms such as embroiderer and quilter had been dropped in favour of the broader terms ‘artist’ and ‘textile artist’, in large part because the other terms didn’t have the respect and regard that the work deserved, rather than a deliberate attempt to claim the right to title of ‘artist’ (although that was the motivation for some).

Its often tempting to say, lets not get too caught up in semantics and just get on with the business of making work.  This was the argument favoured by Erica on the issue of the name of the Devon Guild of Craftsmen, a question greeted with wry smiles from many of the (all female) artists.  Certainly in practice, the Strand exhibition has utilised the accessibility of craft to introduce audiences to different issues and ways of working.  So does the terminology matter?  I can’t but think that at some level it does.  We are a culture dominated by language and therefore the words we use do carry weight and power.

But encouraging more people to see high quality work remains our priority and I want to thank the Brunel Broderers for putting together an exhibition that is doing just that.

Polly Gifford

Director, Bridport Arts Centre

Selvedge too!

... and a lovely mention in the current issue of Selvedge Magazine too promoting Select Spring 2013 including a beautiful picture of Louise!

Another pic from our show ...

Come and Visit Us!

THERE'S STILL TIME!!!!... Our exhibition at Ruskin Mill entitled "Curiously Enough" is only open until 1pm on Thursday, if you have not seen it, only 3 days left...In the meantime...with huge thanks to Ian Wilson, here are a few quotes from his review of our exhibition "Curiouser...?" at the Silk Mills in Frome last September...some of the work featured at our current exhibition "Curiously Enough" was shown at this exhibition...The review was in the Jan/Feb 2012 edition of Embroidery Magazine...



"...'A Print for Patti', made by Susi Bancroft while caring for her dying mother, was so hung that it moved in the slightest draught of air. Like a very English interpretation of a Tibetan prayer-flag, Bancroft's thoughts about making and grieving were hand-written on Liberty cotton lawn, cut and pieced  onto an unfinished quilt begun by her mother..."



"...Against the cream-painted stone walls Kay Swancutt's joined, seamed and stitched quilt like pieces in ecru fabric "Joins 1 and 2"-had a presence both quietest and impressive, which encouraged thoughts about the meditative slowness and repetitiveness of the making process..."


"...Uncoiling from a niche in the wall-like water falling from a cleft rock, 'River of Cloth' by Liz Hewitt had a single, sensuous line of blue stitches working its way down the white cloth and formed a fascinating companion to 'Water Stills my Soul', a slender strip of blue material with thousands of tiny white stitches making the unstitched central position into a meandering, curving stream and manifesting how the understated stitch can posses a semiotic power..."


"...Alison Harper recycles synthetic materials used for takeaway coffee containers, and also meticulously cuts crisp packets by hand putting the resultant lengths of fibre to many uses including knitting and making jewellery..."


"...'Friday Tea' celebrated this weekly ceremony in Lizzie Weir's family and consisted of a washing line of charmingly clean family linen bearing, in both hand and machine stitching such words as 'Jammy Dodgers', alluding to the cherished ritual...


"...Paying homage to the culture of Japan, Carolyn Sibbald's representation of a kimono, with sashiko stitching on indigo dyed fabric, was reconstructed but wearable garment that would look wonderful in movement...."


"...This exhibition bore exhilarating witness to the range of concerns and practices.personal philosophies and deliberations upon the processes of making of the Brunel Broderers represented..."

Another Piece in a Paper!

Matty Airey is the Stroud News and Journal's Arts Editor. Matty contacted me about my work for 'Curiously Enough' and we chatted on the phone - she had seen our publicity and also my blog - boostitch
I was so delighted with Matty's sensitive piece in this week's paper (May 30th) - to read it click Stroud News and Journal Arts Page
Thank you Matty!
Hope we see lots of you at tomorrow's opening 2 - 4 .... do come and see the show!
We finished the preparations, the cafe is fab and the grounds look simply stunning - the flowers are SO beautiful...

Piece in Paper by Tracey Spiers

Tracey Spiers a brilliant free lance journalist has written a piece for Stroud Life Newspaper (weds 30th may edition) about "Curiously Enough" and the BB's, it gives insight into the group and also shows real understanding of the groups ethos, thoughts and individuals practices as a maker...here  is a link to the article...Thanks Tracey. http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/Dynamic-dozen-s-exhibition-sew-good-Curiously/story-16226315-detail/story.html

We were delighted and honoured to be reviewed by Embroidery Magazine for our show 'Curiouser'...? at the Silk Mills in Frome.

Buy a copy of the Jan /Feb issue http://embroidery.embroiderersguild.com/index.html and read all about it!

Hi-Arts at the Stroud Festival

Have a look at this site (click on link in pink at the end of this paragraph) for Hi-Arts and you will see a feature on the artists whose work was showing at the Stroud Festival at Made in Stroud and who participated in the events. On the right hand side of the page there are two reviews of the Festival as 'downloads' to look at - Wendy Inkster's  talks about the Brunel Broderers and Susi's work - we had a lovely talk when Wendy visited.

What a lovely dream I have of a Brunel Broderers visit to Shetland....! Hmmmm..... worth thinking about more.. Click on the link here..   Hi-Arts

 Also, have a look at the Burra Bears - Wendy's site here - the thinking has such integrity - to 'recycle an entire handknitted Fair Isle patterned Shetland woollen jumper into a bear' - to give new life to the beautiful colours, patterns and handwork.