Tapestry weaving with Sarah Beadsmore

 

 

 

Sarah Beadsmore was very generous with loaning us tapestry frames and all materials to get started with our workshop on Tapestry Weaving. 

 

It took a great deal of concentration to get started, but Sarah was incredibly patient with us. Unusually the room became very quiet at times !

 

We had a wonderful time and agreed it was one of our best days yet. We look forward to seeing the finished tapestry weaving in our September meeting.

 

Meanwhile Maggie Harris ( founder member of GWE) has a joint exhibition at Bampton Library running the whole of July. Maggie is stewarding on a number of days.. so check with her for a catch up.

 

 

Maggie is also taking part in the Swindon Open studios in the first 2 weekends of September, and had a reference to her studio in the local paper Swindon Advertiser. You can find the article ...here.



Creative textile Day ---- June

We were delighted to welcome Harry Fleetwood to our Creative Textile day for an informal chat and question session. Harry worked at Lydiard House from 1953 to 1960 for the then Swindon Corporation. Harry is a carpenter and joiner and had the task of working to help restore  Lydiard House. It was fascinating to hear his recollections of the house when Swindon Corporation first bought the property for just over £4,000.

The roof had to be repaired first and then, they started work on the windows, which happen to be the original sash windows from the time when the house was originally built. The ceiling in the library had to be rebuilt from the bedroom floor above.. and Italian craftsmen were employed to repair and remake much of the mouldings to the state rooms downstairs. the stairs had to be extensively refurnished. There was no electric and the lighting was oil lamps. There was no heating either. ..... and then there was the ghost!!!!!

 

Lots of sketchbook work underway in preparation for our next exhibition.

Stitch Day

 

 

It was wonderful to catch up with everyone today, and chat about items bought at the NEC show in Birmingham and the great exhibitions seen there. To chat about the on line sketchbook workshop that some members have joined for the April session with Dionne Swift. ..... and generally to stitch, sew and be messy. As it was the Easter holidays, we also had a few younger artists join us.... in fact the 6 year old had such a wonderful time, she asked if she could come again next time. ;o).... Ideas and designs are starting to emerge for the next exhibitions we have set up.

Stumpwork -

 

To celebrate our recent very successful exhibition at Malmesbury, we settled down to a meeting of stitching and learning some new techniques of stump work.. many thanks to Maureen for sharing her expertise with us. We had great fun! Will stump work be a feature within our next exhibition? ...............maybe!

 

Thanks also go to Margaret G for the most wonderful lemon drizzle cake.... made the meeting into a true celebration. Work which did not sell at the Exhibition was collected by members and lots of discussion took place about details of our next exhibition  Spring 2014. Watch this space! We also warmly welcome 3 visitors today, and are pleased to announce, they have joined us. A big welcome and we hope you enjoy stitching with us.

 

Our next exhibition - Malmesbury - February and March 2013

November Meeting

We had a really lively meeting, led by Margaret, we discussed framing methods suitable and related to our textiles. Margaret also gave us a very  comprehensive list of local framers and stockists, which will prove to be very useful for our exhibition in February of next year, at Malmesbury Town Hall.


We also had the opportunity to discuss the calendar/ programme for 2013 as well, for both GWE groups. We are all really looking forward to our new stitching year. Marie also gave out details of the WCE competition to the theme "Celebration".... that could be fun!