Caretakers of the World, UNITE!

Over the past few weeks, I have been busy working on a piece for an exhibition called 'Responding to the Book', part of the 'Word on the Street' section of the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition which is being held all over the North East of England. The 'Responding to the Book' exhibition is being held at The Holy Biscuit, in Newcastle upon Tyne from saturday 6th April, 2013 for one month.

For this exhibition, I have been working on a 'hooky' mat design using the carpet pages of the Lindisfarne Gospels as inspiration. The piece I am working on, is titled 'Caretakers of the World, UNITE!' As I have done before with my exhibition pieces, I am interested in making an environmental statement, so the sections of the cross are filled with maps of the World and surrounded by enviromentally vunerable images, in a true to time, Celtic design. I have been working with recycled fabric such as blanket wool, coats, jumpers and other clothing.

Here is a photograph of the piece so far, which I hope to finish over the weekend.

Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition and workshop

WOW! It's March already and I've been so busy making and completing different projects that I have forgotten to blog!! Hmm, best not make a habit of it! Currently, I am finishing off a lovely hanging made with 63 Year 5 children. The hanging is a 'Mining Banner' to hang up in their school dinning hall. It will be presented back to the children on Friday - it's looking prety fab and they should be really proud of the fabulous work they have done on it.

Also, I have been very busy with the weekly mat-making group at Sunderland City Library and, already, we are on week 7 - only three weeks left of the course. I will miss the session as there is such a lovely group of women who come along and the designs for their mats are looking pretty smart. We have all enjoyed looking in our local charity shops etc, to recycle clothes and fabrics to put in our mats.

The Wednesday Craft Club at my local school is also going really well, there is a core of about 25 children, boys and girls, who have made 'creatures' from the gloves in the schools lost property box, lovely embroidered pictures in hoops and this week they are making Mother's Day Hearts.

Whilst completing school hangings, preparing for mat-making workshops and Craft Club, I am also working on a piece for an exhibition at The Holy Biscuit, in Shieldfield, Newcastle upon Tyne. The exhibition is inspired by the Lindisfarne Gospels and the organisers are keen to address many modern themes. I have decided to use the 'Carpet' pages in the Lindisfarne Gospels as an inspiration and starting point in my 'hooky' carpet page. My piece is called 'Caretaker's of the World, Unite!'Saturday 6th April and I am running a workshop on Saturday 27th AprilTraditional Rag Rug, 10-12pm at The Holy Biscuit.