New workshops: cushion customisation at Ikea, Gateshead

This week I shall be running 'Cushion Customisation' workshops at Ikea, Gateshead. The workshops are free and you can drop by any time between 12-4pm Monday 16th to Friday 20th December. I shall be showing visitors simple and fun appliqué techniques, which you can join in with and make your own appliqué cushion to take away.

Beginners Patchwork and Quilting Class

In the New Year, I shall be starting a new class at Washington Library and Customer Services. The Galleries, Washington, Tyne and Wear, NE38 7RZ. The course starts on Tuesday 14th January 10-12pm, for 11 weeks (excluding half-term). Although, the course is aimed at complete beginners, those who have some experience of patchwork and quilting will also find the course interesting. The course fees are £36 and materials are included - though you are very welcome to bring your own! If you are interested in joining, then you can either contact me or the Library directly on 0191 561 3441.

The Three Sisters

I have been busy working on a series of portraits for an exhibition at The Holy Biscuit, Newcastle upon Tyne. The exhibition 'An Artistic Gathering', will show the work of Patricia Bowles, Ken Elliott, Lisa Enright, Michelle Johnson, Sheelagh Peace and myself.

The exhibition preview will be this Thursday 7th November 6-8pm, and the exhibition will run until the 21st November.

Amongst the work I shall be exhibiting include 'The Three Sisters', which are portraits of my daughters, made using machine and hand embroidery, fabric painting and collage.

The Vanity of Small Differences

During April to September this year I have worked on a fabulous project for Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, which was funded by the Arts Council. I worked with three different community groups over 10 weeks, to create their textile response to Grayson Perry's tapestries.

Here are the finished hangings created by the three groups:

The hangings were made using fabric paint, batik, embroidery, beading, photographic transfer techniques and applique. All of the people involved learnt these new skills 'on the job' and, as you can see, became very proficient at it!

Besides working on the hangings, I also run a weeks worth of school workshops and masterclasses, looking at the ideas of branding, 'Tribes' and identity which Grayson Perry reflects upon in his tapestries.

Textile Masterclasses

Memory Panels

Saturday 20th July, 2013. 10-3pm
Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens
Explore a range of textile methods including applique, printing and embroidery, as you make your own memory panel inspired by the themes of the Vanity of Small Differences exhibition by Grayson Perry. If you would like to bring photos, letters, fabric etc to inspire your personal panel, that would be great.

Creative Cushions

Saturday 3rd August, 2013. 10-3pm
Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens
Explore the themes of branding, fashion and taste in the Grayson Perry tapestries, then use your ideas to create a fabulous cushion cover.

The workshops are £15 per person, payable at the museum shop. All materials needed for these masterclasses will be provided, but you are very welcome to bring items to enhance your decoration. To book sessions ring Jennie Lambert on 0191 553 2323 or email her at jennie.lambert@sunderland,gov.uk

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.