Tag Archives: inspiration

It’s been a while

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It’s been a while folks! So I’ve put together a collage of images from recent workshops, work and events.

My Jay is finished and waiting to be framed. I was adding the final stitches during open studios in June when someone gave me a Jay feather that they had picked up on a walk that morning. I like it when that happens. It adds an unseen layer to the stitches.

That’s me in the top picture at the beautiful Westhope College in South Shropshire. It was their annual open weekend and exhibition of students work. An inspirational and creative place which I was able to enjoy from the garden with basketry demonstrations happening around me. My workshop dates at Westhope can be found in Dates for the diary and on their website.

http://www.westhope.org.uk

A mixed media layer and text have definitely found their way amongst the fabric collage and stitch in recent workshops. I’ve tailored my next date at The Willow Gallery, Oswestry, to experiment and play with these layers further. This will give me an excuse to get messy too, not that I need one of course! For Willow Gallery dates, see Dates in the diary and their website below.

http://www.willowgalleryoswestry.org

Happy days are those spent stitching x

 

Textile books and bird boxes

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Creativity is now in full flow after a slow start to 2018 and with some new textile books and a couple of bird boxes made, there is no stopping me! With a couple of tweaks the mixed media bird boxes will be ready for a workshop date sometime soon. They have already had a trial run at my kitchen table sewing days with gorgeous results!

 

Bird box (detail)
Mixed media
Mixed media
Mixed Media Bird Boxes
Mixed Media Bird Box

 

And with the close of The Winter Curiousities Exhibition at Twenty Twenty, Much Wenlock, I said goodbye to these garden birds.

 

Autumn and Spring song
with a tilted up-tail

Happy stitching x

Alsager Creative Stitchers

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A fabulously creative workshop yesterday with Alsager Creative Stitchers who made me most welcome. With the same starting point, members then developed their pieces individually with painted bondaweb, fabric collage, machine and hand embroidery. A busy day with plenty of tea and biscuits to keep us working!

Natural inspiration
Building up layers
Fabric collage
Machine and hand embroidery

Stitching days x

Drumming and Textiles

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Last weeks workshops for The Ow Bist Project with The Qube Oswestry were full of colour and energy. On Tuesday the group took inspiration from Autumn leaves and mandalas to create richly colourful pieces of work. Then on Wednesday morning and afternoon, I teamed up with fellow Ow Bist Tutor, Ade Powell, for a day of drumming and textiles. While half of the group filled the room with rhythm and energy, the other half used mark making and resist techniques on lengths of calico to respond to the sounds of the drumming. All in beautiful settings around Oswestry.

For further details on the project please go to http://www.qube-oca.org.uk and look for special projects.

Fabric collage and stitch
Mark making
Wax resist
Drumming and Textile Workshop

 

And with the end of The Birds of Wales Exhibition at Oriel Ynys Mon, Anglesey, I said goodbye to this tale and two other pieces as they went off to new homes.

Aderyn Bach Syw

Happy stitching days x

Dear Robin

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In the last post I shared a new piece entitled “come to tea”, now we have another invitation with “Dear Robin”. With such a rich crop of fruit and berries this year, these tea time narratives are just waiting to be stitched!

Dear Robin
Dear Robin (detail)
Dear Robin (detail)
Dear Robin (detail)
Dear Robin (detail)

 

Happy stitching x

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After a busy time in the run up to The birds of Wales Exhibition, it took a few days to settle down to stitching. Once I had taken a look at the new colours emerging in the landscape and the berries on the trees, I was ready! There are just a few more stitches I want to add and then this piece will be ready for The Winter Curiosities Exhibition at the Twenty Twenty Gallery, Much Wenlock. (2nd December – end of January)  Another work to be included will be my Spring time pheasants, so lots of rich colours on show.

2017-09-26 14.58.34

“come to tea”

2017-09-26 14.54.55

“come to tea” (detail)

Workshops 

A varied programme of workshops this Autumn including stitched books, birds and boxes. See Dates for the diary for further information or get in touch if you would like a list of dates suzettesmart1@btinternet.com

Stitching days x

Ow Bist Project with the Qube, Oswestry

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I have had another fabulous time running textile workshops for The Ow Bist Project this week. The Project is run by the Qube in Oswestry and gives people in rural areas the opportunity of joining in on a range of creative workshops.

At one of the workshops someone shared their collection of exquisite textiles which included a Shamans robe from China. Inspiration aplenty!

 

 

The project was made possible with a grant from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

If you would like more information on the project, go to http://www.qube-oca.org.uk and look for Special Projects.

Garden visitors

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Garden Visitors
Garden visitors

 

Finished yesterday, this piece is definitely not bashful! With all the bursts of yellow daffodils and some handsome visitors to my garden, I definitely had a Spring time tale to tell. A wonderful excuse to use some of my most vibrant fabrics and threads for piecing and stitching these colourful characters.

And for now, back to the sewing machine to tackle the blossom that is in full bloom.

Happy Stitching.

Natural Inspiration

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Inspiration is sometimes in short supply during the month of January. The skies are grey and Christmas feels like a long time ago. So I dig deep into boxes of fabric and threads and take a closer look at the landscape around me. Plants, animals and birds soon have me piecing and stitching away. A new must buy of recycled sari silks helps too!

 

Next week I will be out and about visiting Staffordshire Patchworkers and Quilters with more tales of inspiration behind the stitch. Please see their website for further details.

And finally, a couple of workshop dates for your diary.

Birds or flowers at Castle Court Quilter, Whittington on Saturday, 18th February, 2017. Experiment with a variety of fabrics for collage and use free machine embroidery for mark making and drawing to create a piece of work with either birds, flowers or both! Times 10am to 4pm / Cost £40

 

Within a landscape at The Willow Gallery, Oswestry on Saturday, 13th May, 2017. Experiment with a variety of fabrics for collage and use free machine embroidery for mark making and drawing to create a piece of work inspired by the landscape. Times 10am to 4pm / Cost £40

A belated happy New Year and happy stitching x