Fabric Sketchbooks - Dionne Swift

I have just attended a fabulous two-day workshop run by Dionne Swift at the Janome Centre in Stockport.  Only a 20 minute drive from home.

The workshop is based on the existing Developing Sketchbooks Online but is based in a fabulous studio working on cloth and stitch exploration.  Each stitcher had a sewing machine and embellisher.

Dionne taught us all so much and at the end of the workshop we each had a fabric book full of stitch and needle punch exercises and techniques.  Dionne showed us how to look at ways of gathering inspiration and playing with imagery and cloth, she is an excellent tutor and gently pushed all of us beyond our existing boundaries!

There are lots more photographs on Dionne's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/DionneSwiftTextileArtist/ or why not look on her website:
http://dionneswift.co.uk

Thoroughly recommended!

Silk paper workshop - 13 April

A group of members met to learn about silk paper, how to make it and how to embellish it. We spread all our equipment over the work tables which made it easy to share - both equipment and ideas.

Once the silk tops had been laid down a number of boxes were set out containing items which could be incorporated in the silk paper: dried leaves and flowers, feathers, threads, net ... anything, really.  

We spent some time experimenting with different ideas and techniques and then took our work over to the drying area.

It was a warm sunny day so the paper dried quite quickly but in the meantime Belinda demonstrated how gummy silk fibres could be ironed onto a wooden printing block, resulting in silk just crying out for further embellishment.

The work was excellent and everyone had some silk paper to take home - we look forward to seeing it at our next meeting!

March meeting

March meeting

Members brought along the embroideries they are creating to celebrate the work of Capability Brown, which will be exhibited at Macclesfield Silk Museum in September.  Here is some of the beautiful work:

by Chris Harris

by Christine Bardsley

by Sue Taylor

by Ann Cornes

by Bea Burchill

Members also inspected and discussed the Hand Stitch folio pieces, moving on to learn new stitches for incorporation in their own work.  We enjoyed a very friendly and supportive atmosphere, helped by having several talented visitors who we very much hope to see again.