June 2011
HELLO EVERYONE
Its been a fabulous day today and I must say my garden is looking great,
all thanks to Jess who is still coming every week. I thought you might
like to see a few of my favourite flowers..........talking of which
Search Press have now send me the flat plan for my new book, 'Stitched
Textiles ~ FLOWERS', making it all now very real. It is very exciting.
Anyway I hope you like these picture.
 
 
 You will remember that I was in Sweden at the end of May and I had
a fabulous time there. I was so well looked after, fed delicious fresh
fish and shown the sights which included a trip to the Fashion Shop
Gudrun Sjoden.......what a treat that was. An amazing array of colours
greet you on walking through the door.......just loved it.
I so enjoyed the workshop with 20 really lovely ladies, who all worked
so hard and rose to the challenges that I set them over the three days.
I look forward to welcoming you all to my studio in Shropshire. If you
link to their blog you will be able to see some of the work produced.
link to their blogspot
I have just returned from having spent a brilliant weekend with the
Textile Study Group where we have been doing a fabulous course with
Shuna Rendel 'Line, Strip and Form'. 'Shuna is a sculptor whose work
is informed by research, experiment and manipulation of basketry and
textile techniques from all over the world. She creates interwoven open
structures in willow and cane which are often concerned with the notion
of moveable grids in an architectural context.' We were introduced to
a number of exciting construction methods using a wide array of materials.
I decided to focus on 'chain pairing' and 'connections' using some banana
plant fibres from Uganda. It was interesting to find ways of using and
developing my existing techniques and methods of working with new materials
and it was particularly important to me that these materials should
have come from Uganda. Here are a few of the results.
 
The week after next I am back at Art Van Go teaching a 4 day summer
school and if the weather stays as it has been we shall be alright.
I am then teaching two further summer schools in June: one at my studio
with Ruth Issett.....sorry but that course is fully booked...... and
the second one is for the Textile Study Group Summer School at Harper
Adams, Shropshire.
NOW PLEASE NOTE:
There is currently a cancellation on Rose Campbell's course on the
TSG summer school. If you check out the Textile Study Group website
you will see details and booking forms. If you could direct enquiries
to Kay Greenlees through the website that would be useful as I know
the booking secretary Jenny Blackburn is away until 16th June
link to TSG website
COURSES AT MOOR HALL STUDIO
Studio Space
Garden at Moor Hall
I did give you dates for future 'Working Together' Courses in the last
newsletter and have listed these again below just in case!!!! What I
didn't mention however was the exhibition preview that Ruth and I will
be having at the studio on Saturday 16th July 2011 from 7.00 to 9.00pm.
So please come and join us over a glass of chilled wine in the hope
that it will be a nice summers evening. That day will also be the end
of our 4 day summer school, so be warned as you may find Ruth and I
flopped somewhere in a corner and thats before the wine!!! We would
love to see you there.
Please note: The exhibition can only be viewed at other times by prior
arrangement. See contact details at end of newsletter.
Working Together Courses 2012
30th April/1st and 2nd May
11th/12th/13th May
18th/19th/20th June
These are the 'Working Together' dates for you to note in our diaries,
but course content still remains to be planned.
NEW COURSES AT MOOR HALL for 2011
Ray Hatley ~ Working in Leather ~ STILL PLACES
Monday 13th June 2011 ~ £50
On this first day course with Ray, students will be making a mug mat/coaster
and a belt. A maximum additional cost of £10 for materials will
be added to this course, but students need not bring anything to the
workshop as all tools, equipment and materials will be provided.
Mon and Tues 8/9 August 2011 ~ £100
The two day follow-up course will involve the students in making one
of these spetacular bags. Again an additional cost of £15 maximum
will be added to the course fees to include all materials, with students
going home at the end with their very own top quality handbag. This
has to be a winner.
 
link to Ray's website
Dorothy Tucker ~ Kantha: 'A special way of sewing with Dorothy Tucker'
8th and 9th July 2011 (Fri/Sat)
£ 100 for the two day course
 
Kantha is a Bangladeshi word for cloth. It is also the name given to
a form of stitching used to make quilts and covers from the good parts
of old worn saris.By folding and stitching together layers of washed
and worn fabrics we will make a cloth which is lovely to handle. As
we work with the simplest of stitches to outline shapes and to fill
spaces we will become intrigued by the subtle changes which begin to
take place in the soft surfaces of the cloth, and then we will be drawn
into stitching a personal design in which the meaning and textile qualities
evolve as we work. A jug or mug and one or two small objects which have
a connection will provide the starting points for personal designs.
Information and inspiration for hand sewing will come from seeing and
handling some old traditional and contemporary examples of Kantha. Kantha
can be addictive and soothing. Once started you may choose to stitch
on and on and on ......!
 Dorothy has
travelled to India. She exhibits her work regularly with the Textile
Study Group and PRISM . She was a tutor for the Opus School of Textile
Arts until 2008 and the Education Officer at the Embroiderers' Guild.
She is now working freelance and devises creative textile projects for
community groups with Shared Heritage.
Bernard Edwards ~ Corn Dollies for Beginners
13th August
£ 40 for 1 day to include all materials.
 
On this course Bernard will be showing you how to make a 'favour' or
two, a favour being a braided loop. You will then be skilfully shown
how these 'favours' can be combined into making bigger corn dollies
as well as also making a Staffordshire knot and a love heart for you
to give away.
Paul Priestley Summer School ~ 15/16/17 August.
£ 150 for 3 days
Weather permitting students will be outside painting life as we see
it, exploring the wonderful Shropshire scenery around Moor Hall Studio.
Paul will demonstrate both traditional and more Impressionistic ways
of recording the landscape in paint. There will be lots of drawing and
painting demonstrations and lots of opportunities to explore your own
ideas with Paul on hand to give advice and help. I would highly recommend
this course. I hope that these pictures of Moor Hall garden and surrounds
will wet your appetite.
 
Jean Littlejohn
1st September
Lecture in Bishops Castle for the Marches Branch of the Embroiderers
Guild
Community College, Bishops Castle, Shropshire.
Jean Littlejohn ~ Stitchscapes ~ COURSE NEARLY FULL
2nd and 3rd September
£ 100 for 2 day course
Land, sea and sky will be the inspiration for making stitched mixed
media cloths. Hand stitching will form the basis, along with machine
stitching and embellishing. Other techniques will include foiling
and the use of soluble fabrics.
Early booking recommended.
Ruth Issett Courses 2011 ~ COURSES GETTING BOOKED
October 20th and 21st
Dye and Devore
November 17th and 18th
Irresistible Iridescents and mouth watering Metallics
on Paper and Fabric.
February 9th & 10th 2012
Cascades of Paper Colour
March 29th & 30th 2012
Dyeing for Colour
June 26th - 28th 2012
Layers of Colour and Stitch
EXHIBITIONS
Ludlow Assembly Rooms
BOBBY BRITNELL and MOOR THREADS have an exhibition of work at The Assembly
Rooms in Ludlow, Shropshire. Work will be for sale.
Exhibition Ends Sunday 19th June 2011
Contact: Ludlow Assembly Rooms 01584 878141
link to website
 MOOR
ART 1 and 2
Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre
The work in this exhibition comes from the two individual art groups
that I tutor and I must say that I am thrilled with the work that
they have produced
Please do come a long and see for yourself. In fact why not join us
for some refreshments on Wednesday 22nd June 2011 6.30 ~ 8.30pm
The exhibition will run from Wednesday 22nd June until Monday 18th
July 2011
Open: 10.00 to 5.30pm daily, Wednesday 10.00 to 9.00pm
Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre,
School
Road, Craven Arms.
Working Together Exhibition at Moor Hall Studio
An exhibition of textiles, paintings, drawings and sketchbooks by Ruth
Issett and Bobby Britnell
Preview and Party Saturday 16th July 2011 7.00/9.00pm
Viewing Exhibition at other times ~ by prior arrangement only 01547
510664
ART IN ACTION ~ 21-24 July 2011
This is yet another year when I will not be able to get to Art in Action,
but several of my students will be there assisting with the Practical
Classes. These classes will be by run by Mary Sleigh and Sue Lancaster
on behalf of the Embroiderers Guild and there will also be a Guild stand
for Embroidery and Stitch magazines and a Guild Bookshop in the Materials
and Publications Tent at AinA.
In Textiles there will be 17 superb demonstrators including Paddy
Killer, Sue Rangeley, Dionne Swift, Margo Selby, Anne Selby, Katie
Pirson, Roanna
Wells, Rosalind Wyatt,... and a great many more working across a great
range of techniques.
This year there is a theme of 'Common Thread' which each artist will
be responding to in their own way.
Please visit the Art in Action website for bookings and further
information
link to website
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