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Our next destination was Vietnam and we arrived on the Friday night of Chinese New Year to find it heaving with people and traffic – quite the cultural baptism.
The traffic in Hanoi is unbelievable and it took us a while to perfect our technique of crossing the road – step out slowly not daring to look and keep going till you reach the other side – then breathe! Motorists scoot round you perfectly – the worst thing you can do is hesitate or stop.
It took us a while to realise that the Kumquat trees and blossom trees we were seeing being driven around are in fact the equivalent of our Christmas trees.
Hanoi was very frenetic and busy (a lot to do with CNY) and we were glad of a trip away to the beautiful and peaceful Halong Bay.
Just as picturesque in real life as it is in pictures.
We visited one of the last fishing villages which the government are trying to phase out as the inhabitants (particularly the young) don’t get access to good schooling, health treatments and opportunities. Tourism is a funny thing sometimes when it can help and hinder simultaneously.
We also travelled down to Hoi An a lovely little town of lights and water where the fireworks went off for New Year celebrations and a street party.
The shopping was great in Hanoi – lots of textiles at very cheap prices – and a lot of it modern and not well made but I did happen upon a bag of scraps which turns out to be this exciting collection of Hmong clothing embroidered scraps. Lots of inspiration in these alone.
I loved Vietnam and it’s people and would love to go back again sometime.
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Currently at the Midlands Art Center, Birmingham, UK is a wonderful Textile exhibition by The 62 Group called Ctrl/Shift. It’s on the theme of changes and shifts in the artists way of working whether that be by using new technology or a change of understanding or personal practice.
The 62 group has become one of the most prestigious Textile groups to be a member of and now has both international membership and a strict activity requirement to stay a member of and in doing so it keeps this prestige.
Here’s a few snaps of just a little of the exhibition.
Joanna Kinnersly-Taylor is an innovative fabric print maker from Glasgow.
Recast represents the change of light and space as you walk through a space.
Sue Stone uses machine or hand embroidered stitches (or a mix) to create amazing textures which are true-to-life of the object represented. She draws on the past and present, often in a portraiture style and her pieces are very close to a drawn/painted image but done with thread, fabric and dye.
Caroline Bartlett is based in the UK and produces tactile works involving pleating and fabric manipulation and which also often incorporate ceramics.
Jane McKeating is an avid drawer – see her sketchbook film in the artists processes area of the exhibition and her instagram page.
This love of drawing translates through into printed and hand stitched embroidered art.
These pieces are found handkerchiefs which represent aspects of old age pertinent to her own experience of caring for an ageing parent.
They were my favourite pieces – so intricate, patterned and colourful yet sombre and emotive and intricately executed.
Come along and see it all before it closes.
I made the most of the recent sunny weather to do some messy dye projects in the garden.
This is some Shibori fun- the Japanese method of clamping and twisting fabric prior to dying.
It is so simple but effective but in the past it hasn’t always delivered the results hoped for until this time when the sun rendered me more patient than usual!
I’m planning some projects of things to make and stitch with these beautiful fabrics if I can bear to cut into them.
I have a ta-dah for you today – a tablecloth I hand-printed recently.
One reason I like to keep blogging is to record such things – when I looked back to see when I started my Fish project, I was surprised to see the date on the upload was May 2017. It takes a long time for some ideas to percolate and evolve and then actually get made.
You can find the beginning of my Fish sketchbook workings here and here although the actual inspiration came back in Summer 2016 whilst on holiday in France when I saw a lovely tablecloth in Fragonard.
I’m very lucky to have the best p/t job freelancing at MAC Birmingham the most brilliant arts center.
And sometimes I can use the space which I needed to for this big print job.
As you can see, the following day I wasn’t so fortunate and was squeezed onto the floor of my studio at home!
It took about 20 hours to print using around 10 colours so I won’t be going into production anytime soon but it’s important to art-play as it releases surprising creative avenues.
And it did – 6 fishy themed surface pattern designs got designed last week to go to market. Now wo’betide anyone who spills red wine on it!
Jo Smith
These photos are from a recent exhibition by Prism on at the RBSA (which has sadly now ended) but I wanted to share them none-the-less.
Dorothy Tucker
Called ‘Another View’ it aimed to demonstrate just how broad Textiles can be and it delivered on that and some – it was both ingenious and thoughtful.
Claire Blackburn
Members of this Textile group are international but until now their exhibitions have been London-centric – and it was so refreshing to see Textiles on at the RBSA and to see such a considered, well curated, quality exhibition.
Susie Vickery
The range of applications was very wide but I am always drawn to colour, pattern, stitch and print.
Prism felt
And the thought and development behind a lot of the pieces was very inspiring – lots of inspiration to be had.
Maria Boyle
MAC Birmingham also has two Textile exhibitions running atm so it’s a good time to be a proud Birmingham textile-lover!
Anita Bruce
Over the last few weeks I’ve been inspired to have a go at making a lampshade.
It’s based upon the woods that we live opposite from and can see from our front windows and it’s also where we walk the dog everyday, so of course she features too!
I began by measuring (and measuring again) and making a patchwork textile picture of the right proportions for the shade using colours to suggest the passing of the seasons and some of my favourite rare Liberty scraps.
Then I lino-printed the trees on (regretted using a dark purple but it was too late) and then the fun and time-consuming part was to embellish it with embroidery.
I tried to make the trees show the movement from Spring through to Summer and through to Winter as the shade curls around.
I used French Knots for blossom, diamond-shaped leaves and couching with the bobbin thread.
And of course a bit of free-motion machine embroidery with my new toy*
Still reflecting on what colour to keep the lamp base but I’m pleased to have tried this and it’ll be a whole lot easier now another time – watch this space!
Fresh off the needles for a certain newly 21 year old – her request – ♡
Happy week-ending x
I get to dream up lots of fun projects for kids and adults alike as part of my job at MAC which in turn challenges me to keep things fresh, re-visit techniques long forgotten or delve in and learn new ones.
And as a part of my Mixed Media Textiles teaching, I played around with some potato printing which I hadn’t done for as long as I can remember.
It’s often the simple, childish things that are the most fun to do but can be brought to a new level as an adult.
One thing I’ve rediscovered is my love of drawing with threads – either by hand or free-machine stitching. It’s just another form of colouring in and mark-making.
And all of that play has got developed into a one-day course Print, Sew, Make on Dec 15th where you can use simple fabric printing methods and stitch and leave with a drawstring bag if you like.
This is the longest W>I>P I’ve ever had but finally my African Flower blanket is done (all but the edging).
Back in 2015 while we were mooching about on holiday, we passed a knitting shop selling off it’s closing down stock. Too good to pass up. I had already inherited a big bag of the dark and light grey Angora wool so chose a similar weight and fluff to match.
I got started pretty happily but then fell out of love with the colours and doing the shape. It’s sat gathering dust for quite a while…
But there’s nothing like the impending clear-up for family coming to stay at Christmas to galvanise a tidy up, sort out, throw away and get done mentality. And so after taking a deep breath and just getting it done…it’s done!
There is a big gap forming between what I’m doing each day and the speed I get here to show it!
I’ve been busy lately making fabric butterflies and moths for an upcoming MAC workshop.
I’m loving the variety of work that teaching Textiles opens up.
I have loads of photo reference from my trip here last year which has come in really handy.
I love it when you follow your heart’s inspiration only to find things come together at a later date.
I couldn’t have known back then how useful the trip to the Oxford Natural History Museum would be and I guess that’s why artist play dates are so important (explanation here)
And it’s interesting for me to see the marriage of painting and textiles coming about too on this project.
BTW did you see my new website header sneak in!
