Canary Island Trees

If anyone has any photos or information they would like to share with other Guild members you can email them to me on alsageranddistrictembroiderers@gmail.com.

I know it has nothing to do with The Embroiderers' Guild but I saw these trees on holiday in the Canary Islands.

Abracadabra with Val Hughes

Members attending the November meeting had a magical time as Val Hughes exhibited here collection based on fairies. The outfits were made by deconstructing (cutting up, much to her mother's horror) previous costumes which had already been exhibited and that she had grown tired of. The reassembled pieces were stunning and photos don't really do them justice, though I have tried.

ABRACADABRA a talk by Valerie Hughes

The next meeting is on 11th November and is a talk by textile artist Valerie Hughes. Her Abracadabra collection consists of nine costumes or wearable art. It is inspired by the idea of transformation, constructing, deconstructing and reconstructing and is partly inspired by fairies. It utilises felt making techniques, silk papers, free machine embroidery, heat fused fabrics, and other mixed media.
   

 

I am sure this will be a fascinating meeting so please bring all your friends along. We meet in the Library at 1.45 for a 2pm start. Admission for members is £2.50 and for visitors £3.50.                        

New Programme 2014/2015

The new programme is out now. Thanks to Jean Thornton for an interesting and varied selection of meetings for the coming year.

Please support our meetings and workshops, and bring all your friends.

Thornton Trophy

The annual competition for the Thornton Trophy was judged at the October meeting. There was a wide range of very skilful entries, much admired by all.

The winning book cover was by Frances Waring and the trophy was awarded by guest judge Dorothy Pickering.

Frances's winning entry

 

Dorothy Pickering awarding the Trophy and prize to Frances

Chinese Whispers

This intriguing title was explained by Rosemary Watson as she described an idea she had to start a picture, pass it on to someone who would embroider their own picture inspired by it, then pass on only their inspiration to the next embroiderer who would use it to give her ideas for a picture of her own, etc. The pictures were then made into books. In total we had six embroiderers at the meeting, each explaining the starting point for their project and showing us how the pictures evolved. Some finishing pictures had strayed far from the original but some had amazingly stayed on topic. The finished books were incredibly skilled and had the audience enthusing over them.

Ro Watson, Mandy Hague, Christine Durston, Mary Bridge

Bernice Blakemore, Brenda Floyd

2014 A.G.M.

The AGM was held on Tuesday 14th October following the monthly meeting.
We sadly had to say goodbye and thank you to some longstanding members of the committee and elect new members to serve.
Jean Kilford is to remain as Chairman.
Jean Thornton was thanked for her many years as a magnificent Programme Secretary, a position now taken by Sheila Sealey.
Brenda Floyd has been a mainstay of the branch as its Treasurer for many years producing professional accounts and keeping us in the black, but feels unable to continue. The new Treasurer will be Hazel Rugman.
Veronica Wells has stepped down from being IT Rep and Publicity Officer.
Anne Pask will no longer be Secretary.
All were thanked for their hard work and dedication to the Branch over the years and were given a token of appreciation.
Luckily all are remaining members of the group so we will still see them at our meetings. It is now up to us all to bring in new members to make this Guild viable for the future.