The Meadow Community Art Project

The Meadow Community Art Project
Led by Deborah New

"The Meadow" is York Learning's 2024 Community Art Project.  It uses denim as a focus to highlight the unsustainable nature of the fashion industry. 

The Meadow - detail

York Learning’s dressmaking classes collected denim scraps from past projects, which were sewn together to form the base layer of The Meadow. Then, Deborah New, textile artist and tutor, worked with women from the Kyra Women's Project.  The Kyra Women's Project support women to make positive changes to their lives. They stitched into the patchwork denim background inspired by Japanese boro and sashiko techniques.

The Meadow - detail

The participants also hand embroidered many different flowers and leaves which could then be added to the piece.

The Meadow - detail

Volunteers helped attach the pieces onto the background to create "The Meadow".

The Meadow - detail

Barely anything used in the project was bought new. Embroidery threads were sourced from the Cone Exchange in Harrogate. The Cone Exchange is the flagship community project of Bettys & Taylors Group. It is a scrapstore which repurposes waste materials from businesses and donations from the local community. The money raised is used for local good causes.

The Meadow - detail

Some of the participants embroidered their names which were added to the piece...

The Meadow - Embroidered Names

Routes2Success learners researched facts and figures about the scandalous nature of the fashion industry in terms of waste, pollution and carbon emissions. These were cleverly displayed as the tags you get on new clothing. The plastic which enables you to read these labels came from recycled plastic bags...

The Meadow - Labels

Deborah cleverly used recycled denim jean belt loops to hang the project - see first image.  

"The Meadow" is truly fabulous.  It's currently being exhibited at York Explore (York Central Library), Library Square, York, YO1 7DS till early September 2025. If you get the chance, do go and see it!  If you're making a special trip, do check with the library first to make sure it's still on show.

Micklegate Arts Trail, York - 31 May 2025 to 15 June 2025

 

Micklegate Arts Trail - A Shoal of Knitted Fish

It occurred to me just the other day that I'd not blogged about the Micklegate Arts Trail (MAT) so for those who didn't get to go, I thought I should.  It was great to be involved in a 2 week extravaganza of art, music, film and poetry where 14 venues showcased the work of over 30 artists...

Micklegate Arts Trail 2025 - Artists and Venues 

MAT is organised by Navigators Art and is a collaboration between local businesses and artists and is part of the York Festival of Ideas. I took along some extreme knitting, big knitting, hula hoop weaving and crochet to exhibit on the railings of Holy Trinity Church.

Happy, Birds and Rainbow

These were mostly pieces that were originally developed for community art projects in Rowntree Park, which you can read about here (extreme knitted fish), here (big knitted fish), here (big knitted owl), here (hula hoop woven blue tit), here (crocheted Happy) and here (rainbow).  Some of these were made by me and some were made or part made by people joining in with the community projects.  It was lovely to see them all on display again!

Me with some extreme knitting

As part of MAT I brought along my extreme knitting needles so people could have a go for themselves.  And here are just a few of the people who tried it out.  It was very popular...

Extreme Knitting in Progress

There were some other great artists exhibiting in Holy Trinity Church and grounds...

MAT Holy Trinity Church - Peter Baker, Nick Walters, Lu Mason, Barry Lewis, Richard Mackness (from top left clockwise to centre)

And of course there were lots of fab artists exhibiting along the Arts Trail.  Here are just a few...

Micklegate Arts Trail 2025(clockwise from top left)- Sinead Corkery at No. 84 Deli & Cafe, Fiona Kemp at Hudson Moody, Richard Thompson at The Hooting Owl, Nick Kobyluch at Skosh 

It was great fun taking part. I hope everyone who came to visit enjoyed the trail. Thanks to Navigators Art and the York Festival of Ideas and to the venues that took part for making it possible.  Special thanks to Nick Walters for organising the Holy Trinity venue.  And then it was over...

Hippystitch Exhibit Taken down and Packed Up

Thanks to Deborah New for helping me put everything up (and who also helped with the original community projects) and to Lily Stone for helping me take it down.  Watch out for next years Art Trail!

ARCHITEXTURE Exhibition - York Embroiderers & Stitchers

The Wall - A collaborative YES project

 

Recently the York Embroiderers and Stitchers (YES) held their triennial exhibition at the Tithe Barn in Nether Poppleton, York.  The ARCHITEXTURE Exhibition ran from the 27 to 29 June 2025 and was a great success.  Work on the theme of architecture was exhibited alongside other 2D and 3D work.  As a member of YES, I was also exhibiting.

There were a number of collaborative projects including "The Wall" - see top image. YES members decorated a brick such that each "brick" represented whatever gives that member strength and stability. The bricks were presented as a wall at the exhibition, put together by Michele Webster, expressing the group's values of friendship, diversity and support. 

Dala Horse Carousels

Two charming (and rotating!) carousels were constructed by Moira Wood featuring embroidered Dala Horses that been made by YES members (inspired by a workshop led by Helen Young).

Fairytale Competition

A "Guess the Fairytale" competition was held too, where entrants had to guess which fairytale was being represented in stitch.  This was the fairytale I stitched.  Can you guess which fairytale it is?

"The House by the Woods" - Sally Stone

My exhibits included "The House by the Woods", "Our House, in the Middle of Our Street", "Stitched Trees" and a "Vase of Flowers".  You can click on the exhibit names to read about those that I have blogged about.

"Our House, in the Middle of Our Street" & some "Stitched Trees" - Sally Stone

 

Stitched Trees - Sally Stone
San Francisco Mansions (behind) - Lynne Harris

Vase of Flowers - Sally Stone

There were some great Architexture exhibits...

Architexture Exhibits - various YES artists

and lots of 2D and 3D work on other themes...

Exhibits - various YES artists

As well as a great exhibition there were bargains to be had on the sales table, tea and cake and cafe tables decorated with fresh flowers...

Sales Table

Lots of cake 

Fresh flowers on the cafe tables

Judging by the comments in the Visitor's Book the exhibition was awash with inspiration.  I hope if you missed it that this post gives you a flavour of what was on display.