Connecting Threads - Lynn Setterington at the Fashion & Textile Museum, London

Lynn Setterington - Respect + Protect - 2009

On a recent trip to London I went to the Fashion & Textile Museum to see Lynn Setterington's Connecting Threads exhibition in the Museum's Fashion Studio. Lynn is a socially engaged textile artist who has worked with many different communities to co-create textile pieces that bear a message.  Here's a flavour of Connecting Threads.

The picture above is the result of an Arts & Science partnership project with Professor of Microbiology at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), Joanna Verran.  Working with different communities across Manchester, they produced this quilt for World Aids Day in 2009. Paricipants added red cross stitches to this piece  which acts as a reminder that the virus continues to affect people's lives.

This is one of Setterington's early embroideries, rooted in place and representative of everyday life...

Lynn Setterington - Leeds Market - 1984
Hand & Machine Embroidery

A number of Lynn's textile projects have been influenced by the signature quilt or cloth.  These items date back to the first half of the 19th century in the USA and initially bore the names of families and friends. Later, the signature quilt/cloth was used as a means of fundraising for good causes or particular projects.  People paid to sign their name on cloth which was then embroidered creating a finished piece bearing embroidered supporters' signatures. 

"Remembering Emily" was made to commemorate Emily Wilding Davison, a suffragette who was accidentally killed by the King's horse at the Epsom Derby, whilst trying to make her protest. One hundred years later, Setterington got staff and students at MMU to embroider their names on cotton fabric which were later machine stitched together into a 10m long banner...

Lynn Setterington - Remembering Emily - 2013

In "Signature Bags", these bags bear the names of members of Katab, a group of textile artisans, in Ahmedabad, India.  Made from khadi cloth, these bags, by bearing names, acknowledge the makers whose skills and work so often go unidentified...

Lynn Setterington - Signature Bags - 2011

 
"Threads of Identity" was made to commemorate the death of Ahmed Iqbal Ullah, a young boy killed in 1986 as a result of a racially motivated crime at a school in south Manchester. Working with 16 boys from Burnage Academy, Setterington got them to collect the names of 10 people important in their lives and to embroider these names on white cotton handkerchiefs within the letters spelling Burnage Academy 4 Boys. These were then stitched together using a faggoting machine to create the wall hanging, shown below, that has been on display at the school ever since...

Lynn Setterington - Threads of Identity - 2016

This piece, made by Setterington, draws attention to the Construction industry which has the highest suicide rate of any sector...

Lynn Setterington - Pearly King of Eccles

The "World Wellbeing Map" is a comment on climate change.  Made by over 100 people learning English at Oldham Library and MMU students, it highlights rising sea temperatures.  Made by hand, it upcycles products from the construction industry - thread from discarded debris netting stitched into rendering mesh...

Lynn Setterington - World Wellbeing Map - 2024

Setterington has also used the Suffolk Puff or YoYo (American) in many of her pieces. These are gathered circles of fabric that make a decorative rosette. Below is "House" made from debris netting gathered up into Suffolk puffs and stitched together, commenting on the housing crisis, lack of affordable homes and poor mental health of construction workers...

Lynn Setterington - House (detail) - 2024

Made during the Covid Crisis, "Living with Loss", apes historic samplers but with a modern twist by repurposing materials from the construction industry.  The loss of a loved one is something we all have to face at some time in our lives.  The unfinished nature of the piece is purposeful...

Lynn Setterington - Living with Loss - 2020

This is a really interesting exhibition and there are also some short films about some of the projects exhibited here but also about a project, Sew Near - Sew Far (2017), developed with the Bronte Museum in Haworth, Yorkshire. Here the pseudonymous male signatures of the Bronte sisters (Acton, Currer and Ellis Bell), found at the museum, were writ large on Haworth Moor where it could be read by walkers on the Bronte Way.  The signatures were made from debris netting which themselves contained the stitched signatures of participants in the project.  These signatures were stitched into the debris netting with a wool and string mix. 

This exhibition is on until Sunday 7 September 2025 in the Museum's Fashion Studio, which is sometimes closed for special events and workshops, so please check ahead if you want to be sure of access.  There is also a Connecting Threads book by Setterington, on sale in the museum shop, which is an interesting read.

Textiles: The Art of Mankind is in the main gallery - blogpost coming soon.

There is no cafe in the Fashion and Textile Museum but there are plenty close by and the Museum does have a shop.  The Museum is a short walk from London Bridge station.

Flight with York Learning - A Community Art Project

 

"Flight" - Birds (various makers)

This year's community art project with York Learning, organised by Claire Douglas, is entitled "Flight" and will be a great flock of birds.  Here's what Claire says...

Join us to make wonderful birds from all sorts of scrap and re-cycled materials.

The birds can be made out of anything - fabric, plastic bags, cardboard, milk cartons.

Your creations don’t need to be flat, although “relief” is preferable to 3 dimensional, as the flock will be exhibited on the walls of York Explore Library, from mid-June for 6 weeks.

Suitable for anyone, of any age, who enjoys making things.

We’re asking that pieces made are no larger than A3 (rough guide only) - although they can be as small as you like - variety is good!

The birds do not have to be of any particular species and all imaginary birds are gratefully received.

Bubble wrap bird

We’ll be running a range of workshops between now and May to support the project:-

There are still a few places remaining on the lino printing workshop - book here - booking essential!

And we will be running a drop in session as part of the Our City Festival on the 27^th March 2022 on York Explore Library lawn from 11am – 3pm.

Flight Workshop

 

More workshops will go online as we progress through the spring, but we are of course, more than happy for people to simply create at home and submit as and when pieces are complete.

Please leave your finished birds at York Explore Library before the end of May 2022!

For further details please contact Claire Douglas on 07990 774420 or email claire.douglas@york.gov.uk

My bird for the Flight Community Art Project

I went to a workshop at Southlands Methodist Church led by Donna Taylor using recycled materials.  You can see my bird above. It was great fun.  Do join in!

I can't wait to see all the birds in "Flight" at York Explore Library in June.

Butterflies and Bees (Yarn)Swarm into Rowntree Park, York

Butterflies & bees strung ready to be hung up

Today's the day that all the butterflies and bees swarmed into Rowntree Park, York to form a yarnstorm or perhaps more accurately a yarnswarm! This installation is part of the celebrations for Rowntree Park's 100th birthday.  We have had over 725 butterflies and bees fly in to join the display. There are almost twice as many butterflies as bees and a handful of caterpillars and snails, not to mention a whole host of lovely flowers.  People have knitted, crocheted, stitched, pompommed, felted, origamied (is that a word?) and funky foamed a fabulous swarm for us to display. 

Deborah hanging up the butterflies & bees

Here I am doing the same

Deborah New (& Polly - thanks, Polly!) and I have strung them together and hung them in the arbour at Rowntree Park, York for you to enjoy.  We hope you like them and that you have fun spotting your favourites or the ones you've made.  Why not take your own pictures of the Butterflies & Bees yarnstorm and post them on social media using #butterfliesandbees and tag me in  - @hippystitch - to be sure I get to see them!

Butterflies & Bees Yarnstorm - Rowntree Park, York

Butterflies & Bees Yarnstorm - Rowntree Park, York

Butterflies & Bees Yarnstorm - Rowntree Park, York

Butterflies & Bees Yarnstorm - Rowntree Park, York

Butterflies & Bees Yarnstorm - Rowntree Park, York

Butterflies & Bees Yarnstorm - Rowntree Park, York

Butterflies & Bees Yarnstorm - Rowntree Park, York

There's an information sign if you want to find out more about the project - or you can take a look here.

Information Sign

And don't forget to look carefully so you don't miss anything...

Don't miss spotting all the bees!

The butterflies and bees will be in place until the end of September 2021 after which they will be sold to raise money for the Friends of Rowntree Park, who work hard to help maintain, improve and promote the park for everyone's enjoyment.  Sales will take place below the cafe on these dates:

Sunday 10 October 2021 10:30 - 12:30
Saturday 16 October 2021 10:30 - 12:30

If you have enjoyed seeing this installation and want to make a donation to the Friends of Rowntree Park, pop into Rowntree Park Café where there is a tin for your donation.  Alternatively, you can donate directly by visiting the Friends of Rowntree Park website here.

If you want to read more about this project and the Happy 100th Birthday Banner then take a look here.

Happy 100th Birthday Banner

Looking forward to seeing your pictures and to seeing you at the sales!

Rainbow Yarnstorm in Rowntree Park, York

Rainbow Yarnstorm in Rowntree Park, York

You may remember, back in April, I told you all about the Friends of Rowntree Park Craft Group's plans for a Rainbows for Rowntree Park Yarnstorm and how you could join in.  Well, thanks to everyone who did because the yarnstorm is now on display in the park and looks fantastic! The display is a big thank you to the NHS, carers, key workers and anyone who has helped others throughout the last few months.  The rainbows are also a celebration of the park itself which has been a special place for many, especially recently! And it's to celebrate the Park's 99th birthday.  Rainbows are a symbol of hope and in some ways that was why the Park was created -  to symbolise a hopeful future for the people of York.

Firstly, there's a truly magnificent gigantic rainbow yarnstorm on the tennis court fence.  It's a collage of knitted, crocheted and stitched squares.

Rainbow Yarnstorm Detail

On top of these squares there's extra interest added in the form of flowers and other stuff.  See if you can spot the frog, the car and the whale! 

Check out some of the extra decorations

It even looks good from the back...

Back View

Fun facts - did you know there are 86 red squares, 77 orange, 64 yellow, 55 green, 42 blue and indigo and 49 violet.  That's more than 370 altogether!  The whole display was made by over 40 people, from primary school age to over 90, from all over the city and further afield.

Rainbow Bench

You can even sit on the rainbow bench and have your photo taken which quite a lot of people were doing when I was there.  It seems to be proving very popular!

Lots of people like the yarnstorm

You can then move on to see the individual rainbows which are hanging in the arbour.  Here's a sneaky peak...

Rainbows in the Arbour

and a bit more detail...

Rainbows in the Arbour

Don't forget to take a look at the display board by the cafe...

Display board by the cafe

because there's alot of interesting rainbows and rainbow coloured pieces there too!

Detail from the Noticeboard

The Friends of Rowntree Park Craft Group hope to keep the yarnstorm up until the end of August so you've got plenty of time to take a look.  Why not take a pic of yourself with the rainbow and post it to social media with the hashtag #RainbowsforRowntreePark. 

Thanks to the Friends of Rowntree Park Craft Group and all who took part for such a fabulous display! 

Tree Leaves at Rowntree Park Cafe #2

Fab trees and leaves from the Rowntree Park Cafe workshop

Our final #TreeLeaves workshop took place during the York Festival of Ideas in Rowntree Park Cafe.  We had a great turnout and it was also an opportunity to pick up some of the trees and leaves that had been left for the project.

Our youngest participant...

made this super tree...

 Everyone was very busy, chatting, knitting & stitching...

making fantastic trees and leaves as you can see from the pic at the start.  Anna had the idea to applique some owls on her trees...

Anna's trees with applique owls

and Gina added buttons and ribbon to her topiary tree...

Gina's topiary tree with buttons and ribbon

and what a fab stitched leaf from Angie....

Angie's leaf

Also we had deliveries of leaves from Denise...

Denise's leaves

and Sylvia...

Sylvia's leaves

 
and trees and leaves from Anna...

Anna's trees & leaves

and trees from Alyson...

Alyson's trees

Aren't they all great! Thanks to everyone for joining in and thanks to Rowntree Park Cafe for looking after us! 

And you still have time to join in.  Finished trees and leaves have to be with Rowntree Park Cafe or the Trafalgar Bay pub by Saturday 22 June 2019. Full details here.

The Tree Leaves Yarnstorm goes up in Rowntree Park on Wednesday 24 July 2019 (weather permitting) and will be up until the end of August.  Sales of the trees in aid of the Woodland Trust will take place in September - more details on that later.