K&S Show Harrogate 2014 - The Textile Galleries

Prism - Julieanne Long - The dying flower provides the seed

The work on show in the textile galleries at the Knitting & Stitching Show in Harrogate is magnificent and varied.  Here are some of my picks from some of the galleries ...

Prism - Coded: Decoded
Reflecting "the many ways textile practice secretes coded and hidden meanings and concepts" - Exhibition Catalogue

Consuelo Simpson - Boundaries & Hedgerows I & II

Jackie Langfeld - Anonymous

Jackie Langfeld - Dis Functional Series II

Celia Stanley - Stuffed Shirt 3

Celia Stanley - Constrained

Diana Barrett - Missing

zero3 - Signature
Each artist presents their own style ...

Lesley Morgan - How Many Mountains

Cindy Kearney - Textile Moon

Ann Small & Sue Walton - Walk on the Wild Side
This was "a collaboration, evoking and recapturing deep seated memories and emotions, inspired by tales and stories from their past - magical, curious and slightly scary" - Exhibition catalogue.  I think that about sums it up perfectly!

Ann Small

Ann Small

Ann Small

Sue Walton

Sue Walton

Jo Beattie - Precious Moments
Based on memories of people we love and how they are associated with what they wear - memories of patterns and colours becoming inseparable from the image of the person defining them in a time, place and culture.  This work also uses shadow on a plain background some distance away to enhance the idea of memory.

Jo Beattie

Mary Flynn - The Shore Archive
Made from fabric salvaged from the shore, a number of large sea banners are displayed along with a display of many colourful plastic objects that have been sorted by type.  The exhibition addresses the relationship between people and the environment and highlights the impact of plastics on marine life, the human food chain and fertility.

Mary Flynn

Mary Flynn

Caren Garfen - She was Cooking Something Up
Caren's humorous and thought provoking pieces relate to women's issues such as domesticity, work/life balance and dieting.  This is a kitchen installation where the "lady of the house becomes totally preoccupied with food, and is locked in a world where she obsesses about what she can or cannot consume".  We are made to question our approach to food and the media's role in publicising celebrities dieting success stories and also their failures.
 

Caren Garfen

Caren Garfen

This next piece highlights the imbalance between the male/female international heads of government in the 21st century. Countries with pink borders are lead by women and blue borders by men.

Caren Garfen - It's a Man's World

No photos were permitted at Lindsay Taylor's Endangered Species exhibition which was fantastic but her work has been featured in Embroidery Sept/Oct 2014 issue if you want to track down a copy (excellent magazine by the way!) Also no photos at Out of the Fold - The Journey Unfolds but loved the Patched Festival Poncho by Marion Baker (which she tells me she will be wearing!), Priscilla by Helen Marchant & Jo's Journey by Lynette Domoney.

This was by no means all there was to see just my top picks!

K&S Show Harrogate 2014 - Graduate Showcase & Knitted Textile Awards

Maria Boyle - Graduate Showcase

The Knitting & Stitching Show in Harrogate is the highlight of my year - inspiration and supplies on a grand scale.  What's not to like?  Here's a flavour of my favourites from all the fabulous work on show in the Embroiderers' Guild Graduate Showcase and the Knitted Textile Awards sections:

Maria Boyle - This collection entitled "Lichen" was rich in colour and texture and was inspired by the Sami herders and the migration of the reindeer in northern Sweden from the summer mountain pastures to the lichen rich forests in winter.  Specially dyed silk, needle felting techniques, printing and stitch were all in evidence.

Maria Boyle - Detail

Maria Boyle

Caroline Bell's hangings dyed with leaves and stitched were also rather wonderful with their muted tones

Caroline Bell - Embroiderers' Guild Scholar

and Olly Mason's concrete, fabric and thread creations were a contrast of hard and soft surfaces 

Olly Mason

Other talented exhibitors in this section can be found here.

Moving on to the Knitted Textile Awards Graduate Section...

Emma Wright - Everything Stops for Tea collection - colourful & humorous

Emma Wright

Elmina Fors - Folk art inspired (silver award winner)...

Elmina Fors

Amy Leigh Green - highly patterned & colourful ...
 

Amy Leigh Green

Camille Hardwick - Oxymoron collection (gold award winner)...

Camille Hardwick

Georgina Lindsay - interesting use of materials ...

Georgina Lindsay

Did you spot the loom bands?

Hannah Watson - very light and delicate

Hannah Watson

There were, of course, lots of other talented Knitted Textile Awards Finalists on show including all those in the Open Category.  You can read more about them here

A Workshop with Angie Hughes

The textile group I belong to (Nest of Makers) organised a weekend workshop with Angie Hughes, textile artist & tutor, and I was lucky enough to go along.  Here are some of Angie's samples ...

Here are some of the materials we used ...

We all started off on day 1 with white cotton velvet on firm iron on vilene.  And with the use of dye-na-flow inks, black ink, thick bleach, acrylics, stencils, printing blocks, sheers, foils and machine embroidery we made our journey to the end of day 2.

And here are our results at the end of day 1 and day 2 ...

Alice ...

Bryony ...

Fiona ...

Gill ...

Heather ...

Janine ...

Jo ...

Nadine ...

Me ...

Stefanie ...

Although not yet finished, each one turned out wonderful and different - a great weekend. Thanks, Angie and thanks to Heather & Nadine for organising it!