SEE THE NEWS! - The South East Region of the Embroiderers` Guild

THE NEWSLETTER
FOR THE SOUTH EAST REGION
WEB SITE: www.southeastembroiderers.co.uk
ISSUE NUMBER 14
JUNE 2014
SEE THE NEWS!
Dear Members,
CHAIRMAN’S LETTER
I am looking forward to meeting you at Chichester College on July 12th, and to see your
responses to the Branch Challenge. We have 18 branches entering, including the Young
Embroiderers from the region. Fay Maxwell has planned and designed a lovely workshop to
make a hanging for Christopher’s Children’s Hospice. Each participant will get a kit with hand
dyed background fabric, threads and full instructions to make shells and fish. There will also
be finished examples to study. Even if you cannot come in the morning you may buy a pack for
£3.00 and make your contribution to the hanging. It is going to look great.
There will be tea, coffee and cakes available but you will need to either bring a picnic or go
into Chichester for lunch. In the afternoon, after a few words from Gill Drury, the new Guild
Treasurer, Michael Brennand Wood will talk about his work ‘Pretty Deadly’ that is featured on
your tickets.
Has your branch made arrangements for you to stitch locally on the ‘National Celebration
of Stitch’ day, which is 2nd August. Below some branches have let me know how they are
planning to celebrate:
Brighton - locally in Patcham (their hope to use the pier was dashed because it is also Gay Pride Day).
Bromley - in the main shopping centre.
Croydon - in Hobbycraft on the Purley Way.
Dorking - in Dorking library and possibly at Denbies vineyard.
East Surrey - venue not yet fixed.
Horsham - in the Garden Room, Horsham Museum.
Isleworth - in St. John’s Community Centre, 80 St. John’s Road from 10.30 to 12.30 and then in the Garden Kitchen, Syon Park Garden Centre from 2.30 - 5.00.
Kingston - in John Lewis department store in the town centre.
Tunbridge Wells - in C & H Fabrics, 113-115 Mount Pleasant, Tunbridge Wells TN1 1QS
Worthing - flash mob at various venues.
With some national publicity this is a chance to show we exist!!
Don’t forget the Coats competition for the AGM on 27th September, entitled ‘A Card From The
Front’. More details in the next newsletter.
Finally I was sad to hear that Norman Willis has died. Norman was a keen embroiderer and a
volunteer at the Guild when in Hampton Court and at the Sunbury Millennium Embroidery. All
this after a life in the trade union movement rising to become Chairman of the TUC. He will be
missed.
Jackie Rayer
EG NATIONAL COMPETITION FOR 2014
‘TREE RHYTHMS’
Below are the three winning entries to the national competition by members of the South East
Region.
Valerie Ann McCullum, from
Chichester Branch, won the
Val Campbell Harding prize for
machine stitiching.
Ewa Morawska, who is an
individual member, was Highly
Commended for her machine
stitching, but also commended
for her composition.
Astrid Dudgeon, who is a
member of the Bromley
branch, was commended for
her Hand stitching.
SUMMER SCHOOL REPORTS!
I have just returned from my first weekend
at West Dean College near Chichester on
the South East Region Embroiderer’s Guild
Summer School weekend. I am a relatively
new member of the Guild and I found the
whole experience thoroughly enjoyable and
stimulating both from learning new skills to
talking to members from other branches of the
EG.
The weekend began on Friday afternoon
with introductions to the two course tutors
Kim
Thittichai and Sophie Long and after
a delicious dinner (one of many culinary
delights over the weekend) we repaired to our
respective groups of Gold work and Textiles.
I attended Kim’s workshop – a new starting
point - a different way of making boxes and
brooches, a highly enjoyable journey through
using a variety of dyeing methods on different
surfaces and adding texture with stitch, glitter,
sequins etc and then finally using these
surfaces to create boxes, envelopes and
brooches. Kim was a gifted tutor who gave
the right levels of encouragement but also
presented a challenge for her students no
matter what their level of expertise. I think all
the students in her workshop not only created
superb pieces of work but had great fun too!
fine pieces of work over the weekend, Kim’s
group similarly created some impressive pieces.
I have come away with a head full of ideas for
future projects and naturally one piece to finish
off! I look forward to seeing the programme for
next year’s regional Summer school.
Caroline Buckle
The weather was perfect and the grounds
looked wonderful as usual. Our tutors were
Sophie Long and Kim Thittichai.
Sophie, an ex-apprentice of the RSN is now
teaching her own classes. She can teach all
the traditional skills, taught by the RSN, but
has an open approach to new ideas. She
likes to combine gold threads with ribbons
and coloured threads. She brought a large
range of gold and coloured metallic threads
plus silk and velvet ribbons, some from the
USA, to the class. On Friday evening we
decided which designs we would work on
and she helped us choose threads.
Over the next two days, Sophie helped each
of us individually, but did a demonstration
when something new was suggested. I
learnt about wrapping pearl purl threads
with stranded cotton, combining ribbon with
coloured purls and using purls as chippings
and loops Other students added silk
shading, coloured leather and ribbon flowers
The Saturday evening talks by Kim and Sophie to their work. I nearly finished my design
were an interesting insight to their training
and was very satisfied with the weekend.
and experience in the world of art and textiles.
Sophie, who attended the Royal School of
On Saturday evening both tutors gave a talk
Needlework as an apprentice, outlined her
about themselves and their work.
experience on the prestigious course, which
sadly is no longer run in that format. She also
Jackie Rayer
showed us slides of her outstanding goldwork
and spoke about her book. Kim’s art school
degree course was in ceramics and fine art.
She showed us a range of her 3D textiles and
some of her more recent work. Project work
from the many courses she runs not only in this
country but around the world, demonstrated
her love and skill in teaching textiles. Kim also
spoke about the books she has had published.
On the final morning both groups displayed
their work. The goldwork group achieved some
Embroiderers’ Guild
South East Region
Annual General
Meeting
Saturday 27th September 2014
at Mickleham Village Hall
AGM 11 a.m.
followed at 1.30 p.m.by a talk
Mickleham Village Hall,
Dell Close,
Mickleham, Nr Dorking
RH5 6EE
Mickleham is located on the A24. It is
between Leatherhead and Dorking, and
close to Junction 8/9 of the M25.
The Village Hall is situated in Dell Close,
in the centre of Mickleham Village.
There is ample car parking adjacent to
the hall.
It also has disabled access facilities.
See map on www.multimap.co.uk
‘The Life and Work of M. G. Nicholson’
by Anthea Godfrey
Entry to AGM free. Talk £4.
Coffee and tea will be available from 10.30 a.m.
The AGM will start at 11 a.m.
Please bring your entries for the Coats competition ‘Cards
from the Front’ which will be displayed and judged at the
event.
We are delighted that Anthea Godfrey has agreed to give
a presentation at 1.30 p.m. called ‘The life and work of
M G Nicholson’. Many of you will have seen Margaret
Nicholson’s exquisite work on display at the Knitting and
Stitching Show last autumn. Now is your chance to find out
more about it.
We have booked Neredah’s Threads so you can stock up on
lovely things. We are also planning to have: a second hand
embroidery book stall; items for sale made by members of
the Dorking Branch; and other useful materials. We would
welcome donations of embroidery and textile books - a really
good opportunity to make some room on your bookshelf for
some new books.
Entry to the AGM is free but tickets for the talk will be £4
and can be bought at the door.
We will be providing drinks and cakes throughout the
day; you may wish to bring a packed lunch as there are no
sandwich outlets in the village.
If you have any queries please contact me on 01306 884025
or at chardaruwalla@tiscali.co.uk.
Dorking Branch look forward to seeing you on Saturday 27th
September.
REGIONAL CALENDAR
29th June to 5th July 2014
Harrow Branch Exhibition
The Cow Byre Gallery, Bury Street,
Ruislip HA4 7QL
Sunday 10 am to 4 pm
Monday to Saturday 10 am to 5 pm
1st to 5th July 2014
Annual Textile Exhibition
Windsor School of Textile Art
Showcasing the work of students from all the
courses offered by WSTA
Mini Workshops available during the exhibition
Bracknell Gallery, South Hill Park Arts Centre,
Ringmead, Bracknell RG12 7PA
Open Tuesday and Wednesday 10 am to 6 pm;
Thursday & Friday 10 am to 8 pm;
Saturday 10 am to 5 pm
Telephone 07771 817853
Email wstatextiles@gmail.com
8th to 20th July 2014
The Point of the Needle
The New Embroidery Group
The Oxmarket Centre for the Arts, St Andrews
Court, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 1YH
Open Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 430 pm
12th July 2014
SE Regional Day
Chichester College, Westgate Fields,
Chichester, West Sussex PO19 1SB
Branch Challenge
A Chance to work on the Regional Wall
Hanging Project designed by Fay Maxwell
Speaker - Michael Brennand Wood with his talk
entitled ‘Pretty Deadly’.
Traders include Lorna Bateman, Anita Bell,
Winifred Cottage, The Silk Route and Silk Sacks.
The Guild bookshop will also be there.
17th to 20th July 2014
Art In Action
Inspired by the simple principle that people are
fascinated when artists and craftsmen openly
demonstrate their skills and discuss their work,
Art In Action was born. Approximately 25,000
visitors come over four days to learn, buy and
enjoy, exhibitions, classes and performances of
400 demonstrating artists, eachers, musicians and
performers.
Waterperry House, Waterperry, Near Wheatley,
Oxfordshire OX33 1JZ 10.00am - 5.30pm
www.artinaction.co.uk
25th to 27th July 2014
Exhibition
By Members of the East Sussex Branch
Studio 11, The Old Printworks, Wharf Road,
Eastbourne BN21 3UG
Access to first floor studio via a flight of stairs
Eastbourne Station has a pay and display car park
and is a two minute walk from the studio.
2nd August 2014
National Celebration of Stitch Day
A chance for a group of members from your
branch to stitch in a town centre or other public
space.
27th September 2014
SE Region AGM
Hosted by Dorking Branch
Mickleham Village Hall, Dell Close,
Mickleham, Surrey RH5 6EE
Wheelchair Access & Disabled Toilet
Talk by Anthea Godfrey
Annual Coats Competition
30th September to 5th October 2014
Textile Fiesta
An exhibition by members of Chichester Branch
Oxmarket Galleries, off East Street,
Chichester PO19 1YH
Tuesday to Saturday 10 am to 4.30 pm
Sunday 10 am to 3.30 pm
Members of the guild will be on hand at the
exhibition to answer any questions about the
exhibits and also willing to show their work in
progress. Unique gifts & cards will be on sale.
Admission to the exhibition is free and a warm
welcome is guaranteed!
CONTACT THE EDITOR!
This newsletter is your forum to share
branch news, for a member to submit an
article or to share an experience of an
exhibition or show.
Similarly if you know about a forthcoming
exhibition please let me know.
Janet Brown
01403 256973 or 07801 137349
janet-brown@btconnect.com