Worn threads again

Today Marion Robertson, Jane Bonney, Carol Newton, Carol's husband Bob and the Thoughtful Man helped to set up the Worn Threads exhibition at the West Country Quilt and Textile Show.

The show is on Friday 11th November 2016

Saturday 12th November 2016

Sunday 13th November 2016

10.00am - 4.30pm

My photos are a bit blurry, but here is a little idea of what our space looks like.

Because they gave us 3 battens across corners, we were able to hang some of the work so both sides could be seen. It gives a lot of movement as they gently move on the end of the fishing line from which they are suspended.

Unfortunately, we didn't have enough space for everything.

However, there was an extra return panel near the centre which we convinced them to leave. (Normally used for holding up the long walls while the space is being built.) Because it was next to a socket, we were able to plug in Kate Findlay's piece so her LED system could be seen. (See top photo) Then my Kamlaika piece was hung on the other side. We also had 1 outside wall that we were able to hang 2 pieces on.

Jane Bonney's cope would have been a great addition, but it is travelling with the Knitting and Stitching Shows at present because she won first place in the Quilts Creation section.

Thanks so much for all the helpers. Especially the Thoughtful Man who took time off work because I have hurt my back and could not face trying to drive to Bristol and then lift and shift boxes and work!

Kamlaika - Seams at the exhibition

I have showed different photo versions of this work before. But this is the best one since it is hanging as I envisioned.

Sandy Snowden
inspired by gut parka from Alaska

And so we are caught up. But as I said, I have not shown them all, so you need to go see them for yourselves and read the stories behind the work.

The exhibition at Lady Sew and Sew in Henley-on-Thames is on until Monday, 22 February. Weekdays 10am until 4pm


The exhibition will also be at the National Needlework Archive Thursday 29th March – Thursday 28th April with a free demonstration Saturday 2nd April 10.30 – 11 am.

And the rest of the Worn Threads work

or at least the rest for which I have any decent photos!

(left) Clare Williams inspired by New Zealand culture

(right) Linda Seward inspired by a Hi-Low skirt she owns

Dorothy Crossley

inspired by a Shaman's costume

Jane O'Sullivan

inspired by her late mother's evening dress

Jenny MacKay Jones

inspired by a patriotic apron

Joyce Amirahmadi

inspired by 18th/19th century Iranian paintings

Ros Crouch

inspired by photo of Aunt Polly at the ball

Heather Brand

inspired by tights/pantyhose

Emma Courtnadge

inspired by dresses her twin daughters wore

See the exhibition at Lady Sew and Sew in Henley-on-Thames, Thursday, 4th February to Monday, 22 February. Weekdays 10am until 4pm

The exhibition will also be at the National Needlework Archive Thursday 29th March – Thursday 28th April
FREE Demonstration Saturday 2nd April 10.30 – 11 am

I have added the posts for the Worn Threads exhibition to Off the Wall Friday at Nina-Marie's

Since I have finally got a good photo of my stitched wax paper, I will show that tomorrow.

More Worn Threads work

Annie Hamilton
inspired by her wedding dress

Jane Bonney

inspired by her daughter's forensic archaeologist's suit

Kate Crossley

inspired by Dolce and Gabbana shoes

Kate Findlay

inspired by Tron film costumes

Clare Williams

inspired by Mauri piupiu

Gaynor Lloyd

inspired by Welsh costume

Pene Murgatroyd

inspired by her own woven shoes

I will show some more tomorrow so this post isn't overloaded.
But really, you need to go see the exhibition!
Lady Sew and Sew in Henley-on-Thames, Thursday, 4th February to Monday, 22 February. Weekdays 10am until 4pm

Worn Threads Exhibition

The last few weeks have been interesting and busy with the Worn Threads exhibition...which also translates as weariness for me. So, I haven't been able to spend much time computering or blogging.
I am so glad for the team who helped with getting the show organised and hanging up.

I did get some photos of the Worn Threads work when we had finished hanging it at Lady Sew and Sew last week.

This is a bit from the back of our catalogue about our group.

I think we had around 30 artists involved for this exhibition. Lady Sew and Sew have developed part of their warehouse into a Workshop/gallery space - shifting from one to the other. They are hoping to do more exhibitions. The space is a little eclectic, with uplighters and doors to contend with, but with the variety of work we have from our group, we worked out places for everything.

A few overall photos here.

You can see my piece based on a Kamlaika to the left beyond the red dress.

Each item was inspired by a garment or accessory.

Some of the stories about the inspiration garments are really moving.

Jane Glennie designed a wonderful catalogue.

She also put an image of the inspiration garment
on the card with the artists name.

You can visit the exhibition:
Lady Sew and Sew in Henley-on-Thames, Thursday, 4th February to Monday, 22 February. Weekdays 10am until 4pm

And some individual photos tomorrow.

Kamlaika - "Seams"

Another finish last week was my piece using wax paper. Inspired by Kamlaika parkas I saw in Alaska which had been made by indigenous people groups.

On Saturday, we had the reveal of the work for our Worn Threads exhibition. I hadn't been able to get a photo here at home, so this is a quick one taken at the community centre.

(A bit of bad photo shopping at the left
to get a colourful coat out of the background.)

I will get some detail photos of the stitching to show sometime this week. We will be selecting and arranging so we know which pieces to take to the first venue.
It will be at Lady Sew and Sew in Henley from the 4th of February for 3 weeks. Then it will go to the National Needlework Archive in April.

pleat stitches done

The stitching on the pleats (within each piece of wax paper) are finished.

Now I need to start on the seams. Not much time left.

I would rather sew beads to be honest!

Wax paper seams

So, today was another bad head day. So after spending most of the day getting it to tolerable levels, I decided I might manage stitching wax paper.*

I have been stitching pleats, up to now, rather than seams, as I haven't been able to get my head round how they might be waterproof.

I also was having a hard time working out how to do the overcasting stitch which I learned about in my research, shown in the photo below. So, I did a few more pleats and stitched them together and then got a better idea of how to do a seam. Also, I finally worked out the overcast. (I should have flipped the image - I normally work right to left, and I think this is where I was struggling.)

I used red linen to reference the touches of red that were often used as decorative tufts. I am going to do some overcasting on some other seams with a woad dyed linen. (Not that they had linen or woad, it is just one of the other colours I have seen used for tufts.) The tufts also helped with shedding water, as they wicked the sea water or rain away.

Holding the pleats in place.

So, now I have pleated the edges of two of my previous pieces that have pleats sewn with running stitch, and I think I finally have a plan.

In all of the pleats I sewed so far, I have encase a length of twine, mimicking the concept of the grass stems within the seam. As I understand, this would soak up any water getting into the seam and the beach grass would swell up and thus keep any further water from getting through to the inside.
If I can get the proper seam to work, I will see if I can encase a length of twine or some other thread.

with a possible thread to be encased.

And so, I managed to get something done today after all.

*(one of the benefits of doing something strange is that you get distracted from aches and pains!)

Wax paper

Thanks for the comments about the Kamlaika inspired stitch project.

Celia asked about the wax paper. It is like you get on a roll from Reynolds. I am not sure where you get it here.

I brought mine back from America years and years ago to use for projects with kids. We used to sandwich leaves between and press. Lovely to hang in the window or for a craft about Autumn. But I never did many projects with it. So, I am looking forward to using it here.

(It is also wonderful to use to wax a back garden play slide so you go down faster!)

Jeannne asked if I was making a parka or a piece inspired by it. I don't intend to recreate a kamlaika. I want to focus on the importance of the seams. So sewing pleats and seams in a length of it. I am thinking long and puddled on the floor sort of thing.

*****************

Today I have also been tracing the refugees for placing on the other piece that got stalled from a few weeks ago.

Worn Threads

I have finally found some time to begin sampling for the Thames Valley Contemporary Textiles exhibition Worn Threads. The items are due in January, but this Saturday we are having a session where we are showing ideas and thinking about aspects we might develop. So, as the Co-Ordinator, I wanted to have something out of my head into a sample.

The idea is to take a garment as inspiration for a new piece. This could be one worn by you or sentimental to you, but it does not have to be. So, I thought this was time for something I have had in my head for a long time.

Over 10 years ago we went to visit my sister in Alaska. I never got to see the photos I took, because my SD card got full and my husband downloaded them to his computer...where they have been ever since! But at last this week I got him to transfer them for me.

Which was a bit sad in some ways. My son warned me that the camera I had then was not as good quality, so the photos might be pretty rubbish.

Most are okay, but the ones I took in low light of museums or behind glass at the airport are not very good.

I was Very Impressed by the 'gut parkas' made by the indigenous people. Your original waterproof jacket. Kamleika is a seal gut parka and the word comes from the Chukchi people. The Unangan name for the gut parka/rain coat is chagtalisax. Alutiiq word is kanaglluk.
One of the airport photos is tolerable. So, I hope it will do.

I did a bit more research about them - one of my favourite parts of making work is the research - and got more of an idea of how they were made.

I liked the translucency and had thought to use something like silk organza - following on from some of my other transparent type work. But I thought the fabric was not really related in any way.
I thought maybe lutrador/spun woven material. But when I was rummaging in my storage of spun woven types, I found a piece of wax paper I had tried using for something else.
Ah Ha!
Besides the fact that I really already have a project in mind for the spun woven fabrics at some point, the wax paper is more translucent and has the added benefit of being waterproof already!

So, I have been making some sample seams. In my research, I found some ideas on how they were actually stitched.

Here are some of the threads I am trying out; including bleached and unbleached fine linen, hemp, and twine.

I will probably do some more explaining when I begin the making. I don't intend to do a reconstruction, just work with the wax paper and concentrate on seams made in a similar way to the ones on the waterproof parkas.

Not sure at this point if I will add any kind of decoration. Still thinking.