Uncategorized

Hannah Lamb is a Yorkshire-based mixed media textile artist. Her exhibition, Home/Work, is at The Knitting & Stitching Show at Harrogate Convention Centre from 18th-21st November 2021.  Hi Hannah, we’re really looking forward to seeing Home/Work, your forthcoming exhibition for The Knitting & Stitching Shows this autumn. The collections contemplate the role of home and work in our lives, and feature work made before, during and after the COVID-19 lockdowns. Can you tell us a little more about the appeal of home and work as inspiration for your art? Since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, all of our lives have been turned upside down. For me, the boundaries between home and work became blurred as my teaching role moved online. The stresses and messiness of my personal and professional lives became entangled, changing the way I felt about home and testing my relationships. On a more positive note, during 2020 I was able to have a wonderful studio built at home. I was able to watch the work progress from my window, whilst working online – daydreaming about a space of my own while doodling little house shapes in my notebook. Multiple lockdowns in our area have made me feel immensely fortunate to have a safe, comfortable home, supportive friends and now a ‘room of my own’ in which to be creative. Has making work during the pandemic been cathartic?  During the early part of the pandemic, I found my creativity had largely deserted me and it was almost impossible to make serious artwork. I felt envious of those who had a huge burst of creative energy during lockdown. Eventually I came to accept that creativity would come when I was good and ready. I began enjoying the simplicity of working with small pieces of materials; patching, piecing and hand stitching. I chose fabrics that felt good in my hands, things that were softened by age. The tactile sensation of working with materials, slowing down and zoning out, was helpful when I felt stressed. Some of these little textile fragments have been incorporated into the collages, prints and house assemblages created for the exhibition. You are deeply fascinated by the structure and surface of cloth and have described cloth as “poetic, with an ability to describe what is difficult to put into words”. Can you tell us what you mean by that and what the work in your Home/Work exhibition has to say? In my book Poetic Cloth (Batsford, 2019) I describe the relationship I have with textiles as an artist. For me, it is both my creative media and my muse. Cloth is ever present in our lives, from cradle to grave. That close relationship allows us to convey meaning through a common language of tactility, texture and movement.My work for Home/Work isn’t intended to be obviously hard-hitting, but there are deeply emotional and personal ideas behind some of the pieces. I have worked with contrasting materials and effects; vintage chintz and softly quilted materials suggest a romantic vision of domesticity; while blackened, torn and bound materials represent turmoil and change. I frequently work with layers of different techniques and materials to create a sense of time and subtle variations of surface. I generally don’t have my work all planned out beforehand but instead allow elements to come together, building things up and joining pieces.My hope for the work in this exhibition is that while some pieces are dynamic and impactful in the space, other smaller pieces will give people a chance to focus and slow down, creating space for personal reflection You live, make work, and write from your home in Bingley, West Yorkshire, teaching too at Bradford School of Art. What role do you think Yorkshire’s rich textile heritage has played in the development of your passion for cloth and textile art? Having moved to the Bradford area 17 years ago, I feel incredibly lucky to be living in a place steeped in a rich culture and heritage of textiles. Textile is everywhere; in the landscape, buildings, places and language. I have had the chance to visit local textile manufacturers, endlessly transfixed by the transformation from fibre to fabric. I love to see the mix of historic mill buildings and modern manufacturing. The relationship between textile heritage and contemporary arts spaces creates wonderful opportunities for artists in the area; Salts Mill and Sunny Bank Mills have both provided inspiration and spaces to exhibit. Local museums and archive collections have also been hugely influential in my work. In the Bradford College Textile Archive, beautiful patterns and fascinating recipe books include items of importance to local industry and highlight their global connections. For me, the seemingly quiet spaces of archives and redundant mills hum with a quiet energy of creative potential. Your work features a wide range of textile processes, like stitch, print and fabric manipulation, and ranges from large-scale installations to small-scale studies. Is there a technique or process that you’re like to explore in future work?  I love learning new processes and it can become quite addictive so I try not to just learn new things for the sake of it. In my work I try to focus on choosing the best combination of methods and materials to convey my ideas. Having said that, I’d love to have the time to develop my skills with natural dyeing and printing. This is such a huge area of study you could spend a lifetime learning – if only I had more time! You’re a member of the acclaimed 62 Group of Textile Artists which aims to challenge the boundaries of textile practice. How do you feel that your own work contributes to this ambition and which boundaries would you like to break? Becoming a member of the 62 Group was a huge honour. I know the group is hugely respected and so there is a weight of expectation. In some ways it is hard to be pushing the boundaries of textile practice today; there is so much openness to what textile art can be. I do sometimes worry that the textile art world is too cosy and not self-critical enough but one of the things I like about being in the 62 Group is the rigorous selection process, which means if members don’t have work selected for three exhibitions in a row they are out of the group. This pushes me to make the best work I can, continually questioning my practice and its context. Recent work created for our ‘Connected Cloth’ exhibition as part of the British Textile Biennial, has encouraged me to consider the global context of textile manufacture. I wanted to learn about the colonial and post-colonial context of British textiles. For me it’s important to be constantly learning, questioning and challenging myself. To see more work from Hannah Lamb, click below. SEE HANNAHS GALLERY

Onome Otite is a London-based artist specialising in figurative textile collage. Her exhibition, Cirque, is at The Knitting & Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace, London from 7th-10th October 2021 and Harrogate Convention Centre from 18th-21st November 2021. We caught up with her to learn more about her work… Onome, we can’t wait for visitors to see your wonderfully vibrant life-size 3D collages in London and Harrogate this autumn. What is it about fabric collage that you love working with as an art form?  Apart from enjoying the craft element of embroidery and dressmaking, I love that textiles hold stories. All the fabric I use is recycled and my textile collection includes fabric donations, off-cuts from seamstresses, clothes outgrown, out-dated or just rejected – that someone once owned, wore or used in a particular way. Stories at my fingertips! The fabric design could also have a meaning or the craftsmanship specialised – the list is endless! My skill is to rework the fabric as well as those memories, meanings and stories into a beautiful collage. Please can you give us a little insight into your making process? Where do you find inspiration for your hand-drawn figures and how do you choose the fabrics to decorate each piece? My life-size collages explore costume in contemporary circus, in particular the performers clothing in Cirque Du Soleil and Cirque Nouveau, where costume plays an integral part in the theme and storyline of the performance. I also studied how the performers interact with their costume to convey narrative to the audience. My use of wax print fabric pays homage to both my Nigerian ancestry and the colour and design patterns of contemporary circus costume. Fabrics with similar shapes and motifs were sourced in London and Ghana. The vibrancy of the textiles lends itself well to the collages’ buoyant circus theme. For example, ‘Untitled iii’ pays homage to my experience in Makola Market in Accra, Ghana. Shopping for art materials in Makola was hectic and hot! The material I purchased included a patchwork design ‘nsasawa’ featuring many patterns, shapes and bold colours. A popular style to wear by the street performers in Ghana, this was the perfect material to inspire the development of this collage. Like my experience in Makola Market, this dance-like figure is animated, open and inviting, and full of life and I wanted to reference this in the fabric.⁠ Your pride for your West African ancestry is clear in your work through your use of batik and waxed print cloth. What is it about those fabrics that appeals to you as an artist? I’m naturally drawn to bright colours and patterns, but my use of batik fabrics and recycled materials helps to weave a cultural narrative into my work. Traditionally the colours, patterns and symbols of the fabric design suggest stories and emotion, which inspire my designs. I like to experiment with collage and create various textural combinations. Growing up within a Nigerian community, I’m also influenced by women who use traditional colourful clothing as a means of empowerment. Women using textiles to celebrate their womanhood and heritage resonates with me and is a subject I’m excited to explore. The manipulation of pattern and the prints’ vibrancy adds to the celebratory mood of the artwork.  In 2016, you won a Cockpit Arts Prince’s Trust Creative Careers Award, have been mentored by the British Fashion Council, took part in a British Council Cultural Exchange Programme in Ghana, and have exhibited your work all over the world. That’s a phenomenal CV for such a young artist. Based on your own experiences, what advice would you give other budding young artists hoping to achieve commercial success with their work? I have been creating artwork for the best part of 8 years, though I launched as a business with the Prince’s Trust in 2016 and it has been a really exciting experience. As part of The Prince’s Trust Business Enterprise Programme, I completed a business plan and was also awarded a studio space at Cockpit Arts – a business incubator for craft and designer makers, where I was provided with further creative career development and design direction. Previously working from a home studio, I was finding the lack of space difficult to manage, yet the cost of a London studio was too much to afford at the early stage of my business. Having supportive mentors (both in business and art) helped me to focus on my creative practise and growth. If there is anyone considering using their ideas and creativity to start their own business, I would say go for it 100%! There are so many initiatives and schemes in the UK to support emerging creatives and I would advise to focus on these opportunities rather than let doubt hold you back.  The collection you are bringing to The Knitting & Stitching Show is Cirque, a series that explores costume in contemporary circus, and specifically the role of costume in conveying the theme and storyline of a performance. Is costume design a possible avenue for you in the future? Working with a costume designer would be a wonderful collaboration – never say never! What are you working on currently and what’s next for you? Currently I’m working on a new series ‘Bahia’, inspired by Brazilian ‘Baiana’ costume, which launches this October, and I will be hosting a special event in London to mark the release. Details of the launch will be shared exclusively with my mailing list, so I encourage signing up via my website (www.onomeotite.com) to be in the know. I’m also preparing for a group exhibition with the Craft Council in November 2021 where I’ll be showcasing a very special collage celebrating black female artists in the UK. Again, all information can be found on my website and social media pages. This year is definitely going out with great events. To see more work from Onome Otite, click below. SEE ONOME'S GALLERY

Kate Wells is a hand and machine embroidery artist. Her exhibition, Dip Your Mind in Gold, was at The Knitting & Stitching Show London at Alexandra Palace from 7th-10th October 2021 and The Knitting & Stitching Show Harrogate at Harrogate Convention Centre from 18th-21st November 2021. Kate, it was fantastic to be fully immersed in your wonderful world of intricate gold work at The Knitting & Stitching Show this autumn. Is there something particularly special, different, or challenging about working with gold thread? What’s its appeal for you? Working with gold thread has its challenges – the most delightful aspect of the challenge is to shift the mindset from embroiderer to metal-worker and think like a jeweller or goldsmith. My points of reference come from these crafts, rather than from the world of traditional gold embroidery. Having said that, Opus Anglicanum is the very pinnacle of stitched goldwork, simply down to incredible draughtsmanship and composition and execution. Medieval and renaissance goldsmiths’ work come from the same root and continue to inspire me along with more contemporary design in gold and metal. I like the limit it gives the work. Most of my gold pieces so far have minimized the use of colour and tone which has simplified many choices in designing, concentrating on the way that light moves across its reflective surfaces. Even with a limit, the possibilities open up further – adding jewel colours is an obvious step, but then there’s further to go with playing with texture and added materials. I added gold into some landscape embroideries which was interesting, keeping the gold under control within the drawing and blending of the colours. Gold brings a dimension that has to be handled carefully to avoid sparkle and glitter. It resonates with the splendour of life, the preciousness of being. You are inspired by nature too and have made many beautiful landscape and bird embroideries. They have such a painterly quality. Do you think you ‘see’ in thread when observing scenes in nature? I am drawn to nature, the landscape and birds, air and wind. Drawing and painting have always been primary tools and I carry a small sketchbook and fineliner pen in my pocket on most walks. I love these little sketchbooks as the scribbles come back to life with an immediacy that a camera doesn’t quite capture. When I start to select threads, it’s the colour or texture mixes I reference, so the bottom thread is as important as the top thread in the machine, both mixed together on the surface. The same happens when using a charcoal or graphite drawing for the starter – I use textures of grey-white-black thread-mixes to give the graininess of the stitched drawings. Your work is part of The Diana Springall Collection. What does it mean to you to have your work included in that important collection of fine art? The Diana Springall Collection is probably the most significant body of contemporary embroidered work brought together under one discerning eye. Not only does the owner of the collection love embroidery, but is also a practicing embroiderer and artist so her special understanding runs right through the diversity of the collection.Diana’s passion for the art of embroidery runs deep and is founded in the importance of drawing. To be part of this collection, even in a small way, is to feel connected to a significant group of artists whose work is respected and valued at the very best level. I hope to be showing a small stitched sketch, ‘Beach ll’, from the collection at The Knitting & Stitching Show this year. Much of your work is made for clients to commission. How long does that process tend to take from start to finished work, and what does it involve? Working to commission can be a slow process – especially if there is an order-book waiting for my attention! The original conversation is really important to get the ‘feel’ from the client, the occasion or dedication behind the work or to see the space that the work needs to be designed for. Sometimes the process needs research, sampling and even several starts before the real direction is established, then the work can be made quite quickly. The research stage is easily as long as the making. The client rarely appreciates this time-factor but every now and then, there’s a sense of having a ‘patron’ who is willing to support this whole process for the long-view of the final piece. As well as your art, you make stoles and pieces for churches and the clergy. Is that a different creative process for you? What’s the most elaborate church commission you’ve ever had? I was invited to make a set of bespoke stoles for a church in Sheffield as part of the celebratory aspect of their worship. Unusually, there was a significant collection of beautifully designed and well-made contemporary textiles in the church which I seemed to resonate with and I’ve since added more work to their collection, sponsored by members of the congregation. I like the format of stoles, and tend to see the whole length as a design-area, rather than simply adding a motif or icon at the hem. The most elaborate commission came from an inspired newly ordained priest who wanted a set of stoles in each seasonal colour but who had the most detailed list of significant images to be included for each stole design. We got on really well; each visit was like opening a jewel box for her and my colour palette of silks and rayon threads also grew. The entire collection cost far more than we could have imagined but somehow, we met in the middle and the result was a delightful addition to her worship. I’ve not made work for Bishops or made altar-cloths for cathedrals and it may not be my first line of work, but it has a depth of meaning which I value. What are you working on currently and what’s next for you? Currently I’m working on a new series ‘Bahia’, inspired by Brazilian ‘Baiana’ costume, which launches this October, and I will be hosting a special event in London to mark the release. Details of the launch will be shared exclusively with my mailing list, so I encourage signing up via my website (www.onomeotite.com) to be in the know. I’m also preparing for a group exhibition with the Craft Council in November 2021 where I’ll be showcasing a very special collage celebrating black female artists in the UK. Again, all information can be found on my website and social media pages. This year is definitely going out with great events. To see more work from Onome Otite, click below. SEE KATE'S GALLERY

We’re chuffed to bits that we’ve been shortlisted for ‘Best Show/Event’ for this year’s Best of Craft Awards! Thank you so much to everyone who nominated us, it’s such an honour!HJJVoting is now open! Please take a moment to vote by clicking below. Voting closes on 24th September and the winners will be announced on 28th October!HJJEveryone who enters will automatically receive an exclusive download pack straight to their inbox. You’ll also be entered into an exclusive prize draw to win lots of fabulous goodies including a cruise, all valued at over £3,900!HJJWe’re so grateful to have been included this year and would love your support! Simply click on the button below to have your say and vote! VOTE NOW About the Best of Craft Awards The UK’s longest running craft awards hosted by Crafter magazines is back and bigger than ever, giving you the opportunity to celebrate all the inspiring people that make the world of crafts such a wonderful community in which to work and play. HJJ The Best of Craft Awards 2021 is a true celebration of all that is creative and a genuine mark of quality. Craft enthusiasts and readers of Crafts Beautiful and PaperCrafter magazines have been keenly nominating their favourite brands, shows, products, tutors, designers and more. After the nominations are collated and verified, the voting stage begins. HJJ Now is the time to vote for your favourites in the Best of Craft Awards 2021. Which brands, bloggers and products have your loyal support? Who do you want to see in the spotlight?

Save 20% - Pay just £32* Next Steps in Crochet: Make a Sampler Blanket By Diana Bensted, The Crochet Chain *Plus transaction fee BUY THIS WORKSHOP Sponsored by: Sponsored by: About Crochet a sampler blanket with confidence with the help of passionate crocheter Diana Bensted. We will be following patterns for 10 different stitches and techniques to create a sampler blanket with a tulip border. If you have started on your crochet journey, and patterns bemuse you, or if you are happy with the basics, but want to know more.  Then this is the course for you!  Diana will be guiding you through the techniques and tips that she has picked up in a decade of crocheting that will make your crochet projects easier, quicker, and more enjoyable.  The patterns and worksheets provided can make a great sampler blanket and can be used in combination or on their own.  Throughout the masterclass, you will also learn how to read a crochet pattern, starting with common words, though colour coding and finally as commercial patterns are written. We will be covering different join as you go methods, cables, Tunisian entrelac, 3-D flowers, magic ring, and more.   Materials you will need: A kit will be available with 10 colours of Stylecraft Special DK, or Highland Heathers. You will also need a selection of crochet hooks from 4.5mm to 6mm.  Materials can be purchased from suppliers of the Beyond K&S Shopping Hub, available here: www.theknittingandstitchingshow.com/shopping-hub.  Bookers will receive full joining instructions and a session materials list. Plus, there will also be details of patterns, advance preparation guides and links of where kits can be purchased if these are applicable to your session.   Sessions overview: Session 1 – Good foundations and Shells: Learn how to work into the foundation chain, and the alternative foundation double crochet stitch, starting a pattern. Pattern repeats and shell stitch. Session 2 – Granny Goodness: Starting in the round, choosing, and changing colour, standing treble, join as you go, weaving in ends. Session 3 – Spike St: Working into the row/rows below. Double crochet, Straight edges. Session 4 – Bobbling along: Using Double crochet, learn to make bobbles, working in rows. Session 5 – Babette square: Make a solid square in the round, finding the ‘hidden’ stitch and join as you go using a second method. Session 6 – Ripple Rows: Increasing and decreasing, reading your crochet and different height stitches (dc, htr, tr). Session 7 – Curious about Cables: Learn about front post stitches, cable stitches and working sideways. Session 8 – The 3rd Dimension: Making a flower, using a magic ring, working in 3D, joining the background and a 3rd join as you go method. Session 9 – Tunisian Entrelac: Using short rows of Tunisian simple stitch you will learn to crochet Entrelac. No need for a special hook! Session 10 – Beautiful Borders: Finish your sampler blanket, working into row ends, the border base and tulip border, and back post stitches. Access to the session The On-Demand recordings will be available to view until 11:59 pm GMT on 31st December 2021. BUY THIS WORKSHOP ALL WORKSHOPS About the Tutor: Diana Bensted Diana Bensted trained as a Primary School teacher and works as a freelance crochet pattern designer and teacher.  She owned her own wool shop where she taught courses and honed her crochet skills.  She has designed patterns for DMC, King Cole, Inside Crochet, Lets Knit and Women’s Weekly.  Teaching for many years at the Knitting and Stitching shows and weekends away, as well as local yarn shops, she self publishes her designs on Hochanda, Ravelry and on her own website.  Diana is known for her friendly, patient and knowledgeable approach to teaching Crochet. Tutor contacts Email: Website: www.thecrochetchain.co.ukFacebook: www.facebook.com/thecrochetchainInstagram: www.instagram.com/thecrochetchain ** The Knitting and Stitching Show are not responsible for the kits visitors purchase from the tutors including the price, availability or delivery. Stock may be limited. Please liaise with the tutors for details and please note restrictions may apply.

The Fine Art Textiles Award will return for its third year in 2021. FATA is an international juried exhibition open to all…

'The Encaustic Minimalist' with Daniella Woolf Encaustic is a mixed media technique whereby paint or pigment is added to hot beeswax which is then applied to a surface. This workshop is designed for those wishing to give encaustic a try, in a series of mini workshops that can be ‘dipped into’ in your own time. It is the ideal investment for an artist who desires to broaden their portfolio and create some wonderful art with minimal investment of materials. In association with Galli Creative buy workshop About ‘The Encaustic Minimalist’ with Daniella Woolf is a series of mini-workshops each designed to help you learn and enjoy the art of working with encaustic wax.  India Ink, the Encaustic pen tool and attachments, stencils and metallics are explored in a series of demonstrations and suggested projects. Level: Suitable for all levels, for beginners through to intermediate and advance.Price: £35 (plus £1.50 booking fee) Watch the trailer to find out more! What you'll learn: Creating a paper napkin collageMaking doughnuts with the pen toolEncaustic and India inkWorking three panels at onceEncaustic pen tool: explained and demonstratedFlecking watercolour pencils on fabricUsing spray mists for added blingCreating watercolour substrates on your panelStencils and India inkWorking with stencils before encausticWorking with stencils after encausticCreating an encaustic work on paperDry brush strokeApplying metallic foils to encaustic artRepurposing art with encaustic pigments What's included: 2.5 hours of video tutorials. The sessions have been split into 10 bitesize sessions, meaning you can navigate and watch specific sections again at ease. 100-page e-book  Comprehensive material list of things you will need to get started.   Getting started Click below to see the list of things you will need to get started.   RESOURCE & MATERIALS LIST Access to the sessions The on-demand recordings will be available until 11:59pm (GMT) on 31 December 2021. About the Tutor: Daniella Woolf Daniella Woolf is an artist, author, curator and instructor in encaustic, fiber and mixed media. She describes her work as ‘an amalgamation of materiality, mathematics and repetition’ and her preferred medium is encaustic because of the versatility it offers. Daniella is currently exploring stenciling and multi-dimensional paper mixed media art as well as enjoying the beaches and bluffs of her hometown, Santa Cruz, California. BUY WORKSHOP