Lifes Work

I've not been able to visit many exhibitions since having Joel, it isn't very easy to hop on a train and go see what's hot in the cities gallerys when your days are made up of frequent meal times, nap times and wriggle time!

So it was nice to go and see a local group of stitchers work at the methodist church near where I used to live. KEB told me about it, as her mum is part of the group, we went together for a look one Saturday morning.
The church was filled with tables displaying yard after yard of patchwork, quilting, embroidery as well as bags and cushions and toys all made by the church stitching group.

There was a competition for the favourite piece. We both voted for this one as we spent a long time looking marvelling at it's appearance and concept.

It was a table cloth made from recycling her mothers and grandmothers old linens (tea towels and tray cloths), with some additions of her own (an unused wedding presents of tea towels) Where the cloth was already partly embroidered she used the same style to fill that towel, otherwise taking inspiration from any pattern in the weave.

Here's a plan of what was used and where.

This section, a tray cloth, was extra special as it was made by the creator herself when she was 13 when there was still rationing on materials.

My mum has a huge collection of linens like this, one day I'd really like to work on a similar project. Perhaps even turn them into a duvet cover or bedspread?

This was a selection of teddys that made us smile. Like someone has tried a face, then thought no, but just left  it half done. Brilliant.

The one and only other textiles exhibition I saw was in The Dales Countryside Museum in the pretty town of Hawes. We stopped off here on a day out to Yorkshire, it had a river and waterfall right under the main street!

We only ended up in the museum as we needed the loo, but just look at what I found in one of their education rooms!

Despite the enormity of the piece on display, I cannot find any detailed information about the woman who made it or the history behind the piece other than her name was Nora Worth and she made this patchwork quilt entirely from silk ties which were collected by her neice. Nora was from nearby Gayle but after googling and googling I cannot find any further information on her.

I love the way she chose tiny triangles which echo the pointed shape of a tie itself.

Nora broke the patchworked triangles up with the manufacturers labels, of course Liberty would be there.

Section of more subtle fabrics