Photographs to Fabric Class - Textile 'Quilt' piece

Well, I did promise to show you all this when I finished it so here it is.

It may no longer be quite obvious but the photographic areas are of a shingle beach with wooden breakwaters in the near and middle distance plus various bits of flotsam and jetsam including sticks, fishing yarn and some rag-like fabric (could be some dried form of seaweed).

After sewing the printed pieces together and/or on to the backing fabric – mainly with zigzag stitch, I sewed round some of the breakwater posts and stuffed them from the back (as we have been taught). I then made some machine cords with the threads from the backing fabric, the pale blue linen and the cream open-weave scrim that I had frayed. These cords have been used to edge parts of the pictures and, with couching stitches, to make the circular texture bottom right. I have done some free-stitching into the circular image on the bottom left, used a automatic machine faggoting-style stitch to add texture to the blue linen frame at the top of the main picture and added a piece of soft, frayed, open-weave cotton to echo the rag-like seaweed.

I have learned a lot from doing this; that it’s fun to play about just for one’s own satisfaction, that it would have been better to do more stitching before backing the piece and to make sure that the stitching I did was properly finished off. I had to make some repairs after the wadding and backing had been attached and I didn’t always place the various elements down in the right order. But I am quite pleased with the result and may well do some more.

The Raphael Tapestries at the V&A

I impulse-booked myself in to see the Raphael Tapestries from the Sistine Chapel at the V&A last week (admission is free, but you do need a time slot). Until 17th October they are on loan and are being hung next to their corresponding cartoons which are on permanent display. I'd seen the cartoons before but seeing the tapestries right next by brought them to life. These things are huge - the room must be a couple of storeys high and it's needed, and the colours and gold thread have survived just well enough that you can imagine how imposing and impressive they were when first constructed half a millenium ago.

What should have been obvious, but came as a surprise, is that the tapestries are mirror images of their cartoons. I think I knew the 'front' faces down/out during construction from reading 'the Lady and the Unicorn' by Tracy Chevalier, but I hadn't thought it through. I've wanted to have a go at tapestry-weaving for a while but never got round to it (too many semi-skilled half-finished projects under way already - I need focus!) and this has made me think again. There was a 'taster' session on offer at the Knitting and Stitching show but I'm too late now - next time, perhaps. Although anything I make has got to feel unsatisfying having seen these. I fully recommend the exhibition if you get a chance.

Whilst I was there I popped up to the textile galleries. Most were disappointingly shut, so I couldn't pop in to see if 'my' needlepoint is back from conservation. But I did look at the Devonshire Hunting Tapestries, and I hope it's not disrespectful to Raphael to remark I almost liked them more. They are on permanent display so the room was pretty much deserted, and the colours have survived pretty well. You can also get right up close and see the weave, which is amazingly detailed. The scenes are just as you imagine from a children's book of medieval stories, with intricate headgear and flowing dresses, and little stories being told out all over each piece (what is that man doing groping that unenthusiastic-looking damsel?). Again, if you're in the vicinity, be sure to pop in. No photography was allowed in the Raphael room, so I'll post a pic of my favourite little dog from these tapesties below (this picture may not be used for commercial purposes).

The Just Us textile exhibition in Ipswich this week

I went along to St Peter’s on College Street this lunchtime to see the Just Us textile art exhibition and was warmly welcomed. This exhibition has been put on by two members of a Textile group called Fabric Fusion: Sue Cranwell and Madelaine Nightingale, who both studied City & Guilds Embroidery under Isabel Clover several years ago.

I really enjoyed a very hands-on experience at their exhibition – I can recommend it; small but really beautiful. You might like to take a look at some of the work by members of Fabric Fusion on http://www.fibrefusion.org.uk/ I talked to Sue (who happens to be chairperson of the local regional Embroiderers’ Guild) about how we feel the need to continue to motivate our group without the discipline of a C&G qualification – she said that their Suffolk College study group met in the holidays too (so we are on the right lines here!) and made some useful suggestions about ways to focus ourselves.

I am thinking that I’ll go along to the next Embroiderers’ Guild meeting on 13th October at the Rushmere Community Centre on Humber Doucy Lane, Ipswich, and maybe to the AGM on Saturday 16th October at the same venue. I am not currently a member so I may join – the AGM is the start of the new membership year so that would fit well.

The Just Us exhibition is on through to Sunday 12th September – part of Heritage Weekend in Ipswich and, on Sunday, will include the Ipswich Hospital Band at play in the church – free admission, 10am to 3.30 on Saturday, 10am to 4.00 on Sunday.