About Us

Art to Stitch welcomes members who wish to extend their skills and share their expertise in Art Textiles.

Our members all have different specialist skills and approaches to design and contemporary quilt making. Some approach the creative process from an art base others from an experiential perspective; each producing very different 2 and 3D textiles ranging from traditional quilts ro art textiles and wall art.

We are all self starters and self motivated but enjoy sharing our work, being inspired by each other and supporting our individual development.
The group seeks opportunities to exhibit their work.

Our members say they value participation in the group because it is:
Creative
Diverse
Experimental
Generous
Friendly
Innovative and
Provides a forum for talented creative textile artists to share ideas.

The group meets on the second Monday of every month in Kislingbury near Northampton.

For more details about the group or to discuss possible membership please contact Sarah Showers sjtreen@gmail.com (07837638228) or use the contact form below.

Tuesday 13 November 2018

Notes from the November meeting


Exploring possible exhibition venues: 
Delapre Abbey & 78 Derngate
  • thanks to Yvonne for establishing contact with the Abbey.
  • Sarah will visit both venues to view the exhibition spaces and report back at December’s meeting.
Rugby Museum & Art Gallery - Floor One
  • Jan and Jane kindly agreed to contact with a view to getting Art to Stitch on their list of potential exhibitors.
Aylesbury Gallery
  • For future consideration depending on outcome of above investigations.
Modern Architecture challenge
  • the group affirmed they want to continue working on this challenge (one or two have completed their pieces….no pressure!).
  • the theme is ‘Post War Architecture’.    Your inspiration needs to be a building or buildings within 50 miles of your residence.
  • it has to be new work.
  • you have free choice on dimensions, orientation, technique, colour etc, so make whatever you like as long as it fits the theme criteria.
  • you are not restricted to a single piece.
  • you are asked to produce a workbook alongside the making, plus a handling sample.
Constitution
  • Sarah had kindly updated the group’s constitution to reflect the name change.
  • It was decided to add a clause to the effect that if a member misses 4 consecutive meetings and no reason is given, it will be assumed they are no longer interested in attending and removed from the membership list.   Of course, should this situation occur, we will e mail the member to check this assumption before removing their name from the list.
Other
  • December meeting 10/12 - Sally volunteered to help us invoke the festive spirit with a session on Glitz!     Sally will send a message round with more info and suggestions on what to bring if you want to participate.
  • We will welcome the new year at our January meeting with a bring and share lunch.   Please bring a plate (sweet or savoury) if you are attending.
  • Annual insurance payment - the fee is £5.   Please pay at the December meeting if you haven’t yet paid.
  • Daisy book notes - thanks to Sally for last month’s session on her Daisy book.    Several people had missed the session and asked for Sally’s ‘jumping off’ notes to be circulated so they are attached here (for your personal use only). 
2019 dates
14 Jan
11 Feb
11 Mar
8 Apr
13 May
10 Jun
8 Jul
12 Aug
9 Sept
14 Oct
11 Nov
9 Dec.




Post WW2 Architecture work continues.

Interesting to see that we are making  some progress towards our architecture based exhibition theme. Here are a few snap shots of what we were doing on Monday.








Wednesday 3 October 2018

Next Meeting - Monday 8th October

Next Monday Sally is going to share with us the creation of her "Daisy Book"
It is also you opportunity to collect the quilts you loaned for hanging at the Milton Keynes Literary Festival. Pleas check carefully that you only pick up your "bits" as we didn't always get to use the correct battens because of the way in which the pieces were hung from long poles.
This is also an opportunity to continue with your own work and to get back to our "Post WW2 Architecture" project as well as considering "What next!"


Anna exhibits at Festival of Quilts

Anna was invited to exhibit as a part of the City and Guilds Graduate Showcase at Festival this year in recognition of the outstanding work produced during the course.
Here are a couple of images of her stand. ( a difficult spot in which to take good images! sorry)



Our congratulations on this achievement.

Friday 21 September 2018

MK Literary Festival Exhibition is now live......

Four of us spent today putting up our Literary exhibition being held at The Holiday Inn, Central Milton Keynes tonight, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Our work is displayed in the Festival Foyer, the main hall and a second room. All the pieces have a literary theme from quotations from Shakespeare, poetry of Philip Larkin and a war novel.
The main stay of our show is a collection of A3 sized works made in response to a quotation from Daniele Vare's novel "The Maker of Heavenly |Trousers"
A3 pieces


In addition to these small linked pieces members submitted textile art works with a literary theme.
Breakout area


Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach

Seminar Room


Reach  for the Sky by Paul Brickhill

The view as you enter the main hall


The back wall of main hall


Main Hall



Wednesday 15 August 2018

Exhibition planning details.

Now that we are into the final planning stages of our exhibition at Milton Keynes Literary Festival please note the following and help out where you can.

  1. Hanging the display on Friday 21 Sept.    We have several volunteers to help but we could do with at least 1 more.    If you can help, please let Sally know as she is co-ordinating volunteers.      This would be from 5 pm on the Friday evening when we get access to the room.
  2. Stewarding - we are short of stewards for Saturday, so again if you can possibly help out, please let Sally know.
  3. Finished works - Sheila has kindly offered to produce listings of works and signage.    See below the information you need to supply for each piece you are submitting -  please e mail the information to Sheila and myself no later than 1 Sept.    If we don't hear from you by then, we’ll assume you’re not intending to anything into the exhibition on this occasion.
    • A3 pieces:
      • high res photograph of finished piece;   
      • your name as you wish it to appear in the printed literature;
      • ensure your name is on the back of the piece and that you have attached a hanging sleeve and batten.    The hanging team will need to attach fishing line to the batten to suspend works from the hanging rail on the wall.
    • Literary pieces:
      • high res photograph of finished piece;
      • title of piece;
      • inspiration source (in as few words as possible please!) or quotation as appropriate;
      • size of finished piece;
      • your name as you wish it to appear in the printed literature;
      • ensure your name and the title of the work is attached to the back of the piece(s).   Again, hanging sleeve and batten per A3 piece.   

All finished pieces need to be brought to our September meeting (Monday 10th).    We know several people can’t be at that meeting so they will need to make arrangements to get their work either to Kislingbury on the 10th or to the venue on 21st Sept.

Monday 13 August 2018

August activities

The group met just after many spent days at the Festival of Quilts. Much of the day was spent discussing the work that had been seen at the NEC and the work that will be hung at the Milton Keynes Literary Festival at the end of September.

This was the beginning of the group's pieces for our MK exhibition:

Members are reminded that their completed work must be brought to the meeting on Monday September 10th or given direct to Sally or Sarah by this date.

Members were also working on the following pieces:

Sheila

Sally

Sheena

Laura

Sarah

Chris