Dear Members,
It was good to see so many of you at our AGM in March. For those who were unable to attend for whatever reason, you missed a very entertaining talk by Diane Bates. Dressed in an elegant scarlet coat decorated with black froggings complemented with a black wide brimmed hat, she entertained us with an amusing and witty presentation of her stunning and highly original machine embroidered and beaded body pieces. From the beginning she made it quite clear that ‘up North’ it wasn’t just about ‘flat caps and ferrets’, but a region of lively creative ideas based on a rich industrial heritage. Her sensitive drawings and designs combined with her extraordinary technical skills certainly distinguish Diane as a remarkable artist. Having spent most of her life in education, she told us that she was no business woman and had no intention of selling her work. Instead she was bequeathing it to the V&A. What a brillant idea for it will be a treasure trove for future generations.
Meike Dalal-Laurenson, recent editor of Felt Matters, also introduced her Afgan Project to us. I strongly commend this to you as one way in which we can really help women in this war torn country to make a connection with the outside world and develop their own sense of personal self-esteem. Having seen and purchased one of the small panels for additional embroidery, I was thrilled by the quality and craftsmanship of the designs.
After all the planning and excitement of our last exhibition with the Knitting & Stitching Show, it’s time to give some thought to our next event at Chequer Mead in May 2010. The title ‘Letters’ is a wide-ranging and interesting theme dreamed up by Janice, our exhibition organiser. As I ponder on this, it seems to me that with the increasing use of electronic communications, this is particularly topical. Will the Letter soon be outdated? I hope not for amidst the rubbish which floats through my post box it is the handwritten envelope wchich always catches my attention. Perhaps this is a generational attitude but the idea of a ‘love email’ doesn’t seem to have the same attraction as a personal letter which say so much about the times and intimate thoughts of the writer. Even the sealed envelope suggests secrecy with the handwriting, postmark and stamp a source of curiosity. Then there is the pleasure (or pain) of opening the letter and knowing it can be read and re-read many times rather than being copied then deleted on a machine.
Letters come in many forms, conveying heartfelt or polite ‘thankyous’, news and gossip, sympathy at times of loss, congratulations, demands, disappointments and the joys and concerns about everyday happenings of the present moment. They can also be life- changing landmarks. The letters of Van Gogh to his brother Theo and the more recent publication of Alan Bennett’s book Writing Home are both fascinating vignettes of the lives of the writers.
For those of you more interested in the simple beauty of abstract shapes, actual letter forms could provide a great source of inspiration. Some members may even have a copy of Pat Russell’s book on Lettering for Embroidery which is still a superb and original approach to design. Anyway, whatever avenue you choose, don’t forget to keep your notes and sketches as they could be of interest to the public.
P.S. This may sound a bit surreal but my husband Zbigniew Kruczkiewicz has just won a gold medal for Poland, for the second year running, in the World Heavyweight Lifting Championships! Could this be inspiration for stitch?