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As a young child in the Black Country in the late 30s I was taught by my mother to sew, embroider and knit. I embroidered bought traced tray cloths, mainly floral motifs for presents, mostly satin stitch, stem, or lazy daisy. I was also fascinated by crinoline ladies and samplers. Then came the war and [...]
A ‘magic morning’ was the way that one of our members described the visit to the Impressionist Galleries of the Courtauld Institute.
Our guide took us on a journey through French art from 1865 to 1905.
The first picture we studied was a copy by Manet of his Déjeuner sur l’Herbe. This painting shows a picnic in [...]
In view of the gloomy news from all over the country about embroidery classes closing, I thought that members might like to hear about a new initiative by the City Lit, London.
For many years they have run day and evening classes for students of all abilities, under the direction of Caroline Bartlett, but last September [...]
In November, my daughter was invited to give a talk on painting conservation techniques at the University of Lisbon. When I expressed envy (as I’d had a wonderful holiday there a few years ago), I was invited to accompany her as a birthday present, which I accepted with great pleasure.
I was persuaded to travel ‘wheelchair [...]
Dear Members,
Whilst writing this letter to you, I am once again in Poland enjoying a break in the spring sunshine. But as you must surely know, all is not well: the country is in a state of shock and mourning after the appalling air crash in Smolensk on Saturday 12th April. Red and white flags [...]
Exhibition at Chequer Mead
This was the exhibition showing all the 77 UK entries completed to support a self-help embroidery project in Afghanistan. Ann printed details about the challenge in our Feb 2009 Newsletter and then the UK coordinator Meike Laurenson came to our 2009 AGM in person to encourage participation. The NEG can take pride [...]
You may have run up some loose covers, but have you ever knitted a throne? That is what I was asked to do in early January 2010. I had recently started working on a part-time freelance basis for an organisation called Stitches in Time (www.stitchesintime.org.uk). They are based in the old Limehouse Town Hall Building [...]
February 19, 2010 – 7:08 pm
Our Christmas Party at the beginning of December now seems a million miles away but the memory of members renewing friendships and enjoying the lecture on Victorian and Edwardian ecclesiastical embroidery by the scholarly Mary Schoeser, is still fresh in my mind. In the face of declining church membership in Britain, the subject could seem [...]
February 19, 2010 – 7:02 pm
Last night Bill and I went to the National Theatre and in the Olivier foyer is a delightful exhibition called Stranded by a women called Lalla Ward. I haven’t heard of her, but other members may know of her. Her work is free machine embroidery and I found it quite impressive.
She is married to [...]