January Meeting

Travels in Turkey

Our speaker at the January meeting was branch member Carole Biggs, whose skilled photography and entertaining talks have taken us to many exotic places over the years. Carole’s ‘Travels in Turkey’ took her on a round trip starting and ending in Istanbul that was packed with history and interest. Her slides showed us mosques, minarets, bazaars and palaces, a vast salt lake, volcanic tuff, 9th Century rock churches and dwellings, Roman remains and temples. Such inspiration for embroideries and textiles!

Needless to say, Carole couldn’t resist bringing home some goodies. They included pictures, a length of silk, leather bags, onyx beads, a pendant, hats made from hand-made felt and a minutely embroidered boy’s cap.

Carole modelling a Turkish stole and pendant.

Forthcoming textile events

Richard de Peyer, director of The Silk Museum, Macclesfield, attended our January meeting to bring us up-to-date with textile events in the town and surrounding areas:

- The Three Shires Textile Festival – backed by tourist organisations and councils across Cheshire, Derbyshire and Shropshire – promises a whole range of textile-related events between 4 and 19 July. More information is available on the visitcheshire.com website.

- ‘The Embroiderer’s Eye’ exhibition (11 April to 4 July at The Silk Museum) and accompanying book will feature items from artist and designer Diana Springall’s collection.

- ‘Dye, Print, Stitch’ an exhibition of textiles by Thomas and Elizabeth Wardle follows (11 July to 31 October).

- ‘Colour and Texture in Needlework’ is a day school to be held at the Heritage Centre, Macclesfield on Saturday 4 July. High profile speakers include Diana Springall, Kaffe Fassett, Alistair MacLeod and Edwina Ehrmann. Bookings are already being taken (phone 01625 612045) and the £34 ticket includes buffet lunch and entrance to the Diana Springall exhibition.

- ‘Textile and the Arts and Crafts Movement’, also at the Heritage Centre, takes place on Friday 17 July. Tickets are £19 and include tea, admission to Dye, Print and Stitch, plus presentations by authors Barrie and Wendy Armstrong, Standen National Trust steward Caroline Soles and Brenda King, author and scholar.

Christmas Event 2008

Well done to this table of members as they won the quiz and each received a selection of new DMC threads. The pic shows Hilary handing over the winnings. Each winner was also given a small rose plant as part of their prize. WELL DONE LADIES.

Past chair Margaret juggling with two cups of tea!!!

After a very enjoyable meal members finish off with a cup of tea or coffee and good chat before the quiz.

"Hand-me-down -Drawers" October Meeting

The first meeting of the winter season, on Thursday 16 October, was a great success, with plenty of newsy notices, plans for our Christmas social event and details of our “hands-on” project starting in November.

It was also the debut of our previous Chair, Margaret Waring, as speaker. And she held us spellbound with her topic “Hand-me-down Drawers”.

Margaret told us about four female relatives who are long-departed but whose embroideries and other personal belongings have accumulated in Margaret’s (and husband Peter’s) house. They are too full of memories to be discarded but are no longer fashionable or suited to today’s busy lifestyles. Fragments of delicate stitching, collars and cuffs, tablecloths, cushion covers, buttons, lace, a sewing box, a bonnet – the list of hand-me-down items goes on.

To represent the characteristics of her four subjects Margaret brought four pairs of drawers, ranging from serviceable cotton to embroidered lawn.

At the end of her talk she unveiled a piece of textile art – in the shape of a pair of drawers – that she has created using some of her heirlooms. She has added her own embroidery, including the names of family members and other key words.

Thanks to Hilary Fish for the text and photographs.

Maria Walker - Rags to Riches

Maria Walker's talk on the 19th June 2008 was supported by an array of fine examples of her work.

Her talk moved us through her experiences in art and textiles from accountancy, and her changing emphases in design and techniques. Maria is currently interested in memories and this is reflected in her series of 'dress' mixed media work. Maria is a member of Textile 21 and she has her own website.

VARIATIONS 2 - Exhibition at Silk museum, Macclesfield

These photographs show some of the 'team' hanging the current exhibition- Variations 2 - at the Silk Museum Macclesfield. It runs until the 26th June 2008.

Pat is explaining the finer points of her work to the director.


Margaret is making some final adjustments to her bags.

Peter attaching the last exhibit!!

Hardanger Workshop

Julie Eastman writes about the hardanger work shop with Dorothy Hodgson.



"We all had a fantastic day. We began working on a small handanger sample which could be later made into a lavender sachet or mounted on a card to give to someone special."



Below are a selection of the pics Julie took on the day.


Beautiful work ladies, well done.

March/April update

Our first exhibition this year of members’ new work attracted a steady flow of visitors and may have earned us at least one new member. Here are Margaret and Hilary arranging the exhibits.







The second exhibition opens on Saturday 7 June and continues until Thursday 26 June at the Park Lane Galleries, The Silk Museum.

Hilary Fish wrote this about her exhibit for the June exhibition.


"Spurred on by the deadlines for the exhibitions of members’ new work, I completed the contemporary whitework sampler begun last November at Alston Hall. My two-and-a-half-day course there was a 60th birthday present from husband Graham. From my first experience of a residential embroidery course, I came away exhausted but delighted with the amount learned and the encouragement received. Tracy Franklin was our tutor and I sincerely recommend her relaxed but professional style of teaching. With widely varying levels of skill, each student worked at her own pace. Tracy ensured everyone received personal tuition as well as giving group demonstrations and everyone had practised each aspect of the sampler before going home. "

April 17 meeting
Speakers Joan and Alan Wilkinson had so much to show and tell at the April 17 meeting that they had to be stopped in full flow. Embroideries, textiles, pots, maps, slides and stories held the audience fascinated – but everything stops for tea!

Joan was born in Calcutta and went to school in Darjeeling. She studied weaving as her main subject at Craft College and chose “Aspects of Indian Textiles” as her thesis topic.

Much later, in retirement, she and Alan returned to India and travelled extensively. Wherever they went, they not only bought textiles and pottery but also visited factories and workshops and talked to people working there.

Joan explained that they visited three main areas associated with embroidery – Bangladesh; Kashmir; Rajasthan and Gujarat. Her advice to anyone wanting to do the same is to have patience. She and Alan always go for five or six weeks, as it takes several days to discover each place of interest and then to find transport, tickets and guides – but it is worth it!

Silk Bags

A selection of the silk evening bags made by members at the Jackie Cardy Workshop. Clockwise from top left, the bags were made by Anne Williams (purple), Ann Holmes (pink), Rita Russell (cerise and purple), Betty Taylor (maroon and cream), Carole Biggs (orange) and Hazel Weselby (turquoise). Betty started again from scratch when she got home as she was not satisfied with her first attempt!