The January meeting saw a collection of quilts presented in a trunk, hired from the Quilter’s Guild, and presented by our members Val Wright, Hilary Goldsmith and Helen Mott. The 11 items in the trunk were all made in the last 40 years, and give examples of the changes, developments, styles and fabrics that have been a key part of patchwork and quilting history.

The pieces were a mix of traditional and modern techniques, showcasing experimentation with designs and fabrics, with inspiration taken from different places to produce pieces that reflect the makers’ lives and the world around them.

December saw the return of Stuart Hillard, who came to us with the talk “Bags”. This was an amusing talk-and-show presentation, where he explained how he had compiled his books, beginning with the design and making of one bag. He brought a great number of samples, pointed out the details of his work, and gave technical details of how to make bags from that design. His samples included many different types of bags and showed how one design can be made using different techniques including patchwork, improv piecing and boro.

Nikki Parmenter came long to talk to us about her work in textile art. She talked us the techniques she uses to created her collages. She works mainly on a large scale, most of her pieces are larger than A1 size, some reaching 6 feet or more! Her works incorporate elements of different cultures through the world taking inspiration from artists such as Hokusai and Botticelli, traditional mandalas and imagery from Persia, Tibet and Thailand to tell a story. She recycles materials, using scraps of plastic acetate and PVC sheeting to fuse with fabrics, creating 3-D elements. Her work is embellished with machine embroidery and acrylic paints to bring the pieces to life.

Our October speaker was Sass Tetzlaft, who spoke on ‘The Snarky Stitch – Machine Embroidery Meets Modern Muse’. She outlined her journey from childhood, developing technical skills and approaches through home sewing, commercially making wedding dresses and stage costumes, City and Guilds, exhibitions and a part-time degree. She explained how her socio-political beliefs underpinned her work, including subverting 1950s adverts and depicting pioneer women. She used a sewing machine, bondaweb, men’s shirting, off-cuts, beads and findings. She showed us how her technical style had changed over time. She made us laugh with her series ‘It’s not easy being PC’, presenting fairy tales with a modern twist, including Red Riding Hood reprimanding the wolf. She showed a wide range of applique panels, a panel from the Game of Thrones tapestry, commissions based on portrait photographs and a 3-D portrait.

September saw the return of Liz Almond, who this time came to talk to us about the traditional Japanese techniques of Sashiko, Boro and Kogin. Liz started by telling us the fascinating history of the three techniques, which started in Northern Japan as early as the 15th Century when the fabrics available to the lower classes were restricted. Boro is a style of patchwork used to patch clothing using scraps, making the most of the precious fabric. The scraps were attached using a simple, decorative running stitch (Sashiko). Kogin developed to reinforce areas of clothing and make them warmer. As each family had their own design, it also served as a form of identification for the fishermen.

Liz showed us how the three techniques can be used today, passing some of her work around the group.

July’s speaker was Tony Phillips (the Manbroiderer), a textile and mixed media artist. He started his talk with a brief history of embroidery, showing us how different styles from different countries have influenced his work. He then went on to talk about how, post the covid lockdown, embroidery, and crafting in general, is going through a renaissance, with a new generation of crafters coming to understand the importance of the mindfulness and creativity on mental health and wellbeing. He discussed the future of embroidery, how the increasing focus on recycling/upcycling can be used alongside modern technology and AI to enhance the creative process, while still blending with traditional hand techniques.

Agnis was a weaver and teacher who discovered her love of weaving during an Art Foundation Course.  She described weaving as the interlacing of yarn which requires structure and creativity.  Her teaching covered all kinds of looms and everything from simple techniques to very complex projects and covered all levels of skill and ages.  The process was described for the creation of warps which would be fastened to a loom.  Agnis was involved in the Peace Project which was a collaboration of artists from 20 diverse groups. There were a variety of examples of Agnis’s work on display.

The speaker for May was Til Wright, substituting for the published talk. Til took a millinery course after finishing her career in education.  The process for making hats was time consuming and expensive so she had focussed her attention on upcycling hats.  Til displayed a wide range of hats which she had upcycled.  The simplest process was to replace the band with cross grain ribbon, silk scarves, fabric etc and then add embellishments. Til had purchased seven identical hats and used these to demonstrate how a simple adornment could change the whole appearance. The use of steam was demonstrated as a simple method of restoring a hat and Til hoped that she had inspired the members to “have a go”.

Our speaker for March was Nigel Cheney who spoke to us about his art and design throughout the years. Born in Market Harborough, with both his parents working in a textiles factory, Nigel grew up around textiles, leading him to have an interest in embroidery from an early age, winning the “Young Embroider’s” award for his O Level work. Nigel’s pieces often start as a drawing, which he then uses as a base to make art in embroidery, using vintage materials as sustainably as possible. He is fascinated by images of the natural world and the ephemera people collect, and how these can represent an oral history. He uses textiles as a vehicle for communication and the telling of stories, giving new life to old fabrics.

He gave a very entertaining and interesting talk, and brought some of his artwork and beautiful throws for us to admire.