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.