Exhibitions and embroidery

Sorry I've been away for a while. I went to London for a few days at Easter and life seems to have been running at a fast  pace ever since.  I'm just about beginning to get back into my routine so here I am with a bit of a catch up for you all.

While I've been away I've been to quite a few exhibitions which I found inspiring and hope that you might do too. First of all there was the Kaffe Fassett exhibition in London...

If you're not aware of his work just search in Google and you'll see that he's quite rightly renowned for his use of colour. Aren't these hats fun?! 

 The gallery was decorated in clashing colours too to display his work to perfection.

Yes ... he knits, quilts, embroiders tapestries and makes mosaics - all in the most stunning patterns and colours.

We also went to an exhibition of the work of Chuck Close - an American artist, whose work also inspired me - though no photographs this time.

A trip to the Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield where there is always an interesting selection of modern sculptural pieces - including the matrix for the piece which hangs on the John Lewis building in London.

Even the gallery building is interesting - interlocking blocks.

And finally ... a trip last week to the Bankfield Museum in Halifax where one of our Embroiderers Guild members has an exhibition of her work. I won't show you photographs of the pieces as I've not asked her permission but there was embroidery of many different types on show, including many pieces which had been stitched onto various kinds of paper - lots of ideas and inspiration and if you live close by I'd certainly recommend a visit. The display is on until early May.

So ... what else have I been up to? 

Two friends and I are running a workshop on Casalguidi embroidery later this year so, as I've only ever done one piece of pure Casalguidi before I thought I'd better practise a little. This piece is destined for the top of a box, which we're making in a workshop next month. The raised stem bar and the wrapped threads are typical of this kind of work, as is the pulled thread background. It is traditionally worked in white on white fabric but I don't like white on white much so I added coloured needlewoven leaves to this piece.

This little bag uses some of the Casalguidi elements too but this time in a much more modern design. The openwork background and wrapped threads are still there, together with buttonhole bars and tassels.

And I've also been mounting my lace butterflies in readiness for making my hexagonal box.

Oh, and I can now show you the pieces I was working on before Easter as they've now gone to my daughter as birthday presents.

 A little embroidery kit inside a tin - there's a needlelace scissor keep attached to a tiny pair of scissors (hidden from view) and the tiniest needlebook which held a gold-plated needle.

 This is the hardanger and cross stitch design I embroidered on the lid.

And a sketchbook covered with a square of embroidered crazy patchwork.