Indholdsfortegnelse for July - August 2025 i Embroidery

‘Summertime and the livin’ is easy’… the joy of this season with its long days of sunshine and warmth (hopefully) is encapsulated in our cover, depicting the unbounded freedom of two swallows performing graceful acrobatics in a clear blue sky. The image gladdens me, stirring emotions of tranquillity and serenity. Compiling such works, though, with their sinuous trademark firmaments, is something of a brainteaser, writes artist Rachel Wright (see page 40). July and August are great months for getting out and about to immerse yourself in a summer of stitch and gen up on the practices of other artists. On my first trip to Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum in Bournemouth, the remarkable building evoked a sense of awe from the outset. Sir Merton Russell-Cotes gave the building to his…

It was BeverlyY Smith’s grandmother who taught her how ‘a simple piece of fabric can hold family truths from generations back.’ She remembers, as a young girl, the half-hour journey to her grandmother’s seeming like an adventure. Staying with her in Blacksburg, South Carolina, her grandmother would place a heavy patchwork quilt across her bed, making her feel safe and secure, so she could sleep alone and without the light on. This is her earliest memory of a quilt – one that consisted of scraps from her aunt’s discarded dresses, her uncle’s ripped jeans, and floral tablecloths from many Thanksgiving dinners. ‘Over time, garments become records of lived experiences,’ says Beverly. ‘I love how stains and tears on old garments and quilts reveal real people who embodied them.’ For Beverly…

‘What are your early memories of cloth? My earliest memories would probably be sewing with my nainy (that’s the Welsh word for gran). She was always knitting and sewing, and she had one of those wonderful sewing boxes with secret compartments that were full of buttons and bobbins and other sewing ephemera, which I found endlessly fascinating. I remember she made lovely clothes for my dolls and teddies. What did you study? I had a wonderful needlework teacher at school who knew that I didn’t enjoy the pattern-cutting and dressmaking that the curriculum demanded. She saw my passion for textiles was in doing something creative and she encouraged me to apply for a degree in fashion and textiles, specialising in embroidery. At the time there were only four places in…

As a primary school teacher and computing and science lead for the last four years, I’m always looking for innovative ways to make coding meaningful, accessible and fun for my pupils. During the Covid pandemic, while searching for creative tools to teach computing remotely, I discovered TurtleStitch, a block-based programming environment where pupils can create designs that can be stitched out on an embroidery machine. TurtleStitch opened up a world of possibilities. It allowed us to combine computing with textiles, giving children a tangible outcome for their coding work. This physical output – something they could touch, wear, or display – gave their programming real purpose and themselves pride. Over the last few years, we’ve created a range of collaborative digital embroidery projects, including a Doctor Who scarf in partnership…

FANS OF ANNE KELLY’S largely representational art will probably wonder why she titled her latest book Abstract Textiles. Explaining her choice, Kelly describes participants in her workshops as looking for ways to expand creatively and adds that it was also a challenge for her. ‘Abstract art has become more popular and it was amazing seeing how many people are producing so many different examples,’ the author notes. As a teacher, Kelly finds students are often afraid to look at elements such as colour, shape and background: ‘They’re very cautious and approach things as if there always has to be an image there.’ Kelly acknowledges that ‘it is quite hard to go without an image, to transition from figurative narrative work to abstract,’ but adds ‘it’s also very rewarding because you…

Loop, the ‘textile heaven’ over four floors in London’s Camden Passage, is celebrating its 20th anniversary in July. Two decades ago, without Instagram, to discover what was trending founder Susan Cropper relied on intuition and real-world research. Akin to a ‘craft culture barometer’ in the worlds of knitting, crochet, embroidery and textile art, if Susan approves of a stitch kit, fabulous fibre, skilfully crafted pair of scissors, or art piece, it will sell (or sell out) in Loop. As a former art director and designer for magazine publisher Condé Nast, Susan has always been apprised of trends and underlying currents, while her upbringing in New York instilled in her a refined sense of artistic conception. Her grandmother taught her to knit, and with her mother going ‘back to school’ to…

THE FESTIVAL OF QUILTS returns to the NEC Birmingham from 31 July to 3 August. Whether you’re a seasoned quilter, a craft enthusiast, or simply looking for an inspiring day out, you won’t want to miss this eagerly-awaited event in the craft calendar. ✿ Enjoy an exciting line-up with guest appearances from top international quilting artists, including renowned quilter, designer and author Edyta Sitar, plus Textile Galleries from leading artists such as Galla Grotto (France), Pat Pauly (USA) and Anitha N Reddy (India). ✿ Shop top-quality craft supplies from more than 200 exhibitors. Stock up on patchwork and quilting supplies, fabric, thread, yarn, kits, haberdashery or sewing machines. The line-up includes Higgs & Higgs, M Rosenberg & Son, Toft, Quilters’ Clinic and many more. ✿ With more than 370 workshops,…

‘SUMMONING THE MUSE for my latest body of work for the National Trust’s Upton House, in Warwickshire, was straightforward, because they were right there in front of me – all nine of them, in ceramic form. But how to portray them took some soul searching and a little experimentation. However, as a textile artist who creates figurative stitched paintings using a sewing machine, frequently referencing mythological characters and female archetypes, when I was invited to work with Upton’s 18th century muses, I knew the project was cut out for me. The rare set of soft paste porcelain figures at Upton, featuring nine Rococo muses, was made by the Chelsea Porcelain Factory in about 1765. The muses are characters from Ancient Greek myths and were first written about by Hesiod, who…

CURRENTLY PREPARING FOR her first European solo show, Dana Awartani’s poignant works are rooted in techniques and materials from Arab, Islamic and other global contexts. This interest in tradition is centred on research, lived experiences and heritage: ‘I come from a lot of countries in the Middle East. I’m Palestinian, I’m Syrian, I’m Jordanian and I grew up in Saudi. My collective history faces cultural destruction and so at the core of my practice is the theme of destruction, repairing and making, all of which are part of my daily life.’ Awartani’s exhibition, at Bristol’s Arnolfini this summer, will include four works: the textile series Come, let me heal your wounds, first exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 2024, plus the new textile series, Let me mend your broken bones,…

In 1969, Canon G.A. Williams wrote the first account of Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth’s life – a brief, 38-page publication containing just eight photographs. Although Canon Williams knew her personally, his memoir was constrained by the technology and publishing limitations of his time. More than five decades later, a new biography, Undaunted by Jane Hellebrand, brings Rachel’s legacy back into the spotlight. The woman behind the renowned Gawthorpe Textiles Collection is revealed in greater depth, with her passion for craft, education and social welfare woven into a compelling and multi-dimensional narrative. The collection, founded at Gawthorpe Hall in Padiham, Lancashire, reflects Rachel’s lifelong commitment to community and creativity. Unlike her predecessor Canon Williams, Jane had access to digital resources and genealogy platforms, which opened up new ways of understanding Rachel’s world. What…

ON SHOW ABERDEEN Reading Between the Lines: Embroidered Samplers, until 30 Nov. Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill AB10 1FQ. aberdeencity.gov.uk ARUNDEL 60/80: Milestones for two artists – Alison Crowther and Ann Symes’ wood and weave, until 19 Jul. Plus, Abstract Aesthetic, with an East/West influence, 2 Aug–13 Sep. Gallery 57, 57 Tarrant Street BN18 9DJ. gallery57.co.uk AYLESBURY On a Grand Scale – larger works in the Embroiderers’ Guild Collection. Until Jan 2026. Discover Bucks Museum HP20 2PQ. discoverbucksmuseum.org BALDOCK Threaded Together by Urban Textiles – first show by this six-member group – until 30 Aug; Wed, Fri and Sat 11am–3pm. Baldock Arts & Heritage Centre, The Old Town, High Street SG7 6AR. Fully accessible. bahc.co.uk instagram.com/urban_textiles BANBURY Muses and More by Vivienne Beaumont, until 31 Oct. Upton House & Gardens, Edge…

Zulu beadwork at Sunbury Gallery ‘I grew up in subtropical Durban in South Africa, where vibrant colour is everywhere, and have always been a colourist,’ notes Lisa Todd, whose vibrant exhibition I Am BecauseYou Are is on show at Sunbury Embroidery Gallery until 17 August. Lisa’s interior design career came to an abrupt end in 2003 after an accident resulted in severely restricted movement in the neck. But Lisa began to paint, and in 2019, started her Ubuntu collection based on Zulu beadwork. Ubuntu means, ‘I am because we are’. After meetingValencia Nolubabalukanko (Nolu), whose beadwork was being exhibited at Somerset House, London, the pair became friends and formed a creative partnership. Nolu beaded Lisa’s paintings and designs while having cancer treatment, providing an income for her family in challenging…

Sometimes, in the face of adversity, good can come out of harm; negative events can lead to wisdom and beneficial change. That’s the hope, at least, of Janina Bacchetta, whose first solo project since gaining an MA in contemporary craft design at Hereford College of Arts is tackling racism head on. Describing the catalyst for this body of work, Janina says: ‘I started The Power of Words project in 2023 when I discovered a wooden Sylko cotton reel with a racist slur as its colour label. The reel was among my mother’s sewing belongings, which my sister gave me when my mother passed away. The objects had been in my possession for a few years, yet I hadn’t had the time to look at them.’ Janina continues: ‘Discovering the reel…

■ IT MIGHT SEEM like an odd coupling, but for those delving into the world of visualising science, data and life rhythms in art, stitch has become the perfect technique with which to illustrate some of the more complex aspects of our universe. From depicting information from ice flows to our mining heritage, and from the unpredictability of the British weather and the changing ocean currents to our rapidly expanding digital world, we chat to eight textile and mixed-media artists who champion the appliance of embroidery to science. Jordan Cunliffe ▶ ‘Everything is data. The more you delve into this topic, the more you will begin to recognise it all around you,’ says embroidery designer Jordan Cunliffe, author of Record, Map and Capture: Data visualisation in cloth and stitch (Batsford,…

What are the origins of Carousel Textile Artists group? Carousel began in 2016 when a group of former textiles students got together to create an exhibition at theWaterloo Action Centre in central London. They had completed, and in one case taught on, the textiles foundation or advanced textiles courses at Morley College, as have more recently recruited members. A mixture of enthusiastic learners and experienced professionals, our wide range of skills encompasses everything from weaving, printing and knitting to felt-making, millinery, embroidery and more, coupled with the desire to continue to learn and to express ourselves in public through the skills and knowledge we have gained. Is there an overriding principle that binds you together? Carousel is a friendly group of artists and designer-makers with textiles as our common thread.…

GLOSSARY Peranakan describes cross-cultural mixed heritage communities from the settlement of different people in Southeast Asia, including Chinese, Indian, Arab and Europeans, who mixed with the indigenous Malay-Indonesian cultures of the archipelago. BABAS AND NYONYAS Straits-of-Malaca-born Peranakan Chinese men are commonly called Baba and Peranakan Chinese women are called Nyonya. ■ The Peranakan Museum in Singapore has one of the most comprehensive public collections of Southeast Asian Peranakan objects. Batik Nyonyas features batiks by three masters from the same family, showing how each generation responded to commercial pressures, shifting social norms and political change. The three generations of female batik makers are Nyonya Oeij Soen King (1871-1950), Nyonya Oeij Kok Sing (1895-1966) and Jane Hendromartono (1924-1988). They are a Peranakan Chinese family from the town of Pekalongan on Java’s north…