This week I will mostly be travelling back and forth along the bumpy highways of the shire to Bradford-on-Avon. I’m exhibiting with the members of ‘Following the Threads’ a long-standing group of textile artists and makers who meet fortnightly to support each other, share ideas and skills and work towards an annual exhibition. This year’s show is entitled ‘Dressing the Walls’ which I’m told is one of those long-lost Wiltshire phrases for gardening and all things horticultural. Having seen some of my fellow members’ works in progress over the last year, it will be great to see the space fill with colour and floral abundance.
‘Cutting Patch’ detail
We will be installing our work in the West Barn within thimble-throwing distance of one of the most important medieval architectural gems in England. You can read more about the history of the fourteenth century Tithe Barn on the English Heritage website with additional information offered by Bradford on Avon Preservation Trust whose venerable and persistent committee members have spent the last sixty or so protecting these barns and many other historical buildings across the town.
In between invigilating, and maybe (you never know) actually selling a few pieces, I’m keen to make some on-site drawings and sketches of the Tithe Barn itself. The last time I was there I remember thinking that the beams, trusses and arches would be interesting elements to incorporate into a quilt or collage. I will have more time this year to consider those possibilities in more depth.
This week’s plan of action is a direct result of spending last Saturday in the gardens of Abbey Manor Gardens in Malmesbury (see last week’s post) and, if you’ll indulge me, I’d like to write a little more about how I tackled this day of new-to-me ‘en-plein air’ stitching.
Despite the prospect of a damp, chilly morning I gathered some threads, scissors and a couple of needles and found what proved to be this extremely useful wooden frame in the cupboard. I have no recollection of acquiring it but I am pleased it turned up when it did. Instead of having to stitch or pin a piece of fabric to the supports, it was possible to slot a rectangle of calico into the ingenious grooves and tension as required.
Once we’d found a suitably sheltered spot directly behind the 12th century Abbey, I had a wander, took a few reference photos and sketched directly onto the fabric. It was an enjoyably speedy process, cutting and placing the random fabrics I’d taken with me and relocating some of the topiary shapes from other areas of the garden. I plan to re-work it a little, add some more definition to the Abbey ruins perhaps, but, as I expect you gathered from last week’s post, I was more than a little pleased to be selected as the inaugural ‘Malmesbury Landscape Artist of the Year’.
Unsurprisingly, working in a rectangular frame felt very different to working in a circular hoop. It made stitching feel more like drawing and layering the fabrics felt more like painting. Surprisingly, I also loved working in the garden, on location, with a deadline and limited materials. In fact, there are many aspects of that day spent under the pergola that have made me re-think some of my processes and working methods.
As I’ve been preparing work for the exhibition I have also been thinking about suitable framing and hanging options. Time is short and I wanted to avoid an online safari of textiles in the wild but this article gave me a starting point and some new subscribers kindly suggested various options.
The stone walls of the West Barn are similar to the one pictured above with, as I recall, a useful hanging system. In order to make the installation as simple and low-fi as possible, I’ve gone for dowels and loops to the back of each piece. A couple of our members are taking the lead on curating and hanging the works and I hope my selection of half a dozen pieces will give them sufficient choice.
I will share details of the show and some in-progress photos on Notes over the next few days and hope to write next week’s slow, quiet note from the gallery. If you happen to be in Bradford-on-Avon next weekend, please come and say hello.
As ever, thank you for taking the time to read my words here. I’ve had what feels like a flurry of new subscribers this week and everyone’s comments, likes and shares are very much appreciated.
As I’ve been posting for six months now, I’m starting to think about extending what I do here - maybe short tutorials, perhaps some book reviews, possibly specific work-in-progress posts. To help me plan the next six months I’d be really interested in hearing what you might be interested in reading about so please do drop any ideas or suggestions below.
In the meantime, have a great, slightly cooler (if you’re in the UK) week.
J x
the quilt is so lush and makes me think of Arabian Nights