KNITTING AND STITCHING SHOW 2010

Just got back from the Knitting and Stitching show in Harrogate, which was brilliant. I'd never been before, but came away inspired! There were some beautiful textile artists and techniques to use in my Bird Project as well as bear in mind for the future. Some of the work was breath taking and I've created some links on the right to my favourite artists and retailers from the show.
'B is for Baby' by Deb Jackson- I love all the lace and the layers, she's layered her work over a cartoon strip and I think some it has been made by sewing into soluble fabric, but I'm not sure. The pastels and soft tone work really well- after all, those are the colours we associate with Christenings and babies.
Work by Susie Vickery-'One Crow for Poverty' and 'Five Crows for a Wedding. I especially like the way she has incorporated movement into her work- you pull (gently) on a string under the picture and the birds wings move up and down. I thought this was an absolutely brilliant idea and something I definitely want to include in my own work- layering up with tracing paper or acetate and pinning round part of the bird but having the wing or head moving would be very effective, as well as get the audience involved in the picture and the art itself. Julia Caprara- 'Sussex Garden in September'. I really like the background of this piece, very gentle. I also love the loops of thread that made up the bushy top of the tree- something for a future project perhaps.
Another Julia Caprara piece 'Day of the Willows'- I am really liking the tree theme- perhaps nature or trees is something to look at! I like the leaves sewn onto this piece, as they are not completely flat, making the piece more tactile and in my opinion more 'tree like'.
Annette Morgan- 'Pay the Ferryman'. I love this quilt, she is the winner in the Festival of Quilts' competition- I really like the way she has combined photos with the fabric and worked over it in thread.
Simone Fisher- a university graduate from Harrogate College created this beautiful dress- I love it. It reminds me of Marie Antoinette and that era. I have a soft spot for anything even remotely related to period drama and this was always bound to be a favourite.
Su Allington- 'Overground, Underground Sheltering Free'. I like the detail of this piece as well as the subject matter- though I think the best square is the Robin in the water can- what a lovely idea!
Lynn Holland 'His winter Place', I love how simplified this piece is, with it's bold unblended colours. It also brought back fond memories of our Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award, as I have so many photos of a similar scene! Our boots, however, were a little bit dirtier! (own pictures below)
I like the buttons on this piece, most of them have been covered over in pape or plastic and I thought that was a brilliant idea. If I can't find, for example, a red button, I tend to wait until the next time I go to the shops and pick one up but covering them in paper is both quirky and means that any button can have a new lease of life not matter how tired looking it is. The girl who made this is just 13 as well and I think she thoroughly deserves to ahve it displayed0 it is so different and origional. Phoebe Farnsworth 'Buttoned Up'.
Claire Platt- I like the combination of Knitting and silhouetting her work. The traditinal knit contrasts well with the modern shape of an aeroplane, it is interesting to think that Knitting has been around for longer than the aeroplane, yet in todays world, the latter of the two plays a far bigger role in everyday life. How many people know how to knit? I would imagine it is far less than the number of people who go on holiday via aeroplane. This winter's aim it to learn to knit.
Jade Marczynski- University Graduate. I like these very cute pieces, I especially like the Telogram, what a fab idea. I like her variety of subject matter, the bicycle has so much detail in it, there's even a mini bike chain!

These are just a selection of the artists I saw, there were so many more, (some are listed in the links in the right) and all of them were worth going to see. I feel totatly inspired and just want to get cracking on my own work! If you are thinking of going, I would strongly recommend it, it is a really enjoyable day and I can't wait to go again next year!