December 2014 - The Christmas Party.

The committee arrived to set up the hall ready for the annual Christmas party to be hit by a brick wall of parents and a hall full of Brownies. Had we got the wrong day? Was the hall double booked?
No! The brownies were coming to the end of their sleepover and would be out by nine o’clock. Thank goodness. With fantastic team work the hall was set up ready for the party.

After the notices: a reminder about the ‘Travelling Book’ project starting in January by Irene and a little seed sewn about the possible project to celebrate our 60th anniversary next year with members asked to think about the time line idea and how it could be presented, by Ann; the games began.

Card matching opened the party, followed by guess the advert, feely bags, unscramble embroidery words and phrases, identifying photographs of objects from strange angles, celebrity pairs and find the objects. Prizes were won along the way.

Barbara held a mini workshop demonstrating and making scissor fobs for those who wanted to.

Just before lunch the Chairs’ Christmas Challenge – a gift bag for a special gift to hang on the Christmas tree voted for by the members was awarded to Mel Charters. Sandie presented Mel with the trophy and scissor keeper (a traditional gift made by Barbara). Well done Mel!
Sandie also presented Barbara with a gift to say thank you for all the scissor keepers she has made over the years.

Mel's winning Gift Bag.

A splendid three course Christmas dinner followed and gave us all time to catch up with friends.

Then everyone helped to clear the hall whilst the committee filled up mugs with tea and coffee ready for the afternoon talk ‘My Journey from A to Z’ by Anne Brookes.
Although several of us had heard Anne speak before, she did not let us down with her ability to entertain and inform us.

Anne explained she has lived most of her life in Yorkshire; the place where she was brought up with a creative mum who used to recycle and reuse and encouraged her to visit jumble sales and redesign old garments. Her father’s dream was for her to be an accountant but from very early on in her life Anne wanted to be a teacher and succeeded with a great interest in Art completing a Visual Arts and Culture degree.

In her first teaching post in Lincoln she completed a Machine Embroidery project with a group of children. This was her insight into how the machine could be used for creative work other than dressmaking.

She married and moved back to Leeds and completed several ‘Variegations’ workshops. It was then she realised she had gained a PHD- Projects Half Done. Haven’t we all! With a new baby on the way, a new teaching job and new challenges she decided to start and try to complete her City and Guilds. Anne generally works with neutral colours, blues and greens but for one module of her City and Guilds she was told by her tutor she must use more colour. She completed a module about felted seed pods which were bright lime green and pink!
Since completing her City and Guilds Anne has exhibited at the Open Art Exhibition, entered the Art in the Pen Exhibition, sold some of her work and won the Shipton Art Prize. Her work is based on seed pods and she is especially fond of dandelion clocks and plantain seed pods.

She has developed her ideas by doodling and simplifying seed shapes, layering sketches, using different papers, making collages and stitching into the papers. Over time she has added maps of the locations that have inspired her work. She has also developed more 3D work.

Having been asked by two ladies from Harrogate Embroiderers’ Guild, at one of her exhibitions, if she does talks and workshops Anne has since become a member of the Halifax Embroiderers’ Guild and has  put together a programme of workshops including stitched collages, collage boxes, felt vessels, workbooks and print, collage and stitch.

Members were given the opportunity to ask questions and study her work, including her fantastic workbooks as well as take photographs.

Thanks to Anne who will be returning to Preston in March for a Day School- “Workbooks in a Day.”

Notices: Requirements list for January workshop led by Sandie - Stumpwork butterfly or flower  
Picture of your chosen butterfly or flower
Tracing paper
Embroidery hoop – medium sized
Calico backing fabric
Threads to match the colours you want to use for your chosen item
Usual sewing kit
If you have any cake wires please bring them.