Workshops and Websites

Embroidered Goose. Textile markers and hand embroidery on printed fabric, 2015

This week I've been busy making samples and worksheets for some of the workshops that I've got coming up. I've got several workshops coming up in different locations and I'm really looking forward to all of them! One of the things that I like about running workshops is that it gives me a good excuse to have a play about with materials and techniques. This helps keep my skills up to date and inspires me to try new things and expand my own skill set.

Sketches and notes for samples

Shadow Embroidery sample

Pin Stitch, shadow appliqué sample

I also often find that this 'playing' leads to new ideas and ways to resolve problems I've been facing in my work. In creating samples for an upcoming Shadow-work workshop I've been inspired to carry on with a large magpie piece I started and then sort of abandoned last year. I've now almost finished it and although it is quite different to how I originally envisaged the piece I think I'm quite pleased with it. It usually takes me a little while to decide I'm happy (or not) with a piece!

Shadow Work Magpie in progress

Shadow Work Magpie in progress

Similarly, in creating samples for an upcoming Hand Embroidery workshop at Tullie House I was inspired to work back into some fabric drawings I'd done last year, painting and stitching into them. I'm pleased with how this work is progressing and I can see how this might develop into new pieces.

Drawing on fabric: Painted and stitched

Drawing on fabric: Painted and stitched

I've also added a new 'Workshops' page to my website, which I've been meaning to do for a little while now. I love running workshops so I'm hoping that this might make me a bit more accessible!

Screen shot

Upcoming Workshops:

Hand Embroidery: Embellishing Printed Fabric

Saturday 20th February 2016

Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle

Shadow Work

Saturday 27th February 2016

Cumberland Embroiderers Guild, Carlisle

An Introduction to Felt Making

Saturday 16th April 2016

Watchtree Nature Reserve

(Details TBC)

Textile Banners

Saturday 23rd April 2016

Tullie House, Museum and Art Gallery

Folded Sketchbooks

Saturday 7th May 2016

Watchtree Nature Reserve

(Details TBC)

Rag Rug Wall Piece

Rag Rug Wall Piece

Over the past few weeks I have been working on a group piece with my Heathlands Textiles groups. I have been teaching them basic rag-rug making skills and we have each made a sampler. I asked each person to choose one colour and use just that colour. The finished piece then has a range of colours but they are all contained within the individual samplers.

Detail

Each sampler is worked in a circular embroidery ring and by last week I had enough samplers for us to start putting the piece up. My friend and colleague Helen Tuck started putting the rings up on Thursday and as more people finish their samplers the piece will grow. I love the different textures in the pieces and it's something the guys have enjoyed doing as it is quite easy and relaxing and grows quite quickly.

Detail of cream sampler

Work in progress

Work in progress

Work in progress

The Lace Space and Monster Capes

How organised am I? I said I would blog about our Summer Project-Universal-and here I am actually doing it. Anyway, enough self congratulations. Today we have been outside chucking dye onto fabric ready to cut it up and weave it into the Harris fencing up around site. Another of the Creative Textiles projects I'm doing is a space (see drawing) that you can step into created from knitted/crocheted/woven plastic bags, melted and attached together. It's beginning to concern me quite how much plastic I have to knit before Thursday but I'm not alone, my able assistants are more than pulling their weight.

The Lace Space-Concept drawing

Knitted and melted plastic bags

Crocheted and melted plastic bags

One of the Costume projects I'm doing is monster capes. I made a pattern for a simple hooded cape and then decided the hoods would be good with eyes and teeth to make them into monsters. Which is what you see below. The second one even has eye holes!

Monster!

Monster with eye holes!

Stay tuned for more fun fabric based frolics!

A brand new website is born!

Having spent the past few days frying my technologically inadept brain, I have now created and published my very own website. Which is quite frankly rather exciting. I used wix as my knowledge of computery things is limited and it was recommended to me by a friend. I'm quite pleased with the results I think. I may even get really keen and upgrade it to an ad-free real domain at some point. But not yet. I'm off to do something more interesting, yay paint! Oh, yeah; here's the address! http://www.wix.com/delicate_stitches/helen-walsh
Let me know what you think (but be gentle please.)

Upcoming Exhibition

So, here is my first ever post! Over the past few months I've been working (somewhat sporadically I must admit) on some new work for the Winter Light Exhibition at Altrincham College of Arts. Check out their website http://www.altrinchamcollege.com/the-gallery for more information. I would give you some sneaky picture previews but I don't have a camera at the moment and most of the work is currently sitting in Manchester anyway.

The work I've been doing is all based around tatting and knitting, I'm interested in exploring the place of 'women's work' in art and how these traditional crafts have been both a solace and a prison for women. On the one hand they have offered a sometimes rare opportunity for self expression, the chance to design and create something either functional or decorative and on the other hand for many women they have been a chore, a necessity, keeping them tied to the home.

I also just find them fascinating and I am constantly amazed by the connection people feel with textiles, particularly something that has been hand made. These textiles become almost like a second skin, another layer of protection from the outside world. Which may or may not be a good thing.