 |
Our other activities: |
02 May 2023
Our May meeting took place with the room decked with decorations for the forthcoming Coronation, but the excitement of 56 eager Threads’ members came from meeting and making, booking workshops, and choosing books from the library. More wonderful submissions for Croome’s Summer installation were on display, including the amazing wedding cake with its froth of Suffolk puff flowers, gorgeous panels of felt flowers and the amazing rock pool.
Our afternoon session was led by the ever-popular Angie Hughes, whose “pop-up” workshop on the theme of Buttons proved irresistible. Angie had provided kits for participants for a minimal charge and wisely had come along with additional supplies so no-one was disappointed!
Her inspiration came during lockdown, when she used prints from Indian wood blocks to kick-start creativity, experimenting with colours and stitches from the basic designs. This resulted in a series of beautiful creations and joyful colourways, as well as providing emotional support during those confusing and alarming times.
Taking the principle of allowing the print to suggest stitches and colours, Angie showed us how to make prints from small blocks, fix the colours, proceeding to decorate the fabric with stitch, then assemble the unique, covered buttons. With our tutor’s relaxed and encouraging style, it’s no wonder members were soon enthusiastically printing, stitching and picking up all kinds of useful tips from Angie (and one another!). This project saw members working together, completely informally, and working at such a small scale, getting great results very quickly. Many of us will have wooden printing blocks and acrylic or fabric paint; coverable buttons are readily available (Hemline brand, inter alia), but the vital piece of kit turned out to be a small hammer. Placing a long plastic cotton reel on the back of the button, a sharp tap and voila! The back is locked in place – now to decide where to attach this mini work of art?
EG
Our May 2023 gallery
