Talk - ‘Flights of Fancy – Butterflies & Beasties’

This afternoon we were delighted by Jan Reid and Lynn Gourley giving a talk and slide show about the exhibition Flights of Fancy – Butterflies & Beasties’. This exhibition was held at Perth Museum and Art Gallery in September 2017, and was a project to mark the 25th anniversary of the setting up of Perth and District Embroiderer's Guild. The ladies wanted a project that they could work on individually, unlike for example, the Great Tapestry of Scotland, or a journal, which had to be passed around from person to person.

The museum had a collection of butterflies and insects, and this proved to be the inspiration for the project. Something small enough to be worked on individually, at home or together, and offering a huge scope for imagination, using different techniques, and freedom to use whatever media each person favoured.  Over the course of a year the myriad of butterflies hatched and flew, with techniques including stamping on organza, gold work, blackwork, Hardanger, stump work, devore, shadow work, machine embroidery, cross stitch, burning and cutting back, angelina, beadwork, the scope was endless. 

The creatures were displayed in cabinets in the museum, with the bugs crawling across the floor or the cabinet, and the butterflies either displayed in collector's boxes, or strung from invisible thread from the roof of the cabinet to make a great cloud of gorgeous wings in flight.  Children from five primary schools (Coupar Angus, Abernethy, Blairingone, Abernyte, and Viewland in Perth, enthusiastically took part, making caterpillars and butterflies, which were also on show. 

Below is a selection of the creatures that Jan and Lynn brought along, all displayed on a table, we could only imagine what they would have looked like in full flight. The embroidered bug rug was beautifully done, and also sported a march of  3D beetles (my favourite was the dung beetle!), all in glorious colours and exquisite detail.

We think it was a lovely project for a group of stitchers, and hope that Jan and Lynn will give us a day school in the future.

Below are some photos which I took, sadly we have none of the actual exhibition at Perth, or the children's contributions, but for those on Facebook, Perth & District Embroiderers Guild has a selection of other pictures of the beautiful work.

New Session starts with a Bang!

After the long hot summer the club members met for the first time this session, with autumn approaching and more time to spend indoors creating beautiful things.  Tables spread with vintage embroidered tablecloths held plates of delicious home made bakes brought along by committee members (watch out, Bake Off!), and it was lovely to catch up with everyone's news over the break. We have a packed programme for the year, and already the day schools are well booked, so if you are thinking of attending one, don't delay to get your name down. Among the events to look forward to is a tour of the new V&A in Dundee.

We offer a warm welcome to our new members, and hope you enjoy being part of our friendly club.

Members brought along some of the things they had been working on over the summer, it's always great to see what everyone has been doing. Apologies for some of the poor photos, the light was not good yesterday.

Textile Exhibition in Dundee

Our member Lynda Marshall and friends are having an exhibition of textile art in the Botanic Gardens in Dundee. The poster shows a beautiful felted piece called 'Wee Hamish'.

New Programme for 2018/2019

The new programme for 2018/19 is now available.  Just click on the link above to see what an interesting and exciting few months we have to look forward to.  The Day Schools are also on this page.

I'm sure everyone has been enjoying this amazing summer, and it will be lovely to see what everyone has produced during the lazy hot days.

For those of you who love all things woolly, there is the Perth Festival of Yarn on 8th and 9th September, here is the link to the website https://perthfestivalofyarn.uk

Day School with Louise Collins

Following Louise's inspirational talk a few weeks ago, members enjoyed a day school with her.  With a wealth of redundant material the ladies were able to make their own fabric by cutting, sewing, embellishing, and lots of imagination. Everyone was free to choose what they wanted to make, and the items below show the range of ideas that were sparked.

Works in progress:

And some completed projects:

The Arbroath Tapestry - talk by Linda Walker

'It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours, that we are fighting, but for freedom, for that alone which no honest man gives up but with life itself'.

2020 mark the 700 year anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath, of which the stirring words above are a part. Celebrations and re-enactments are planned to mark the event, and after the success of the Great Tapestry of Scotland, some of the ladies who helped make this came up with a plan in 2014 to make a tapestry to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath.

What is the Declaration of Arbroath? It is a manuscript associated with the Abbey of Arbroath, which cried for freedom from the English oppression of Edward I, and the right of Scotland to govern itself independently. This document was sealed with seals of the barons and various dignitaries, and was sent to the Pope, John 22nd, in Avignon for his approval. It was probably penned by the Abbot Bernard.

The idea of the tapestry grew, and attracted various able people who were placed to offer practical help. Andrew Crummy, who designed the Great Tapestry of Scotland, created the first draft, and following amendments by people steeped in the history of Arbroath, a design of a Triptych was eventually finalised. Christine Riley, a graduate of the Royal School of Needlework and with an interest in medieval needlework, was able to help the ladies with tuition and threads.  A carpenter and woodcarver are going to make a frame for the work, which it is hoped will hang in the Abbey, but because it is portable will be able to shown in other venues.

The ladies practised their sewing skills on panels, four of which are below, using wool and gold threads. They depict the Oslin Apple, which the original monks brought with them from their mother house in France.  The apples will form part of the Triptych, with the large panel in the centre, and the folding panels on the outside.

There is a lot of hard work to be done in a short space of time, so noses are at the grindstone to complete this intricate, demanding piece of stitching. If the apple panels are anything to go by it will be a work to be wondered at.

The King and the Abbot with the Declaration of Arbroath

Facsimile of the Declaration, with the seals of the barons

The final design of the centre panel

Around the edge are the seals of the barons The top points to Heaven.

The Abbot in front of the Abbey, holding the Declaration

The strata of society from the top down, the abbot, the nobles and monks, to the peasants at the bottom

The 'Practice' panels with the Oslin apples

For those interested in history below is a more comprehensive note about the Declaration, and a translation of the document.