MoreArts - Wokingham

The MoreArts venue at 43c Peach Street in the centre of Wokingham is hosting the next ReOrsa exhibition, entitled 'All that remains'. It opens 10th March and will run until the 26th.

I am exhibiting, and am working on 'stalk-like' structures that will hang in the window of the venue. I have been busy experimenting with my ideas. Inspirations include the experimental piece of giant French knitting I made a couple of months ago, and stalks of cow parsley. I like the way cow parsley is so green and pliable when its new, and then stiff and hollow when it withers. Or is it just that I used to love to wrench them from the hedgerow and fight with them. I probably still would, but it doesn't seem to grow much around here.

Structure workshop - Baylis Court School

I'm getting ready to be 'Artist in Residence' for a day at Baylis Court School in Slough. I am excited to be working with two groups of GCSE level Art and Textile students, looking at lots of techniques and ideas for their project theme 'Structures'. We are going to work with the embellisher machines, Bondaweb fusing, weaving and stitching, and look at all the ways in which these techniques can be combined using fibre and fabric scraps.
I've been working on a few new samples.

Upcycling workshops at Leighton Park School

A rather nerve-wracking and snowy journey started my day at Leighton Park School in Reading. But as soon as I had arrived, unpacked my stuff and thawed out over a cup of tea with the textiles teacher, Jo, I had a fantastic day from start to finish.

The school collected a huge variety of old clothes, old bags, belts and bits and bobs. And then the students arrived and were excited to get started. We looked at samples and ideas and then launched straight in. We made a lacy cloche hat from old tops, bags from old dresses and skirts, a mini-puffball skirt from a fitted sheet and chopped and restyled blouses and dresses into funky new creations.

The day was divided into two groups, with the older students and sixth-form in the morning, and the younger ones down to year 7 in the afternoon.

A nautical fitted-sheet being transformed into a puff-ball mini.

Works in progress - Chopping and changing a dress (above) and a funky bag (below)

Everyone enjoyed themselves, were keen to do more upcycling, and to add more finishing touches to their pieces when they got home. The only down-note was that the snowy weather meant that the Fair Trade fashion show planned for the parents and the students in the evening had to be cancelled. However, it will be rescheduled for January, and the extra time will mean even more unique, fabulous 'upcycled' creations for the students to model.

Breakthrough sold out!

I'm very pleased to say that the Breakthrough book - the catalogue of this year's exhibition by Contemporary Quilt that I designed, has sold out of its first edition. It featured full page images of each of the 42 quilts in the exhibition, including my own quilt.
Further copies are available via print-on-demand through Lulu.

University of Reading contracted supplier

The graphic design part of my company Leigh & Glennie Ltd has been appointed as a contracted supplier for the University of Reading. This is the third time that I have been awarded this status since the supplier list was introduced in 2006. I am looking forward to continuing to work closely with clients across the campus and with the Branding Team in the Design & Print Studio.

Annual report Museum of English Rural Life based at the University of Reading, published October 2010

Whatever floats your boat ... awarded the Inspire Mark

On behalf of Thames Valley Contemporary Textiles and Quilt Group and Slough Museum, I applied for the Inspire Mark, the badge of the London 2012 Inspire Programme, for the 'Whatever floats your boat ... Contemporary Textiles in Slough' project.

I am now very pleased and excited to say that the project has been granted this prestigious status. Read more about it on the group blog. And at the London 2012 website for the Inspire Programme element of the Cultural Olympiad.

"Whatever floats your boat ..."

An exhibition I am co-curating at Slough Museum, summer 2011 - about whatever there is in Slough or its Museum that 'floats your boat', and gives you a source for inspiration. This project is getting exciting ... members of Thames Valley Contemporary Quilt are signing up and beginning to get their inspirations. There is lots more about it on the group blog. I am not yet sure where my ideas are going. I still can't get the bra I saw on display in the Museum out of my mind. I think I may head in this direction!

Reading University Whiteknights Guide

Open publication - Free publishing - More university

I am posting selected publications from my portfolio in a way in which they can be explored more fully. This first document is the latest 2010 edition of the Whiteknights Guide for the University of Reading which I designed recently. I now have to work out the best place for them to go - in a blog page (which is easy), or on my website (where I have to wrestle with HTML!).

"Unearth" - the Staffordshire Hoard

Inspired by the discovery of the Staffordshire Hoard and the thought of uncovering such a find, I created this felt piece Unearth. It will be shown Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th June at Reading Arts Week at the New Directions Centre, together with pieces by my EquilARTeral friends Sandy and Merete who also responded to the Staffordshire hoard - Sandy working with machine and hand embroidery, and Merete working with pieced patchwork.

Breakthrough book published

Breakthrough - the exhibition, will be appearing in its entirety at the Festival of Quilts at the NEC in Birmingham in August. 

My quilt will be part of this exhibition, but even more exciting for me will be the exhibition catalogue which is NOW ON SALE!! This is the first time Contemporary Quilt have produced a full-scale, full colour 90 page catalogue. I designed the layout and the cover, and I'm proud (and totally biassed!) to say a detail of my quilt appears on the cover. It was a team effort with other CQ members providing photographic, typesetting, technical and proofreading support.

The book will be for sale at the Festival of Quilts for £10, or it can be made available by post.