Summer schools

I'm getting very excited as I start to prepare for a summer of workshops!

In August, have been invited to Gawthorpe Hall in Lancashire which houses the Rachel B Kay-Shuttleworth collection of textiles.  This nationally important collection includes needlework and embroidery from the 17th Century, patchwork and quilting, costumes, a collection of lace and other textile crafts.  Workshops are held in a converted stable block and I will be showing how to make stunning jewellery by mixing traditional knitting skills with contemporary materials.  The course is almost booked up but if you want to grab one of the two remaining places then please contact Gail Marsh who is the curator for the RBKS Collection of Textiles at Gawthorpe (g.marsh@rbks.org.uk).

I've also started volunteering at Birdcage in Skipton, a vintage/charity shop which supports Behind Closed Doors for victims of domestic abuse.  It's so much more than a charity shop because it hosts workshops and drop-in sessions to teach sewing, rag-rug making, patchwork and many other crafts.  Over the summer  I will be running a free drop-in session at to decorate wooden coat-hangers.  Visitors are asked to bring some coat-hangers with them but Birdcage will provide the other materials and know-how to transform them into mini works of art!  In return we ask that some of the coat-hangers are donated to the shop to display our lovely clothes.


Photos and designs are copyright of Claire Ketteman

Views of Withens

 Last month's challenge was to make an innovative quilt for the Quilt and Embroidery show at Uttoxeter. I wanted to develop my theme of dry stone walls and incorporate devore to create additional translucent areas.

I love using dyes and chemicals to transform fabrics, but most of all I love the way that the whole process is slightly out of control and the results are often a surprise. I started by dying the patchworked fabric in acid dye (to colour silk fibres) and then in procion dye (to colour cellulosic fibres).  Then I painted, bleached and applied devore paste.

For the purpose of the competition a quilt is defined as three layers of fabric stitched together.  I wanted to retain the transparency of my piece and traditional wadding would have ruined it so, in the spirit of innovation, I sandwiched a ribbon of fabric bearing a poem between the patchwork top and a cotton organdie base. Rather than the more obvious works of the Bronte's I chose "Two Views of Withens" by Silvia Plath.  Silvia was married to local poet Ted Hughes and her words really captured the fickle Pennine landscape.

The competition judges were complimentary noting an inspired use of devore velvet for the stone wall and a good contrast of textures. Thank you ladies!

Photos copyright Claire Ketteman

A Nod to the Past

Roses from the Heart is a project started by artist Christina Henri to celebrate the lives of women transported from the UK to Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania).  When my friend Marjorie persuaded me to take part and make a bonnet, I found myself drawn into the lives of these women who were sentenced for an average of 10 years for insignificant felonies and ripped from all that was familiar.  I imagined them taking small tokens to remind them of their former lives and sewing them inside the lining of their clothes to keep them safe.


I "adopted" my convict who was just 15 when she was transported in 1838.  She shared the same name as my mother.  The bonnet is made from two layers of cotton muslin and trapped inside are fragments of lace from my wedding dress, a button from a favorite cardigan and rose petals to remind me of my garden.


I have used a traditional style of embroidery to embellish my bonnet.  It has not been my usual kind of work it has been very satisfying to dwell in the past for a while.




Photos and text copyright Claire Ketteman 2012

Getting ready to exhibit

I'm off to Clitheroe tomorrow to take three of my pictures to the Platform Gallery where they will be shown in the Open Craft Exhibition 5th May - 14th July.  I have signed my work and duly attached the appropriate labels.  I have plenty of bubble wrap and acid free tissue paper but I've just re-read the instructions and I need mirror plate fixings on my two framed works.  I need to catch the hardware store before they close......!

Linear Stitching 2

I am still fascinated by the dry-stone walls that define the Pennine landscape around me. I thought that once completed I would move on to some new subject but I can't quite let go.

I have been re-working previous samples with my new found love of linear stitches. I chose earthy browns and heather colours and added some seed stitch in the shape of a stone.

Using a palette of greens I have allowed my needle to wander over and around the fabrics like a footpath or the outlines of the walls seen from a distance. These stitches are gently guiding the viewer around my work, drawing attention to details that might otherwise be overlooked.

Copyright design & photos Claire Ketteman

Linear Stitching 1

I have recently discovered the joy of linear stitching. I find that I can loose myself in these simple repetitive stitches, giving myself time to think and to reflect on the shapes I am creating. This revelation came about thanks to an exhibition of Lyn Setterington's work at Gallery Oldham last year. Lyn has studied the Kantha quilting traditions of Bangladesh and has created her own stunning interpretations of the style. I loved the simplicity and clarity of her work.

My own felted book cover shows influences of the the lino cut prints of Angie Lewin. The simple running stitch gives a feeling of movement to the sky.

Getting bolder, my next piece of work was an

Olympic-themed postcard representing Mexico for Skipton Embroiderer's Guild. I chose some bright, red-hot chilies (my favourite cooking ingredient!) and stitched them in chain stitch. Working in sections I was able to create a 3-dimensional effect.

Design & photos copyright: Claire Ketteman

Workshops

What do you do at the weekend? Walk the dog, play sport, catch up with friends and family? Well there is a whole bunch of people who like nothing better than to spend their weekend learning new skills and meeting new people. I've met quite a few of these lovely folks over the last few months when I have taught workshops at Texere Yarns.


Customise a Cardigan was a course brimming with ideas to turn a cheap, mass-produced, knitted garment into something that looked like it had come from a high end retailer. With machine applique, hand embellishment, felted buttons and Suffolk puffs, this basic cardigan was transformed into a unique item.


Spice and Sparkle was a workshop teaching a technique of fusing sheer fabrics with glittery fibres and other small objects trapped in between the layers. I went all-out with this and made a table runner with slices of dried fruit, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and cloves. It wasn't the easiest thing to make but it smells devine!







Design and photos copyright: Claire Ketteman