Hidden Lives

Just in time!  I have finished my work for the Gawthorpe Lace Inspired 2012 campaign.

I made a pair of ladies cuffs: machine embroidered net decorated with hand-made paper couronnes.  Hand cuffs to bind Victorian women, financially to their husbands, intellectually to the expectations of society and physically by a well-defined sense of duty.  With limited means of expression, I imagined a Victorian woman stitching I dream of escape and set me free, unobtrusively working the words into the decoration.  The key motif is reminiscent of a chaterlaine worn by a house-keeper (the only suitable job for a woman).  The paper couronnes are fashioned from old books, alluding to the power of the written word to change the status quo.

Photos and design: copyright Claire Ketteman

Mixing it up!

Do art and science mix?  Why not - they always have done in my mind!

I'm doing just that at the moment as I juggle my new job, researching business opportunities in the chemical industry, whilst I making a very late start on a piece for "Inspired 2013", a competition run by Gawthorpe Hall.

The scientist in me is analysing different types of dissolvable fabric for machine embroidered lace (the current favourite is Romeo from Barnyarns) but my art head is thinking about what kind of statement I want to make and how to connect with my audience.

Why not come back in a couple of weeks and see what I have made!

Miniature Works of Art

I've always been fascinated by miniature things; tiny dolls and tea-sets as a child, tempting bite-size food as an adult!  Local literary heroines, the Bronte sisters also had their own miniature world and they wrote about their adventures in tiny books.  It is fitting that when asked to produce an artist trading card for a forthcoming Embroiderer's Guild meeting, that my thoughts returned to a previous work, Two Views of Withens.  

Working on a canvas 9x6 cm, I selected some scraps and samples of cotton organdie and silk viscose georgette that I had dyed and printed.  The pale, washed out blues and rust colours that I used reminded me of the moorland weather.  I copied the final verse of Sylvia Plath's poem (of the same name) onto calico and then laid down the other fabrics with an undulating running stitch.

My artist trading card will have my name and contact details on the back and will be swapped with other artists at the next Guild meeting.  Sharing our interests, showcasing our talents, loving our art!

copyright photo and design:  Claire Ketteman

Playtime

Last week I spent a fabulous day playing with large quantities of shaving foam, acrylic paints and silk dyes.  I was learning the technique of marbling and I was not alone!  My playtime partners are a group of highly intelligent and very well qualified women who have all left the rat race in pursuit of a more fulfilling life.  We meet once a month to share our skills and talents, to experiment and most importantly to have fun.

The fruits of our play might be incorporated into a new project or may just linger in our work baskets waiting for further inspiration.  Whatever happens, a day of playfulness is quite liberating and never wasted!

photo: copyright Claire Ketteman

Fuschias

Fuschias are one of my favorite flowers so what better muse for my knitted ramblings than these lovely delicate blooms!

I designed these ear-rings for a my Knitted Wire Jewellery course at Gawthorpe Hall where I spent the day in the company of thirteen lovely ladies.  We shared stories, thoughts and a wealth of experience whilst we made a beaded bracelet and a rose brooch.   

If you'd like the pattern for these ear-rings or want to book a course for your group please drop me a line.

copyright design and photo: Claire Ketteman

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