.... result!.....

Saturday was the closing date for our Ebay Auction and we are delighted to announce that our beautiful Textile Quilt of Words raised over £500 ($800) for the Cambodian Children's Fund.  The highest bidder was a  Les Soeurs Anglaises' past (and hopefully future) participant who had the advantage of seeing the quilt whilst she was at one of our workshops earlier in the year.  We are thrilled that it has gone to such a worthy home and thank you again to everyone who contributed. LSA's Calendar for 2015 is currently being uploaded onto our website, so it shouldn't be long before you can book on-line ( we promise to let you know the minute it's up).  We are delighted to be introducing two or three new workshop leaders to Les Soeurs Anglaises, as well as featuring our second Open Studio (with a yoga option this time).  And to add a little frisson to 2015, there'll be an amazing Fete de Boogie Woogie for those who just want a few days of brilliant live music, gourmet food and vintage wine in a spectacular part of France at the best time of the year.  A great  Christmas gift for that special someone. While you wait for the Calendar to go up, here are a few things that might keep you entertained: Well known stitcher and collagist, Cas Holmes is currently exhibiting at Memory Cloth at the  Lace Museum in the Netherlands. It opens on the 12th October and she will be giving a weekend workshop on 13th & 14th December.  The exhibition also features the work of  Cherilyn Martin, Els van Baarle and  Glenys Mann.   On the subject of quilts, read this one about quilter, Leslie Morgan.  The Textile Artist newsletter is also a great way to keep up to date with what's going on in the world of textiles. The enduringly kooky and gifted machine embroiderer, Linda Miller, is exhibiting Saturday 18th to Sunday 19th October at at the Festival of Crafts at Farnham Maltings, Farnham Surrey.  Don't miss It! There will another Clerkenwell Vintage Fair this weekend in Central London if you visiting the Big Smoke.  Really worth a visit if you love vintage clothes. Which is why it's good to hear that one of my all time favourite on-line shops, Donna Flower, has just opened a "proper", real-life, shop in Barnstaple, North Devon, UK.  Lucky Devonians can now pop in and rummage through her eclectic stock whenever they need a pick-me-up.   Our resident monoprinter and all-round wonderful artist, Emma Whigham (you'll see her new drawings on our updated website soon), has started making bright and beautiful jewellery in colourful, geometric designs, soon to be available on her Etsy shop.  As a one-time professional jeweller, she embraces the delicate, handmade techniques and is most happy involved in the slow process of making and designing; an antidote to the fast and hectic pace of our lives nowadays.   We love, love, love Kate Bowles' work!    Having recently had an Open Studio event here where the resident artists, Alison Kuller and Jone Hallmark, were both involved in the art of making books, our eyes have been opened to the painstakingly difficult but utterly satisfying work of creating and stitching a book together, whether it be a journal, sketch or memo pad.   Kate's work and colours are just gorgeous and we hope one day to get her down here to lead a workshop for us. Finally, if you feel you just can't let go of winter, we have a dear French vintage, sleeveless, fine cotton shirt for sale.  It is definitely a UK size 10 / Europe 38/ US size 8, and could be worn over a long-sleeved vest and would great with jeans or a full 50s skirt.   £30 / 38€ / $48 + postage

I'd like to buy it

… a conversation with claire wellesley smith…..

We are thrilled and excited that the delightful and multi-talented Claire Wellesley Smith will be joining us for the first time this year to lead SLOW COLOUR & STITCH .  Claire will be offering a skill new to our workshops, i.e. dyeing natural textiles and sewing threads with colors obtained from plants and flowers from the gardens of Les Soeurs Anglaises.  But that's not all she'll be teaching…. with the luxury of five days to share her talent and techniques, the idea is for participants to stitch their beautifully colored fabrics into intimate "collages" which can either be further developed as purses, cushion covers, clothing etc.  or simply framed and displayed as works of art in their own right
. 

Here, in her own words, is Claire's creative philosophy:

Why do you enjoy working with dyes and stitch?

The history of colour on cloth fascinates me, and the stories that go with it. Dyeing with local plants gives you a new relationship with the place that they grow, and it creates new connections. There is something magical about the transformation that occurs when cloth enters a dye bath.  The slow nature of plant dyeing and the plain sewing techniques I use mean that there is time to develop a strong connection to the piece of work made.

What do you enjoy about teaching?

The conversations that arise in a workshop environment are so enriching - shared experiences and knowledge that lead to exciting work. Teaching is a reciprocal experience for me - as much as I love to show and to share knowledge, I learn a phenomenal amount from my students. I love the way that so many ideas can develop from one simple technique, and the unique work that is produced by every participant.

What are ‘Slow Stitches’ – how is this approach different?

The pleasures to be had from slowing down processes can be many, with connections to sustainability, simplicity, and multi-cultural textile traditions. I see a slow approach as a celebration of process, work that has reflection at its heart, and skills that take time to develop.

What inspires you in your work?

I live in Yorkshire, a place with a rich textile heritage and a beautiful landscape.  Stories, memories and observations of place inform my work. The idea of ‘using what you have’ - be that repurposed textiles and clothing, or local plants gathered to make local colours - is a strong theme also and I am looking forward to leading a workshop at Les Soeurs Anglaises in South West France with it’s different flora and fauna.

Can you share a little more about what people can expect at the Slow Colour and Stitch workshop?

I am very much looking forward to sharing with participants in May the slow textile processes, using natural dyes and hand-stitch. The wonderful gardens around Les Soeurs Anglaises will be the perfect location for gathering a collection of local colour. We will be using these and other natural dyes to invoke a sense of place, and participants will create a harmonious palette of hand-dyed fabrics and threads. These fabrics - alongside plain sewing techniques - piecing, patching and darning will be used to begin a personal piece of work. I will bring examples of kantha and other stitched work, and hand-dyed textiles, some centuries old, as inspiration. We will also have a collection of vintage and repurposed fabrics for participants to use in their work and there will be an opportunity to visit a local brocante where it will be possible to find traditional French linens and textiles.  The techniques I use can be adapted easily to a domestic setting, so that new, personal, ‘slow’ projects can easily be created by participants when the workshop is completed.

Many thanks, Claire.

to book a place on Claire's Workshop, or if you have any questions, contact katie@lessoeursanglaises.com

… itching to get stitching …..

Last week whilst I was in London I had the great pleasure to meet up with Christine Green who will be leading the first patchwork workshop for Les Soeurs Anglaises in August of next year.  Christine has had an amazingly creative career;  Graphic Designer for the BBC, film producer and director of "The Art" series (see her short film on another of our workshop leaders, Julie Arkell),  needlepoint work for the Contemporary Textile Gallery London, Head of Film and Animation at the Kingston University and much, much more.  With a huge,  eclectic array of talents under her belt, her focus has turned towards pushing the boundaries of the art of stitching and patchwork and I was bowled over by her plans for the workshop she will be leading here next year.

Here is some of her work, as well as that of Claire Wellesley-Smith (another of our incredibly versatile workshop leaders who will be dyeing and stitching her way through a five-day event in May called Slow Colour and Stitch);  plus some mouthwatering pieces from various patchworkers around the world that we just love!  (Apologies to those uncredited images that we have collected over the years.  Do let us know if you recognize the artist/crafter and we will happily add their names and website)

Not entirely a patchwork, but a beautiful piece of needlework produced by Christine and featured in issue 15 of our favorite mag, UPPERCASE.  

.... five days of knitting bliss.......

Our first workshop of the season, Patricia Roberts':  Colour and Composition, has just come to an end and we have waved goodbye to a wonderful group of talented knitters.  Despite the rain (and it rained!), everyone made the most of having Patricia and her yarns around and with her help and guidance challenged themselves with patterns and yarns that perhaps they would never have thought themselves capable of using before.  The results were truly spectacular, and whilst the ladies might look a little serious in the pictures the ambience was full of laughter, support and new friendship.

Hot on Patricia's heels is the lovely Julie Arkell; her workshop is only two weeks away and so much to be sorted to make Les Soeurs perfect for the new group of participants.  Let's hope the weather is a little more clement......