Frances Pickering Workshop #2

Halifax Branch were lucky enough to have a second visit from one of our favourite artists, Frances Pickering, who managed to fit us into her busy schedule as she was visiting other groups in the (vague) area. Needless to say, the workshop was booked up within about a nanosecond of being mooted! 
The theme of the Workshop this time for the lucky 20 members was textile and paper Fashion Books, however members were free to make books about whatever subject they wanted if this wasn't up their street. 
Over the course of two days members were shown how to construct books in the style of Frances, and were guided along by her, as well as being given free access to her own books to give them inspiration. 
Here are the members books as they were at the end of the course - I am looking forward to the finished items, they all look fantastic! 

Jane's lovely shoes

Jan's 1970's inspired book

Look, a dress! With a zip!

Liz's 1960's themed book

Rona's stepping back in time to the Roaring 20s

Davina's cover is a combination of paper and lace

Margaret's book, inspired by Laura Ashley. Hands up who had that wallpaper!

Wendy's cover is in the form of a building

Jess's stylish cover takes inspiration from sewing patterns

...and so does the inside, along with some wise words

Jen's book also harks back to a time LONG before we were around...

More shoes, this time from Natalie

 And some brilliant drawings on the inside

Vanessa's colourful book is based on the '60s

Deborah's Ra-Ra skirt may a bit be too familiar to some of us! 

With two weddings in the family in the past year, 

Julie has chosen an appropriate theme!

Lots of vintage bits and pieces attached to Irene's book

Jane C's lovely dyed pages with a beaded cover

Wyn has gone back to a time only she can remember 

(I'm going to pay for that...)

Abi is referencing Dior's post-war New Look

Janice's book is very glamorous! 

Anne's book has a beautiful hand-painted cover...

...and a beautiful hand-painted inside, too

And Sandra scampered off before I could get a photo of her work! 

If you would like to see more photos about how members got to this point, please go to our Facebook page where there are "Step-by-step" pages from the weekend's course! 

July Meeting - Show, Sell and Tell a Friend

Another busy meeting for us - we will soon be bursting at the seams! (No pun intended).

As well as showing off our work (which was a bit tricky as most of our work is currently in exhibitions at the Bankfield Museum in Halifax, and at Ripon Cathedral), and selling off some of our excess bits and bobs, some of us also invited friends along, and we shared some splendid cakes with them. We're a generous lot! I apologise for forgetting to photograph the cakes, (another reason we'll soon be bursting at the seams) but here are some of the pieces that members managed to find that hadn't been shipped off elsewhere! 

A varied selection of work by Jo S, including her lovely furrowed bag

Not strictly stitched - Judy is a member of a wood-turning group and sometimes brings some of her lovely pieces for us to fight over as raffle prizes. 

Lovely pieces by Davina including her Winter mittens! 

(Photobombed by Abi's thrush)

Abi's work - the front end of the thrush is in the photo above! Serves it right! 

Abi has been doing lots of chicken scratch stitch. 

Jackie's work includes an ingenious piece made from Dorset buttons - 

very helpful for Davina, who taught herself to make them then gave two classes on them at Bankfield Museum on the following day, using Jackie's piece as a teaching aid. 

Natalie's pieces - a tooth fairy pillow, and a lovely "Frances Pickering" book

Anne's Regional Day trophies, and her new range of printed fabrics.

She's such a clever trousers! 

Lots of work by Maureen including an Elizabethan style pocket 

and her lovely stitched peacock petri dish challenge piece. 

Rona's pieces, including her finished "Sue Spargo" Playday felt shapes

I couldn't fit the whole thing on, but this is a lovely quilt by Janice 

(someone else who doesn't sleep!) and a "4 Seasons" tree.

Lovely work by Jan including her "Jan and Jean" stitched flower meadows

Margaret's colourful "Sue Spargo" pears, finished and mounted

Catherine's "Frances Pickering" book, looking a bit "Van Goughy"!

The only reason I have so many pieces is that none of them are finished! 

They include my "Jan and Jean", a little Linda Miller, and some Valerie Wartelle...