A FREE Monthly Online Magazine for members of The Stitchbook Collective
The last few years have been like no other in terms of having to readjust our routines and expectations. I genuinely feel as though The Stitchbook Collective has given me a focus and a sense of companionship and belonging which I for one, would have been lost without, so thank you.
2023 is going to see a new push towards my goal of bringing together individuals who share an interest in art textiles, stitching for good mental health, lifelong learning and most of all, an interest in forming personal connections with likeminded people.
I really hope that you will continue on this journey with me. I think that the new format will offer a more inclusive, more coordinated feel, and give us a better chance to work together on projects, exhibitions and individual work: to raise more funds for mental health charities and to welcome even more people into our ‘family’ of stitchers.
I hope you enjoy this sample issue, and I really look forward to any feedback.
Constructive criticism is vital if we are to get this right for as many as possible. THANK YOU x x x
• The Stitchbook Collective is a chance to engage with your own creativity, within a supportive group of likeminded people
• it is about using stitch as a mindful and relaxing activity
• it is about YOU and your response to challenges
• It is aimed at relieving stress levels and encouraging positivity
• we appreciate creativity in all forms
• our main focus is on art textiles
• this is NOT a competition or a race
• no one takes precedence over another
• the collective is a place for understanding, tolerance and equality
"Quiet the voice telling you to do more and be more, and today, whatever you do, let it be enough."
We hope that members will:
• share their experiences generously
• learn together and work together
• support each other
• never criticise or judge each other
• never be afraid to ask questions
"I designed the original stitchbook to give me a safe place to keep all the little bits of hand sewn 'stitch meditations' which I do, virtually on a daily basis, but which have no 'end result in mind' at the time. I was particularly pleased with the method of binding which I devised, and the fact that the design allows you to stitch samples into the book WITHOUT affecting the work on the previous page. So the HMB Stitchbook was born."
£1.00 is donated directly to MIND on behalf of EACH MEMBER each month.
So, for example, if we have 200 members in 2023 £200 will be donated EVERY month
This would be a total of £2,400 for 2023 and would be in ADDITION to any other fundraising projects we are working on.
The more members we have, the more we can give.
All workshops and projects produced by Untangled Threads, for The Stitchbook Collective, are designed and presented by Helen Birmingham. Each one takes the form of a downloadable PDF with written and illustrated instructions, together with a video presentation which can be accessed online. Helen has a Fine Art degree, a PGCE and many years experience of teaching as Head of Department up to A level. She has been running her own art textile and craft workshops for the last 20 years. One
The Stitchbook Collective workshops for 2023 are designed to be ‘stand alone’ projects, but the results will also sit comfortably within the original stitchbook format.
So, for example, this project on ‘felt hearts’ could be used as inspiration for all sorts of different ideas or simply find a place in your stitchbook of meditation pieces.
www.untangledthreads.co.uk
I could just write my CV and a list of exhibitions I've been involved in, but I don't really think that would be a true reflection of me, and what I'm about .. so here goes ... this is me ...
I live and work in Scarborough in North Yorkshire and I call myself a Mixed Media Textile Artist, but I'm just as happy to be known as a stitcher, a crafter, a workshop provider, a facilitator or a teacher. I love working with textiles. Textiles, for me, have a direct connection to my understanding of what it is to be human: a form of identification, of belonging, of history.
This is how I once described myself: 'I may well be a sociopath fighting with a psychopath wearing the mantle of a narcissist ... but maybe I am just human.' work with fabric, print, poetry and prose. I take inspiration from art, nature, science and psychology. I am fascinated by evolution and hereditary characteristics mutation, repetition, layering.
I think that my work is about being human .. asking myself trying to document and then trying to find the best way to record my thought processes and actions.
I like to repeat images, allowing them to evolve (artistic natural selection?). It is important to me that my work is accessible .. that's part of the joy of working with textiles .. using materials, methods, techniques and skills which are familiar whose understanding has passed through generations. I often describe my work as being like 'my children'. When I am creating, shaping, influencing it, it is a precious and intimate relationship. But once the work is finished, it interacts with others, forms new relationships and continues ..
For me, I have succeeded if my work draws the viewer in to take a closer look; asks questions; invites opinions; facilitates growth; inspires others to translate my ideas into their own form of inspiration. I have had several solo exhibitions and my work has been included in many collections.
I formed The Stitchbook Collective in 2019, as a direct result of interest in the enormously successful 1,568 Sawdust Hearts Project in 2018. I was particularly struck by the powerful effect of working in collaboration with others: using repeated elements to form one installation. My long term aim is for us to become a recognised exhibiting group.
I am fortunate enough to own a large property in the centre of Scarboough. It is my hope that 2023 will see extensive building and remodeling work, so that it can become a permanent home to The Stitchbook Collective, and also an independent gallery showing contemporary Textile Art with associated workshop space.
Work the three bottom straight stitches, radiating from the same hole. Then work the top stitch to pass under them, without picking up any fabric. This stitch is great as part of a border, or it can be randomly scattered across an area to give delicate texture.
I have a really extensive collection of craft books which I have bought, been given or otherwise inherited, many of which are no longer in publication. It is my intention over the next few years, to catalogue all of these books so that they can become a Stitchbook Collective Reference Library which will be housed at Untangled Threads Gallery in Scarborough. More details of this will follow. Whilst cataloguing the books, I will select one at random each month and write a short review for example:
Although this little book really screams 1970’s it definitely holds its own when it comes to offering inspiration, particularly for creating different textures with thread.
The book is full of black and white photographs. It includes examples from a number of Mair Morris’ contemporaries, and I challenge anyone not to find something which makes them stop and say. ‘Wow, that’s amazing how do you do that?’
We can still learn so much from these rather dated looking’ books, and if you come across one in an old bookshop, my suggestion is flick through and be amazed at the rich source of inspiration which was around long before the internet . Then do yourself a favour and buy it to read properly. You wont regret it.
extract from: www.helenbirimingham.com
…. in my last post I discussed a possible change in focus for the THREE SCORE & 10: our days are numbered exhibition. The last week or so has really helped me to continue the process of reflection. I have found myself not only analysing my own emotional preoccupations, but also some new connections which seem to be arising from the momentum of the project itself.
As more of the completed tubes (representations of the Phosphate/sugar molecules) begin to return from members of The Stitchbook Collective, not only are they making me VERY happy, they are also tugging images from the 'archive in my head'!
Many years ago I took lots of photographs at Cromford Mill in Derbyshire. It won't surprise you to know that I was a little obsessed with it at the time! I have a fabulous original loom frame from there. But just LOOK at the wonderful connections I am making:
Suddenly my concerns, my obsessions, my vision have begun to weave themselves together.
Since the death of my Mother, for lots of reasons, I've been thinking about the concepts of respect, value, worth and entitlement. The collaborative piece of work for the exhibition has begun to take a central role in this thinking. It represents so much more than a strand of Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid!
My jaw drops, mirroring your own silent scream; a scream which finally drowns out the sound of your breathing rasping like a rusty generator outside a pit head.
Silence. I stare at you, and as in life, unseeing, you stare back at me.
Every month I will suggest ways of using up those scraps of fabric and ends of yarn which you ‘just can’t bring yourself to throw away’!
It is my intention to share selected articles (with images) written and submitted by our members.
I hope that this will broaden our horizons into looking at some of the associated art/textile activities which our members undertake in addition to the Stitchbook workshops. I also hope that it will give us a place to express ourselves and to offer feedback and discussion about the work of others in the collective. Between us, we have a huge pool of knowledge, information and opinion.
Articles will appear in this magazine and on the members’ website. I hope that they will encourage discussion and further sharing of information between us. The work may also appear in a section on the Untangled Threads website to encourage others to think about joining the Collective.
For this sample edition of The Stitchbook, I asked a few current members (at random) if they would like to give it a go! These members were not selected for any other reason that they are frequent commentators on our facebook pages. In future, you wont have to be asked ….. you can just send articles for consideration to thestitchbook@aol.com (approx. 400 500 words)
To say that I was thrilled with the result of my request would be an understatement. I hope that these words will give you the courage to think about submitting pieces of your own for future issues. Exhibition reviews, comments, opinions, obsessions etc will all be considered for publishing.
All submitted articles will go through a selection process and may be edited before publication (with the express permission of the author).
A HUGE thank you to the following members who answered my call for help …
by Sue Chipchase
When the kit for the ‘Keeping A Secret’ project arrived it contained one of the 1,568 Sawdust Hearts that had been exhibited to commemorate WW1, some fabric scraps and trimmings and instructions. The guidelines were to ‘unstitch’ the heart and remove the sawdust, then use the heart to explore the meaning of the phrase ‘Keeping a Secret’. The brief was open to personal interpretation, no rules, no right or wrong, just read the accompanying booklet full of links and references to articles and artists and see where our inspiration and inclination led.
So I spent the next few months ‘thinking’. How do I want to interpret this phrase? What did it mean to me? Do I want to reveal my secrets so openly in a piece of work?
The truth was (and is) that I didn’t really have any deep secrets to reveal. My life has been pretty much OK, no family scandals, traumas or shameful moments. (Why does one assume that secrets are shameful and accompanied by guilt?)
A few childhood misdemeanours such as sneaking the last piece of cake were hardly worthy of revelation. I turned my attention to family history was there any mind blowing family drama to explore but apart from one or two ‘wrong side of the blanket’ births we were a pretty quiet bunch. So I decided to come at it from another angle. What if Keeping A Secret was seen as a virtue, a good thing and being entrusted with someone’s secret was an honour. To be a confidante, offering loyalty and allowing a friend to to offload their secret thereby sharing the load.
I decided to make a piece of work in the form of a scroll, where the content would be all but hidden until revealed. I began by unpicking the sawdust heart, removing the sawdust and then taking both pieces apart to be used at the beginning and end of the scroll.
Using my favoured technique I pieced and patched small scraps of fabric, some forming pockets that could hold written secrets. I chose neutral fabrics and threads from my stash of calico, linens and cottons and some scraps from ‘tea’ dyeing experiments and rust printing.
I stitched onto a long strip of linen using an identical piece for the backing. I prefer to use natural fibres and vintage fabrics when I can and enjoy the soft handle and worn feel for hand stitching. The old mill bobbin provided a neat solution to both presentation and storage adding another layer of context to the idea of ‘hidden’ secrets.
After researching words and phrases relating to ‘Keeping A Secret’ using a thesaurus and the internet, I hand stitched text at intervals along the work. The heart shape at the beginning of the work still displayed the ‘scar’ slit where the heart had been stuffed. I inserted a chenille thread and then couched it as a continuous twisting, turning line amongst the patches and phrases until it finished at the final heart. It is not always easy to keep someone else’s secret and it can twist your thoughts and words but it is important to stay true. To emphasise this I embroidered on the final heart shape the words ‘A Good Friend Doesn’t Tell’
I enjoyed hand stitching this work, thinking about my closest friends and remembering the confidences we’ve shared over the years. The finished piece is personal and meaningful to me and incorporates the essence and meditational benefits of ‘Slow Stitch’.
As I look back at what we achieved or didn’t achieve during lockdown, and there’s plenty I didn’t, apart from being in the first group of Stitchbook students I also kept a stitched diary during that time. This was the one thing that kept me going. Throughout all the awful rules, advice and losses we were all subject to, it was the one thing that kept me sane, kept me on the straight and narrow each and every day.
As I struggled to come to terms with isolation and advice that sometimes seemed very at odds with everything that was going on, my silly little stitched seagull called Gulliver embraced everything with humour and passion that maybe I couldn’t muster up. Each day, whatever advice had come through, whatever folks were up to, whatever we had done, all was fair game for my stitching and Gulliver.
Each day I created a small machine stitched panel, using fabric, threads and paint, about 8x8 inches, staring Gulliver. I posted them to my Facebook page and he gathered quite a following. People told me how much he cheered them up, and how much they looked forward to seeing him every day. I filled many, many sketchbooks with these small panels.
As the world opened back up and jobs were restarted he slowly took a back seat. I still make stitchings with Gulliver, just not quite as often now. We will always be doing things together, and maybe one day I can display them as evidence of the very strange time we all experienced. If you’d like to see more, they were all posted on my Facebook page: Judiths Emporium.
Gulliver is now a constant in my life in one form or another. Drawings, stitching, whatever comes to mind. I couldn’t imagine life without him.
Alongside the last few of the Stitchbook Collective monthly projects, I dipped into the world of online Sew A Long(s). I’ll confess that the main attraction for these were, that they were free to join! There are two of note, Sheila Christensen’s Hemisphere Quilt Along and Alison Glass’s Stitch Club, both were to last for six months ish.
Sheila Christensen was a name I’d come across through a quilting group that I belong to. Sheila’s well known for her amazing 60 degree Triangle designs. The Quilt Along involved a weekly pattern and a well filmed video demonstrating how to make the triangles / hexagons. We also got an insight into her life in New Zealand, snippets about quilting friends and the wildlife we could see out of her window, altogether, very enjoyable! The culmination of our weeks together was either a lap quilt or a full size quilt depending on how many of each block you made, I chose to make one of each. As we speak, I have made the top and got no further not unusual for me, I like to have my quilts quilted in the order I make the tops and there’s a rather large number of un quilted tops waiting, before I finish this one. However, I can show you a photo of the top unironed!
a particular stitch or technique being featured and some suggested projects to make using the highlighted topic. These E journals were about 40 pages long and had loads of references / links to other designers work, books and amazing photos. For something that was free, Alison had put an awful lot of effort into producing them.
So many new names were being presented to me to investigate, it was mind blowing. The ‘free’ aspect fell by the wayside as my relationship with Waterstones became quite intimate, receiving several parcels over the following weeks! The topics we covered over the six months were: Running Stitch, Sashiko, Couching, Outline and Filling Stitches, Embellishing Printed Fabrics and Wool Applique. All of these topics sound quite straight forward, but each had been given a modern makeover, typical of Alison’s work, as well as the other designers being featured. The title of this article suggest that the Sew A Longs are still inspiring me, well they are, be it giving me a different option of doing things, this is apparent in the last quilt I quilted. A Jelly Roll 1600, I actually hand quilted Big Stitch style and love the soft nature of the resulting quilt.
The names Sujata Shah, Amy Butler, Keiko & Atsushi Futatsuya, Katrina Rodabaugh, Rebecca Ringquist. Janine Vangool, Wild Boho, Tatiana Popova, Aimee Ray and Sue Spargo are now rolling off my tongue as if they’re my new best friends. I think it’s time I stopped writing a showed some photos of my efforts, some finished others not so! Enjoy whatever you are working on, Pippa.
The Alison Glass Stitch Club was less prescriptive and catered for the Slow Stitcher in me, since I was enjoying the Stitchbook projects. Each month Alison would send us a Digital Journal on
The group ‘Stitched Together’ was formed in June 2020 by 43 members of the first year of The Stitchbook Collective. We had just completed our first Stitchbook. I wrote a post on The Stitchbook Collective Facebook Page, asking if there was anyone else who would like to work collaboratively with me, in making pieces of textile art. I was surprised and delighted that so many wanted to join in.
Anyone in our group can suggest a project. Our main aim is to continue to enjoy Slow Stitching, building on the close bonds we formed whilst making our Stitchbooks. We live all over the UK and whatever you think about Facebook, it does seem to be the best way for us to keep in touch.
“It’s been so lovely to be involved with Stitched Together. After doing The Stitchbook Collective the idea of doing something together appealed to me I have enjoyed the collaborations. It’s always amazing to see the different interpretations.” JT
Our first projects were 3 textile books, using our surplus Stitchbook pages. Each book has a different theme: Woodland, Coastal and Floral. It was my joy and delight to co ordinate these projects and put the books together. Every so often an exquisite page would come through the post, complete with tags, postcards and sayings to pop in the book, with the decorated page.
So much time, concentration, skill and creativity has gone into each piece. Eventually the books will be used to raise money for MIND and/or other local mental health charities, either by raffle or competition. Before this happens, I would like to preserve them in printed form, so that we have a permanent record. I am currently researching the best ways to do this so that the printed books can also be sold to raise money.
Helen, provided us with enriching, fulfilling activity and connection through the challenging pandemic years. She has been through some challenging times recently and we were able to send love and hopefully some comfort, through stitching a card and a framed floral picture. A fitting way to demonstrate our appreciation. We have also made a piece of textile art using Twinchies. A piece of crazy patchwork was cut into 2inch squares and posted to members for them to decorate as they wished. These were put together by arranging them on a background of used teabags.
The teabags had been sewn together and painted to look like parchment. The Twinchies were sewn onto the background and more stitching added. Whoever is lucky enough to win this piece will be able to mount and frame it to their liking.
Some of you might have seen our work at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate last November, on the Stitchbook Collective Stand. We are currently working on a larger piece of mixed media textile art with a Woodland theme.
I had to write an artist statement for the first time in August. This made me wonder not just how to explain who I am and how to elaborate on my work, but also when I first started to sew. I still have one or two of those earliest pieces of work, of course: one from a kit, and one that I think of as the family tablecloth. The family tablecloth was finally finished during the lockdowns in 2021 around 63 years after my grandmother began it on a beach in Fife.
My mother’s ecclesiastical volunteering led to an interest in metal thread work, and I eventually took a Royal School of Needlework day class, which combined with an interest in historical finds to become the goldwork seahorse (still a WIP) based on a piece that is part of the Staffordshire Hoard. Then a Facebook post in a textile group led me to the Stitchbook Collective, and I’m currently fascinated by the possibilities of landscape creation with slow stitch and fabric scraps. I also use the goldwork skills on paper I’ve made myself to create pieces.
My stitching journey began, as I’m sure most do, with my mother and a needle and thread, sewing running stitch and then lazy daisy. The kit helped me learn stem stitch, French knots (how I hated French knots!) and satin stitch amongst others. I continued, off and on, and as my mother learned fashion design at the beginning of my teenage years, I also learned how clothing was constructed. This eventually fed into a sideways move from stage work to costume maintenance, learning about fabrics, laundry, and how to make sturdy repairs in a hurry sometimes with a machine, and sometimes by hand (occasionally while the costume was being worn).
Throughout, I continued to embroider, and admire other embroideries. Kits have provided an introduction to stitches and techniques. Heads of wardrobe have been instrumental in my learning, and the variation in requirements between theatre (sturdy and not obvious) and tv (perfection in case of camera close ups) has been an education in itself.
Stitch, to me, provides an occupation for hands that at times lets the mind run free to meditate on life in general and gives a focus that soothes when my mental health is poor. I can’t remember when I first learned, but I’m still journeying, and stitch provides a path which connects me to the family as well as the wider world. The Quarantine Meme was born from a meme that made me laugh at the beginning of the first lockdown, when laughter was in short supply.
Will my first acceptance of my textile art in an exhibition in the US? The deadline for entries is January 2023….
I use the term Creative when referring to a sewer, sewist, seamstress and tailor; or anybody thereafter who sews with thread, textiles and mixed media. Thus, taking the stigma out of a particular word or phrase which may in turn, have a gender bias or negative impact on the craft. Because as a world we have become so politically correct we sometimes forget that behind this facade are actual people and cultures that can be washed over, without a second thought.
Textiles can be found as far back as in the pre neolithic period and sewing transverses all cultures, generations and social economic barriers. It gives the Creative a pathway in which to express themselves that helps their mental and physical health. It breaks down gender roles, as well as cultural norms. From the unhurried to the fast paced creativity that can spontaneously burst from within. Creatives can also express themselves in a way that is safe for them to do so, and at times the Creative can hide behind their creations.
In our house we talk a lot about brain food, stimulation for the brain by the pursuit of knowledge. We actively seek it out and enjoy the company of others who share a like minded view.
A culinary delight of textures, fibres and colours, a selection crafted of food for the soul. Both nurturing for the mind as well as the body; sending delicious sensations of bliss coursing through the veins of the body and the synapses of the brain.
I like nothing more than running my fingers over rows of fabric and touching the threads and fibres, although with being allergic to wool my fibre choices have been limited. Fibres are not limited to wool, or cotton. In fact there is also nettle, hemp and flax, mulberry tree and other plants and manmade fibres.
My hunger for sewing and the knowledge to enhance the skill further inspires me on. From velvet, the tantalisingly smooth textural touch underneath encroaching fingers. The rough course weaves of burlap. Cotton and all the blends derived of. Leather, hard wearing, hard to work with but holds so much joy; the delirium of denim so versatile and great when re used and re crafted. I have discovered that nettle can make fibre. I am yet to experiment with this delicate delight, crafting the plant from their fibrous state, into a workable thread.
To sit and explore the textual surface of cloth and explore with thread as the needles stabs slowly into the fabric, transports me to a place of utter bliss and contentment.
I have been lonely and at times have felt isolated. Sewing has given me an escape route; at times it was from my own headspace.
To be able to share this joy with others, whether in the same room or in another part of the world means I am no longer alone due to the internet. Enabling me to share sewing and a space to develop and nurture my own growth further.
Most stitchers and sewists harbour, or maybe curate is a better word, a collection of fabrics, threads, beads and buttons we call “The Stash” When I say it, it sounds harsh; maybe a little gangsta, racy perhaps with a secretive undertone. Like a hoard of illicit drugs which seemly mild manner ladies have squirrelled away to be taken out occasionally; stroked, folded and re folded, shown only to fellow addicts.
from the pattern stash? Oh, those nights when I wanted some light cotton but seemed to be wrestling through tweed, ‘might do a pocket’ sized pieces of lining material and 3 different shades of red jersey. Hands up to creating a wonky pair of wraparound trousers in stretch denim. Just me?
Only last week, at 2am, I decided to go through my button tin and weed out all the useless, the burdensome, the ‘ugly’ ones. Those old lady coat buttons that came from someones’ granny’s coat. How could I be so callous? Well, they’re not my granny’s coat buttons, nor DH’s either. I admit to buying one (one?) of those lovely bargain bags of mixed buttons from Abakhan. Okay, I admit it, the weeded out are in a bag, back in the tin. Of course, some of the buttons are mine. The cute duck shaped one, those bar shaped silver ones cut from a Karen Millen blouse, the beautiful shell ones I bought for a linen dress that went wrong.
Of course, The Stash is not peculiar to women and sewists. A peek in our garage reveals why my own dear husband never complains about my fabric collection. (pic of Niall’s collection of nails & screw, 90% of which were his dad’s)
So, we all have one, but, is that pile of fabric just sitting there unaware, unconsciously awaiting transformation? Or is it sometimes a moody presence which fights with your creativity, even threatening your mental health?
What do I mean? Well, have you ever, like me, had a sleepless night when you decided to get up and ‘make something?’ Then, ended up sitting in your sewing space, trying to marry together something from the fabric stash and something
But, the real treasure doesn t live in the button tin. My mum saved a button from my dad’s favourite cardigan. It’s one of those woven leather ones, and she twisted a pipe cleaner through the shank. So I have mum & dad in one unassuming little treasure that lives in my jewellery box.
So, I’ve staged a couple of photos for you, turning out some boxes to create a hoarder’s wake up call. But, it’s not all my fault. During lockdown, it was easier to buy 10 packets of needles and 300m of elastic than more modest amounts. Oh yes, I made a valet ray for my son which needed 4 sets of metal snap fasteners. Now I have to house the other 116 sets from the box I bought on line.
In the end, it’s not actually a real problem. Just so long as we stay in control. So, repeat after me “I am the boss of my stash”
Now then, I’ve signed up to a colour pencil drawing class. Where’s the pencil tin?
My stitching journey started way back in about 1987 with, like so many, cross stitching. I made a sampler for my grand parents anniversary one year and made several cards for people’s birthdays. I found it very relaxing, but when we started having children not so much!! 3 children under 5 years old made it very difficult to sit long enough to have fun with it. I still managed to do birth samplers for them and a few other bits but it
I signed up to join in with the fun which began in January this year.. a year full of fun lessons doing things I’d not tried before, I’m very behind with it (full time work in a busy coffee shop now stops me having my fun!) but I’m loving it .
So far this year I’ve made pages for a fabric book, in which to show a whole year of new learnings, done some textual stitching, used procion dyes, done a stitched landscape made a piece of rag textiles using bits from a chindi rugs and done some visible mending. I’ve also signed myself up to help with a stitching exhibition that Helen is doing.
Fast forward to lock down… while getting lost in the black hole that is known as Instagram I came across some stitched tags that people were doing. A little bit of digging and I found Anne Brooke on you tube and I was off.. We created little pieces of stitched art each week with a different theme each time, including, hearts, all whites, mini patch work, different knots bullion being a favourite of mine! Suffolk puffs and couching. We also learned different stitches, including, seed stitch, fly stitch, blanket stitch, Pekinese stitch and spider wheel, all of which were new to me. Never having done anything like this before I felt completely out of my depth but still enjoyed doing something really different (for me!)
Then while at the knitting and stitching show in Harrogate in 2021 I came across a very interesting stand right at the bottom of one of the halls Untangled Threads & The Stitchbook Collective, which is run by the lovely Helen Birmingham, I was absolutely amazed at what had been created with fabric and stitching, I just had to have a go at it.
I’m having an absolute ball with my new found hobby, not putting any deadlines on myself to finish anything ‘on time’ whole journey and creating pieces I am loving just
If you have any questions, you can send them to me by email to: thestitchbook@aol.com
Please note that any questions about subscriptions or administration should still be sent to untangledthreads@aol.com
A YES. The Stitchbook format is completely adaptable, and you should remember that it is YOURS. There is NO RIGHT OR WRONG. Your Stitchbook will become a place for you to keep memories, ideas, emotions and thoughts. Forget can I or should I! The answer is always YES.
A The ‘smart’ answer to this is ‘a lifetime!’ It is impossible to say whether any particular technique or project will spark your imagination and take you off onto a wonderful personal ‘voyage of discovery’, or if you will just follow the instructions and stitch the result into your stitchbook. However, the more reasonable answer is that each workshop is designed so that the basic technique can be learnt in a couple of hours.
A The beauty of Mindful Stitching is that you need very little specialist equipment. A piece of fabric, needle, thread and a pair of scissors is enough to get you started. After that you USE WHAT YOU HAVE. If you don’t have your own ‘stash’, all of the workshops have associated SAMPLE packs available on the Untangled Threads website.
A From January 2023 ALL VIDEOS will be available on the Members ONLY website www.thestitchboookcollective.com As long as you are a subscribed member, you will be able to access the videos. The videos are downloadable, so you can transfer them to your own device if you prefer to watch them without needing a permanent internet connection.
A Workshop pdf’s and videos will be available for non members to purchase individually from Untangled Threads rom January 2023. If you are a member you will have access to the archive of workshops, AND a new workshop each month.
If you have any questions, you can send them to me by email to: thestitchbook@aol.com
Please note that any questions about subscriptions or administration should still be sent to untangledthreads@aol.com
A
You can cancel your membership at any time, and no, there is no penalty.
Membership fees are paid monthly, by Standing Order. This is an instruction from YOU to YOUR BANK to pay money into my account. This is NOT a Direct Debit where you have give permission for money to be taken from your account. It may feel like a subtle difference, but it means that the payment is in your control at all times. You set up the Standing Order to pay x amount each month until YOU cancel the request.
The Stitchbook Collective is run on trust, understanding and respect.
A
It is my sincere hope that members will want to form personal connections. There are obviously issues around secure information exchange, and it must be remembered that privacy is paramount to some people. No information will be passed by Untangled Threads without express permission. The private facebook group will continue, and there will be an interactive element to the new website where members can contact each other safely. From there members might like to make arrangements for face to face meetings or even small online zoom meetings.
A
Every project will have its own set of criteria and associated costs. These will ALWAYS be set out very clearly at the start of the project. There is no obligation to become involved in any activity.
A
From January 2023, £1.00 will be donated to MIND on behalf of EVERY MEMBER each month. so, for example, if we have 200 members, that means that £200 is donated EVERY month. (a total of £2,400 each year). This is in ADDITION to any other fundraising projects.
Q Can I cancel my membership at any time? Is there a penalty?
Q Are there additional costs related to becoming part of Group Exhibitions and Fundraising Projects?
Q How much of the monthly membership fee is donated to MIND?
A collaborative piece of work in the form of a decorated blanket. The blanket will be raffled to raise funds for The International Red Cross and Red Crescent
A 12m long textile installation representing the structure of DNA.
Individual components of the work are being created by over 100 members of ‘The Stitchbook Collective’. Once assembled, the whole structure will be supported on an internal wire armature and suspended (at ground level) within the gallery space. It will represent the physical and emotional connection/traces of thousands of interactions.
This is a collection of work by members of The Stitchbook Collective which continues the life of the sawdust hearts featured in the white poppy installation from the hugely successful 2019 exhibition.
Keeping a Secret: surface manipulation and hidden narrative: looking at personal stories contained within domestic textiles.
