Erin Fleming Theatre Costume Design Friday February 24th 2017

We were given a glimpse of the life of a costume designer for the theatre. Each were expected to design a costume for Eliza as a flower seller from My Fair Lady. There were a choice of fabrics to use as swatches for the costume; we each had to draw Eliza – some created their design by cutting up pieces from magazines and gluing a collage. It made a fresh way of looking at things.

Dry Felting stitch club by Robyn Smith 18th February 2017

We were each issued with a barbed needle in a holder and a large chunk of synthetic sponge; Robyn invited us to choose the fleece we wanted to use and decide on which smallish item we would create (needle felting is very time consuming). She encouraged us to start by rolling the fleece to create body shapes which we would place on our sponge and needle all over. Ears, feet and limbs were worked separately and added. As you can see hare/rabbit creations were the most popular with toadstools coming second. 

Pentagonal Patchwork Bowls: a practical evening with Linda Phillips 27th January 2017

Linda Phillips showed us some of her patchwork quilts and examples of her bowls. She had prepared vylene templates which also served as stiffners and gave us a choice of fabrics; patterned for inside the bowl and plain for the outside (to allow us to add some embroidery). Most of us hand sewed the inside layer during the evening, leaving the outside as homework. 

Stitch clubs change location in March

In March we are moving stitch clubs to a room at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Skellingthorpe Rd, opposite the petrol station on the Birchwood Avenue junction.

Islamic Tiles – Ceramic into Textile with Kate Steane: stitch club 21st January 2017

The members all chose arabesque designs with interwining lines, leaves and flowers. The tiles were created using acrylic paint on tissue paper, backed with white felt; three different types of glue were used.

Shelagh Greenhaigh: practical goldwork evening 25th November 2016

photos by Judy O'Neill

This was goldwork for beginners although the more experienced joined in too. Shelagh gave us a simple design – a five flower with five petals and a leaf which we were to mark out on a piece of silk dupion, backed with cotton beforehand. Using a ring frame we followed Shelagh’s instructions, working with gold twist, purl purl, rough purl, jap and kid (for the leaf). She displayed some of her own goldwork which showed her love of natural things.

Kathy Paton and her Beaded Bauble; Stitch Club 19/11/2016

Kathy had enjoyed Linda Schoffam’s bead design, making the Queen Mary Bauble in 2012; following Linda’s instruction sheets Bailgate members had a go themselves with help from Kathy. Some had the confidence to take the essence and create their own bauble design.