Tag: #ArnoldsAtticStichery

Posted on

Accrington Pals

Accrington Pals - the final stitch

My latest hand embroidered artwork has been stitched in memory of the ‘Accrington Pals’, one of the Pals Battalions that took part in the first day of the Battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916.

After the outbreak of the Great War in 1914 Lord Kitchener sanctioned the raising of Pals battalions. One such battalion was recruited around Accrington, Lancashire where neighbours, family, friends, and workmates enlisted to fight alongside one another. Within 10 days 36 officers and 1,076 men had enlisted – the smallest town in Britain to raise a complete battalion. Their formal name was the 11th (Service) Battalion (Accrington) East Lancashire Regiment, but they became known to everyone as the ‘Accrington Pals’.

A Lancashire Rose takes centre stage in the hand embroidered piece
A Lancashire Rose takes centre stage in the hand embroidered piece

On the 30th June 1916 the ‘Accrington Pals’ took their positions ready for the ‘Big Push’; then at 7:20am on the 1st July 1916 the first day of the Battle of the Somme began.

In the trenches along the 18 mile front-line, whistles sounded out and 100,000 men climbed the parapets and began to walk across No Man’s Land.  

Amongst them were 720 men from the ‘Accrington Pals’ who advanced towards the French village of Serre only to be met by a hail of machine gun fire from the German trenches.  In less than 20 minutes 235 Pals were dead and 350 were missing or wounded. When the roll was called by RSM Stanworth that evening, less than one hundred men answered their names.

the outer border contains 720 hand embroidered French knots
The outer border contains 720 hand embroidered French knots

“I remember when the news came through to Accrington that the Pals had been wiped out. I don’t think there was a street in Accrington and district that didn’t have their blinds drawn, and the bell at Christ Church tolled all the day. ” Percy Holmes.

This was quite a difficult and emotional subject to research and I hope the piece reflects just a small part of what happened in France on 1st July 1916.

Size 30 x 30 cm. Featuring some of my hand embroidered text, a hand embroidered Lancashire Rose and 720 red French knots. Vintage thread, DMC embroidery thread and cotton cloth.

Accrington Pals
Accrington Pals

On the first day of the Somme the British Army suffered almost 60,000 casualties.

Credit: Historian Steve Williams; Imperial War Museum & www.pals.org.uk.

Update:

This piece has been accepted into the One Red Thread ‘Kindred Spirits’ exhibition touring Australia in 2023/24, curated by Elizabeth Dubbelde of Textile Fest, NSW, Australia.

Accrington Pals, hand embroidered textile art. French know, hand embroidered tex and lancashire rose. Part of the One Red Thread 'Kindred Spirits' exhibition, Australia
Accrington Pals – part of the One Red Thread ‘Kindred Spirits’ exhibition, Australia

Update:

Accrington Pals is on the first stop of its tour of Australia, at the Sydney Olympic Park.

I’m pleased to announce that I’ve been awarded 3rd place in the One Red Thread Textile Prize in Australia.

Update:

Accrington Pals is on the next stop of its tour of Australia, at the Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Centre.

Posted on

Darning Sampler

Darning Sampler - hand stitched red thread into a vintage white child's garment

There’s something about working with cloth, it’s thread count and how the cloth is woven that fascinates me. This was the starting point for my latest project Darning Sampler.

The piece started with a vintage child’s garment that’s been in my collection for a number of years and an idea that’s been swirling around my head for even longer.

Darning Sampler - hand stitched red thread into a vintage white child's garment
Work in progress

Next followed extensive research into vintage and antique darning samplers. Given the very fine cloth and the weave of the cotton, only a select number of stitches were chosen. Some patterns were also adapted for this project.

I experimented and sampled with different weights of thread and settled on a very fine thread called Madeira Cotona.

Darning Sampler - hand stitched red thread into a vintage white child's garment
Work in progress
Darning Sampler - hand stitched red thread into a vintage white child's garment
Darning Sampler complete

The piece took nearly two months to create. Hand darned. Size 28 x 28cm.

Darning Sampler - hand stitched red thread into a vintage white child's garment
Darning Sampler – detail

Completed with a tiny vintage Mother of Pearl button on the neck of the garment.

This piece is part of the Embroiderers’ Guild ‘ Layers’ Members Challenge.

You can find one of my previous Members’ Challenge artworks in this post.

Update July 2023:

I’m thrilled that Darning sampler has won a First Award in ‘The Artistic Director’s Category’ in the Members’ Challenge 2023. For more details please follow this link.

Posted on

Print It 2023!

Close up of the stitching - Giant Cauliflower Harvest - embroidered word, red thread about my father and his allotment

I’m pleased to announce that a digital print of Giant Cauliflower Harvest will be on exhibition at Print It 2023. The mixed-media exhibition takes place at Aire Place Studios, Unit 2C, Aire Place Mills, Kirkstall Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS3 1JL, 3rd February – 3rd March 2023.

Pop along and visit – selected pieces are for sale – including mine.

Print It 2023
Print It 2023
Giant Cauliflower Harvest
Giant Cauliflower Harvest

Now in its third edition, Print It! 2023 has showcased artists from London to Zimbabwe, Tokyo to the USA! Exhibiting is not always accessible to everyone. From printing costs, framing, transport, and room hire, it all adds up. Designed to be a show beyond the constraints, Print It! features examples of fine art, photography, design, sculpture and more. This inclusive show looks to reflect the creativity and diversity out there and with an astounding level of submissions received, we are featuring over 70 artists, displayed for four weeks in the APS Gallery. All works have been submitted in digital form, printed and displayed in our gallery; removing boundaries and bringing together fantastic works from regional, national and international artists. Alongside the exhibition each artist will receive a book which includes all of the artworks in the exhibition bringing the exhibition directly to the artists. Prints on display in the APS Gallery will be available to purchase from £25 and copies of the Print It! book will be available from the APS Shop from £10. Visiting times are Fridays 11am – 5pm

Exhibiting Artists: Leanne McWilliams , Basia Asztabska, Edith Young, HezronH, Jingkun Qi, Joe Fenna, Celeste Drouin-Davis, Ping L, Philip Westcott, Janet Stafford, Lita Doolan, Louise Wiseman, Mato Enki, Kayleigh Whelan, Helene Fiegl, Anderson James Hargreaves, Kate Marsden, Ben Sheppee, Ayan Aziz Mammadova, Cesar Mammadov, Beth Hinde, Kay Nyx, Keremy Aldis, Catherine Hill, John Walmsley, Teresa Schippel Hales, Marlene Jorge, Deirdre Kashdan, Sukhmani Kaur, Caleb Hernandez, Sharon Platt, Lois Palframan, Jude Lin, Jane Walker, Alison Dollery, James Mellor, HS.FataMorgana, Dolores Ros, Vicente Fos, Gerrit Hodemacher, Tallulah de Castro-Gray, Andi Balogh, Bahar Acharjya, Nicola Garvey, Frankie Bones, Chloe Henderson, Sophia Lindstrom, Mariia Tokar, Galen Chen, Evan Larson-Voltz, Kuan-Hsuan Lu, Beatrice Dina, Michael Trozzolo, Caitlin Morris, Dasha Shipukhina, Veronika Krämer, Jena Jerms, Valeria Roglinova, Rose Reuben, KruMaM, Alison Herbert, Lucien Torlot, Liliia Filina, Paul Maven

Aire Place Studios