Tag: #weaving

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Helmshore Cotton Mill – Video Diary

A trip to Rossendale in Lancashire means many things to me.  It’s a place where I feel at ‘Home’. I catch up with my family and now and again I revisit aspects of the industrial heritage and it’s textiles stories that had sparked my love of textiles, many years ago.  I remember family tales from the Cotton Mills – of clogs sparking on cobbles, the Mee Mawing Language of Weavers and my great-aunt explaining how she used to thread a shuttle.  Helmshore Cotton Mill is one of the last remaining Mills in the Rossendale  Valley where you can truly experience the full glory of original machinery in working order.

Helmshore Cotton Mill is one of the last remaining Mills in the Rossendale Valley
Helmshore Cotton Mill is one of the last remaining Mills in the Rossendale Valley

This video is from a recent visit and shows some beautiful working Carding, Roving  & Spinning machines. It’s noisier than you might think!

A little bonus for you are the fabulous Fulling Machines showing how Military Wool Cloth was made.

If you have memories or family stories from the Mills, I’d love to hear them. Please share them below.
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The Knitting and Stitching Show 2014, Alexandra Palace, London – Part 1 – The atmosphere of the show

What a totally decadent, long weekend – I managed to go to the Knitting & Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace  for three days this year.  Workshops, exhibitions and shopping…… how indulgent!
The show was full of traders from all over the UK and beyond – I arrived with my shopping list in hand and filled my bags with some lovely goodies….. Every year I tell myself I don’t need to buy anything, and yet every year I am astounded at what I do find to buy.
This year, my mind has been filled with embroidery, threads and surface design (especially following my recent visit to The Ashmolean Museum)  – so I was drawn to the Goldwork stalls of Benton & Johnson (who hold the Royal Warrant) and The Golden Hind. I had several workshops, ranging from Paper Lamination, Gelli Printing to Hand Embroidery with the very talented James Hunting  – What a fabulous chap!
Here are some photos from the show – more posts to follow…

Catherina Von Isenburg and her work ‘This Curious World’… she has an Etsy Shop too….
Caroline Bell and her Eco Printed pieces
Lots of shopping, lots of visitors….never enough space !
Demonstration of Tapestry Weaving by Carolyn Perry of the British Tapestry Group
By Helen Sill
By Gina Ferrari
By Ann Wheeler

A pair of these ‘Sheffield made’ Wright & Sons Scissors came home with me…. love them !
Work by Jean Bennett
The Sailors’ Society have a Wooly Hat Competition
The large stained glass window at Alexandra Palace
Happy Shoppers at the end of the day
The view of the City of London from Alexandra Palace
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Art in Action 2014

Art in Action is a four day event that showcases the talents of professional artists in marquees dedicated to their chosen genre of work.

My favourite marquees to visit are always ‘Textiles’, ‘Illustration & Calligraphy’, the ‘Market’ where goodies are for sale and this year another favourite of mine was the ‘War Artists’.

Other forms of crafts are demonstrated too, including painting, ceramics, wood, glass, silverware and jewelry.

Textiles

As usual, I spend the best part of the morning in the Textiles tent.

Here’s a selection of the artists and their work.

Hand stitched work by Ellie Evans  

Art in Action - Hand stitched work by Ellie Evans  

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