Tadek Beutlich

Tadek Beutlich 1922-2011

The wall hanging pictured is courtesy of Vision Gallery and Liz Hankins who let me know that Tadek died recently.

Tadek Beutlich is best known as an weaver of extraordinary tapestries but he also produced some large and very striking prints, most printed in the 1960s and 70s with editions Alecto. Originally from Poland he also studied in Germany and Italy before graduating in textiles from Camberwell School of Art and Crafts in 1950. He subsequently taught at Camberwell from 1951 to 1974. You can see a selection of his prints at Emma Mason british prints.

Threads of Feeling

A bunch of 4 ribbons narrow – Yellow, Blue, Green, & Pink’. Silk ribbons tied in a bunch with a knot. Foundling number 170. A girl admitted 9 December 1743. Given the name Pamela Townley by the Foundling Hospital. Died 1 September 1746.

Threads of Feeling. The Foundling Hospital's textile tokens, 1740-1770.

The Foundling Hospital textiles consist of 5,000 small swatches of fabric dating from the middle decades of the eighteenth century. They are pinned to the registration documents that recorded the entry of each baby to the Hospital. These fabrics were kept by the Hospital as a means of establishing an identifiable link between the child and its mother. They now comprise the largest collection of everyday textiles surviving from the eighteenth century in Britain.

The exhibition continues at The Foundling Museum, 40 Brunswick Square, London WC1 until 6th March 2011. Entrance is £7.50.

Louise Bourgeois

untitled 2005

Louise Bourgeois was reportedly a notorious hoarder. The artist, who died this year at the age of 98, accumulated all manner of tablecloths, napkins, clothing and bed linens — a lifetime’s worth of material, really — which she began to cut up and reassemble into “drawings” in the mid-1990s. New York Times blog

Louise Bourgeois: The Fabric Works is an exhibition at the new Hauser & Wirth gallery at 23 Savile Row, London W1. The exhibition space is spread over 2 galleries with seperate entrances so don't miss seeing both spaces. There are over seventy fabric drawings made between 2002 and 2008. Curated by Germano Celant, there is a comprehensive publication to accompany the exhibition published by Skira. Closed Sundays and Mondays the show is on until 18 December.

Tea Cosy

Having had a blissful week off work, seen some art, done some thrifting, been out dancing, tidied up my chaotic workspace (hooray!) my creative mojo returned and I made this tea cosy for a friend who loves a nice cuppa tea. I got the pattern for the basic cosy from Rusty Bobbin. I like the Union Jack motif but wanted to do something a bit different.

Le Rayon Vert

Manon Gignoux, Anne Tostivint and Cloe Rousset are showing work at Le Rayon Vert, 1 rue Sainte Marthe, 44100 Nantes, France until 18 October 2009. Sewing, embroidery, fabrics, repeated gestures, clothes, objects, interiors.

Rescued & Revived Ltd.

It was lovely to see my friends Botkin and Galliers of Rescued & Revived Ltd at the Bust Craftacular. These lovely ladies only started stitching together a few months ago and they have been going down a storm with their beautiful cushions, picnic rugs and throws. I cannot believe how much they have achieved in such a short space of time.

Contemporary Textiles Fair

Wall Piece(framed) 2009 by Julie Roberts

Julie Roberts is showing work at the annual Contemporary Textiles Fair this weekend, 14th and 15th March at the Landmark Arts Centre, Teddington, Middlesex. 10am-5pm, admission £4.

Cameo

Here are some new ideas I am working on for brooches, it has been lovely to start stitching again after a long absence. The book was a recent find at the car boot. It had quadrupled in price from 2/6 to 50p! Published in 1885.

Peace and Goodwill.

Here is a more detailed picture of the brooch I made in memory of Rik at the Jessie Chorley workshop.

I also wanted to wish everyone who reads this blog a very Happy Holiday season and a Peaceful New Year and in particular to all those people we have lost this year and in previous years, we miss you.

I will be back next year with new resolutions to fulfill the many promises I have made to all those lovely friends I have met over the last 2 years on this blog and through flickr and have yet to keep (you know who you are!). And I hope to launch my etsy shop at last!

Jessie Chorley

Jessie Chorley is one of the artists exhibiting at the Flow Gallery in London as part of Making Stories this month. The gallery will be closed from the 24th December and re-opens on the 5th January until the 10th January. Jessie Chorley also has a wonderful shop in Columbia Road which she runs with artist Buddug Humphreys. Go to their website to check opening times.

Cameo

Naori Priestly

Body (detail)

Naori Priestly's work is illustrative and strongly autobiographical. Her work employs humour to convey the darker, more sinister side of everyday life. Working with textiles, she employs domestic craft skills, such as hand-knitting, crochet, embroidery, applique and hand-felt, along with digital technology, like computerised embroidery.

BIG BAG

Tikki Patchwork is a lovely shop, just around the corner from Kew Gardens, with lots of fabrics and some great books. I found this Japanese craft book there. If you are planning to visit check their opening times on their website as they do vary from week to week.

The Knitting and Stitching Show is at Alexandra Palace in London from the 9th - 12th October.

June bug

Work in progress for the We Make, London craft fair, less than three weeks to go ...

Travel bug

I bought this fab fabric from Brixton market a few years ago, made in Holland for the African market - Paula Lindblom has just found the same fabric in Sweden via Nigeria. Now that is well-travelled.

Cloth and Culture NOW

detail of The Golden Age, fabric, organza and silk thread 110x170cm

by Aune Taamal from Estonia

Cloth and Culture NOW investigates the connection between tradition, global perspectives and contemporary textiles in the work of 35 artists from Estonia, Finland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania and the UK. Curated by Lesley Millar the show opens on the 29 January at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in Norwich and is on until 1 June. It will tour to Manchester in the Autumn and then to other participating countries. There is a feature on the show in the current issue of Embroidery magazine.

Soft Life

Intimate relationships and the tenuous, complicated threads that bind them are the focus of the group exhibition Soft Life at the Hyde Park Art Centre in Chicago from today until March 3oth. Curated by Frank Connet and Allison Peters, the exhibition features work by Chicago artists Aviva Alter, Danny Mansmith, Dutes Miller & Stan Shellabarger, and Rebecca Ringquist that utilize the stitch to tangibly represent the passionate, chaotic and sometimes painful connection love generates between individuals.

By incorporating found and lived-with fabrics, embroidery, fabric appliqué and paper, each with a distinct history, these works weave together new stories from the various narratives that become fused together. Many of the actual textiles have a highly personal connection. Alter uses the clothing of family members who have passed away to comment on the idealization of lost relationships, and Mansmith incorporates often discarded papers such as letters, notes and photos from loved ones, so as not to forget even the insignificant moments of being loved. The video installation “Between the Sheets” by Miller & Shellabarger temporarily relocates the couple’s iron bed frame and sheets from their bedroom in Logan Square to the gallery for a performance of sewing themselves into the bed together. The bed is also a central symbol in Ringquist’s work as she encrusts bed sheets and pillowcases with commercial vintage patterns of bonneted girls, tomatoes and hens to comment on gender roles.

Fiberarts

The latest issue of Fiberarts magazine (Nov/Dec 2007) is out. I love the cover image of this untitled sculpture by Rachel Hunt. There are some great features in this issue with textiles in 3D and their annual student showcase. You can see lots more images on their website.

Emily Barletta

Center, crochet, mixed media (detail) 22x23x3inches

Emily Barletta has a new show of her beautiful art called My Biology this month at art star in Philadelphia. It runs until 18 November. You can read more on Emily's blog

Mosaic Monday

Mosaic Monday, originally uploaded by Feltbug.

Here is a selection of beautiful creations by some of my contacts on flickr. Click on the image to go to the page with links to the featured artists.