Tea Flora Tales and Textile Landscape at the Knitting and Stitching Shows

Six years after its inception Tea Flora Tales an ongoing stitched collaboration  which started its life at the Knitting and Stitching Shows in 2012 returns to Ally Pally, London and Harrogate (home to good Yorkshire tea and Betty's Tea Room). It is fitting as we mark the centenary year of the end of the First World War that this informal gathering of stitching has taken on a new meaning. More recently, images of Poppies, Cornflowers, Forget-Me-Nots and Rosemary marking the ‘peace’ to be found in the landscape and natural world have entered into the work. I am humbled by how such a small seed as grown and how this piece has become ‘stitched testament’ to our need to come together in sometimes turbulent times. I am equally thankful to all of you who have contributed and for the support of the Embroiderers' Guild, (who also have on display their 100 Hearts project) Upper Street Events and Nadelwelt Karlsruhe who have equally helped to raise the awareness of our need to protect Wildflowers and their habitat and the ongoing support of the charity Plantlife.

 Mandy Jayne Bridger and Cathy Ferraby

Pauline Kennigton (left), Jenni Ellaway (right)

Above are just a few more recently sent in by Embroiderers Guild members. They really have come in from all over the world and you can still create one at the show. You can also help to prune the flowers back and take one home with you (making a small donation to Plantlife at the same time).

Sir John Lawer School

From Embroiders in Mons, Belgium

At The European Patchwork Meeting in 2014 and a little video 

 The Beaney, Canterbury 2013

Quilt Festival Luxembourg 2016

Tea Flora Tales has been shown at many places over the last few year including Mons in Belgium, Visions Art Museum in California and Opendrawer in Melbourne, Australia. You can read more about it here.

Some of my pieces which feature in Textile Landscape (Batford 2018) will also be displayed including this work, Medway Gap, which forms the front cover. I will do a report on my return. 

This has been a busy month for exhibitions. 'Bloom' opened last weekend and continues through until 27 January 2019. It marks the celebrations of Leeuwarden as European Capital of Culture in the Netherlands. 

Also my installation Trees opens at the World of Threads Festival in Ontario or 13th October (until 25 November.)

The reception date is:

Sat. Oct. 20, 2018 1:00 – 3:30 pm and features an amazing 303 artworks by 65 artists from Canada, Denmark, England, Hungary, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Russia and USA. 

Festival Venue:

Queen Elizabeth Park Community & Cultural Centre, 

2302 Bridge Road Oakville, Ontario, Canada.  

Dates: Sat. Oct. 13 - Sun. Nov. 25, 2018

Hours: Mon. – Sat. 10:00 am – 6:00 pm.  Sun. 12:00 – 5:00 pm

Best of all admission is FREE

Festival brochure available here.

Check out updates and news on social media.

Lastly, I have a small piece in the current exhibition Re-Imagining the Doll's House at Maidstone Museum. Curated by Veronica Tonge this collaborative exhibition looks at the museum's own collection of doll's houses and connects to wider themes of 'small house' and home.It is on until 12 November. A fascinating exhibition, please pop in if you can.