Association Exhibition

Today I went to Mansfield Museum to see the Association's Exhibition 'Kaleidoscope'.  I drove over to Leamington Spa, left my car at my daughter's house and was picked up there by Glenn and Chris Fletcher. The total journey took about two and a half hours. We went straight to the Museum in Mansfield and Glenn was very forebearing as the two women examined every item in detail and discussed how it was done!

My impression is that the standard is very high this year. According to the local Guild people demonstrating at the Museum, less than half the entries were selected. There was a lot of handspun which had been dyed with natural dyes and then knitted or woven. A wonderful range of colours. I have to report that sludgy greens and yellows are a thing of the past. There was a lot of weaving in fine silk (30/2 and 60/2) and a fine collection of tapestries. A spectacular tapestry was of koi carp with water ripples done in silver lurex by Jill Gerratt of the Isle of Wight. She also had woven a pair of mallards which was unfortunately right next to the koi carp. In any other situation, it would have been the star of the show!

Another Show stopper was a repp rug by Roseanne McConkey of Cambridge. This was large (four by ten feet?). Apart from the faultless technique, the colour selection was very fine.

Other notable items were
- a flower in split ply braiding
- a handbag woven in space dyed and ikat yarns
- a large transparent hanging in monofilament with cross-sections of mushrooms worked in Theo Moorman technique
- Several fine handspun (1 and 2 ply) Shetland shawls.

There were a number of knitted garments but no woven ones. Lots of woven scarves and a few bags but nothing sewn like a waistcoat, dress or jacket. Odd.

Has it inspired me? Well yes in an odd way. I was reminded by seeing a scarf in crackle weave that I have always meant to get to the bottom of that technique. So crackle weave will get added to my list of future projects.

You will note there are no photos here of the Exhibition. I took lots but I feel bad about putting photos of someone else's work in my blog without asking permission.

Home at six o'clock, tired but prepared to discourse at length to Michael on what I had seen.

The next two days are to be spent around the house. I have to turn out the spare room. I have already washed and dried the bedding. I need to do the Wokefield Park accounts and thenI can start on weaving/bookbinding et cetera.