Sewing
Save the future of creativity in schools
30/11/12 19:06
Why is this not in the news more!
The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) threatens the very future of creative subjects - like Music, Art, Design & Technology, Drama and Dance. By missing them off its list of core areas children must study, the Government is undermining their place at the heart of learning. Here below I have copied the template letter from http://www.baccforthefuture.com/index.html You can copy this letter into a word processor document, print it, and then post it to your local MP. Be sure to remember to fill in the text in the red areas. I’m going to draw a letter and send it off!
{name of MP}
House of Commons
Westminster
London
SW1A 0AA
Dear {name of MP},
Please include creative subjects in the English Baccalaureate
I am deeply concerned by the omission of creative subjects from the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) league table and ‘full EBacc’ certificate.
As it stands at the moment, the EBacc places significant pressure on schools to focus on just five ‘pillars’ of study: maths, English, sciences, languages (including Ancient Greek and Latin) and humanities (defined as just history and geography).
These are important, but the omission of creative subjects threatens a broad and balanced education (the International Baccalaureate for example includes a sixth creative pillar).
It also puts our creative economy and the creation of jobs in that sector at risk.
This is why the CBI and Creative Industries Council have expressed concern at the absence of any creative subject from the five pillars.
This is why over 40 organisations from across the creative sector are supporting the Bacc for the Future campaign which advocates a sixth pillar of creative subjects for the EBacc.
Please could you raise these concerns with the Secretary of State for Education and - if the EBacc reforms do go ahead - secure the place of creative industry relevant subjects in a sixth pillar of study such as ‘art and design, dance, drama, design technology, film studies and music.’ This is what the Government’s own Henley Review recommended.
I look forward to your reply.
Yours sincerely,
{your name}
The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) threatens the very future of creative subjects - like Music, Art, Design & Technology, Drama and Dance. By missing them off its list of core areas children must study, the Government is undermining their place at the heart of learning. Here below I have copied the template letter from http://www.baccforthefuture.com/index.html You can copy this letter into a word processor document, print it, and then post it to your local MP. Be sure to remember to fill in the text in the red areas. I’m going to draw a letter and send it off!
{name of MP}
House of Commons
Westminster
London
SW1A 0AA
Dear {name of MP},
Please include creative subjects in the English Baccalaureate
I am deeply concerned by the omission of creative subjects from the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) league table and ‘full EBacc’ certificate.
As it stands at the moment, the EBacc places significant pressure on schools to focus on just five ‘pillars’ of study: maths, English, sciences, languages (including Ancient Greek and Latin) and humanities (defined as just history and geography).
These are important, but the omission of creative subjects threatens a broad and balanced education (the International Baccalaureate for example includes a sixth creative pillar).
It also puts our creative economy and the creation of jobs in that sector at risk.
This is why the CBI and Creative Industries Council have expressed concern at the absence of any creative subject from the five pillars.
This is why over 40 organisations from across the creative sector are supporting the Bacc for the Future campaign which advocates a sixth pillar of creative subjects for the EBacc.
Please could you raise these concerns with the Secretary of State for Education and - if the EBacc reforms do go ahead - secure the place of creative industry relevant subjects in a sixth pillar of study such as ‘art and design, dance, drama, design technology, film studies and music.’ This is what the Government’s own Henley Review recommended.
I look forward to your reply.
Yours sincerely,
{your name}
Ghosts Of Gone Birds
01/12/11 22:56
Most of the time Facebook is a time waster, but sometimes it shows its worth, I discovered this exhibition posted up through two different unrelated friends that I hadn’t seen in ages, Ed Kluz and Anita Bruce who were both exhibiting in it. I could have easily missed Ghosts Of Gone Birds, but managed to see the show the day before it ended in Shoreditch, when I was on my way to the Hoxton Knitting group. The show was overwhelming, I wish I had more time to see everything, a whole room of Ralph Steadman drawings, and recently I had discovered the work of Felt Mistress through twitter, who has worked in collaboration with Jon Burgerman to make illustrations into stuffed felt creatures! By chance I managed to catch up with Anita, invigilating the show, whilst knitting her hummingbirds in wire. Her knitting patterns and sketchbooks as complex and amazing as her finished pieces.
Felt Mistress
Ed Kluz
Anita Bruce
Felt Mistress
Ed Kluz
Anita Bruce
Chunghie Lee
17/10/11 16:53
Whilst still installing at the Knitting & Stitching Show, the exhibit that really caught my inspiration was The Patched Pojagi by Korean Fibre Artist, Chunghie Lee. Chunghie uses Korean wrapping silks called Pojagi which she sews together in intricate and delicate patchworks of colour, as wall hangings and kimono like garments. Some of her pieces had repeated screen printed figures shown on them, which reminded me of some work I had explored during my Textile Art degree, although Chunghie’s held more substance and a professional finish, still it was really interesting to see how some lines/threads of visual/craft exploration ring through in both our work, although I had not heard of her before. As other exhibits also needed installing before the opening of the show, we were running around juggling to finish, all hands on deck, but I’m really pleased I got left to help tweak and finalise the hanging of Chunghie’s work. Again I’m sorry that I haven’t yet got a new decent camera and that my photographs here, do not do justice to her textiles. Have a look at her website for a better overview and images.
Knitting & Stitching Show 2011
17/10/11 16:05
I was back at the Knitting & Stitching Show at Ally Pally again this year, helping Liz Cooper to install some of the art exhibits in the show. Our main task was to install the major Beryl Dean retrospective, of intricately stitched Gold work on Bishop’s gowns, some huge colour embroideries on big panels, and numerous framed drawings of her design work, all of which was incredible.
Some other pieces that caught my eye, once the show had opened were these knitted pieces by Yoshimi Kihara. I didn’t get to meet her till the end of the show, when I asked her if I could take this photo, and it turned out that we both went to the same school in Kyoto: Kawashima School of Textiles about 10 years ago! How fantastic that I’m still making connections from a very brief, but most influential time of my art / textile schooling.
There was some interesting, knitting/performance art, but it seemed a bit lost and out of place to the crowded mass of shoppers in the main hall!
And lastly to note, the fun knitted bunting in the Palm Court, made by readers of Woman’s Weekly magazine!
Some other pieces that caught my eye, once the show had opened were these knitted pieces by Yoshimi Kihara. I didn’t get to meet her till the end of the show, when I asked her if I could take this photo, and it turned out that we both went to the same school in Kyoto: Kawashima School of Textiles about 10 years ago! How fantastic that I’m still making connections from a very brief, but most influential time of my art / textile schooling.
There was some interesting, knitting/performance art, but it seemed a bit lost and out of place to the crowded mass of shoppers in the main hall!
And lastly to note, the fun knitted bunting in the Palm Court, made by readers of Woman’s Weekly magazine!
A Sewing Machine & A Typewriter
14/08/10 03:25
I’ve orchestrated a fight between a sewing machine and a typewriter...
My response to working within the space of Solveigh’s installation of Mirabilia Domestica, using the instruments in the workstation.
My response to working within the space of Solveigh’s installation of Mirabilia Domestica, using the instruments in the workstation.
The Knitting & Stitching Show
06/10/09 21:55
As some of you know I have a crochet group on Saturday mornings, this week we thought we'd meet up at the Knitting and Stitching show. If you are already going it would be great to see you there! Tickets are available on the door for £12.00, so I believe.
Before going into the show we are going to have our usual Saturday morning crochet and knit meet up.
If you want to join us we will be meeting up on:
Saturday 10th October, at 11am. Outside The Phoenix pub, next to the main entrance of the Palm Court of Ally Pally.
This meet up is free to attend and anyone can come! - you don't even have to go into the show!
I will also be going to the show on Friday 9th if anyone wants to meet up! Hope to see you all there!
Using my head
29/06/09 22:54
I have always been drawn towards making a head piece of some sort. With a wedding to attend last weekend, I thought I would make my own fascinator...
I had purchased a few meters of this coral lace from Dalson Mill Fabrics, in Ridley Road Market (my favourite shop at the moment!). I cut out all of the individual lace flowers, then hand stitched them onto the matching netting. Voila!
I had purchased a few meters of this coral lace from Dalson Mill Fabrics, in Ridley Road Market (my favourite shop at the moment!). I cut out all of the individual lace flowers, then hand stitched them onto the matching netting. Voila!
Wools & Crafts
13/06/09 15:54
I discovered this amazing little shop today on Blackstock Road, in Finsbury Park. Some of the ladies in my crochet group had mentioned it in passing, but I had no idea just how much stock they have! It was really hard to leave empty handed. I managed to only buy two items, some matching purple cotton to finish off my treble crochet granny square!
Budgies for the love birds
05/05/09 21:37
An old friend from my art school days, got married at the weekend. It was a lovely barn wedding full of bunting, dancing, casks of ale, and plenty of food for us campers on the farm! Emma and Terry asked on the invite for presents, if any, to be handmade, so I screen printed them a pair of budgies.
Bibliomancer's Dream
12/02/09 22:55
Thursday 12 February 2009 - Sunday 8 March 2009.
Bibliomancy is an ancient ritual that involves the random selection of a book and then a line or verse within that book to learn a truth, or inspire the imagination of the holder.
As part of Imagine Children's Festival, visit the magical library in The Clore Ballroom of the Royal Festival Hall, and delve into hundreds of books that hold secrets for you to discover.
The Bibliomancer’s Dream is an installation by artist Alinah Azadeh (with design engineering by Willow Winston and Terence Williams).
(Upholstery by Sara Noble)
Bibliomancy is an ancient ritual that involves the random selection of a book and then a line or verse within that book to learn a truth, or inspire the imagination of the holder.
As part of Imagine Children's Festival, visit the magical library in The Clore Ballroom of the Royal Festival Hall, and delve into hundreds of books that hold secrets for you to discover.
The Bibliomancer’s Dream is an installation by artist Alinah Azadeh (with design engineering by Willow Winston and Terence Williams).
(Upholstery by Sara Noble)
Sound Snow Sleighs
10/12/08 21:15
I have been working for the Southbank Centre over the last week to help create a pair of Sound Snow Sleighs. I did most of the upholstering by hand, and now my fingers are really sore ( next time i will take my sewing machine with me!) But now its done it looks lovely, gleaming and snowlike!
MF Doom for Jamie
19/10/08 16:24
I can now reveal the minature sewing i have been doing! Me and Matt have been transforming a Doctor Doom action figure, blinging him up into MF Doom for our flatmate Jamie’s birthday present! Check out the Doom nike high tops I made!
