16 March Armelle Hatch- 'Small Things'
Armelle used her french upbringing & style as inspiration for her work as well as nature. She developed an abstract pleat to lovely effect & we really liked her 'bobbin'. Her display culminated with her array of hat pins many of which she developed and combined to good effect with her french family history. Armelle is also a member of Textile 21.

21 January 2016 : Lynda Monk workshop
We are all of the same opinion that this was one of the best, most active & well organised workshops we have ever attended. Lynda could not have prepared more rigorously & our pre-purchased kits were perfect. We enjoyed making our vessels with the kumin felt & gesso. The thermofax machine was amazing & how much we could create in a few hours! Then there was the enjoyment of the heat gun & powders. There wasn't a spare minute. We went home very happy if not utterly exhausted!!!!

20 January 2016: Lynda Monk : Creative Surfaces
Our first talk of 2016 was a virtual sell out, as we were captivated by the skills of Lynda Monk & her techniques . We loved the vessels she created & how she painted them with just 3 stock colours. The thermo screen printing was popular & the versatility of lutrador & kumin felt left us to ponder many future projects. Luckily Lynda has written many books- much more eloquent than I can describe here.

18 November 2015 : Fiona Nisbet: Textile Artist

Fiona is a member of www.shropshireweavers.co.uk & she gave us a detailed insight into silk, & how the various processes create the products we use today, & as a dyer & spinner how she uses them. It was very interesting to learn the words used, as many of us had heard of them but never appreciated the origins. Even the silk worm diet created a different silk ranging from 'tatta' silk from eating mulberry leaves to oak silk moth creating wild 'tussah' silk. These silk cocoons can spin a massive amount of silk for the 'throster' to unravel & 'denier' is derived from the number of cocoons used for a thread. Then there is 'reel silk' & 'noil' which when stretched creates 'handkerchief' or 'silk cap'. I loved the fact you could buy a 'brick' of cone silk.

Workshop with Melanie Kay

A really enjoyable workshop for members with Melanie Kay on 7th November- never knew what fun could be had with metals such as aluminium, brass, copper & foils + STITCH
                                   
                                   

21st Oct- Maria Tarn- 'Draw it, Make it'

Since completing her City and Guilds Qualification in Textiles, Design and Embroidery, Maria Tarn has worked and exhibited with the TX Group of artists in Frodsham for over 5 years. Initially her photographs/sketches of places she had visited are interpreted to form the basis of a range of canvas based textile work, using the sewing machine as a drawing tool.

Following some exhibitions, she was invited to lead workshops about art techniques at the Cheshire West Teachers' Conferences and to staff in a local nursery which have all been well received.

As a member of the Markmakers group, she works from The Hazlehurst Studios, based in the High Street of Runcorn Old Town. A lifetime passion for art and crafts inspired her to turn her hobby into a commercial activity.

Here are 'our pages ' of the Travelling Book which represents Chelford where we meet. These small squares show our interpretation of Chelford Market & will form part of the book which was the challenge issued by the NW Guild Chairman.