November meeting - 'Silver Clay Jewellery'

Rohanna Stoddart was our tutor for the November meeting with her 'Silver Clay Jewellery'. What started off as a piece of 'clay' was magically turned into wonderful silver - and gold - jewellery.

Rohanna brought along a selection of pieces just to wet our appetites ...

This is the moment when the 'clay' pieces come out of the kiln. Rohanna is pointing out that they are still VERY hot ...

... Marie has to test it for herself?

What followed was a lot of brushing with a wire brush. Here are Sue and Sandie ...

... Marie and Yvonne ...

... Jean ...

... and Mary. Everyone is hard at it!

A gold piece is treated equally roughly.

Here are some of the finished pieces ... pendants ...

... and a pair of earrings. Lovely.

And, of course, the shop assistants are still 'hard at it'!

Exhibition at Preston Minster

Preston Embroiderers' Guild took part in Preston Arts Festival by staging an exhibition in Preston Minster. This took place from October 18th - 31st.

Sorry about that! Lean to the left to see this?

October Workshop - 'Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall' by Kath Morton

Our October workshop was led by Kath Morton, who always has interesting and useful techniques and tips to pass on. We were to make a 'fabric mirror' and here is Marie Constance Brown getting down to work on hers.

... Caroline is making good progress here ...

... and Christine looks as if she is nearly finished ...

... wonder what Brenda and Kath find so funny?

... looks OK to me!

Ann's is coming along nicely too!

As well as the workshop, we had our annual competitions. These are the entries for the Trudy Goodenough trophy ...

... and these are the entries for the Agnes Wilson trophy.

We had our AGM and here is Sue, one of our new joint Chairmen, (the other is Suzanne) who is presenting the prize for the Trudy Goodenough trophy to our ex-Chairman, Sandie.

Barbara Ryan was the winner of the Agnes Wilson award for Counted Thread ...

... and Mary Nevett won the Agnes Wilson trophy for 'Surface Stitch'. Well done, everyone!

Here is Sandie with her parting gift from members for all her years of service and hard work.

Thank you, Sandie!

September Day School - Anne Burrow - Raising the Surface with Gesso

This month we were visited once again by the delightful, and always welcome, Anne Burrow. This time Anne was introducing our members to a new medium - Gesso. Anne was soon demonstrating how to add colour ...

... and texture ...

... and, as usual, there were lots of samples to whet our appetites.

Here is Pam getting 'stuck in' to her pot of Gesso - perhaps a little too literally?

Anne is adding her floral elements ...

... and Florence and Brenda are enjoying their coffee as they get started.

Marie and Sue getting some advice.

Maureen is well under way ...

... as are Christine and Jean.

Marie and Anne enjoying a joke.

Meanwhile, lots of other things were going on. Some Horrockses dresses on display to get the creative juices flowing ...

... and the 'girls in the back room' were hard at it ...

... 'sorting and siding'. We've been clearing out a lot of cupboards!

Elaine, Mary, Kath and Gina are hard at work too.

Beryl and Anne are concentrating hard ...

... and Pam has managed to 'raise her surface' too!

Maureen's is very precise and delicate ...

... and Sue is recording her 'hearts and flowers' for posterity.

July Meeting - Preston Cream Tea

For our July meeting (our first ever) we decided to have a 'Preston Cream Tea'. Everyone brought some current work to do and lots of chatting and fellowship went on.

Here are the 'Japanese Present Bags' which were completed from the June Day School with Lindsay Jones.

Christine brought some 'felt weaving' that she had been doing and showed us one which she had finished by felting. Nice!

Theresa was busy making quilt blocks and Elaine was working on her counted stitch work.

Kath brought some of her intricate and delicate 'Wessex Stitchery'.

June was making a book of the Ten Commandments for a lucky Grandchild.

... and Eileen was engaged in her favourite blackwork.

Maureen was working on a cross stitch piece and Anne was finishing her Japanese Present Bag.

One interesting feature of the day was the amount of 'tutoring' which was going on. Here is Beryl showing Elva how to make a very elaborate crochet scarf. Beryl swears it's easy but I'm not so sure ... you'll have to show us all how to make one, Beryl?

Here's someone else finishing off a UFO! Isabel is tackling some weaving started on a Sue Lawty workshop. Now where did I put mine ...?

Here is Pat enjoying one of the books she bought at our Book Sale and Pamela is making poppy templates for a 'Meadow' wall hanging that she is planning. Can't wait to see that, Pamela.

I'm really sorry but I forgot to take a photograph of the 'Cream Tea' until there wasn't much cream and very few strawberries left. You''ll just have to believe me that they were yummy!!!

A very pleasant way to spend a summer's day.