Today I went to the stitch show at the NEC. The actual exhibition was a lot smaller than I imagined, but here are some of the main exhibits that were of interest to me.
The Stitch in the Middle Whisper Challenge really appealed to me, it was interesting to see different peoples interpretation on a theme.
I love the structure of a corset, it has a sculptural quality and I would like to experiment with this form, for a non wearable piece of art.
I am the president of my local Women’s Institute and the National Needlework Archive caught my eye, as they were displaying needlework belonging to a branch of the WI. Apparently you can visit them to see work that they have stored there. I will have to put this on my to-do list, as I am interested in how the language of embroidery is evolving.
There was a Japanese display that included beautifully embroidered kimonos, which had very detailed stitch work in the designs.
However, my favourite exhibit at the show was the life-size Knitted Garden Project. The attention to detail was amazing, the more I looked the more I noticed; even the spider in his web on the shed. It is a lovely example of a participatory piece of work. Also it is pleasing to see such a lovely example of sculptural textiles.
