CETG 2023 Programme
CETG have a mixed programme of online talks in the autumn and winter and in-person meetings when the evenings are lighter. This gives us the opportunity to hear from artists who live further away via online talks, while still being able to touch and feel the work of summertime speakers. After all, textiles is a tactile art!
All meetings are at 7.30pm on the second Monday of the month unless otherwise stated, with summer meetings held at Tylers Green Village Hall. Get in touch via Contact Us if you would like to join an online talk and we'll send details of how to pay the £7 charge for a single talk. The link will be forwarded a few days before the talk. The programme may be subject to change, and will be updated as soon as confirmed.
Click or tap on the artist's name to go to their website.
All images are copyright of the artists.
Monday 9th January online talk
Aran Illingworth - Painting in Thread
Aran will talk about her use of embroidery and textile appliqué techniques, in the context of the development over recent years of embroidery as an art form used for portraiture and representational images. Read about Aran's evocative work here.
Monday 13th February online talk
Kim McCormack - A Sense of Place Reflected in Stitch
Kim will touch on past work and how it has developed into a direct response to the visual and textural experiences of her walks along forest trails and the sprawling Highland estates which surround her. She will discuss her processes, techniques and inspirations. Read how Kim searches to express the essence of place - here.
Saturday 25th February - 1.30pm
Our first in-person meeting of the year was a social meeting held at Tyler's Green Village Hall where everyone was invited to make an embroidered fabric pocket. Members brought in work they had completed over the winter and there was a sale of fabric and other materials to raise funds for CETG and members' charities. Read more about the meeting here.
Monday 13th March online talk
Kate Wells - Dip Your Mind in Gold – the why and how of fine metallic machine embroidery
This talk explores an artist’s inner world! Kate describes her reflections and thinking, and highlights key starting points which have inspired over a decade of fine machine embroidered lace through to stunning decorative embroidery on silk organza. Kate has discovered the art of sampling and experimenting with metallic threads on dissolvable fabric, taking her love of landscape and flowers to a whole new level (and back again.) Her talk includes the importance of drawing and sketchbooks in her work and a lifetime of making embroidery in her Yorkshire studio. Read more about Kate's inspiring work here.
Monday 17th April
Ros Cooper - Finding a Focus
Inspired by the structural forms of flowers and other plants, Ros’ work is built up in layers with paint, dyes, applique and free machine embroidery. Ros cuts stencils based on her drawings and these enable her to make use of positive and negative motifs throughout her work. She also creates textile sculptures using hand dyed fabrics. Read more about Ros's beautiful work here.
Friday 19th May
CETG Hand Stitch Groups - Show and Tell
Members of the three CETG Hand Stitch Groups spoke about their recent projects and brought along examples of their work. A friendly evening where members spent time admiring each other's work, discussing stitching and taking away ideas for their own future projects. Find out more about what CETG members stitch here.
Monday 12th June
Karen Nicol - 24/7 Stitch
Karen’s musings on a long career as an embroiderer in Fashion, Interiors and Gallery and her belief that as a craft embroidery/stitch/mixed media textiles is still second to none. Read about her amazing career here.
Monday 10th July
Pirkko Soundy - Samplers through the ages
At the age of 10 I came across the word “marking cloth” (Finnish for a sampler) in an old children's book. Ever since then I have been fascinated by these historical examples of needlework. In my talk, I will give an introduction to the history of samplers and their different functions over the centuries. I will also bring along my collection of 19th and 20th century samplers for display. Read about Pirkko's love of samplers here.
Saturday 12th August 2.30pm
Afternoon Tea and Social
A tea party to celebrate traditional embroidered table linen whilst sharing delicious tea and home-made cake. Members brought treasured embroidered linen – either pieces they had made themselves, had inherited or collected – and shared stories of these neglected works of art. Read more here.
Monday 11th September
Maria Thomas - RELATIVE - exploring family history and belonging
Maria shares her personal view of family relationships through a series of contemporary patchwork garments and quilted artifacts. Read more here.
Saturday 7th October at 2.00pm
Annual General Meeting followed by
Sally-Anne Lloyd - Stitching and Staying True to Myself
Sally-Anne Lloyd is a textile artist living in Buckinghamshire. Sally-Anne stitches because finds it therapeutic, mindful and loves the process. Preferring not to follow any rules or a pattern, Sally-Anne’s approach to her work is to “wing it and see how it goes!” She doesn’t consider herself a commercial artist but does work to commission on occasion. Read about some of the work Sally-Anne has done in the last 5 years, and how she uses stitches for her mental health here.
Monday 13th November online talk
Emily Tull - A Stitch in Time
Emily will give an overview of her career as a stitch artist whilst talking about what inspires her and her process. Hear about Emily's inimitable portraits and wildlife studies here.
Monday 11th December online talk
Hannah Dodd - Working with Wool
Hannah is a textile artist based in Derbyshire who creates quirky designs to provoke humour and make you smile. She develops her 3D designs by interpreting the charming English houses dotted around the Peaks. Many felting techniques are used, from nuno to needle felting, with finished details in stitch. Read all about Hannah's delightful work here.
