Fun with Silk

May has been busy with workshops and it has been great fun to experiment with silk again.  Adult and family workshops focused on natural dyeing techniques and beautiful silk scarves were produced. In the after school art club we explored silk paper making adding vibrant colour with silk paints, a messy class but great fun.  Lastly,  shibori techniques were used to dye silk scarves using steam fix silk dyes in the Fabric Fun adult workshop.  The Fabric Fun project at Corner 9 Arts Project has now been completed and it has been wonderful to be part of this project and introduce others to a variety of textile crafts.

Pole wrapped scarf from the shibori workshop

Perfect Weather

Last weekend was very busy with Easter art events.  Firstly, on Saturday 9 April we held an exhibition at Corner 9 Art Space, North Kensington, London of the work created by adults and children during the three month Fabric Fun Project.  We had a perfect sunny afternoon and were able to offer the family craft workshop outside in the sunshine.  We were pleased with the attendance and the local residents showed interest in the project.

On Sunday 10 April, I joined the Friends of Normand Park, Fulham, in their Easter event with a community felting project.  Together with local residents we made a large felt collage using pre-felts to create a spring design with colourful birds, butterflies and bees on a sky blue background.  For an outdoor project we could not have asked for better weather.  In the sunny April afternoon all worked hard to complete the felt and install it on one of the park trees, felting it on the tree until it fitted snuggly. We were very pleased with the result and the installation has managed to stay on the tree for a whole week, making an eye catching addition to the park.

Normand Park Community Felt Project

I am busy preparing for a community felting project taking place as part of Normand Park's Easter event in Fulham.  The event is on Sunday 10 April and more information is available from the Friends of Normand Park. 

The event last year was great fun and we are hoping to replicate the decoration of a park tree with a nature inspired felt design.  Hoping for good weather on the day.

A Busy Start

2011 has started out full of new projects and workshops, a busy time.  As spring approaches I am working towards Easter community arts projects while continuing to teach in the Fabric Fun sessions at Corner 9 Arts Project and in an after school art club at a local school.  It is wonderful to be able introduce new people to the fun of textile arts.

The exhibition of work produced during the Fabric Fun project will take place on 9 April 2011 at Corner 9 Arts Project from 3.00pm. More information available from Corner 9.

Fabric Fun and more Wild Things

Saturday 4 December saw the exhibition of the work produced by children attending the Fabric Fun workshops at Corner 9 Arts Project in North Kensington, London..  The aim of the 20 week project was to introduce local children, 6 - 10 years, to both traditional needlework and textile art, including silk painting and feltmaking. The project had been generously supported by Kensington Housing Trust and the exhibition was a chance for the children to show their work.  After a busy couple of days putting everything together it was a wonderful to see a steady stream of visitors on the day. Cookie decoration activities kept young visitors occupied and a poetry performance was enjoyed by all.

A busy weekend continued with the performance of Where the Wild Things Are by participants of the intergenerational art and drama project inspired by Maurice Sendak's book on Sunday 5 December.  The project was produced by Siglinde Buhl, the artistic director of Corner 9 Arts Projects.  The children and adults delivered a very confident performance and the venue was filled to capacity.  It was encouraging to see so many local residents attending.  The project had been generously supported by Activate London and Affinity Sutton.  More information is available at www.corner9.com

Where the Wild Things Are

It has been great fun to be part of an intergenerational art and drama project this winter run by Corner 9 Arts Project in London.  The opportunity to work again with the residents of Binbrook House in North Kensington has been wonderful.  Silk painted scarves and felt flower pods were produced to be used as part of the scenery for the performance of Where the Wild Things Are - inspired by Maurice Sendak's book.

The performance will take place on Sunday 5 December.  More information is available at www.corner9.com.

I would like to acknowledge Annie Hawkins and her wonderful felt installation at Hadlow College this summer which inspired the felt pods produced to decorate the jungle scene for the performance.