Thursday 7 October 2010

Snitching

Detail of Portholes by Lucie Summers
and Jenny Spencer
Just been to the Knitting and Stitching show at Ally Pally - some fantastic exhibits, although would have liked more exhibits and less commercial stalls, but can understand these things have to pay their way.  Anyway, back to the good stuff: really liked these knitted cushions, by a recent graduate of Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, Sophie Strickson, they look beautifully tactile (I was sticking to the 'no touching' policy but was quite an effort).  In a much more traditional vein, there were some beautiful batiques of Scottish landscapes by Sarah Tucker, one of which, if I can convince OH, may end up on our wall.  Also liked most of the paper exhibits from the Holland Paper Biennal (I know, sounds odd to have paper at a knitting and stitching show, but the creations were mostly very 3D and a great inspiration).

Portholes by Lucie Summers
and Jenny Spencer


However, I think my favourite exhibit was this quilt (which won the Group Quilts competition at the NEC Festival of Quilts) by Lucie Summers and Jenny Spencer.  Feel slightly guilty to have photographed it, as most of the exhibits have big 'No Photography' and 'Protect the rights of the artist' signs near them, but this stand didn't seem to have, and I just couldn't resist.  I love the colours, the circular motifs, the fluidity of the quilting ...

4 comments:

  1. Beautiful - you are promoting them by photographing them shurely? Not selling your pics, so I think that's fine.
    Did you see this?
    http://yarnstorm.blogs.com/jane_brocket/2010/10/knitting-and-stitching.html
    you should take ginger cake and a flask of Earl Grey and sell it next year!

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  2. I hadn't seen her post, but agree with it and am doubly glad I didn't drive (which did briefly cross my mind). And when I first read your comment I thought you were meaning that I should take them as an art installation - that's what several hours at Frieze does for you!

    On the cake front, think I've made for Ally Pally's failings today (in quantity if nothing else!).

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  3. i've just found this post, and i don't mind in the least that you photographed our quilt! just a little thing, not that it matters particularly, but my mum's name is jenny spencer, not emma! we've got a new quilt at the festival of quilts next week too, called 'hexagons and stars'.

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  4. Lu, big apologies, not sure how that happened (photographed the label at the K&S and still managed to get it wrong!) - will correct it now. I can't make the Festival of Quilts, but hope it goes well. Do you have any photos online?

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