Taking time

Tina Francis Tapestry 2016

So I have not updated the blog for a while, I have been a little unwell and so have had to pick my battles! I had to miss my first Scottish show at SECC Glasgow and was really upset about it but at the moment I am feeling fine and looking forward to Fashion and Embroidery at NEC from 17th March.

Fashion and Embroidery is such a great show because as well as all the fantastic trade stands it gives you the opportunity to see some of the best textile artists around and speak to them about their work.  Many of the artists are tutors too and so you can learn from them at the free workshops that are available as part of your ticket price.

My number is ZJ24 and as well as exhibiting the best tapestry around (!) it will also reflect on what I have been working on over the last year and more importantly who. Last summer I attended Cannon Hill Art School, an experiment run by Trevor Pitt to see what would happen if everyone could go to art school.  During this 8 week course I was drawn back to print and multiples which has inspired my stitch work, expect to see a lot of the mandalas above, all using the same circular motif but not one of them the same. These mandalas are a great way to use up your stash of wool ends and the plastic blanks will be available to buy at the show, I will also be running a family friendly workshop using them at RBSA on Sunday 3rd April.

I have also been working with my stitch group "Springhill Stitchers" over the past year and the results of our sessions will be on display on the stand too.  I think if I look back running this group has been the thing I am most proud of in the last year, we started in June 2015 and members have learned to stitch, follow a pattern and now stitch their own designs. We were talking on Friday about what coming to the group has meant to them, the main feeling is that it has been good to have time to be free to create. This sentence has been echoed by textile artist and mentor to me Kim Thittichai.

 Kim is exhibiting her own work alongside Susan Chapman in their collaborative exhibtion "People and Places". Both of these artists are "noticers", a pattern, a shape, a form, a meeting, a change from the norm you will find it all in this exhibition.  I know that it is going to be the highlight of the show for me and I really look forward to hearing what you have to stay about it.

Kim teaches at Inkberrow Design Centre in Redditch who this year celebrate their 25th year! If you have visited the show before you will know about the fantastic fashion show they bring every year and also about their City and Guilds courses, make sure you drop by and see their full rosta of workshops and courses which range from sketch books to sewing stretch knits, print to perfect pleats and much more! I am proud to be part of the Inkberrow family and as I look back on the year since the last show I am also looking forward to being part of their 25 year celebrations running workshops, demonstrations and talks - be sure to ask them about all the exciting events they have planned.

So I look forward to seeing you all at the show and Steph Redfern I look forward to seeing your tapestry triumphs!

Happy Stitching!

Tina

Tapestry sneaking up on the inside!

Well it's been a long time coming but if are coming to the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace you will notice a little revolution taking place, oh yes this year the Tapestry category (search on it - go on!) is into DOUBLE figures!!!! This is a pretty immense thing!!

I'm going to look at 3 of them today plus me of course you're not getting away with it that easily!  I will be on stand TGC09 this year same aisle as usual but with a little bit extra room which means that alongside tapestry kits I will also be bringing you NEW tartan patterns, NEW Trays (made in the UK), NEW Notebooks in A5 size as well as A6, blank Tapestry Canvas (yes I listened), NEW Small Square Pattern Books that will see you using up all your stash and finally I will be able to sit down, I've got room for a stool!!!!  I am really excited about how my range of UK manufactured products has been extended this year, the trays have been super popular as have the notebooks so if you find it hard to buy presents for the Crafters in your life pop on over and take a look! 

I have been concentrating hard on the block chart side of things as I know that many of you love the challenge of counting rather than stitching on to a printed canvas.  There's room for everyone in this Craft!  I will still be selling printed kits and also new (I am loving this word!) to the stand will be the ability to order wool packs for certain designs - I'll have a few with me but it really works best when I can deliver them to you so the wool is fresh off the press! 

So enough about me (!) I ploughed a pretty lonely furrow last year at Ally Pally so I am pleased to share who else will be in the Textile Gallery with brand new designs and kits.  Firstly everybodys favourite Emily Peacock returns to the show and will be on stand TGG7, she has got some new designs which are a mix of Vegas Glamour and Seafood and another that references fairground lighting - yep she is nothing if not inspirational! 

First time at Ally Pally but no where near her first show is Hannah Bass, her kits will be of interest to all you world travellers as you will be able to trace your footsteps on her unique take on maps of cities near and far.  I have heard that she is going underground this year so be sure to drop by and make sure of your route home! See Hannah on Stand TGE5.

After visiting us three I expect you will need a sugar fix, get a calorie free one from Jaqui Pearce on TGR19, her kits include all your favourite chocolate bars ready to stitch in chunky cross stitch! Check out the modern samplers whilst you are there. Finally in the Textile Gallery is a good friend of mine Jenny Henry we met at another fair last year and I am so pleased to be welcoming her back to the UK - yes that's right she is coming all the way from America to visit us!  You will have seen fantastic brooch kits on my stand(!) but how about increasing your needlepoint jewellery collection and visiting Jenny to see cuffs and necklace kits all using our favorite stitch? Her stand TGB3 holds some surprises I'll just say ceramic!

So, much as we hate to see you leave Textile Gallery there really is a lot more to see!  Over in the Resource Centre you will find Pom Pom Designs, I love going into this space of the show because you really do get to see new and exciting products alongside a wealth of education from Guilds and Stand holders alike. Take a look at Pom Pom on stand RCJ3 we both love modern clean designs so be sure to say hello. 

In the grand hall you will find my dear friends and mentors (even though they don't know it!) Historical Samplers, not only cross stitch but an ever growing line of tapestry kits - I love their toned down pallette and fun designs.See them on stand C27.

So there you go but hey you're coming back to say goodbye right? When you do take a look at Sue Hawkins on Stand TGQ15 and marvel in the skill and craft that has seen her stand and reputation grow and grow over the years, great designs on great products.

Wow!!! What a lot of us this time!  So looking forward to seeing friends old and new and getting a smile each morning from the ever effervescent Kim Thittichai and Laura Strutt over on the Freudenberg Vilene Stand number TGR3 what they don't know about Craft, mixed media and cake could be written twice on a "Hotspot" check out great ideas including Hot Spots with them.

Until I see you at the show, happy Stitching!

Tina

Learning together!

Over the past few months I have been running a stitching group in Spring Hill Library in Birmingham.  It is my local library and a real centre of community and learning.  Many of the people who have learned to stitch have found it to have been quite therapeutic but at the same time challenging.  Trying something new has really been great for us all and I am looking forward to what we do next. Here is some of the work that has been completed so far using secondhand wool and my Use Your Stash patterns.

So far it has been an adult only group but on 6th August as part of this summers "Summer Reading Challenge" activities I ran a workshop at the library where we all learnt how to thread a needle and stitch to our hearts content.  There were 12 kids of various ages from 4 up to 12 and the results as you will have seen at the top of this blog were great! Here are some more. 

I think you will agree they are fantastic.  Hopefully I will be doing more stitching for younger people in the future at the library so I will keep you up to date.

Thinking about learning has reminded me as usual about my good friend and tutor Kim Thittichai who as you will know got me into this world in the first place.  She is currently at the NEC here in Birmingham for Festival of Quilts, this is a great show and is well worth a visit even if quilts are not your thing!  There is always so much inspiration to be found at a show like this from the colours to the textures.  So many quilts are on display it really does take your breath away. 

Having been an art school student with Cannon Hill Art School it feels like this summer has been all about learning for me too!  My work is on display at The Mac in Birmingham along with 68 other students it was a great project to be involved with and I will be stitching at the MAC all day 20th August so if you want come along and learn just drop in!

My next large show is the WI Fair in Harrogate in September which celebrates 100 years of the WI in which time a whole lot of learning and passing on of skills will have happened.  I will be running a brooch making workshop and also talking about my work and how to use your stash. More about this next time.

Happy Stitching!

Tina

Stitching the night away!

Tina Francis - Hexagon - Photo courtesy Martin Christie

So March flew past in a haze of shows and stitching! I have been exhibiting for the last two weekends at Fashion, Embroidery and Stitch at the NEC and EXCEL.  Both shows were fantastic and as I was on an education stand I got to talk about stitch from morn til night!

At the NEC I was opposite Stephanie Redfern who had a really large space this year exhibiting work specifically made for the show.  Stephs work is really colourful and the composition is something that can only be learned after years working at your practice.  It was good to be opposite her because she exhibits reguarly at RBSA and I had admired her exhibition called Found last year, I had sent her an email but it was great to tell her face to face how much I enjoyed it.  Do take some time to read her delightful blog, so interesting and a great way to spend some time with a cuppa and a cake.

Next door to me at NEC was Sally Holman who specialises in quilting and is the author of many books, her landscapes are very popular and her step by step instructions make her a must see at any show. Birmingham Silk Painters did a roaring trade in silk scenes showing people how to paint onto silk, they had some fantastic work on display.  It's amazing how quiet people become when they are painting on to silk, it really is a joy to watch.

Every day I ran a mono printing workshop on the Vilene education stand, we made some great samples using the smallest amount of water based acrylic, by combining bondaweb and pelmet vilene we started to form the beginnings of some really textured designs.  My workshop was straight after Fran Holmes an artist whose work is beautiful and ethereal, her stand was black and white which really highlighted the work on show it's amazing how an all white exhibit can make you think of colour and movement but that is exactly what she achieved.

Onto Excel the following week it seemed a bit groundhog day-ish but there were many different exhibitors as well as the those from NEC. The Excel show is relatively new and so it's great to see so many people coming along wanting to learn about stitch and textiles.  The fantastic Brenda Kiligrew had made the journey south from Redditch and the fashion show was a great hit with everyone, it is fantastic to see designers of the future! My stand was next to the ever chipper Val Hughes a trailblazer of felt construction her teaching manner was something I could not get enough of and hope to put a little bit of the knowledge I gained into my workshops.  She has a book out very soon and it is fantastic, step by step instructions written in her approachable style, fantastic images and a great story running through it. 

As ever my dear friend and mentor Kim Thittichai was on hand at both shows to chivvy me along, it's great to be invited to run workshops under her guidance but even better just to have a good old laugh together!  Kim gave lectures each day (along with a workshop - no stopping her!) about KK Glue and Hot Spots, KK Glue is a very exciting product as it is a washable powder glue.  A little goes a long way and I love the muted blended edges it gives to a design.

So a good time was had by all, I'd like to thank my helpers who came and looked after the stand whilst I was running the workshops I really appreciated it!

So what next!!!??? Well from Friday 3rd until Monday 6th I am in an exhibition at Custard Factory which is being run by The Cobalt Blue, it's called Rational Grid and features geometric artists in a wide range of mediums.  It's going to be a great exhibition and on Friday evening will be part of the regular Digbeth First Friday happening, so why not come along and see the exhibition as well as what else happens in Digbeth every first Friday.  One of my favourite parts of First Friday is Digbeth Dining club which takes place every Friday and sometimes Saturday in Spotlight. A whole range of street food waiting for you to try, I am also looking forward to visiting Centrala for their "I Bring you Flowers" exhibit. After the weekend I will be working on some new designs, sending out orders and generally stitching until May, Craft and Design Month but more of that next time!

Happy Stitching!

The year is flying by!

So the year is cracking on!  I don't seem to have stopped except for last week when I went on a 5 day holiday (phew the luxury!). I went to Toulouse and enjoyed a little syringe of sunshine! But now back to it with two of the best shows of the season.

I am at Fashion, Embroidery and Stitch at the NEC from 19th March until 22nd March.  This is a great show as it is really 3 shows in one!  Sewing for Pleasure is where you will find everything you need for sewing, pacthworking and quilting.  There are some great free workshops which I would love to do if only I didn't have to be on my stand!!  Try and get to take part in a Vilene Sewing Club Workshop run by the multi talented author and craft inspirer extraordinaire Laura Strutt of Made Peachy, some great ideas my favourite (as you know I like to Use Stash!) is Fabric Key Fob where you will make the most of your scraps to create a fantastic key fob.  Also in the Sewing for Pleasure area there are on stand workshops, I like West End Embroidery who will be demonstrating new stitches for canvas work.

The next area in the show is dedicated to HobbyCrafts from cake decorating to fine art to papercraft to felting it's all here.  I particuarly like wandering down the art aisles and watch people paint and draw quite relaxing in such a busy show. House of Zandra is a great stand if you love papercraft and I see that they are demonstrating felt kits too for all you owl lovers! 

Finally Fashion, Embroidery and Stitch is where you come to learn and take part in everything in textile design and beyond.  A highlight for me is always the Fashion Show run by Brenda Killigrew and students of the IDC Academy of Fashion and Textiles it's an opportunity to spot designers of the future and marvel in the creativity.  This area also has many exhibition stands dedicated to textile artists I am looking forward to "Dressed to Quilt" by Ineke Berlyn which will show quilts designed on a shift dress pattern, I will be interested to see how a shape can determine the design. There are so many great textile artists in one area that you could spend the whole day here, taking in (of course) workshops on the Vilene Education Stand where you can book onto a workshop run by Kim Thittichai entitled Sparkle and Twinkle, if you know Kims work you will no doubt be familiar with her use of Bondaweb but if you can get onto her workshop you will find out that there is so much knowledge behind the processes and designs, I've heard that Geckos are going to be available and also Hot Spots!!! After a workshop stay a while in this area and feast on textile art from around the world.  After being inspired by all you have seen why not take the plunge and start a new Craft?  Top of my list as usual (apart from Tapestry Needlepoint of course!) is weaving, take a look at the small kits and inspiration by my good friends Juko Designs it really is amazing what can be achieved with very little wool and texture.

So I hope to see you at the three shows in one show, what was that oh yes my stand is K20 do pop on by and see some secondhand wool stitch work!

If you can't get to Birmingham it all happens again but this time with cake(!) at Excel the following weekend.

What a lot of links! Happy Stitching!

Tina

What's cooking?

Tina Francis Tapestry copyright - Pavilion Tops

At this time of year we all look back and then forward so I thought I'd head the blog with an image of my first ever kit Pavilion Tops, still popular in the UK and worldwide it makes me smile when I see it thinking of all the places this design has taken me.

But hey lets not dwell on the past one design does not make a Spring (!) it's time to concentrate on the first few months of the year and look at what i will be doing when and where (yes it's all about me this time!!).

As you will know I moved back to Birmingham in 2014 and met with some great new people, a special mention to Birmingham Embroiderers Guild who have been a great inspiration and have accepted me into the fold!  We had a great time in November making stitched brooches and I am happy to see some members using the pattern for their own work.  Keeping it Guild (!) my first talk of the year will be at Solihull Embroiderers Guild on 3rd February, I will be talking about how I got into the tapestry needlepoint world and also encouraging people to "Use their Stash" as it's great to have a project that does not cost too much at the start of the year. 

"Use Your Stash" is gaining momentum and I am always following others that like to use what they already have.  "My Make do and Mend Year" was an experiment and has now become a lifestyle choice for Jen, take a look at the blog I am really interested in this years challenge to make a piece of clothing per month, lot's of ideas and inspiration on this blog.

Talking about using what we have already got my new design for Spring is based on an old wall where the wallpaper has been stripped, I found it in Vittoria Works in The Jewellery Quarter a building which is being brought back to life by The Ruskin Mill Trust and will be a great place for young people to learn skills and become part of the community in the later half of this year.

Tina Francis Tapestry Copyright - What lies beneath

It's no good having new designs if you are not going to be showing them, I am exhibiting again at Craft, Hobby and Stitch International this is trade fair only so not open to the general public but will feature new designs from me and also the first trade outing for my trays.  It's a great show to gauge interest in all crafts and I am really looking forward to meeting up with Juko Designs who will be at the NEC for the first time and also saying a big hello to Hawthorn Handmade who I met last time and who have followed me and boosted me up throughout the year.

My next show is at Fashion, Embroidery and Stitch to say that I am over excited about being given the opportunity to exhibit here would be the understatement of the year (yes I know it's only a few days old), I will have a stand displaying gallery work from my woven series and will also be exhibiting two small pieces which are the start of a new exhibition for 2016 called "Interrupted" and of course "Use Your Stash" will be making an appearance! I will be running a daily one hour workshop called "On your Mono Marks" which will use Freudenburg Vilene products and mono printing techniques, I really enjoyed running last years workshop "The Start of Something (thanks Kim Thittichai for trusting and letting me loose on the general public!) which is where I met Birmingham Embroiderers Guild, so my blog has come full circle and that really is a great start to the year!

Until next time, Happy Stitching!

Tina