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

Workshops ahoy!!

Stitching at the WI Fair 2015

I had a great time running a workshop at the WI Fair in Harrogate over the weekend.  The workshop was only for an hour but in this time all 15 participants learned how to stitch and came some way along to finishing their very own brooch.

This time we all started with the same colour (insipid yellow!) to create the grid pattern.  It's a bit of a leap of faith when starting out with a colour that no one really likes but the results were all so very different. By looking at colour is a small space you really get to understand how it resonates with some of the examples looking almost like watercolour painting whilst others popped out in 3 dimensions!

Stitched brooch size eamaples - WI Fair

It is great to see peoples colour choices coming through and also how neat everyone seemed to be in this session!

Stitched brooch examples WI Fair

It was a really busy fair and so as soon as the time was up people had to leave pretty quickly to continue on with their visit to other parts of the show.  A short while later however when I was on my way back from Harrogate I received an email that included a picture of a finished brooch, which had been completed on the journey home!

Thanks Stephanie this really made my day!

Image courtesy Stephanie Wilkinson

The Fair was really interesting for me because I have only ever really taken part in shows that centre on making but at this Fair there were many facets.  I enjoyed my time in the Lifestyle area and spent a happy time speaking to the Discover Dudley team, crazy to make local connections so far from home! Gardening, travel, cooking, paper craft, sewing were all there as well some fantastic Craft stands with makers from near and far. Much of the work that the WI do was on display from campaigns, their history, The Huxley Cup, bookshop and finally craft. Whilst all WI craft on display was fantastic I have to give a special mention to NFWI - Wales for their Centenary Panels, such a great idea with so much skill, humour and thought having gone into each panel.  A real feast!

Onward now to Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace where I will be exhibiting and selling my wares along with many other skilled makers and designers in the Textile Gallery.  Hope to see you there but until them I'll leave it to Wales to sign off as this is exactly how I felt when I left the WI Centenary Fair!

Centenary panel!

Happy Stitching!

Tina

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  

  

Give me a T, give me an R!!!

Melamine Trays using original stitch design by Tina Francis

So my final large show of the year happened a couple of weeks ago at Harrogate, it's a great place and as ever the Knitting and Stitching Show delivered the people and the smiles.  I was lucky to be exhibiting next to Margaret Glackin Ceramics who I first met back at BCTF in April this year. Her Yarn Bowls have gone from strength to strength this year and what is really great about her work is the uniqueness of the glazes (each one has it's own history, much the same as my kit designs), it's always a pleasure to exhibit next to people dedicated to their practice.

Whilst at Knitting and Stitching Show I quietly launched the first two of my melamine tray designs, it has taken 2 years for me to get to this stage.  I stitched the work using recycled wool and then got them scanned by Martin Christie and then used them on cards and mugs for a while before being sure that they would work on trays and tableware.  I am really pleased with the results and will be adding more shapes and designs in the coming year, you can find them here Trays and Tableware. Most importantly for me they are a UK product from start to finish, from design, stitch, to imaging and finally to the production of the trays which is completed in Coventry. Even though they use stitch the designs fit into any type of home so whether you live the urban dream (like me)or have roses around your door I am sure they will be at home. It's really interesting to see where stitch designs can go.

Since coming back from the show I have been working on some bespoke Brooch designs for Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery which will hopefully be stocked by them in the new year sometime I am also working on a large tapestry kit for which again I hope will be stocked there in the future.  It's been a great excuse to visit the museum every day, there is so much to see there and also so much to remember!

I am also working on some new designs to be launched at Craft Hobby and Stitch International in February, this will be my second time at this trade only show and my final time in the Bright Sparks Pavilion.

Even though I take part in a trade show which sounds quite grand(!)I am still a really small business and so I am looking forward to supporting other small businesses on Small Business Saturday on 6th December. At this time of year when we are thinking of what to buy people it's always good to try and buy from independent businesses if you can because it really helps keep the high street alive. Earlier in the year I exhibited next to Sarah Hamilton a print maker from South East London who has recently started her Just a Card Campaign, the idea behind it came from a gallery owner who had had to close who said "If everyone who had complimented our beautiful gallery had bought just a card then we would still be open".  So even if you buy a card this Saturday from a small business you really will be making a difference.

So happy shopping, making and baking and of course stitching!

Tina

  

Christmas is a coming!

Tina Francis Tapestry Copyright 2014

So this year has gone super fast!  I've moved house, moved studio and have been really enjoying myself.  But tapestry waits for no one and so whilst living the life of Riley I have been working hard on my first seasonal design, Gingerbread House.   

I was introduced to ginger bread house decorating by a good American friend of mine, each year she would bake and assemble ginger bread houses for a group of friends and we would arrive sweets in hand to decorate them whilst we caught up on each others festive plans.  I since held my own parties and it's a great way to have a calm evening catching up at the busiest time of the year.

My gingerbread design is printed here in the UK and is available as a full kit, printed canvas only or a block chart.  It makes a great cross stitch too!

There are some fantastic tapestry needlepoint kits for the festive season around that once stitched will become beloved heirlooms. I love the new kit from One Off Needlework of a Poinsettia a favourite plant of mine.  The great thing about this design is that it can be used as a glasses case or a cushion insert, just lovely.  Also at One Off Needlework is a beautiful range of Christmas Stockings my favourite is Black Garland but that might be because it has my brothers name on it! 

Also great on the Christmas Stocking front is the range from Jolly Red, real fun designs here with my fave being Christmas Alphabet which is just so jolly!  I love the way that both Jolly Red and One Off Needleworks stockings have space to add your own name.

Finally in this kit round up (!) take a look at the Winter Sampler by Elizabeth Bradley, a fantastic use of winter berries and a dream of a house make this a really special kit to stitch, every time I look at it I see something else.

So it seems that my new kit is in great company and who knows maybe I will have another to add to the list next year.

The Autumn shows are in full swing now, I am just back from Knitting and Stitching Show at Ally Pally.  This years event was bigger than ever lasting 5 days and having a late night opening event on the Thursday evening. I was in the same spot as last year and so it was great to meet up with people again.  My workshops were popular and everyone left with a smart needlepoint brooch attached to their lapel.  I am already chomping at the bit with workshop ideas for next year!

I am getting ready for Knitting and Stitching Show at Harrogate but in the meantime have two events that I am really looking forward to. The first is this coming Thursday and is a Christmas Fair being held at the Copthorne Hotel in Birmingham for Edwards Trust. Edwards Trust supports children and families in times of serious illness and bereavement, it is a great charity and I am really pleased to have s mall stand there selling my wares.  Secondly I will be doing a talk and workshop at Birmingham Embroiderers Guild all about using your stash and making a beautiful brooch with scraps of wool, I am really fortunate to have been asked to do this and hope it lives up to the quality of speakers they have all year round.

Until next time, Happy Stitching!

Handmade legacy!

All images copyright the artist (listed below)

Montage created by Tina Francis from Web images

Those of you who read this blog on regular basis (thanks pals!) will know that my bespoke stitching only uses second hand wool, I am as much interested in the story behind who owned the wool as I am in the new piece I create.  Some of my second hand stitching has been used to create the tapestry needlepoint kits that I sell but of course these kits contain new wool! Taking a look at my stand neighbours at The Handmade Fair there seems to be a common theme of tradition and memory woven into our practices, lets take a look at the people that will surround me at the end of September.

Firstly The Littlecote Soap Co. founded by Elaine Stavert 12 years ago after a life-changing move from a London television career to a farm in the heart of the Buckinghamshire countryside. Inspired by the surrounding countryside and her favourite things in life, each ethical range is made from traditional recipes with exclusively designed perfumes that are quintessentially English with contemporary twists. This all sounds a bit like the good-life and yes it seems that it is because one of the ranges is based on gin and tonic!

Bobo Stitch has a very special piece of history in the making as the company is named after their daughter Olive, see their site for the full story. Whilst the kits used traditional cross stitch the patterns created are really something quite special and heirlooms in the making.

Speaking of tradition the work by Chachoulie concentrates on recycling the rich embroidery of Palestine, a country that has a rich heritage in cross stitch. The national dress of the region is defined by its embroidery and each dress tells a story with its colours, patterns and shapes, revealing not only which village the wearer is from but also her marital status.

Rima set up her company to showcase her creativity through the cultural identity of Palestine and to keep the folk craft of the region at the front end of fashion. 

Onward! How will you have the time to visit us all! The powerhouse that is Puntobelle design all their own fabrics and then use them to create really useful products, I am particuarly looking forward to the Travel Wallet which will set anyone,s holiday off to a great start. Some of these patterns are already design classics and so will be around for a long time!

Whilst Puntobelle use their own fabrics for their designs Creative Quilting bring you fantastic fabrics for all your quilting needs. Set up with just 5 bolts of fabric in 1989 the shop now boasts 2000 bolts! Hopefully a good selection of them will be making their way to the fair. A huge amount of quilting knowledge will be there for the taking on this stand, don't miss out on asking for advice if you want to start working with fabric.

There is a Norwegian saying about if you want to sing you will always find your song which I was reminded of when I read how printer Sarah Hamilton describes her work which revolves around colour for her the colours must sing which I can appreciate being a tapestry artist! Sarahs prints have a Scandinavian feel but are also based on her love of 1950's fabrics and among others Eric Ravilious and Georges Braque (a Tina Francis favourite). Sharing a stand with Sarah will be another print maker called Gabriela Szulman whose work is inspired by the nature of memories, over the years she has saved family photographs and printed ephemera from the 1940s and 1950s to create beautiful collages which are now being used for a new range of scarves that will be launched at the fair.

Using family memorabilia is taken to the next level by The Hutton Emporium who will be exhibiting work from members of the Hutton Family. This exciting mix of styles and practices will be great to see, I will be trying to find a link in the styles! Emma Hutton is a jeweller who adds history to her pieces by giving them a worn and cherished look with different pattination techniques.

After a long day at a show I like to sit down and look at something really beautiful for a while before I start to pack away and this time I will be looking at the fantastic hand painted and naturally dyed wools of Watercolours and Lace. I am very interested in the way that a naturally dyed wool can bring immediate texture to any piece especially as some of the dyes are from right here in the UK.

Phew!!

So there we go just a few of the stands in the West Tent that I will be sharing my time with from 19th to 21st September. I will be blogging more soon about other stand holders that I know whose work is nothing less than fantastic.

Happy Stitching!

Tina