Gently picking up pieces of fabric ...

 I am a great lover of expressing my creativity with a needle & a thread. In 2014, I spent the day in Shrewsbury with an inspirational workshop led by Christine of Gentlework.  This was some of our work. 

Her own work is absolutely beautiful with precise stitches. She has an intuitive knack of placing fabrics & stitches together in a piece that is a work of art. Her work tends to be in a  muted, well worn palette of colours with beautiful lettering stitched on. 

I have followed her on Instagram & facebook for years & like many new mothers, she had a little break from workshops as she juggled many things. However, life resumed, as life does when a baby grows up a bit, and her work could continue. She shares images of her own work space & it is always so beautiful. 

I saw a workshop for 'Picking up the pieces' advertised & was delighted it was on a day I could make it. 

We will be picking up our fragments of scrap fabric, even the tiny ones, and piecing and patching them together into a quilted panel, adding lace motifs, buttons and stitched words.

Lots of materials will be provided but it’s also an opportunity to bring along and utilise all the precious (or non precious) scraps you have been saving and not known what to do with.

I sorted out some threads & fabrics but Christine assured me she would have plenty to choose from & she did. The drive out to north Shropshire is pretty, I should have allowed more time for a stop at Whittington castle, I will return on another day. 

Tea, coffee & cakes awaited us as we arrived at the lovely village hall with the stunning work set out as inspiration & of course, lots of fabrics to choose from. 

Christine had made up a little pack for each of us at our places - soft blanket as a background,  a selection of delightfully worn fabrics, lace & little bits to use as our starting point. It was beautifully presented in a little paper with a book page on the front & hand dyed fabric length to tie it all together. These little details shows the attention to detail & the thought that goes in to these workshops to make them so inspirational. 

There was a table set out with tins of buttons, cottons, fabric bits in all sizes & another table where we could share any bits we wished to donate to the gathering. I popped some vintage lace & soft cotton from an old table cloth on as my contribution. 

Examples of the beautiful 'Gentlework' she is known for - the stitching is exquisite & precise, the colours are worn & go so well together; it is so textural that you want to hold it in your hand & feel the stitching. 

It was not long before cups of tea were made,  cake sliced & we settled down to the familiar rhythm of  inspiration in the sewing. 

This is intuitive work - Christine circulated, inspiring, instructing, encouraging everyone.  

From the previous workshop, I know that 5 hours passes in the blink of an eye when there is much to do. 

I initially pinned some fabrics then thought - let's go instinctive, so I threaded the needle & made a start. I wanted to get the background blanket covered in fabrics that I knew I could come back to & stitch on or add small stitched fabrics too. I know that once the momentum is lost at home,  it is not as easy to pick it up & continue with the stitching. My approach works for me because while selecting & stitching the pieces down, my mind was already threading needles with cottons to add to the fabric shapes & patterns. I know that part fires my creativity. 

At one point, I had a gap that needed something with delicate pink & blue to tie in the top fabric & the pinks of the side panel.  As soon as I voiced it aloud,  several pieces were passed down & one was  perfect. That is the advantage of a workshop where we all encourage & contribute to the experience. 

I am pleased with my panel - there is much to be done still but I know the way forward because this point has so many possibilities. 

The groups efforts were placed together on the table at the end of the session for us to take inspiration from. It is fascinating to see how we all started with a similar welcome pack yet every single piece was so unique. The approaches were what others were comfortable with; some completing a small panel, others doing the border with turned fabrics, others starting in the middle, some at a corner, all so interesting. 

I will share more of mine as I add to it but it was such an inspirational day with likeminded creative people that it reinforced why these workshops are so important. 

I was inspired by muted colours, with some faded pinks. The fabric from our pack had a pale pink & blue design that I carried through the panel, each person used this panel in a different way. 

I look forward to using silk threads to pick up those colours across the panel to unify the blocks. 

Thank you Christine - your work is unique & you are so generous with your advice, support & guidance. Do stop by again to see how the panel progresses, 

Dee