June meeting

A busy day at Megastitchers with a member-led morning workshop then a great talk in the afternoon.

We started with a simple ribbonwork session led by member, Chris. This is a technique we'd not covered before and attendance was good. Here are a couple of Chris's samples:

With help from Chris, and Joy, members were soon choosing their design from three options and transferring it to fabric.  The challenge was then to secure the ribbons, either in a straight line or as petal and fish shapes. Not always easy, and there were some large needles being used! No finished pieces, as usual, but here is some work in progress:

In the afternoon, we had a talk 'Inspired by the Garden' from Maureen Sawyer, an artist who makes contemporary, three-dimensional artworks in mixed media and textiles. Maureen started by telling us about 'Southlands' in Stretford where she and her partner have gardened organically for 25 years. Lots of amazing, colourful photos from the different areas in the (very!) long, narrow garden.

Maureen then went on to talk about the development of her artworks, which include boxed pieces, those in clear cubes (which can be viewed from all angles and free-standing work. Her work is definitely not representational, but aims to capture the essential nature of the inspiration - soil, flowers, ferns, tree bank, water, seeds. The materials Maureen uses include wires, metal, threads and found objects, all manipulated into intriguing shapes. 

Just a few photos from a fantastic range of work. Thank you, Maureen.

If you want to visit Southlands, Maureen's garden, it's open for the National Garden Scheme on Sunday, 20th July 2025 from 12pm to 5.30pm. Entrance fee is £5, and address is 12 Sandy Lane, Stretford, M32 9DA.

More information, and lots of photos, about the garden and artworks can be found at https://www.southlands12.com/