Connecting through Creative Textiles

Dionne    Exhibiting your work, Up coming events     creative textiles, macarthur textile challenge and expo

With the aim of providing learning and networking opportunities through meetings, seminars and workshops, this organisation connects textile artists, practitioners and interested people in Macarthur and surrounding areas.

Macarthur Textile Network’s 2012 exhibition is Friday 18th and Saturday 19th of May from 10 am to 4 pm both days at the Camden Civic Centre.  So you have plenty of notice and time to put together your own submission.  2o12′s Challenge Topic is Elements.

Contact them directly

MacarthurTextileNetwork@gmail.com

PO Box 932, Narellan, NSW 2567

(02) 4658 0930

Facebook: Macarthur Textile Network

Cards for mini stitching inserts

Dionne    Exhibiting your work, What's New    

We regularly get asked for cards and notecards for inserting mini-stitching projects.  For a long time we have had to disappoint you as we could not compete with the craft chain-stores pricing.  We still can’t.

What we can do is recommend a great Australian company who will provide these products to you at a very reasonable price.  Thanks to Ruth, one of our gorgeous customers over many years, we have found out about Regal Craft Cards in Launceston, Tasmania.  They have a fantastic online catalogue and will also send one out to you.  Ruth informs us that the pricing is very competitive and the quality is fantastic.

Lost your trusted needlework framer?

Dionne    Cross Stitch, Exhibiting your work    

So did we.  While waiting for her return we have had to go elsewhere.  We tried out Ann Pham at Liverpool Picture Framing, after recommendation from a customer and are thrilled with the work she has done for our cross-stitch shop models.  We will definitely be returning, despite the 1 hour, 10 min travel time.

If you are curious, just ask one of our staff next time you are in-store, you can check out her work for yourself.

Everyone’s a critic …

Dionne    Exhibiting your work     best in show, Cross Stitch, exhibiting, exhibiting cross stitch, exhibiting in shows, exhibiting long stitch, exhibiting tapestry, judging needlecraft, long stitch, needlepoint, stranded cotton, tapestry

This is the finish to aim for when exhibiting your work.

I was honoured last month to be asked to judge the Cross Stitch, Long Stitch and Tapestry section of the Moss Vale and District Show.  Yesterday I completed my judging duties and had a lovely morning with Jenny the section Steward until I had to make some hard decisions in the winners circle.  Jenny was lamenting that this year had seen a serious drop in the number of exhibitors across all classes.  What was encouraging to me, was to see the quality of work in the 14 years and under and 10 years and under.  It also took me back 26 years to my first exhibiting at the local show at 15. 

I must admit I struggled with the “Best in Show” piece.  I was down to 2 items and from the stitching competance, finish and choice of subject they were obviously by the same individual.  The work was exquisite and eventually the ability to create movement and light across a sea and lighthouse with only cross stitch and stranded cotton were the deciding factors.  Things to keep in mind when you exhibit

1 Suitability of design for finished objective.  Long outline stitch is inappropriate on a cushion, unless you are never going to have a backside land on it.

2 Bad framing, (includes distortion of canvas or fabric in stretching) will diminish the appearance of your work and reduce your score. 

3 Use a contrasting sewing machine thread to create a running stitch grid to aid your accuracy in cross stitch, this can be removed as you progress.  Pencil marks detract from your work.

4 The back should be as neat as the front. 

5 Evenness of stitch and flat surfaces  are important to a  finished look.

6 Complexity of design will improve your score.

7 Work needs to be clean prior to framing.

8 Cigarette smoke will make your work look older than it is.