ACKWORTH 14^th – 17^th April 2011

Ackworth School
Ackworth
Pontefract
West Yorkshire
WF7 7LT
England

Attendees should aim to arrive between 11.00am and 12.00 mid-day on Thursday 14^th April and depart after breakfast on the morning of Sunday 17^th April 2011.

The price of full accommodation for a single or double room with shared shower and WC facilities in close proximity to the room is £270.00 per person.

The price of full accommodation for a double or triple room en-suite is £320.00 per person.

The accommodation prices include all meals from Thursday lunchtime to Sunday breakfast, and beverages throughout the day, ending with evening cocoa.

We will do our best to accommodate your room request preference choice, but should this not be possible we will call and discuss alternatives.

There are ground floor rooms and 1^st (U.S. 2^nd) floor rooms available, so I need to be made aware of any mobility problems on your booking form please.

The accommodation prices include all meals from Thursday lunchtime to Sunday breakfast and beverages throughout the day, ending with evening cocoa.

Please find detailed below Ackworth information readily available to date:-

C L A S S E S

Jackie du Plessis from It’s Fineally Finished

You will have the choice of 3 stunning projects running as 2 x 1 full day classes and 1 half day class.

Buttons A Bounty

1 day class. Cost includes kit but does not include scrimshaw or accessories - these will be extra. Class price £135.00.

The Parasol Etui

1 day class. Cost includes kit but does not include scrimshaw or accessories - these will be extra. Class price £135.00.

My Plum

1 /2 day class. Cost includes kit. Class price £65.00. 

Veronique Requena from Born to Quilt, France

Veronique will be running classes teaching her own unique and distinct quilting style.

Ruth Smith from Folded Secrets

The Dong Book

Class Duration is 1 day

Class cost is £46.00 per person – please note this does not include material costs.

The women of the Dong and Miao groups make an intriguing and decorative book in which to keep their threads, patterns and cherished photographs. The book opens up into 15 compartments.

You will be able to complete a similar booklet during the day and ideas will be given for the internal decoration as well as a cover. My old example has a cotton cover stitched to the paper.

The following preparation is required beforehand:-

All the paper pieces required to make the book must be cut ready for folding and assembly on the day.  Cutting and layout instructions will be issued in advance.  Instructions are given with the requirements list as well as suggestions for the appropriate type of paper.

Jenny Adin-Christie from the Royal School of Needlework

Miniature Elizabethan Sweete Bags

Class Duration is 1.5 days

Class cost is £115.00 per person and includes full kit cost.

The term ‘sweete bag’ derives from the Elizabethan period. These small bags, usually square and measuring between approximately 3-5”, were used to present highly prized gifts amongst the aristocracy, particularly gold coins, but also sweets, comfits and perfumes. Such bags were used by high ranking members of the nobility and the church, to contain the obligatory gifts of gold coins presented to Queen Elizabeth I at New Year.

These bags were profusely, richly and minutely embroidered, often leaving none of the background cloth visible. They used gold and silver threads and purls, with silks, and further adornments in gold spangles and seed pearls. They were often given greater richness and depth with the addition of three dimensional needlelace (detached buttonhole) shapes.

Inspired by the sumptuous work of this unique period in embroidery history, this workshop will enable you to learn some of the key techniques used to embellish the original sweete bags, whilst creating a beautiful contemporary bag of your own, in the shape of a heart.

We will combine delicately shaded tent stitch in silks, with the traditional counted background filling in metal thread. We will then create additional texture using needlelace (detached buttonhole) over a padded base, plus surface work using metal purls, seed pearls, spangles and beads.

The floral design for the project is based on Helleborus Niger, the beautiful white and green hellebore, which often ages to pink and is commonly known as the Christmas Rose. This name stems from an old legend which speaks of the flower growing out of the snow from the tears of a child, who had no gift to bring at the birth of Christ.

The completed bags make lovely pieces to hang on the Christmas tree to contain small gifts or coins, or make beautiful heirloom pieces to contain treasured possessions or needlework items.

Designs will be provided in a choice of two colour ways, together with a kit of all materials required to complete your bag. We will learn the techniques required to work the embroidery in the class, and you will then receive full working instructions to enable you to make up your panel into a bag at home.

The class is suitable for beginners to this type of work and for those with greater experience. This is a great way to progress from counted work to a project with a few new challenges!

Available in a choice of colour ways: green and white hellebore with silver background, or pink and gold hellebore with a gold background.

Millefiori Button Brooches

Class Duration is 1 day

Mini brooches (first photograph) Class cost is £65.00 per person and includes full kit cost.

Small round rose Brooches (photo to follow), available silver/gold  Class cost is £69.00 per person and includes full kit cost.

Rose brooches (second photograph) available silver/gold  Class cost is £75.00 per person and includes full kit cost.

These designs are all included in one class, you just have to choose your design!

Inspired by the rich jewel-like colours and intricate floral patterns of Italian Millefiori glass, create beautiful, wearable brooches using a range of metal thread embroidery techniques, over a raised padded base. These are relatively quick to produce yet have a highly professional finish, therefore making lovely unique gifts – if you can bear to give them away!

A range of designs will be provided, from approachable ideas for beginners to metal thread work, to more complex and intricate brooches which will challenge those with more experience.

These achievable projects are a superb introduction to the key techniques of metal thread embroidery and often inspire students to go on to pursue the techniques further.

A kit of the basic foundation materials required for brooch making will be provided, together with full working instructions and comprehensive diagrams.

E V E N I N G   L E C T U R E S

There will be a talk each evening covering a needlework related topic.  Taking place in the Fothergill Theatre (wrap up warm) we will have such delights as Carol Humphrey bringing us up to date on the Ackworth samplers.  Jenny Adin-Christie giving us an insight into the Royal School of Needlework and Ruth Smith talking about “The Fabulous Festival Costume”. 

Fabulous Festival Costume  -  by Ruth Smith

The Miao minority people of Southwest Chinamake the most colourful and spectacular costumes for festivals, weddings and New Year. The women are skilled dyers, weavers and embroiderers. The costume consists of elaborately decorated jackets, pleated indigo dyed skirts, aprons and sometimes gaiters. The better-off wear elaborate silver crowns and jewellery and elsewhere, the less affluent construct elaborate hairstyles. Traditionally, baby carriers show off a young woman’s needlework skills which are highly regarded within the group.

You will be introduced to the people, their landscape and their textile skills. The talk is illustrated with slides and many examples of embroidery techniques collected from the villages where the work is produced.

Many aspects of life in China are changing at a dramatic pace. One of the major changes in Miao culture is the education of the girls. Once they can speak Mandarin girls tend to seek work in the towns and cities which means that they no longer acquire the traditional needlework skills. It has been important to document their techniques before they are lost.

Preserving the Past and Creating the Future,

The Work of Professional Embroiderer Jenny Adin-Christie

Jenny Adin-Christie is a specialist professional hand embroiderer and designer, with an innate passion for creating individual work, for the study and repair of antique embroideries and for passing on skills through inspiring and enthusiastic teaching.

She learnt her trade on the rigorous three year Apprenticeship course, at the world renowned Royal School of Needlework, were she continued to work for a further ten years as a full time employee of the RSN’s commercial Studio and teaching staff, eventually becoming Assistant Head of Studio.

Her work in the Studio provided the opportunity to work on a huge range of commissions, including major pieces such as: designing and constructing new Altar Frontals for Canterbury Cathedral, creating new curtains and pelmet for The Royal Opera House and working embroideries, a Paul McCartney album cover.

Concurrent with her work at the RSN, Jenny also established a freelance business, working to commission, creating individual embroidery kits and teaching across the UK and beyond. She now pursues her freelance work fulltime.

Jenny’s talk will provide an insight into the life of a professional embroiderer and to the fascinating work of the Royal School of Needlework, from its origins through to the present day. The talk will be fully illustrated with images, together with a display of work.

Carol Humphrey from the Fitzwilliam Museum, will be giving us an in depth talk on her research of the Ackworth Samplers and her findings to date.

These lectures are included in the initial cost of the event.

We will have stalls of goodies to buy from each of the tutors and extra stalls for those with needlework items to sell.

The Ackworth event is open to anyone who wishes to participate, so you can bring along a friend or two, if you wish.

I am already taking bookings, so in order not to miss out, as we have a limited number of places, please send your deposit of £75.00 per person (fully refundable) as soon as possible. 

Payment options are:

UK cheque for £75.00 made payable to The Sampler Guild.
US Dollar cheque for $114.00 made payable to The Sampler Guild.
A Paypal payment to linda@thesamplerguild.co.uk for £75.00.

Send a cheque payable to The Sampler Guild and state how many spaces you are booking.  I will then send a booking form by return, with all the information that needs to be completed so we can get everything right first time and make your weekend as enjoyable as possible.

Please note that we are having to provide a minimum number of participants for Ackworth and I would suggest that those travelling from overseas do not book their travel until end August/beginning of September and check with me first.  We do need to ensure that we have the correct criteria to undertake this event!

Any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to email or telephone me:-

Linda@thesamplerguild.co.uk

Tel:  01628 634 274

Linda

E-mail: linda@thesamplerguild.co.uk

Telephone: +44(0)1628-634274

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