I fully intended to write a blog post praising a number of exhibitions at the Knitting & Stitching Show, and urging those in striking distance of London to GET THERE TODAY (and/ or tomorrow) and illustrate the blog with marvellous pictures of the work, gathered from the websites of the organisers of the shows, or even from Flickr or elsewhere on the web. But alas, this doesn’t seem to be possible and I now wish I had battled with the millions of people and taken my own photos, where this was allowed. A little frustrating! I will have to wait until Harrogate in November to blog most of it properly.
As always, the 62 Group produced a show of fascinating textiles, some of which blew me away. The group’s website doesn’t even mention the exhibition which makes me feel like I have invented the whole thing. There is a preview of their new book online which gives some flavour of the works on show but doesn’t really cover it in detail.
I’ve also started to get confused about what work was in the 62 Group show and what was in Hand Stitch Perspectives, which was a really wonderful exhibition, put together by Alice Kettle and Jane McKeating, featuring works from their new, amazing, book. Again, no images of this show to be found online, or even a list.
Ho hum.
At least I managed to take some pictures (although not many) at the excellent Push Stitchery / Mr X Stitch exhibition.
I loved these pieces by Erin Endicott.
Embroidery on organza on porcelain by Diem Chau. I’ve seen & admired these before.
Same goes for Severija Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė whose work I saw in Cloth & Culture Now in 2008 and has become one of the international stars of the internet stitching world. It was great to see her work in the flesh again.
And all the rest of it was great too. I bought the fantastic book and had obligatory fan photo with Mr X himself!
It was a mutual geeky fan moment – he wrote possibly the nicest book review ever of Sew Eco. What a sweetie.
Talking of Sew Eco, I also did a little book signing and brooch making demo over on the Bloomsbury Books stand.
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| Not doing well on the photo colours on this post… first yellow then blue…
I also got to have a good browse of the Hand Stitch Perspectives book I mentioned earlier, as well as Embellished by the amazing Karen Nicols, both of which are on my list to buy (but I was on the train so I wasn’t going to carry them – both are mighty hardbacks).
I also ran a couple of workshops in the Learning Zone at the show, both of which will be repeated at Harrogate along with a new one. And I chatted to lots of lovely people, saw loads of amazing stuff, but, because of the aforementioned train-travel, bought very little. Just as well seeing as the fabric stash is going to have to be moved & stored *again* later this month… .
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Ruth Singer 
I'm hoping to get to the Harrogate Show this year. It's a bit of a tradition where I go with my Sister in Law and stay over with my her and my brother for a few days in York, then the other half comes to join us for the weekend. I'm really looking forward to it, it's always great fun. Maybe this time I'll be able to find you, unlike at the NEC a couple of years ago. Sounds like you had fun at Ally Pally. One day I might be able to make it, but until then I shall enjoy it vicariously through blogs like yours.