On the first day of 2013, I thought I’d take a step back and review all that has happened in 2012. I’d also like to thank all my readers and hope you’ll continue to follow my experiences, ramblings and travels in the year to come.
I haven’t quite lived up to the name ‘Travels in Textiles’ this year unfortunately, having done no travelling abroad. However, lots of other big things have happened, the main ones being completing my MA and moving to London. Early this year, I was awarded the Textiles Society Award for Critical Writing, which I was presented at the prestigious annual Antique Textile Fair in Manchester. It was an honour to receive this and I look forward to seeing the article in the upcoming issue of Text.
I did do a bit of travelling within the UK, to the Cotswolds where I camped with some friends at the beautiful Abbey Farm in Cirencester. I was thrilled to find a lovely collection of Rajasthani block-printed textiles in the form of home-ware, fashion and accessories in the farm shop alongside their organic farm produce.
Also in June were the degree shows. I was particularly proud of my students at MMU. I have some images of their work here.
I have written some guides on block-printing, one by the great Ismail Mohammed Khatri which received a record number of Facebook likes, and one by myself, not quite as sophisticated, but I hope helped some people develop a new craft skill. I hope to continue posting How-To Guides on this site in the coming year.
Whilst living in London I’ve had chance to explore the amazing array of textiles in shops and exhibitions. I wrote a guide to ‘textile treasure troves in London’ and there have been some fantastic inspiring textile and craft exhibitions both in Manchester, London and elsewhere. These include:
- the photographer Zarina Bhimji at Whitechapel Gallery, London
- Social Fabric, at INIVA, London
- After Bloomsbury, Rugs from the Omega Workshops at Somerset House and Designing Women: Post-War British Textiles, Fashion and Textile Museum, London
- The Stuff that Matters at Raven Row Gallery, London
- Cotton, The Whitworth Gallery, Manchester
- Cotton Exchange, Manchester, Burnley, Preston
- At Home with the World, Geffrye Museum, London
- Bauhaus at the Barbican, London
- Added Value, by the Crafts Council at London Design Festival.
- The Body Adorned, at The Horiman Museum, London
- Living with Pattern, Aram Gallery, London
- Mughal India: Art, Culture and Empire, The British Library, London
- Selvedge Winter Fair, London
This year has also seen the development of Travels in Textiles hand-made jewellery which has been selling well online and at various fairs and markets around London.
And finally, some snaps of some of the beautiful places on my doorstop here in Britain.
Wishing you all a happy, fun, creative and fulfilling new year!
