| TextileArts.net TextileArts.net has just celebrated its sixth birthday with a brand new look and some exciting new sections. The site first went live in 2000, the fruit of Fiona Dix's vision for a 'virtual arts centre' on the web. Its mission is to promote the practice and study of textiles as an art form, by providing resources for the textile arts community.
A directory of high-quality websites has been at the heart of TextileArts.net since day one. Carefully chosen for their relevance to the art and craft of textiles, the sites are categorised to help visitors find information easily. For example, the popular 'people and places' category includes individual artists and artist groups as well as galleries, community projects and online exhibits, while the quirky 'at a tangent' ranges from accessories and digital textiles to fairly traded crafts and furoshiki. More recent additions to the website include 'art space', a free showcase for established artists and recent graduates, and a tutors listing where tutors can promote their services and share their expertise with the community. More artists and tutors are needed! Fiona has also set up a news blog to publicise events, opportunities and snippets of interesting information from around the textile world. TextileArts.net is especially committed to sustainability, and seeks to promote projects that focus on the role of textiles in social justice and eco-design, or the ways in which textile art enables and empowers people. TextileArts.net depends on its supporters, who contribute news, links and articles, and use the site to promote their textile work. If you would like to get involved in any way, please contact Fiona at . She always has many more ideas for developing the site than spare time to carry them out, but don't let that stop you suggesting some of your own! See below for examples of work by Deepa Panchamia one of the artists featured in TextileArts.net.
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Willcox & Gibbs at Urchfont College
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As reported in the June issue, Maggie has been a student on a City & Guilds course tutored by Val Campbell-Harding. This Historical Heirlooms course gave them the opportunity to study the history of machine embroidery, try the methods used and work on distressing techniques. Early on in the course, those of us who owned Willcox & Gibbs machines (see above) brought them in for everyone to try. They are such lovely machines which have no bobbin thread and stitch by locking the thread to form a chain stitch. Maggie says: 'I've owned one for several years - mainly because I love the look of it. It's about 120 years old and is in reasonable condition, although the lovely gold decoration is not as fine as on some machines'. Other members of the class fell in love with the W&G and the hunt was on, through ebay, antique shops and specialist sites to track them down. The Bird Tree pic here shows wonderful work from Janet Crowther, who produced an entire assessment on a W&G machine. It was based on a Yoruba crown. These are just to whet your appetite as Janet has agreed to write an article about the machine and her work on it for the next issue. |
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Hi Maggie: Just visited your web site today (after emailing you yesterday re: Classes) and wanted to let you know that I would like to subscribe to Workshop on the Web. Sounds very exciting and look forward to it. Do you take Visa as I'm from Canada and would find that more convenient. Maggie says: no problem. Just click Subscribe at the top of this page and you will find the Order Form with credit card facilities. |
Hi Maggie,I was in one of your classes at Embroidery 2000 in Auckland and your lecture that wonderful night in Rotorua. I am very interested in your online magazine and a more affordable (for us over $36NZ) cost. Like your web site and what you are doing in embroidery now too. Maggie says Hi to Rotorua! |
Just a brief note to let you know that I think this new venture is a wonderful idea and when the time comes, I will certainly subscribe. Thanks. "A painting rises from the brushstroke as a poem rises from the words. The meaning comes later." Joan Miro. |
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Maggie: I would very much like to take your Workshop on the Web....I live in Southeastern Florida and we really do not have classes like this. How would I get enrolled in the workshop and be able to pay the "class fee".... Please let us "Americans" know what we would need to do. Since my Mum is from England and most of my relatives are over there, I can honestly say "this is my cuppa tea"...... Hope to hear from you soon. Maggie says: no problem. Just click Subscribe at the top of of this page and you will find the Order Form with credit card facilities. |
Hi Maggie and Clive Monday morning and the week has had an excellent start thanks to your website. Very exciting and I can't wait to subscribe to the web workshops - a brilliant idea. Of course I would also like to be included in the Traders Mall so look forward to hearing more. | Dear Maggie, Good to hear about your project Workshop on the Web - a great idea. I am very interested and I know many of my students will be - I look forward to seeing the copy in July and will definitely subscribe. |
| Hi Maggie, Yes I would be really really interested in Workshop on the web - looks amazing, I want to do everything!! Loved the metal from Kent. | Your new venture sounds very exciting and I'm interested in further updates. Great website. The designs featured are always stimulating and make me rush for my sewing machine with renewed vigour! | Maggie Yes, I would definitely subscribe to the new enterprise - a great idea. That's the first time I've been to your site,and have come out of it momentarily to congratulate you and Clive on it. Bye for now - I'm going back in again. |
| Hi Maggie, I would be very interested in your new scheme of workshops on the web - being an obsessive sewer I couldn't resist it!! Look forward to it! | Dear Maggie, Just to let you know that I would be very interested in this exciting adventure. Put my name down!!! | Hi Maggie, I can't wait for the Workshop on the Web site. I would be very surprised if I don't subscribe! |
| I'm interested in your concept for an internet workshop/magazine on the web. I was an early adopter of internet education, and it is a wonderful tool. Maggie says: I do agree with you - it's an ideal communication device. |
Dear Maggie, I am very interested in the web publication you mention on your Web Site. Certainly include me in. It was a great week-end at Wye and thanks for the tireless efforts of both yourself and Clive. | I think this is a great idea Maggie, Just what I've been waiting for, this really what the web should be about, bringing ideas etc... shortening the distance to learning! |
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Hello Maggie, I have just explored your web site and found it really exciting. I am very interested in "Workshop on the Web" so would like to receive the July issue. The new book "Machine Embroidery Layers of Stitch" will be a must have so look forward to that. I have attended some workshops with Dale from The Thread Studio which I have enjoyed and am about to do a Playways course with her and also I have attended a few workshops with Wendy Wright Textile Art which I have enjoyed as well. Time is very limited to explore the creative world unfortunately but 3 or 4 friends and I try and get together once a month and have a playday where we dye and paint or machine embroider. Regards from Australia. Maggie says: Think your idea of a monthly get together is a good one. Just having somebody else to cast an eye over a piece of work is a godsend. Much easier to be objective when it's not your own work. |
Dear Maggie, I am interested in the workshops on the Web. Will they be relevant for people like me in Australia ie access to certain materials etc. I would love to be able to try something like this as I am always reading about workshops published in World of Embroidery but obviously geography and our lousy dollar are pretty large stumbling blocks! I did also send an email concerning the free machine embroidery course that you also mentioned in your web page. Maggie says: It is difficult in some parts of the world. You're OK in Oz with the Thread Studio. We will try to specify suppliers in different countries for each workshop. Lots of UK traders do mail order overseas but I know that's not ideal. |
Hello Maggie, I've just been looking at your web-site and I'd love to be part of the Workshop on the Web that you're going to starting and I'd be grateful if you could send me some details please. I love your work Maggie, it's stunning and so inspirational. A friend of mine was at one of your workshops a couple of weeks ago, in Lanchester. When she showed off her work it was wonderful. I'm currently studying C & G Embroidery Part 1 at City of Sunderland College and my tutor is very keen to push us towards your way of innovative embroidery...not that we need much pushing of course(s). |
| Hi, I am from Sydney Australia, I arrived at your site through The Thread Studio, Perth. I would be interested in knowing more about your Workshop on the Web. | Hi Maggie and Clive, have just gotten onto your webpage, via the Thread Studio link, and I would be very interested in reading your publication. It sounds wonderful, and something much needed with good practical articles etc. Hoping this is of assistance to you. | hej Maggie! Certainly I am interested in 'Workshop on the Web' it sounds great but there is one big but - the availability of products, especially here in Sweden. It is nowhere near as advanced as the UK for products or textiles and embroidery and this would present a big problem in trying out new samples and experiments. Will there be the opportunity for obtaining products by Mail order too? Anyway definitely a big Yes - looking forward to the 1 July. Maggie says: We will try to specify suppliers in different countries for each workshop. Lots of UK traders do mail order overseas. We do need someone in your part of the world selling the sort of things we want to buy. Must be an opportunity for an enterprising person. Let us know if anyone knows suppliers in Scandinavia. |
| Maggie Would very much like to sign up for workshop on the web - what a fantastic idea. Having studied with Val I know it will be fun too. Please keep me informed. | Wonderful count me in - I spend more than half the year in the remote mountains in Southern Spain this would be a real life-line to feed my creative soul with information and ideas. Can't wait. I am about to go to South Africa for 5 weeks - do you know of any good textile galleries to visit, we will be in Joburg, Darwin and Capetown. Will let you know if I find anything. | Dear Maggie, Your new venture sounds really exciting and I am very interested in taking part. I thoroughly enjoyed your talk at the recent CTDG AGM and seeing your work at close hand. Please, what has happened to the pictures on your web site of the bags that you'd made for the exhibtion based on the watery winter? I was hoping to show them to the other members of our EG committee last night and was really upset that they'd disappeared! Never mind, we all thought that your web site was really inspirational. Maggie says: We do keep the web site up to date, so it changes every couple of months. Planning to put my City & Guilds students' work up in July, so watch out for that. |
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Dear Maggie I have just received an email from Kathy Troup of Stitch magazine and she suggested that I should contact you about your new venture Workshop on the Web. She thinks that this may be 'right up my street'. I would be delighted to receive details once these are ready. I have thoroughly enjoyed The World of Embroidery during your tenure as editor and will miss your many articles. However, I understand the need to move on and also what a commitment an editorship is. I managed to attend a lecture you gave at Embroidery 2000 in Auckland which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was amazed how you fitted in your own work and all the experimentation as well as having a full-time job!! Maggie says: I have a secret weapon - otherwise known as Clive. |
Maggie, I am definitely interested. How are you doing subscriptions--can you do dollars-in checks or a charge card. It is much too difficult and costly to do a bank draft in pounds or a check in pounds. Excited and can't wait to start. It all looks wonderful. Maggie says: no problem. Just click Subscribe at the top of of this page and you will find the Order Form with credit card facilities. |
I think I would very much like to subscribe to your exciting venture. I have always been interested in needlecrafts and have done a bit of patchwork and quilting and some machine embroidery, though have not yet used my computer for textile designs. In this past year I have joined two weekend sessions at West Dean with Val Campbell-Harding and have thoroughly enjoyed the experience - she has whetted my appetite for more! I look forward to interesting times ahead. |
| I would be very interested in a Workshop on the Web, just what I have been looking for. Yes I'd be very interested in a workshop on the web. Great work - keep it going. |
Hi Maggie, I would be really interested in your Workshop on the Web. In fact it sounds great. Let me know when it begins. By the way your piece on metals sounds really interesting. When do you plan to run that? Maggie says: part 1 of the workshop on metals will be in the unrestricted July issue with part 2 in the September issue. |
Hi Maggie, Very interested in your planned workshops. I'm in the US, so I'm hoping you'll take Visa/Mastercard. Maggie says: no problem. Just click Subscribe at the top of this page and you will find the Order Form with credit card facilities. |