Stitch & Think - a brief overview

Stitch and Think is a participatory project in which makers are asked to consider 'stitch' as a way to develop their own practice as well as reflecting on their own making processes. Stitching is currently employed in both the fine and applied arts - it is an unspoken and powerful language for many makers who wish to subvert as well as celebrate different concepts.  Stitch and Think was instigated by etc members Janet Haigh and Dawn Mason.

To read about the first Stitch & Think event in 2009 click here.

Stitch & Think - latest news (September 2010) from organiser Janet Haigh

At the summing up session of the first workshop in September 2009 (see link above), a majority of the group expressed a wish to continue the stitching via workshops to develop work for eventual exhibition.

In response to this and the request for a drawing workshop we held another 1 day meeting in March this year - where at the suggestion of Dail Behennah, I invited the writer and critic Ian Wilson, who comments on Contemporary Craft, to record and report on the outcomes for the continuing project

Portraits

I adapted a successful drawing through stitching workshop run by Sue Bradley a senior lecturer at Bath Spa University College - pairs of students stitched each other’s portraits. I decided to start with the eye.

We also discussed the themes that emerged from the videos of the last workshop – it transpires that there was in the 50’s and 60’s - a deadly educational practice in the English school system for teaching sewing to girls – the boys seemed to be off enjoying metal and wood work classes – but sewing aprons put most people off for life –but at least there was a system within the curriculum

But it was also apparent that sewing was embedded in family life – making and mending was mentioned by almost everybody as an ongoing activity within their childhood homes, making together - clothes, darning, mending shoes - all contributed to the upkeep of the household, physically and spiritually. Quite a thing to reflect on now!

And we then discussed - where do we go from here? The group mostly wanted to make work for an exhibition and I have been asked to deliver a symposium at the conclusion of the project to illustrate the experiences and to develop it for a possible Professional Development programme.

Museum Mending

As everyone was interested in the idea of darning and mending, Dawn Mason and I took an executive decision to continue with the theme of mending. I immediately thought of the mending samplers at the Bristol Museum and contacted the curator of Applied Arts, Karin Walton, which lead to the Museum Mending Day, earlier this month, where the group was introduced to mended items from various sections of the museum’s collection and archives, most notable glass, ceramics and textiles.

We also had a show and tell about mending from our own experiences and many stories were told. The day was recorded by video and interview, by Cleo Witt for future reference for the project.

During the year I have had to keep one step ahead - working out how to develop the project by reacting to the group – its no use getting such gifted people working with you and not listening to them – looking at the videos I responded to Hanne Rysgaard’s dislike of the actual sewing process which she had made very clear in her video recording “I feel rage when I sew” but she loved the look of the stitched ceramics; for my part I felt sorry for her lovely ceramics where she had stitched them …….so I offered to act as her technician and she would act as mine. She has provided the studio, at the makers co-operative Blaze, in central Bristol, providing the basic materials and knowledge to develop my ideas and I have researched the technical samples for stitching porcelain. I have opened my studio and material stash to her.

I suddenly recognised that the way forward for the group was to make partnerships between stitchers and non- stitchers and develop work together in our own studios…

The partnerships have to now work on this project without my constant input, reminders/nagging - and at the museum day those who decided to make a commitment to the project have promised to have working samples by 1st Match next year.

The whole set of findings will be exhibited and discussed sometime next year 2011 at a symposium at UWE – with an exhibition at the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery at a later date.