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Leicestershire textiles Festival 2023

Title: ‘The Fox and the Crane’
Description:
As a child the Aesop’s fable of the Fox and the Crane was so ridiculously silly with
these two creatures tricking each other and illustrated so beautifully that it captured
my heart.
As an adult I can analyse its moral in many different ways. To me it speaks of
diversity and accepting our own strengths without the need to ridicule the challenges
others face. In my version the antics of the foxes and cranes is overseen by the flight
of a short eared owl, whilst a fantastical sunbird and hummingbird celebrate their
own differences.
I employ a mixture of second hand fabrics alongside digital prints of my own
drawings; layering fabrics and collaging a rich variety of cloths form a background to
to create a framework for stitching with detailed hand stitch, whilst repetitive machine
stitch of tiny dots provides a structure to keep the narrative in place.


Medium: collage of vintage and digitally printed fabrics with applique, hand and
machine embroidery
Year: 2023
Size (cm): 76 x 104

qrf
the fox and the crane

Aspects of Stitch

 Delighted to announce I will be showing a selection of recent work as part of our local stitch group exhibition next weekend (17th/18th August).

At the same time I will be representing the group at the Harborough Theatre Foyer as part of Harborough Artist Cluster and for the whole of September in the window of Davis Opticians, St. Mary’s Road. Harborough.

Aspects of Stitch Exhibition in Market Harborough, your local group if you have an interest in textiles, whether skilled or a curious beginner. Come and see us at our exhibition on Saturday & Sunday 17th & 18th September 2022 between 10am and 4pm.

The exhibition is in 1st Market Harborough Scout Hall,

31 Coventry Rd,

Market Harborough

LE16 9BX 

A wide variety of stitched work on display.    

Contact: aspectsofstitch@gmail.com 

3 x thrice

As an embroiderer I make work to help me answer questions, to tease out the conundrums in life that baffle me.

The beauty of this brief was the challenge of responding to Biomimicry – The emulation of natural phenomena to solve human problems. Curiosity, leading to observation and ultimately copying nature.

One example that haunts me is mankind’s relationship with flying.

Flying is absurd. 

As Science Fiction moves inexorably towards Science Fact mankind strives to mimic the implausibility of flight. Inspired by M. C. Escher I envisage an alternate world where Artificial Intelligence continues to move us away from an appreciation of nature towards one where we steer it for own desires. Mathematics under-pins our understanding, whilst ‘black and white’ attests to factual accuracy. Can a belief in the magic of folklore exist alongside scientific discovery? Can we believe our eyes? Our perception of the world has been altered forever since the invention of drones and their use in photographing the world around us from a bird’s eye perspective.

Another challenge of the project was about Colour. I chose to contrast the intense colour found in nature with a binary black and white of science. 

Hummingbirds shouldn’t exist; such a tiny, colourful bird, whose wings beat faster than the human eye can observe. Spectacular colour amidst a monochrome environment alludes to deception, and survival.

By using technology to replicate hand-drawn images, and stitch to individualise the identical, the viewer engages in a dialogue about the ethics of biomimicry. Manufacture aspires to repeat perfection, when true beauty comes from difference and individuality.

Just because mankind can intimate and replicate nature should this be at the cost of the Earth’s resources? Embroidery is an incredibly sustainable art form. The time required to stitch is unimaginable by those who haven’t threaded a needle. Nothing is as satisfying as the play of simple stitches where the direction and rhythm explore colour and surface relationships. Digital printing allows for the minimum of environmental impact, whilst the backing fabric used is rescued from landfill, being ‘dead-stock’ sourced from local manufacturers.

I am thrilled to announce that my piece ‘3 x thrice’ has been selected as one of the 6 finalists in the Open, Textile Art Category of the prestigious, International Hand and Lock Embroidery prize 2022 and on display in 2023 in their Biennial exhibition.

To quote hand and Lock:

Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery

The Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery (THE PRIZE) commenced in 2000 as the M Hand Prize for Embroidery changing to the Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery in 2004.

Hand & Lock’s Chairman Alastair Rudin Macleod was instrumental in setting up THE PRIZE with the aim to promote the use of hand embroidery surface embellishment within fashion, costume, soft furnishings and art. All in the hope that contemporary design and other fresh approaches will be inspired to embrace hand embroidery, to acknowledge and value its quality and expertise.

Over the years THE PRIZE has embraced other embroidery disciplines from hand guided machine to digital embroidery all with the fundamental premise that embroidered articles should always encompass an artistry and skill. All submissions should have a ‘WOW’ factor and help push the envelope for the art of embroidery.

THE PRIZE is the charitable arm of the British embroidery atelier, Hand & Lock established in 1767. The goal is to promote the use of embroidery in fashion and textiles and reward and encourage emerging talent.

Aim

An annual international embroidery prize which celebrates excellence in craftsmanship.

The aim of THE PRIZE is to promote the fine art of embroidery by acknowledging and supporting contemporary embroidery talent and solidifying that recognition for future generations to come.

THE PRIZE aspires to provide passionate and emerging embroiderers a vital platform to showcase their talents and gain life-changing exposure. The Prize for Embroidery strives to highlight the exquisite craftsmanship and skill that goes into this intricate craft and bring together the whole embroidery community to celebrate.’

The work from all 24 Prize finalists will be on display in November 2023.

Embroidered Arts Exhibition 2023
All finalists’ Works in the 2022 Prize for Embroidery will be exhibited in the Biennale Embroidered Arts Exhibition in November 2023.

Exhibition venue address:

Bargehouse
Oxo Tower Wharf

Bargehouse Street

South Bank London
SE1 9PH

Date of Exhibition
The Exhibition is open from Thursday 16th November to Sunday 19th November 2023.

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More than a Uniform

Situated at the Prince Phillip Maritime Collections Centre, Kidbrook in June 2022 the ‘More than a Uniform’ event was organised by Dr. Jo Horton. The winning entries from a nationwide student exhibition were exhibited alongside some 'props' of embellished uniforms made by Nigel Cheney. Throughout the day noted academics gave meaningful papers that looked at the rich heritage if the WRNS.

In a workshop, led by Nigel Cheney participants were introduced to the basics of hand embroidery. They were each given a piece of grey poly-cotton fabric to stitch onto. This was theirs to keep. For some of them this was the first time they had worked with a needle and thread, whilst others were highly skilled. The workshop was designed to harness enthusiasm at any level. If they felt confident with hand embroidery already they could  begin on one of the printed patches. The aim is to contribute to the making of a piece entitled ‘JOY of the WRNS’. The understanding was that their participation of stitching onto these patches enriched their understanding of some aspects of the vast array of material culture housed at RMG, and that they left their own mark for the future.

There is a tremendous heritage of stitched text and in particular the phenomena of ‘signature cloths’. These mark a moment in time where the names of a specific group are made permanent through stitch. Dr. Horton will explain the importance of one such piece in the RGM collection.

Inspired by the research undertaken by Dr. Jo Horton, this piece takes images from the RMG collection and interprets them into a discursive narrative surrounding issues looking beyond the uniform to the incredible women who have served in the WRNS. It is a legacy piece that invokes some of the issues around material culture and aims to develop a broader interest in the collection in both academic and public arenas.The central panel is a depiction of one in particular, Joy Cullis and the diaries written by her husband reflecting on their meeting in 1941. Other images look at the evolution of the uniform, trade badges, insignia and its depiction of the WRNS in contemporary media.

Nigel Cheney’s practice is founded in storytelling through cloth and stitch. Responding to archival material he uses digital printing and embroidery techniques to assemble images that create open ended narratives.

one of a series of textile art pieces created for the event

Context: 'Dr Horton is conducting detailed material culture focused research into WRNS uniform of the early-mid twentieth century at the Caird Library, National Maritime Museum. The aim of this research, in the centenary year of the Association of Wrens is to understand how personal adaptation of uniforms may have influenced a) perception of WRNS appearance and b) uniform functionality in increasingly diverse and demanding roles for women during wartime, in the context of changing society and experiences. She is interrogating individual experiences of wearing uniforms during wartime, and how public, private, and personal-physical responses to uniform, may potentially have shaped the fashion and/or clothing identities of Wrens post- service, their ambitions, and attitudes, and ultimately the rest of their lives. A part of this research is oral histories, so Dr Horton has invited contributions from individuals and/or their families to garner private perspectives on WRNS uniform (from dress to specialist workwear) worn by Wrens of different cultures, backgrounds, physicality, interests, and occupations. All types of WRNS uniform are relevant from officer and ratings uniforms (at home and overseas) and mess dress, to those associated with mechanical and outdoor roles such as overalls, boiler suits, bell-bottomed trousers, despatch riders and mail boat uniforms. '

Some fun facts about the WRNS

  • The Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS; popularly and officially known as the Wrens) was the women's branch of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. First formed in 1917 for the First World War, it was disbanded in 1919, then revived in 1939 at the beginning of the Second World War, remaining active until integrated into the Royal Navy in 1993. WRNS included cooksclerkswireless telegraphistsradar plotters, weapons analysts, range assessorselectricians and air mechanics.
  • In 1915 orders were issued that ship's companies when ashore should wear the cap tally of their depot. In the Second World War, Royal Navy cap tallies were only issued with HMS, or HM Destroyer/Minesweepers. The Royal Canadian Navy ordered that only HMCS were to be worn their cap tallies in May 1942.
  • Dame Katharine Furse was invited by the First Lord of the Admiralty to form a “Naval Organisation of Women.” Dame Katharine Furse, GBERRC (née Symonds; 23 November 1875 – 25 November 1952) was a British nursing and military administrator. She led the British Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment force during the First World War, and served as the inaugural Director of the Women's Royal Naval Service (1917–19). Furse was also the first Director of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (1928–38). 
  • Various names were discussed but the favourite was The Women’s Royal Naval Service and the name “Wrens” was approved.
  • 29 November 1917  HM The King approved the formation the Women’s Royal Naval Service to provide personnel wherever the Admiralty required them to serve.  Mostly for domestic and clerical duties, but gradually WRNS Officers replaced paymasters, became secretaries to Admirals, and Wrens took over the duties of Writers, Telephonists, Stores and other shore based jobs, including places as far afield as Malta and Gibraltar.  Gradually they took over other “male” jobs such as aircraft handlers
  • World War One WRNS 438 officers, 5,054 ratings, 1+ death in service. 1918, RMS Leinster was torpedoed by a German Submarine.  Three Wrens were onboard but only one lost her life – Wren Josephine Carr.  The first Wren to lose her life in WWI and the only one to die as a result of enemy action.
  • Locations: Mobile or immobile, serving at the chief naval bases in Portsmouth, Chatham, Devonport, London, Scotland, Ireland, Gibraltar, Genoa (Italy), Malta. Others included Cardiff, Harwich and the Humber, Liverpool and Tynemouth plus former naval air stations on the East Coast of Great Britain 
  • Service occupations: to support the war effort in anyway except ‘man’ a warship. Stores ratings, writers, dispatch riders and drivers, decoding and deciphering, secretarial, technical training, telephonists, wireless telegraphists, sailmakers, netmakers, painters, cleaners, woodturners, fitters, cooks, bakers, porters, garage workers, aircraft handlers and more. 
  • WRNS arm badges: Crossed quill pens- clerical and accountant; scallop shell-household; Three-spoked wheel-motor drivers and garage workers; Arrow crossed by a lightning flash-signal branch; Crossed keys-storekeepers, porters and messengers; Envelope- postwomen, telegraphists and postal workers, Star-miscellaneous, Crossed hammers- technical workers
  • From 1939, Wren uniform, designed by leading British fashion designer Edward Molyneux, consisted of a double-breasted jacket and skirt, with shirt and tie, for all ranks (although similar working dress to the men could also be worn). Junior Ratings wore hats similar to those of their male counterparts (although with a more sloping top). Senior Ratings (Petty Officers and above) and officers wore tricornehats. In tropical areas with a white cover. All insignia, including cap badges and non-substantive (trade) badges, were blue. 
  • The tally on a sailor's cap is a ribbon usually bearing the name of a ship or some other establishment to which they belong.
  • Mrs Vera Laughton Matthews was invited to become a Director of the WRNS.  She had served in WWI and after the war was one of the pioneers of the Sea Ranger Branch of the Girl Guides.  The early plan for the WRNS was to recruit 126 officers and 1,475 ratings.
  • By the end of WWII over 74,000 women had served in over 70 categories.
  • 1981, The New Entry Training Establishment HMS DAUNTLESS closed after 35 years of training some 30,000 Wrens. Initial training now takes place alongside male ratings at HMS RALEIGH. Wrens were now subject to the Naval Discipline Act and given longer terms of service in a wide range of technical support roles in operational areas.
  • 1993, The Women’s Royal Naval Service was disbanded and 4535 women were integrated fully into the Royal Navy and able to serve on HM Ships at sea, at all ranks and rates, including the Royal Marines Band.

Some quotes used in the textile piece

“ We were not the demure young girls he had left behind when he set sail for Singapore. We had both seen and experienced too much to be treated as such delicate creatures still. He seemed to keep forgetting that I had been an Ensign and Pat was a Chief Petty Officer. We were grown women now. And grown women could drink whiskey when they felt like it”. (Owtram and Owtram, 2020).

“ But for us ex-Wrens who had discovered independence and freedom, the world was our oyster” ( Lamb, I only joined for the hat, Redoubtable Wrens at war..their trials, tribulations and triumphs, 2007).

“Joy recalled seeing a line of girls linked who danced out of the mess singing “wish us luck as you wave us goodbye” and they never came back as they were killed in service. ( Platt, oral histories 2022)

‘The biggest bombshell was, naturally, the arrival on 11th June, 1941 of Wren Joy Cullis’

( Platt, oral histories 2022)

Moyra Charlton : “Work filled one’s life, but I would not have missed it for anything” p.21. Darmouth History Research Group Paper 12 1994 ISBN 1 899011013

Wren Hazel Hyam, quartered at Warfleet said

“ In my spare time I did a lot of embroidery and needlework, making camiknicks, pretty slips for Mother’s birthday, and nighties. Clothing vouchers were usually requested for pyjamas, but we could go along to a certain shop in Torquay and buy material instead. I embroidered a cushion in a WRNS crest design for my parents, and now have in constant use. Some girls autographed each other’s white scarves and then embroidered their signatures, making a lasting memory.”

p. 25. Darmouth History Research Group Paper 12 1994 ISBN 1 899011013

 Moyra Charlton : “Work filled one’s life, but I would not have missed it for anything” Darmouth History Research Group Paper 12. P.21 1994 ISBN 1 899011013

We were grown women now. And grown women could drink whiskey when they felt like it”. (Owtram and Owtram, Codebreaking Sisters Our Secret War, 2020 p. 250).

 “ But for us ex-Wrens who had discovered independence and freedom, the world was our oyster” ( Lamb, I only joined for the hat, Redoubtable Wrens at war..their trials, tribulations and triumphs, 2007, p.196).

 “Joy recalled seeing a line of girls linked who danced out of the mess singing “wish us luck as you wave us goodbye” and they never came back as they were killed in service. (Platt, oral histories interview 16th March, 2022)

Wren Gwyneth Verdon-Roe “ The night of the 4/5th June, I was on all night. We worked flat out until dawn and then the whole thing was called off because of the weather. The disappointment was terrible, the anti-climax after all the stress. We were tearful and tired and had never felt so low in all our lives” (Harris, D-Day Diary, Life on the Front Line in the Second World War, 2013 p.48.

 “ And below is another W.R.N.S - this time an Indian- Second Officer Sen. A charming combination of East and West, we think” . (Women’s Pictorial)

The W.R.I.N.S or the Women’s Royal Indian Naval Service was formally set up in January 1944 as the naval wing of the Women’s Auxiliary Corps (India) in response to the increasing demand for labour to fill up “shore jobs” during the Second World War. Nearly three decades after the formation of their counterpart, the Women’s Royal Naval Service or the WRENS, the WRINS became a symbol of a new India, subverting gender norms and laying the steppingstone for a new, independent India and an emancipated Indian woman.

“In a beautiful piece of tapestry a vast number of threads of varying colours combine to produce the finished picture. All threads are of equal strength; all colour are equally necessary to the pattern though some may be more obtrusive. It is for this reason that I have chosen the name of “Blue Tapestry” for this story of the Women’s Royal Naval Service” ( Laughton Matthews, 1949, p. 10)

“ Dedicated to Ex-Leading Wren Elvira Laughton Matthews. Not only as my beloved daughter but as a symbol of the women who, with devotion, fidelity and diverse offerings, combined to weave the BLUE TAPESTRY”.

( Laughton Matthews, 1949)

Images from collection are:

TXT2019; DAU/73/3; UNI1018; UNI6719; UNI6672;DAU 220;DAU/22/7

Some helpful starting points to find out more about the WRNS

Digital collection of objects, written and visual material related to uniform and Wrens within RMG  The Caird Library  https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/search/WRNS%20uniform 

Other useful resources include: 

  • The Imperial War Museum www.iwm.co.uk 
  • Devonport Naval History Centre www.devonportnhc.wordpress.com 
  • National Museum of the Royal Navy www.nmrn.org.uk 
  • Bletchley Park, The Mansion, Bletchley Park, Sherwood Drive, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK3 6EB https://bletchleypark.org.uk/ 
  • The National Archive    https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research- guides/womens-royal-naval-service-personnel/ 
  • The British Library and sound archive  https://sounds.bl.uk/ 
  • https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/teach/womens-history-month- international-womens-day/z7rr6v4
  • Oral histories- your family and friends Private Collectors and Militaria shops Festivals such as Twinwood, https://twinwoodevents.com/ 
  • https://dresshistorians.org/
  • https://www.textilesociety.org.uk/awards/student-bursaries 
  • https://austerityfashion.wordpress.com/bethanbide/
  • https://1945liverpoolgirlsdiary.tumblr.com/

Reading List and Resources 

  • Adlington, Lucy. Women’s Lives and Clothes in WW2 Ready for Action. Pen and Sword History, 2019 
  • Banner, Bernadette. Make, Sew and Mend: Traditional Techniques to Sustainably Maintain and Refashion Your Clothes. Page St Publishing, April 2022
  • Biddle-Perry, Geraldine. Dressing for Austerity: Aspiration, Leisure and Fashion in Post-war Britain (Dress Cultures). Bloomsbury, 2017 
  • Blaszczyk, Regina Lee, Pouilliard, Veronique (eds). European fashion: The creation of a global industry (Studies in Design and Material Culture). Manchester University Press, 2018 
  • Douie, V. Daughters of Britain. Douie, Oxford, 1946 Edwards, Lydia. How to Read a Dress: A Guide to Changing Fashion from the 16th to the 21st Century. Bloomsbury, 2019 
  • Edwards, Nina. Dressed for War: Uniform, Civilian Clothing and Trappings 1914-1918. Bloomsbury, 2014 
  • Ewing, Elizabeth. Women in Uniform through the centuries. B.T.Batsford Ltd, 1975. 
  • Fletcher, M. H. The W.R.N.S.: A History of the Women’s Royal Naval Service. Batsford, 1989 
  • Gregson, Paddy. Ten Degrees Below Seaweed: A True Story of World War II Boat’s Crew Wrens. Merlin Books, 1993 
  • Harris, Carol. Women at War in Uniform 1939-1945. The History Press, 2000 
  • Hore, Peter. Bletchley Park’s Secret Source: Churchill’s Wrens and the Y Service in World War II. Greenhill, 2021 
  • Houston, Roxanne. Changing Course: The Engaging Memoir of a Second World War Wren. Grub Street, 2007 
  • Howell, Geraldine. Women in Wartime Dress Studies from Picture Post 1938-1945. Bloomsbury, 2019 
  • Kirkham, Pat and Thoms, D (eds). War Culture Social Change and Changing Experience in World War Two. Lawrence & Wishart, 1995 
  • Pat Kirkham, ‘Keeping Up Home Front Morale: “Beauty and Duty” in Wartime Britain,’ in Atkins, Jacqueline M. ed., Wearing Propaganda: Textiles on the Home Front in Japan, Britain, and the United States, 1931-45 (New Haven and London: BGC/Yale University Press, 2005), pp. 205-228 
  • Laboissonniere, Wade. Blueprints of Fashion: Home Sewing Patterns of the 1950s. Schiffer Book for Designers & Collectors, 1999 
  • Matthews, Dame Vera Laughton. Blue Tapestry. Hollis and Carter, 1948 
  • Miller, Lee. Wrens in Camera. Hollis and Carter, 1945 
  • Owtram, Patricia, Owtram, Jean. Codebreaking Sisters: Our Secret War. Mirror Books, 2020 
  • Roberts, Hannah. The WRNS in Wartime The Women’s Royal Naval Service 1917-1945. Bloomsbury, 2018 
  • Storey, Neil. R. WRNS The Women’s Royal Naval Service. Shire Publications, 2007
  • Stanley, Jo. A History of the Royal Navy Women and the Royal Navy. I.B. Tauris, 2018 
  • Summers, Julie. Fashion the Ration: Style in the Second World . Profile Books, 2016 Vitali, Valentina. The Women’s RINS: Picturing India’s New Woman, in Women’s History Review. Vol 29, No. 7. 2020 
  • Walford, Jonathan. Forties Fashion: From Siren Suits to the New Look. Thames & Hudson, 2008 
  • Wilcox, C. The Ambassador Magazine: Promoting Post-War British Textiles and Fashion. V&A Publishing, 2012

Workshops

 

I really enjoy the opportunity to facilitate workshops with a diverse cross section of the public. It is a privilege to be able to share what I do with people. The diary for next year is beginning to fill up and it is certainly feeling like there is hope for being able to deliver face to face experiences all over the country. Unfortunately during the pandemic lockdowns I (like everyone else) had to postpone or cancel 2 years worth of bookings.

Whether for Independent stitch groups, community engagements or private creative studios I can tailor hand or machine stitch activities to suit small to medium size groups.

Next year I am very excited to be back in Essex for a series of workshops with the incredible Alex Waylett at Elm Farm Studio.

Make do and Maintain

In this workshop, led by Nigel Cheney you will be introduced to the basics of hand embroidery. You will each be given a piece of grey poly-cotton fabric to stitch onto. This is yours to keep. For some of you this may be the first time you have worked with a needle and thread, whilst others may be highly skilled. This workshop is designed to harness your enthusiasm at any level. If you feel confident with hand embroidery already you can begin on one of the printed patches. The aim is to contribute to the making of this piece entitled ‘JOY of the WRNS’. The understanding is that your participation of stitching onto these patches will enrich your understanding of some aspects of the vast array of material culture housed at RMG, and that you will leave your own mark for the future.

There is a tremendous heritage of stitched text and in particular the phenomena of ‘signature cloths’. These mark a moment in time where the names of a specific group are made permanent through stitch. Dr. Horton will explain the importance of one such piece in the RGM collection.

Inspired by the research undertaken by Dr. Jo Horton, this piece takes images from the RMG collection and interprets them into a discursive narrative surrounding issues looking beyond the uniform to the incredible women who have served in the WRNS. It is a legacy piece that invokes some of the issues around material culture and aims to develop a broader interest in the collection in both academic and public arenas.The central panel is a depiction of one in particular, Joy Cullis and the diaries written by her husband reflecting on their meeting in 1941. Other images look at the evolution of the uniform, trade badges, insignia and its depiction of the WRNS in contemporary media.

Nigel Cheney’s practice is founded in storytelling through cloth and stitch. Responding to archival material he uses digital printing and embroidery techniques to assemble images that create open ended narratives. 

BOOK TICKETS TO WORKSHOP HERE

SEE JO HORTON'S WEBSITE HERE

Season’s Greetings

As some of you may be aware I work from our family home and Xmas is a big deal in the Cheney household. As space is at a premium (and the decorations are extensive) all my stock has had to go into storage til the New year. I have marked all items as being ‘out of stock’ and will review them in the new year.

I am open to commissions if you want that special present. Just email me for a chat.

‘Making Do’

10th November 2021. 8pm

Little Bowden, Women’s Institute.

In this presentation the local textile artist, Nigel Cheney returns to talk about embroidered textiles in lockdown.

With a multitude of new images this will show what he has been up to since his last visit when he spoke about his about his work ‘Decorated’, commemorating WW1. He will speak to how creativity can flourish in isolation and some of the challenges other makers have faced. 

It will embrace his work in the context of an array of textile artists dealing with ideas of sustainability and the slow stitch movement.

A love Letter to Market Harborough

September 2021, as part of the Harborough Artist’s Cluster, and on behalf of our stitch group ‘Aspects of Stitch’, I took over the window of ‘Pressing Appointments’, the dry cleaner’s on Coventry Road.

In the first window I showed some ion the more illustrative stitched textiles. The ‘who whoop’ foxes that must have escaped from the Pythcley Hounds Feb 16th 1920 as commenmorated a little further up Coventry Road.

My great grandfather , Corporal William Holman is recorded on the Hospital Portico War Memorial as one for the fatalities of WW1. This work is equidistant between that memorial and the one on the Town Square. As one of the many Barbarians born in the old Cottage Hospital (so was my dad and Uncle John) it seems fitting to bring us all back together on this spot.

Dad served his national service in the navy and the flag places him at the age of 18 against his grandfather, superimposed with the details of how much he was paid for his service til his death in April 1917. There is also a tribute to William Cheney, my grandfather who served in WW2.

Archive

During the periods of Isolation in 2020 I seem to have been constantly tidying. The following are images of work that is no longer available for sale.

I adore commissions and collaborations. If something speaks to you, please start a conversation.

Email: nigelcheney@gmail.com