Knit and Stitch Show 2013

Last Friday I ventured to the Knit and Stitch Show at Alexander Palace, it involved a journey comprising of many buses, tubes and trains, and I must admit it all went smoothly in comparison with last year’s problems due to signalling breakdown. I hadn't planned to go this year, but like some groupie I could not resist going just to be in the presence of my current stitch idol Dorothy Caldwell.

 I joined her two hour Kantha workshop in the afternoon, and learned a good deal and had some nice chats with fellow textile enthusiasts.She has been involved with Indian young people producing contemporary Kantha work over the years, and this type of recycled textile work relates well to her aesthetic of repair/reconstruction, darning and mending. 

 There was a display of Dorothy Caldwell’s work made in response to the Australian outback and the Canadian Arctic  which was fascinating. 

The other highlights were the showcase of work by recent graduates; that of Jean LittleJohn and Jan Beaney and the work of James Huntley.

Really just too much to see and so little time (and not enough energy).

My journey paled into insignificance compared to that of Dale Rollerson and her husband who had come over from Australia to run their stand ‘The Thread Studio’ and for a holiday in Cornwall. It was good to say hello briefly to Dale, of Down-under Dale, who was extremely busy and doing good business. She has kindly asked me to write an article for the next issue of ‘ThreadInfusion’ which will be the third edition of her emag, which will be all about stitch, both hand and machine and is entitled ‘Stitchy Stitchy’.