Sunday, May 30, 2010

YTFG in Craft Fair Friends Magazine



The Craft Fair people have just sent out their small Magazine which tells people about the great attractions at the upcoming Darling Harbour Craft and Quilt Fair in Sydney. Guess who's photo is featured on page 36? And also on the Fair website? The gorgeous smiling face of Terry as he proudly shows the funky bird puppet he made at the 2007 exhibition at Homebush is typical of the kind of enthusiasm the kids show. The other photos show the emus on one panel of the Australian Farm Challenge (Wagga Wagga student's work) and part of the Fishy Challenge which now lives in Tallowood school for disabled children. The response for 3D underwater creatures for the Fishy Challenge was so overwhelming that we were able to make up 4 large artists panels to present to 2 different special schools.
We plan to show lots of great work by the kids at the Darling Harbour Craft and Quilt fair from June 16th - 20th and we hope to speak to lots and lots of visitors to the show. We'll be at the rear of the halls, around stand J or K we think.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Prize winning work displayed at "Horizons"



At the 2010 Sydney Royal Easter Show one of the North District Club members Grace, aged 14, was the winning entrant in the 12 - 18 year category for hand embroidery. She won the Blue ribbon for first prize with her very delicate cross stitched still life picture, and was selected for display in the "Standard of Excellence" case. We are all very proud of her acheivement and were very pleased to display her prize winning work and ribbons at the "Horizons" exhibition in early May. The YTFG Committee sponsors 2 prizes in the Sydney Royal Easter Show for young embroiderers, so next year we hope even more students from the YTFG Clubs will consider entering their stitching for everyone to admire and appreciate the great work young people are doing.

Distance work on display at Horizons exhibition



The Distance Course "Fun with Stitches" was well represented at the recent "Horizons" Exhibition at Crows Nest. Nola Williams and Wendy Fuller made sure that the tutors' samples, the very clever banner and some examples of students' work were displayed on one wall of the YTFG room upstairs. The banner, in case you haven't seen it yet, is appliqued with the names of all of the places that the "Fun with Stitches" lessons have travelled to. Judith Langdon embroidered the names on strips of fabric then stitched them to the banner under a map of Australia, then had to include Singapore ! The banner is now so full that the ladies are considering making an additional banner to show even more places for the most recent students taking this excellent course including South Africa and the United States of America.

Fabulous stitching on exhibition at "Horizons" May 2010



This is only part of the wonderful young people's work on display recently at the Crows Nest Centre in Sydney for the Embroiderers' Guild's Exhibition "Horizons". Work streamed in from the Clubs and the YTFG Committee was completely overwhelmed with both the amount received, over 180 items, and the quality of the work being done at our Clubs. Below are some photos of some of the work on display, it was not possible to photograph every piece individually. We're making enquiries about using the photos of the elephant wall hangings from the Lismore District Club for a special project. The children were moved by the story of the little elephant born at the zoo which survived despite everyone thinking he had died inside his mother. Zoo staff nicknamed him "Mr Shuffles" because of his wobbly walk, but he is now doing very well and has captured everyone's heart. I'm sure you'll love the children's version of him when you see the photos, a couple of them are shown below.



A bird puppet from Wagga Wagga Club



The rear wall of the exhibition and the table holding larger pieces



One version of Mr Shuffles from Lismore District


Another sweet Mr Shuffles from Lismore District


One of the Milton Club students, Ryan, made a very colourful cushion


Necastle Club members have been sewing colourful aprons

More photos in the next post!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Wagga Wagga Club work on display at local gallery

In March 2010 the Annual Leaders' Meeting of the YTFG was moved to Wagga Wagga along with the adult groups' Convenors' Meeting. Our meeting was attended by about 16 people alltogether including observers from the Wagga Wagga adult group who have been supporting Fay Grant with the running of the Club there. The Club was invited to be part of the exhibition at the Regional Art Gallery by the Embroiderers' Guild Group and here are some photos of that wonderful display of young people's work. I'm sure you'll agree it was a wonderful opportunity for the kids' work to be seen and appreciated and we hope that Fay is swamped with young people wanting to join the Club and learn how to make such beautiful and creative projects.


Work displayed on the back wall of the Gallery



3D work displayed on plinth in front of wall

Winter 2009 workshop, Funky Bird Puppet



Here is a great photo taken at the end of another very successful YTFG school holiday workshop in July 2009. Fay Grant re-ran her bird puppet workshop which was so successful at our 2007 exhibition. Some students from that workshop also attended this one and made another puppet because they'd given that one away or loved it so much that they wanted to make another version ! Here are a few more photos, with captions for you to enjoy.



Ethan (age 6) concentrates on his stitching



Our helper Fred with some of the kids



Several North District members attended the workshop and brought Leaders as helpers too