May Meeting 2025

Our May meeting started off with the usual notices and Anne announcing two new initiatives for members. We now have a notice board which members can use to inform others about projects, events and items for sale and there will also be a table out at each meeting where members can display their latest finished works, items made in workshops and even works in progress for admiration and discussion.

​

For the main event our own Wendy Skinner gave an excellent and very entertaining talk about how she became enthralled by Machine Embroidery. This happened after a chance remark made on the day of her retirement from teaching art to adults led her to visit an Exhibition of quilts at her local library.

​

Wendy was very ably assisted during her talk by her husband Brian, who gave additional commentary, and by Caroline who passed samples around and held up quilts.

The examples started with the quilts she made whilst still in Grantham, inspired by the fens and Lincolnshire coast, quilts she made as part of challenges when she belonged to quilting groups in that area, and work she has produced over the last 10-15 years since moving to Northumberland. The amount of work and scope of techniques used was amazing and very inspiring. Wendy uses soldering irons, painting techniques, printing, drawn thread work, hand dying, appliqué and patchwork. Her works draw inspiration from poetry, landscape, her love of neolithic art, the sea and even manhole covers. No wonder she has 5 sewing machines and claims to be working toward owning her own pointed hat.