An explosion of vibrant, dazzling colour, sumptuous surfaces and virtuoso stitching greeted visitors to the recent exhibition by members of the Embroiderers' Guild NSW at Craft NSW in Sydney. Enthusiastic and passionate about their craft, they belie the fact that hand embroidery can be a laborious and painstaking process. Embroidery is an ancient craft, dating back to

early societies, in which designs and images are created by stitching strands of some material, usually thread or wool, on to a layer of another material, usually a woven fabric. Today, many non-traditional materials are used, from wire and leather for stitching on to such modern materials as plastic sheeting.

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2	1 Effie Mitrofanis 'Nature Strip' surface stitches, linen fabric, cotton threads & knitting yarns 2 Karma Victoria Bains hand embroidery on Rami using cotton, silk & rayon /viscose, embroidery threads

Craft Matters features informative snips, clips, tips and images about craft. If you or your organisation have a craft event of any kind in NSW, an image or a craft story, submit it for free inclusion in future issues of Craft Matters. And of course, your suggestions and feedback are always welcome. Please email your interest.

The Society of Arts and Crafts of NSW is a not-for-profit organisation formed in 1906, to encourage and promote arts and crafts, encourage the use of Australian culture, materials and motif in work and design and provide opportunities for the exhibition and sale of work of members and others. visit our website.

Some form of embroidery can be found in many diverse cultures including Egyptian, Persian, Chinese, Indian, English, Mexican and African.

Traditionally used to decorate clothing and household furnishing, embroidery is also used as an art form, through tapestries, wall hangings and various other textile arts.

The Embroiderers' Guild NSW Inc, a not-for-profit organisation formed in 1957, aims to encourage the

craft of embroidery in all its forms from traditional to contemporary and creative.

The guild runs classes, discussion groups, correspondence courses and lectures. There are also workshops and classes for young embroiderers.

For more information on any of the activities, workshops, membership or for any embroidery related topic, access the guild's website.

The Guild is running a summer Stitch-Fest of lectures & workshops. View program: Summer School 2011

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' Graduating as a plant biologist allowed me to influence my artistic creativity with my experience with nature, creating landscapes that reflect my love for the environment.'

Martha Catano

Martha learned the basics of embroidery from her mother and developed her own techniques as she gained proficiency, creating freehand machine embroidery landscapes which for her was a natural progression, given her love for the environment.

After more than thirty years creating embroidery textile

collage with a treadle machine, she says that her enthusiasm for the art form is as strong as the day she began.

'Doing freehand embroidery feels like painting. After stitching the structure of a picture, I build up the density and detail of the embroidery and fill in the work with generally vibrant colours using a naive interpretation of the subject. I love vibrant colour and use it freely, employing only straight stitch and a fabric hoop.'

'Outback Store'

'My early works were quite primitive with inaccurate proportions and perspective. While these were appealing, I now attempt a little more realism with perspective and shadow. Some of my later work is moving into more subtle greys.'

Martha uses a 70 year old treadle sewing machine - foot-operated and quiet (you may be surprised to know that you can still buy treadle sewing machines brand new). Martha says that being able to work at a slower pace, with more control and without machine noise has increased her concentration as well as her enjoyment of the process. That and using recycled fabrics hasn't hurt her 'green' credentials either.

'Sea Turtle'

' My aim is to create Australian images and capture the spirit and rhythm of natural design'

Carolyn Cabena

A life member of the Australian Textile Arts and Surface Design Association (ATASDA), Carolyn Cabena is a tireless textile artist and teacher who uses many different techniques of applying dye to fabric, creating garments and accessories with her unique fabrics.

Over the last fifteen years, she has worked in batik, screen printing, shibori dyeing, resist discharges, devore and pleating. Her wearables include

overdyeing, using stitch and block resists, shibori on silk georgette and devore on velvet.

In the context of this current issue, we feature Carolyn's small wall pieces - plant dyed fabrics collaged on a digital print linen background and handstitched over a wool filling. Her subtle, subdued palette, strong, simple shapes and austere stitching is influenced by the landscape and the detail she sees around Sydney and her travels in outback Australia.

South West Rocks plant dyed fabrics, digital print, linen, wool filling.

'Kangaroo Paw'

Lois Parish-Evans' earliest training was with her mother, who taught sewing to local women in Papua New Guinea and from an early age, art and textiles played an important part in her life. At art school, she majored in Fibre and set out to be a textile artist - and she is.

She also has a Masters Degree in Art Therapy. She spent three years working with terminally ill patients and loves to work with children in hospitals and schools, particularly young people who are withdrawn from school because of emotional and behavioural issues.

Lois' art is inspired by design in nature - its colours, textures, pattern and movement. Central to her stylised image-making is the sewing machine and her ability to draw or 'paint with thread and fabric.

Thread painting is a freestyle machine embroidery technique that uses thread and the sewing machine as someone might use paint and a paintbrush. The embroiderer manipulates the sewing machine and fabric by hand and uses thread colour, thread weight, and direction of stitching to create texture, movement, shape, pattern, etc to give voice to an image.

'Lisianthus'

'Poppy Seed'

'Dancing Kangaroo Paws'

An exhibition of excellence by members of the Society of Arts and Crafts of NSW, an associated event of City of Sydney's Art and About 2010.

when 28 September to 24 October, 2010

where Craft NSW 104 George Street The Rocks Sydney 2000

p 9241 5825 w www.artsandcraftsnsw.com.au/exhibitions.htm

Ceramics by members of the Society of Arts and Crafts of NSW, Pat Hayward, Liz Hardy, Heidi Francis, Gillian Dodds and Greg Sugden, together with guest exhibitor, Marion Walliss.

when 26 October to 7 November, 2010

where Craft NSW 104 George Street The Rocks Sydney 2000

p 9241 5825 w www.artsandcraftsnsw.com.au/exhibitions.htm

Silver objects, sculpture and jewellery by respected silversmith Valerie Aked - an exhbition of new work exploring her love of silver and the sea.

when 20 October to 31 October, 2010

where Ewart Gallery, 33 Laurel St Willoughby NSW

p 9958 6540

A travelling exhibition from Ozquilt Network Incorporated, a national organisation for art quilters and those interested in art quilts.

when 22 October to 5 December, 2010

where Fairfield City Museum and Gallery NSW

w ozquilt network

Christmas gifts and Christmas tree decorations, handheld precious pieces - good things do come in small packages.

when 9 November to 2 January, 2011

where Craft NSW 104 George Street The Rocks Sydney 2000

p 9241 5825 w www.artsandcraftsnsw.com.au/exhibitions.htm

The Airing of The Quilts and FyreGallery $1000 Acquisition Prize held in conjunction with the Braidwood Quilt Event

when 27 November to 28 November, 2010

where Braidwood NSW

w braidwood quilt event

by Filament, an Embroiderers' Guild of NSW group, the culmination of a year's research into the historic textiles of a number of cultures.

when 6 November to 9 December, 2010

where St Vincents Hospital Art Corridor, Darlinghurst NSW

w filament blog spot

The Embroiderers Guild of NSW Inc is running a comprehensive Summer School in January 2011 - more than fifteen workshops throughout the month.

The Quilters' Guild of NSW Inc. Some techniques covered in the workshop include salting, heliography, colour tonings and Genesis Creations tie-dyeing.

Inspired by the intense colour of Middle Eastern Ceramics, this creative textile taster will lead you into a fun and lateral way of designing. Tutor Kirry Toose

The Knitter Guild NSW is holding a lace workshop on basic lace techniques. Tutor Smila Smithers.

Explore ways of preparing plates for printing using cardboard, perpex and acetate. These plates can be used for background texture, overprinting or combined with etching plates and monoprints. Tutor Liz Jeneid

In January, 2011, Sydney is host to international and Australian artists at the 15th Biennial Ausglass conference - Peripheral Vision.

The Canberra Glassworks are offering up to three residencies in 2011 for established artists. This residency is for artists who have achieved significant recognition for their technical and artistic work. The residency provides artists with a place and time for research and development, creating a new body of work, developing a particular idea or continuing along a theme.

The Vitrify Alcorso Award is a newly established $10,000 annual prize for ceramics. The award is open to artists nationally.