The Knitting and Stitching Show Trip

Last month, the Textiles students, Mrs Johnson, Mrs Hathaway and Mrs Sawenko visited Alexandra Palace to attend the Knitting and Stitching Show. We travelled by coach and arrived just after 10am. The show was vast, including halls dedicated to inspiring displays by Contemporary Textile Artists and new college graduates work as well as specialist stalls selling materials, resources and demonstrating their wares. As well as all this there were workshops demonstrating new techniques in a special area called ‘The Learning Curve’ and also the ‘Creative Living Theatre’ where lectures by Textile Artists were giving advice and a new ‘Craft Village’ where crafts from knitting to felting were being demonstrated.

The Year 10s had ‘Fantasy Flower’ or ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’ felting workshops and the Year 11’s had either ‘Textural Landscapes’, ‘Negative Space Seed Stitch’ or Inchie Mosaic’ workshops. The Year 12’s had a ‘Leather Look Journal Cover’ workshop. All workshops were run by Textile Artists and were actioned packed culminating in a sample to take home at the end of the day. “I was really inspired by the different ways the artists designed their own
Textiles art work and I really enjoyed the workshop making my own ‘Wet Felt Fantasy Flower’.”

Amina Syed, Year 10

This was a very valuable experience for the Textiles students; in particular, the show helped them togather research for their projects but also the girls got a lot out of attending a practical workshop where they learnt new skills taught to them first hand by an established Textile Artist.

Overall, the day was great fun, rewarding and enjoyable. It was incredibly uplifting to see all the girls find inspiration in all the different textiles on display from artists, graduates and companies alike and see them immersed in learning new skills and making new creations.

Mrs F Johnson: Head of Textiles