I wasn't looking for anything in particular, I just went to browse and look for some new ideas. The stands are very varied, as the name of the show suggests. There are some exhibitors and suppliers I have seen at other shows, others are new.
I have met Sue Hawkins, embroiderer and designer new to me. She is a lovely lady, who specialises in crewel embroidery. Her stand was very nice, full of finished projects she sells in kit form. I wanted to share this with you, unfortunately she would not let me take a picture of her stand.
I did resist buying any of her kits, knowing how much unfinished work is lurking in my room!
Luckily she has a very good catalogue and in the end I just could not resist her beautiful book.
But the most interesting of the whole show for me was en exhibition
It is a project to help Afghan women, very often widowed by the conflict in their country, to financially help themselves and their families. You can read all about the project on the above website.
It was explained to me that the women are contracted to make a small embroidered square every 3 months, which they get immediately paid for. The squares are then sold in Europe to textile groups, at shows and exhibitions.
The exhibition at today's show was work of UK textile artists, who incorporated the squares into their work,
and so making the connection with Afghan women.
Theme for UK being "tea pots".
These are just some of them. You can see the little square in every picture and if you click on them, you will be able to see the details.
The exhibition will travel to other shows, list of which is on their website.
From the squares on sale today I chose this one. It is one woman's dream of future, a house with television,
something we so much take for granted.
