New three day festival to put textile arts in the spotlight

Article Added: 13/03/2009 15:40:15
A grand auction held by TV antiques expert Adam Partridge, day schools by leading designers, historic collections, fabric sales, contemporary textile arts exhibitions and textile conservation workshops are just a few of the highlights of the first Three Shires Textile Festival, which takes place from 4-19 July 2009.

The festival is named after Three Shires Head, a well known beauty spot in the Peak District where Cheshire, Staffordshire and Derbyshire meet. Events will take place in and around the area to celebrate its textile heritage, its strong connections to the arts and crafts movement in Leek, silk weaving and design in Macclesfield and cotton mills of Bollington and Styal.

The two-week programme also includes tours, a textile craft fair, hands-on workshops to learn rag-rugging, knitting, demonstrations of sheep-shearing, spinning and weaving and much more. There are already more than 60 events confirmed and HotHive Textiles has selected our top ten must sees below:

1. Colour and Texture in Needlework
Macclesfield Heritage Centre, Roe Street, Macclesfield
4 July – 10-3.30
Cost: £34 including lunch, tea and coffee and admission to ‘An Embroiderers Eye’ exhibition

A day school for practitioners and students seeking a better understanding of Victorian and Contemporary embroidery in fashion and manufacture. The session is run by leading designers Kaffe Fassett, Diana Springall, Edwina Ehrmann and Alistair Macleod.

2. An Embroiderers Eye – the Diana Springall Collection
Macclesfield Silk Museum, Park Lane Gallery, Macclesfield
4 July – 11-5
Cost: £4.50

A display of the very best contemporary British embroidery by various makers from the personal collection of leading British embroiderer Diana Springall.

3. Stitchy the sea monster
Button & Skein, 17 Church Street, Macclesfield, Cheshire
4-17 July with a grand unveiling on 18 July at 2pm
Cost: Free

Drop in to the Button & Skein shop at any time during the festival to knit, embroider or sew an addition to the sea monster. Lots of sea creature-themed patterns and activities will also be available in the weeks leading up to the festival. The grand unveiling of Stitchy will be on Saturday 18 July at 2pm.

4. Contemporary textile exhibition at thewhitegallery
13 Wellington Road, Bollington, Cheshire
4-19 July 2009

Billington’s new art space, thewhitegallery, is hosting a contemporary textile exhibition as part of the festival. Thewhitegallery is surrounded by mills that once produced cotton and silk, making it the perfect venue for an exhibition of this kind.

“The aim is to show people who beautiful textiles can be, and also how versatile”, says gallery owner Fiona Bailey. “I love the way artists use their materials in such imaginative ways, stitching and tearing to produce different effects.”

Other featured artists at the exhibition include Elizabeth Brimelow, well known for her quilting techniques, feltmakers Suzy Shackleton and Claire de Ruiter, and artists Rachel Sumner, Jilly Duffy-Unwin and Karen Anthony.

5. Dressing The May Queen
Knutsford Heritage Centre, 99a King Street, Knutsford, Cheshire
4-19 July
Cost: Free

A special exhibition of May Queen costumes dating back to 1887, the year in which Knutsford’s May Day earned its Royal title.

6. Behind the scenes of Berisford’s ribbon factory
Berisfords Ribbon Factory, Thomas Street, Congleton, Cheshire
6, 8, 13 and 15 July – 2-4pm
Cost: Free

A behind the scenes tour of Berisford’s Ribbon Factory and the opportunity to buy ribbons from their shop, which is usually only open to the public at Christmas.

7. The Button & Skein KniTea party
Button & Skein, 17 Church Street, Macclesfield, Cheshire
10 and 11 July – 10-4
Cost: Free

Come and join the KniTea party where you will enjoy tea, cakes and lots of events for all the family. Help is on hand to introduce new knitters to the basic skills and inspire experienced knitters to try something new.

8. Textile Study Day
Capesthorne Hall, Siddington, Macclesfield, Cheshire
13 July – 10-5
Cost including lectures, private tours, notes, tea, coffee and biscuits, and lunch at Capesthorne Hall: £75.

A Textile Study Day, by special permission of Mr and Mrs William Bromley-Davenport. This distinctively turreted red-brick hall, an 18th century Jacobean style building, is the private home of the Bromley Davenport family who have lived on this land since Domesday times. This long line of descent gives visitors an opportunity to view an unusual and very family orientated textile collection, alongside the furniture, portraits and other treasures so special to this historically important Hall.

The family has provided many distinguished Members of Parliament, including a Speaker of the House of Commons whose robes are at the forefront of their family textile collection. This unique event will give you the chance for close up examination of Capesthorne’s textiles, including the ’American’ bedroom, wall hangings and extensive canvas work, including the complete bed hangings which date from 1600. A private guided tour by a member of the family will enable you to delve further into the heritage of the hall and to unravel some of the history behind the textiles.

Two textile experts - Jacqui Hyman who specialises in the conservation of antique textiles and Phillipa Turnbull whose specialties are British Crewel Work and Needlepoint - will provide the lectures and add their textile knowledge to the tour.

9. Festival Flog It!
The Gate Hall, North Rode, Nr Macclesfield, Cheshire
19 July, with a viewing on 18 July from 10-8
Cost: Free

Auctioneer and well known TV antiques expert Adam Partridge is teaming up with The Three Shires Textile Festival to hold a grand auction of Textiles, Costume and related accessories. A wide range of items will be on offer including antique costume and vintage clothes, silks, samplers and needlework, rugs and hangings, lace and linen, parasols, fans, sewing accessories, vintage luggage and costume jewellery.

If you would like to submit a piece to the auction free valuation days are held every Monday from 9.30-12.30 and 5.30-7.30pm at The Gate Hall, on the A536 between Macclesfield and Congleton. The deadline for entries into the auction is 22 June.

10. Tactile Textiles children’s workshops
Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire
19 July – 10.30-12.30 or 2-4
Cost: £12.50 for a two hour session

Discover the wonderful world of wool and weaving at Tatton’s historic old hall. Watch demonstrations by costumed guides and take part in ‘hands-on’ activities as you learn about weaving, wool baskets, French knitting, braiding and much more. These sessions are aimed at children aged 7 and over.

For more information about the festival or to book places at any of the events please visit www.textilefestival.com