Hello and welcome to the February edition of HotHive Textiles Newsletter. We hope you are all enjoying the snow out there at the moment and have been building plenty of snowmen! In the last month we have also been having a lot of fun indoors here at HotHive Textiles, with the launch of our Spellbinding Textiles Exhibition. We had a great day with all the artists at the exhibition launch and are looking forward to seeing you all at the exhibition over the next month – you can read all about it below!

There are lots of opportunities out there at the moment for artists and designers wanting to submit their work into competitions, fairs and exhibitions. For those of you interested in entering the 2009 Stitched Textiles Competition to win a masterclass with Alice Kettle and £2000, please click here for further information. It is also that time of year again for those of you interested in exhibiting at the Origin:The London Craft Fair event to get your submissions in. To find out what you need to do please click here. There are also lots more opportunities mentioned below – so keep reading to find out more!

Best wishes Sara

Spellbinding Textiles Exhibition
	HotHive Textiles is delighted to announce that Janice Myers, of Cornwall, is the overall winner of our Spellbinding Textile Competition. Janice’s piece, “Hat Trick”, features a giant top hat and a flight of doves – though the piece has a special spellbinding twist. Why are the doves masked? Why is one so different? And how did they all come out of that hat? It must be magic! Coming a very close second place was Vikki Lafford with her beautiful “Enchanted Woodland” dress. Vikki’s piece features many hand-painted, embroidered and beaded silk butterflies and flowers, as well as some embroidered spiders and the occasional centipede hidden among the folds of the skirt. In third place was a fabulous little card box, designed and made by Rachel Doyle. The embroidered design is based on the jack card that has been transformed into a magician. The figure has a top hat, wand and rabbit and is decorated with the suit motifs – hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs. The piece includes appliqué, goldwork and fine embroidery. Take me to the Full Article

Get the most out of HotHive Textiles
	HotHive Textiles aims to promote arts and crafts across the country – so whether you are an artist, supplier, exhibition organiser, gallery owner, student or professional we want to help you progress by getting the most out of the site. And with this in mind we have put together our top ten tips for using HotHive Textiles to its full potential. And the best part? Everything listed below is absolutely free to do. Top Tip Number 1 Keep us informed – remember to tell us about the things you are doing: new product launches, big commissions you have been involved in, competitions you have won and anything exciting you are working on, as we will be happy to feature them, both on the website and in our newsletters. Top Tip Number 2 Take a listing – A basic listing on the website with space for one image, 30 words and all your contact details is completely free – and free advertising is certainly something we can all do with in the current credit crunch. We want to keep our site as comprehensive as possible, so if you aren’t yet listed and would like to find new customers then make sure you sign up! You can do this here. Take me to the Full Article

Join our textile community

Take a listing in HotHive Textiles to get in touch with the textile community and be sure your work will be seen by the people who matter!

A basic listing in the directory is absolutely free and there are some fantastic low-cost packages available for those of you who would like to promote your business even more.

To list yourself today please click here or for more information give us a call on 01386 760406

Design agency appeals for new artists to join their portfolio
	HotHive Textiles has just discovered a fantastic design agency based in Nottingham, who specialise in selling greetings and giftware designs. Gibson & Holt www.gibsonholt.co.uk have sold designs to several high street stores and are now appealing for new designers to join their portfolio. Designs are usually used for products such as greetings cards, Christmas cards, wrapping paper, notebooks, mugs and tableware but the company are hoping to expand their portfolio and would welcome submissions for cushions, boxes, cuddly toys, handmade items and cute gifts. Designs can be in any format including photoshop, watercolour, pastel, textile or hand-drawn – the most important thing is that they are a classic style or fit in with current trends. Gibson & Holt promote designers’ work on their website, in email updates to their buyers, at trade fairs and in their own promotional material. Once a design is accepted by Gibson & Holt it cannot be used for any other purpose while it is in their portfolio. Take me to the Full Article

Opportunity to appear in online version of Dragons Den
	HotHive Textiles has just had an email from the press department at the BBC telling us about an exciting new opportunity from the makers of the award-winning BBC series Dragons’ Den. Harnessing the accessibility and reach of the internet, the ‘Online Dragon’ offers entrepreneurs from across the country the chance to make their business dreams come true. Dragon is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas to two new ‘Dragons’ chosen for their business expertise, and also provides a platform for wider debate and discussion around these ideas before they appear in the online ‘Den.’ The investment will be limited to less than £50,000. The BBC are interested in great ideas, which may range from innovative blue-sky thinking to investment-ready products. So if you have an idea for a great new textile product but need some help to get it off the ground then this may be the ideal opportunity for you. Please be aware that all applications must include a video pitch. Take me to the Full Article

Vintage Textiles Rescued by Fabric Treasure Trove
	HotHive Textiles has just discovered a fabulous internet treasure trove selling a range of recycled vintage textiles, embellishments and haberdashery items for designers and crafters. The company, Rag Rescue, www.ragrescue.co.uk “salvages scraps of fabrics and embellishments from the past and brings them into the future, clean and fresh ready to start a new life in the 21st Century”, with the aim of reducing the estimated one million tonnes of textiles that go into UK landfills each year. Sandie Kerensky, owner and founder of Rag Rescue, tells me that she has always had a love of textiles and past fashions, which was her inspiration behind Rag Rescue and its sister website Oddities Antiques www.odditiesantiques.com, which is devoted to selling antiques that have been placed in drawers and attics many years ago but now take centre stage once again. The online shop contains an ever-changing array of antiques, collectables and handmade items. Take me to the Full Article

The Bayeux tapestry
	By Jenny Lewis Jenny Lewis, a friend of HotHive Textiles’s, recently emailed us with an article she had written about The Bayeux Tapestry, which looked at the techniques and materials used to create it. Jenny was inspired to write the article after reading Thames & Hudson’s book about the tapestry and we felt that you may be interested to read it too. So here it is: “Nothing remotely like this wonderful length of Anglo Saxon embroidery, known as the Bayeux Tapestry, exists anywhere else in the world. It is a 230 foot long masterpiece of design, workmanship and intrigue. Embroidered on 20 inch wide unbleached linen in beautifully coloured woollen yarns, it pictures the events before, during and after the Battle of Hastings in 1066 – an important era in the history of English politics and a victory for the French against the English. William of Normandy launched his striped ships carrying a huge army of men and horses and sailed for England. He landed near Hastings and was met by King Harold’s army. The battle was bloodthirsty and disastrous. Harold was killed and shortly afterwards William of Normandy was crowned king of England. Somebody considered these events to be too important to record them only as an historical document but also perceived them in pictorial form. It is widely believed that the tapestry was commissioned by William’s half-brother Bishop Odo. However, the man he chose to design it remains a mystery. Whoever he was, he must have drawn it shortly after William was enthroned in December 1066, as the images are so fresh – so vivid. It doesn’t seem possible that the artwork was conjured up by some cell-bound monk’s fantastical imagination as some believe. Rather, it resembles the work of someone who took part, or at least was an observer of the battle and the events surrounding it. No one else could have visualised the sense of panic, speed, or violence depicted. The realistic battle scenes are extremely life-like, and the tumultuous activity and personalities which cover its entire length, are like a race, culminating in a triumphant victory for the French. Take me to the Full Article

Artist's new website to champion feltmaking in the UK
	Sara’s Texture Crafts www.sarastexturecrafts.com was established back in 2007 by feltmaker Sara Millis, with the aim of selling craft kits and supplies alongside her freelance work as a textile designer. However, the company grew more and more as time went on and it is now a central reference point for all those interested in felt making, spinning and fibre art, offering the chance to not only purchase project supplies but also find new techniques and meet some like-minded friends. The website now stocks a fabulous range of supplies including spinning wheel parts and maintenance kits, felting needles, boards, pads, olive soap, spindles and an extensive range of fibres. In April 2008 Sara added another element to the website – a learning and resource centre for felt makers called Working with Felt http://workingwithfelt.ning.com/. The aim of this site is to encourage others to take up the craft and share new techniques, tips and resources, as well as show off their own creations and find workshops and classes in their area. Sara told me, “I don’t want the business to be just about the faceless supply of wools, fibres and equipment, I want to share and give back to the craft community … this is something that is very important to me.” Take me to the Full Article

Flower Fairies now available in ribbon and stumpwork embroideries
	Search Press have recently published a gorgeous new book called Flower Fairies in Ribbon and Stumpwork, based on the books by Cicely Mary Barker. These books have captivated children and adults alike for more than 85 years and now, for the first time, five of the beautiful fairies are translated into exquisite ribbon and stumpwork embroideries. Easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions will show you how to: Embroider the pretty flowers and leaves in silk and organza ribbon Use organza and silky threads to make the fairies delicate stumpwork wings Make appliqué leaves and petals using organza and silk ribbon Create charming stumpwork insects Dress the fairies in layers of organza and embroider their hair Take me to the Full Article

Giveaway
	This month we have six copies of Di van Niekerk's new book Flower Fairies in Ribbon Embroidery and Stumpwork, based on the books by Cicely Mary Barker. This beautiful book features step-by-step instructions to create five gorgeous embroidered flower fairies and is the perfect book to get you through the winter days. For your chance to win one of these fabulous books simply email your name and address to textiles@thehothive.com with ‘flower fairy' in the subject line. You can try a taster project taken from this book in the article above, or read our review below. Good luck! Please note that HotHive Textiles and Search Press will not pass on your details to any third party at any time. We will only use your email address to administer the competition, however in the future we may use your email address to send you details of offers, giveaways and promotions that may be of interest to you. If you would prefer not to receive such information from either HotHive Textiles or Search Press please indicate this on your email.

Flower Fairies in Ribbon Embroidery and Stumpwork
	Flower Fairies in Ribbon Embroidery and Stumpwork By Di van Niekerk Published by Search Press ISBN: 9781844484300 Price: £14.99 Reviewed by Sue Reid This is a book for lovers of Cicely Mary Barker’s Flower Fairies. Pictures in the book are to guide you whilst you stitch and the techniques described are for the beginner or the advanced embroiderer. The ideas in this book can be used for other projects and designs and single elements can also be used as embellishments. Detailed photographs show you every step to be followed with a comprehensive list of hints and tips, but an index might have been even more helpful. My mother would have loved to have this book, it’s for lovers of the sentimental pictures of fairies at the bottom of the garden. Oh and you’ll need good glasses when executing the exquisite stumpwork on the bees and butterflies. Click here to purchase

Diary Dates
1 February-1 March 2009	Spellbinding Textiles Exhibition - Forge Mill Needle Museum, Needle Mill Lane, Redditch B98 8HY
2-27 February 2009	Quiltfest VIII - 2009 - The Gallery, The Royal International Pavilion, LLANGOLLEN, North Wales, LL20 8SW
11 February 2009	Passion for Fashion - Worcester College of Technology (School of Art and Design), Barbourne Terrace, Worcester WR1 1RT
17 February 2009	Family Half term Fun - Halifax Visitor Centre and Art Gallery, Piece Hall, Halifax, HX1 1RE
18 February 2009	Family Half Term Fun at Bankfield Museum - Bankfield Museum, Boothtown Road, Halifax, HX3 6HG
19 February 2009	Family Half Term Fun at Smith Art Gallery - Smith Art Gallery, Halifax Road, Brighouse, HD6 2AF
20-22 February 2009	The Spring Quilt Festival at Edinburgh - MacRobert Pavilion, Royal Highland Showground, Ingliston, Edinburgh, EH28 8NB
21 February-11 April 2009	Material Evidence - Brindley arts centre, Runcorn, Cheshire
26 February 2009	The Designers Behind the Style - Evening Lecture - The Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture, Middlesex University, Cat Hill, Barnet, Herts EN4 8HT
27 February - 28 March 2009	Jacy Wall and Brian Rice Paintings 2006-2009 - Gallery One, Back Swan Arts, 2 Bridge Street, Frome, Somerset, BA11 1BB
28 February 2009	Embroiders Guild Open Meeting - Solihull, Birmingham
6-8 March 2009	The Spring Quilt Festival at Exeter - Westpoint Exhibition Centre, Exeter, EX5 1DJ

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