Yorkshire Wedding Collective

I have been invited to be the milliner in the Yorkshire Wedding Collective, who are based in Harrogate. Exciting to be making hats, daunting as I am not wedding material so a whole new experience to take my design ideas into bridal wear. So if you know anyone who is about to take the plunge there is a Wedding Soiree on the 9th December at Bower Road, Harrogate at the Yorkshire Wedding Collective showroom. More information on www.yorkshireweddingcollective.co.uk

 http://yorkshireweddingcollective.blogspot.com/2010/11/further-fabulous-suppliers-for-you-to.html

Knitting & Stitching Show

Harrogate to Halifax = 5 hours. I hope everyone got home safely from Harrogate on Sunday evening it wasn't a pleasant experience.

snow

I had forgotten the way cats and millinery materials don't always go together especially when you have a deadline!

Knitting & Stitching Show

Missed last year's knit & stitch as was ill, so was unsure what to expect and how it was all going to fit in with everything else. The stand was really large and though downstairs, was with the other colleges so a real buzz from the number of people going through and lots of inquiries so fingers crossed.

Considering my MA topic and looking at curating, I have definitely got a lot of work to do to achieve a strong curation style for college shows. Though i did get floored when I saw the size of the stand and the little amount of stuff I had it looked ok. The first years work was really strong and when I was on the stand the feedback was very good. Not so keen on the snow though!

Weymouth again!

Round trip to Weymouth on friday to collect my son, a walk on Chesil Beach was sufficient respite to get me back in the car to drive home. The smell of the sea and sea weed and the amazing noise of the pebbles was good for the soul. The detritus threw up all sorts of thoughts on potential ways to view accessories in different lights.

Graduation

Congratulations to my HNC Millinery students who graduated today, I was like a proud mum (again) for many reasons' knowing how far they had all come, it was the first time we had been allowed to graduate with the other college students and looking at all 332 LCA student being launched into the world. It was also a first for me wearing a gown as I hadn't attended my own graduation, which led to a whole range of other reflective thoughts.

How selfish was I, as the first in the family to go into higher education but not let my parents share that. Looking at all the colours of sashes from each university they definitely should put in the prospectus the colours of the institution it could make a huge difference in ones choice! Pale pink with white fur or pistachio and gold, the options are endless. I did get excited by thoughts of actually attending a graduation if I manage to successfully complete the MA. So really need to get my head together and do some more work...........

Tutorial

I have been in a quandary with the MA knowing where to take my work next and whether it will have millinery in it or not So it was with trepidation that I approached my tutorial this week as I felt that I had lots of storms whirling in my head with no clarity as to how to take the ideas forward. After emptying my brain (poor Melanie and Polly) there started to look as if there maybe a plan and what was detritus and sheer whimsy on my part that will need returning to later was removed and the right path identified. So for the moment I am going to look at accessories as objects and how they are perceived and how to change that perception potentially through different forms of curation, So need to look at exhibitions I think that work (Kensington Palace, Martin Margiela) and those that don't in my opinion. Take this and look at merchandising that works and that is often more directional than curating in galleries etc. Look to develop a collaborative exhibition or a way to exhibit my own work in a more directional manner.

So if you can pass on any exhibition/window display reviews they will be most welcome.

Pairings Symposium

Before half term and the chaos that was context presentations, I attended a symposium on an exhibition called Pairings at MMU. The concept behind the exhibition was bringing together practitioners of different disciplines from different institutions and those in their own practice and seeing what the results would bring. Several of the pairings presented their 'journeys' and they were really fascinating, you could feel the vibrancy and enthusiasm and the excitement that had been generated by the collaborations. My favourite work was that of Sharon Blakey & Ismini Samanidou and Clinton Cahill & Cate Watkinson there was a real dynamism to the pairings and this came through in the work. Well worth a visit if at MMU, in the library at All Saints in the Special Collections.

There was also a talk by Glenn Adamson curator of the V&A who edited The Craft Reader, his title was Affective Objects-Design & Reinvention of Craft, interesting notion that before the industrial revolution there was no 'craft' and that as the arena of craft and art continues to be questioned and reassessed it could be viable to look back at history pre 1750 when craftspeople had others to do their work.  He talked of Claire Toomey and how her work is emotionally charged with both Monument where she re assembled  ceramic shards on a grand scale, but then when the exhibition was dismantled the pieces went to Pilkingtons and were recreated into tiles, so the tiles could be anywhere. As in Trophy where she created jasperware birds in the V&A Medieval Gallery and invited the viewer to take them away an allegory of the loss of industry and creating a different way to interact with the audience. Also talked of the efficacy of objects. I found this a fascinating talk and look forward to the new book, it also made me feel a little ignorant!!!!!

Thank you

Bankfield Exhibition

S Daniels, P Chapman, J Mulqueen, S Flack,

S Casey, L Scott, F Dixon, L King, M Flanagan

Opening of the Not any Old Hat exhibition at Bankfield Museum, Halifax. Thank you to all those who have contributed to make it possible and to Bankfield for letting the hats take over again! So thanks to Sue Carter, Jayne Mulqueen, Marie Flanagan, Fiona Dixon, Ruth Doyle, Linda Ling, Linda Kitson, Jane Campbell. Judith Flack, Sue Daniels, Judy Tompkins , Pauline Chapman, Sheila Dryborough, Beth Hirst, Clare Spooner, Sue Casey, Marie Kay, Marie Hennesey Halewood, Julie Barham, Anna Gawronski, Laura Kate Scott, Christine Roberts Holland, Elizabeth Cousley and Helene Frank for their commitment to millinery and me!

J Tompkins, S Carter & C Roberts Holland with Bankfield collection hats

S Carter, R Doyle, P Chapman

J Mulqueen, S Carter, Me, R Doyle, F Dixon

 

Bankfield Exhibition

 

Exhibition opens at Bankfield Museum Halifax tomorrow the  6th November I have just had a sneak preview it looks really good. The afternoon tea opening is next Saturday so if you fancy an afternoon out hat wearing the more the merrier.

Contexts Presentation

Hurrah I wasn't sick on anyone, i didn't mess up my lines too much and my powerpoint worked, so the 30 minutes that i had been dreading for about 3 months did go by ok. i was even unfazed when the computer didn't see my hard drive and I had the wrong lead for the mac, thank goodness I had it on a disc, the sparrowhawk had a day trip too. So now I need to get on with some practical work ready for the next assessment point in January, will be an interesting Yule tide.

Proud Mum!

Well while holed up in Scotland working out what the meanings of objects were, I was also avidly following the eldest son at the rsx windsurf worlds on line. Much excitement, nerves and the occasional cheer or two, he had a really great week and came in 4th place first Brit which was amazing. Whats more scary was seeing him videoed and how grown up he sounds. (I can see him raising his eyebrows to that line!) Anyway if you are at all interested there is a short interview at http://www.rya.org.uk/newsevents/news/Pages/VIDEOBehindthescenesat.aspx and if you get hooked there is some great stuff on www.rsxclass.com especially Izzy Hamilton fellow Brit who won the Girls title.