Saturday, July 2, 2016

Stitch, Weave, Write

Last month we were fortunate to have a new venue for some new writing workshops. Author Jennifer Smart  (her novel Wardrobe Girl is published by Random House) invited us to workshop in her new venture in Newcastle, Mulberry and Flax, a wonderful store filled with fine fabric, yarns and wool.






I asked writers to bring a piece of favorite fabric and our exercises were based around this and other memories we had of stitching, sewing, and messing around with yarns, wools and threads.

Helen Stevenson brought an embroidered table cloth she purchased in pre war Syria. 


Others brought a piece of clothing, a woven cloth from Burma, an embroidered piece from Laos, and we had a bunch of remnants to inspire us as well.





Attendees included poet, Samantha Ogilvie and her seeing eye dog Roscoe, novelist Jennifer Moore who took the train from Sydney, poet and memoir writer Helen Stevenson, former midwife and teacher Cath Whelan (working on a history of the midwifery movement in Newcastle in the 80s and 90s, jeweller, former fashion designer, Cyd Joyce, her kids (my grandkids) Alfie and Vivian and our host, novelist and blogger, Jennifer Smart.



Sam and her faithful Roscoe
Such a patient being!
My grandkids Viv and Alfie
Cath and Sam exlporing the feel of Syrian embroidery
Jennifer stitches and writes in her  Mulb &Flax workshop space
Helen is a quilter, knitter and embroiderer from way back
   My daughter Cyd and her daughter Alfie 
Yummy snacks courtesy of Mulb & Flax

We did do some writing too!

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