'Blooming Artichoke’ by Kathleen Dustin.Courtesy photo

A Juried show presented by the LACS Polymer Guild

June 15-27, 2010
Reception, Saturday,
June 19, 1-5pm
Guest Speaker: Kathleen

Judges Kathleen Dustin, Sandra McCaw and Bonnie Bishoff will jury entries and our LACS Polymer Clay Guild artists will also have items on display.

Nationally known Polymer Clay artists also exhibiting: Louise Fischer-Cozzi, Elise Winters,Melanie West, Rachel Carren, Sarah Shriver,Jana Roberts Benson, Maggie Maggio,and Dan Cormier.

Tuesdays – Fridays 12 - 4

Sundays: 12 – 4,
Saturdays: 10-4 Closed Mondays

Admission and Parking are Free

Information & Directions: 781-862-9696 or www.LACSma.org

Westlake Ohio - June 16, 2010 -- This year there’s plenty of new inspiration, including the “for Rookies” series of classes and workshops for those starting to quilt, sew for the home, crochet, silk screen and more; products and classes related to sewing for kids; a fun collection of mini-workshops for creating traditional hand-stitched ornaments from reclaimed wool; and brand new surface design products and workshops with a nod to “slow fashion,” offering quiet balance for the high-tech energy of busy machine embroidery studios and software labs.

All in all, there’s something for everyone in the nearly 200 classes and workshops brought to life by more than 35 of the nation’s best instructors, whether one is a rookie, dabbler or highly experienced artisan looking for a new challenge.

The Exhibit Hall is open for three full days, allowing ample time to meet expert suppliers, designers and retailers from across the country while shopping for the latest tools, supplies, equipment, techniques and ideas at more than 150 retail booths. Attendees can take in runway fashion shows, quilt and home décor trunk shows and new-product demos on two stages, and try one’s hand at the many Make-it Take-It projects throughout the Hall.

Original Sewing & Quilt Expo brings inspiration, motivation, education, shopping and personal satisfaction to everyone who enjoys sewing, quiltmaking, embroidery, embellishment and related needle arts. For three days once each year it offers thousands of enthusiasts the opportunity to spend time with others with shared interests, learn from experts in the field, find new products, project ideas and techniques.

Croatia, 19th century

TORONTO, April 7 - The Bata Shoe Museum is pleased to announce the opening of its newest exhibition Socks: Between You and Your Shoes, a fascinating trek around the world exploring the history of one of the least researched items of dress - hosiery.

Conceived by Senior Museum Curator, Elizabeth Semmelhack, the exhibition features approximately 40 rare pieces, including a sock dating back to the thirteenth century made of human hair, as well as a replica of the footwear and sock once worn by the Otzi man 5,300 years ago. Says Ms. Semmelhack,"For thousands of years, people around the world have sought to separate themselves from their shoes with all manner of socks. Some are humble, some are splendid but all were created to make us more comfortable as we walk through life".

Knitted socks are very familiar to us today, but historically-speaking they are relatively new. Knitting first developed in the Middle or Near East between 500 and 1200 C.E. One of the earliest surviving examples of knitting is, in fact, a 900 year old sock excavated in Egypt where it seems that knitting was primarily used to make socks and stockings. Knitting slowly spread up into Spain and then across Europe. By the 17th century knit socks were a staple in many people's wardrobes.

Although knitted socks may be one of the most familiar types of socks, in many places around the world socks have been made of material that has been sewn together. The Ancient Romans wore socks made from sewn wool cloth, the Uzbek's of Western Asia traditionally wore boot socks of sewn leather and today in Japan many people still wear crisp cotton tabi with their zori.

With so many feet in the world it shouldn't be surprising that sock-making was one of the first skills to be mechanized. In the late 16th century, Englishman William Lee invented the stocking frame, a machine that allowed socks to be knit at faster speeds than hand-knitting. Over the centuries, refinements were made to his concept and today all kinds of socks, from thick sports socks to whisper-thin hose are factory fabricated.

Important highlights in the exhibition include linen socks worn by King Charles I during first half of the 17th century, Napoleon Bonaparte's socks worn by him during his exile on St. Helena, exquisite pale pink silk stockings worn by Queen Victoria during her reign and teeny, tiny hand-knitted socks made by talented knitter Althea Crome who created all of the clothing worn by Coraline, the figurine in Tim Burton's 2009 stop-motion film by the same name.

Visually colourful and whimsical, this exhibition will appeal to the fashion-conscious, the scholarly, the curious, and all who appreciate fine craftsmanship. Socks: Between You and Your Shoes will be on view until April 2011.

SOURCE Bata Shoe Museum

A quilt by Elizabeth Chapman. V&A Images

London: Exhibitions of quilts appear to attract large numbers of visitors, and the Victoria & Albert Museum already has big advance bookings for its just-opened major spring show "Quilts 1700-2010." From a late 17th-century cot cover to Grayson Perry's 1998 computer-generated "Right to Life," with its ambiguous message about abortion, this show covers (with plenty of visual puns to match this verbal one) British quilt-making over three centuries.

"Quilting" means stitching around a stuffing, either enclosing it or giving a raised appearance to the bits between the stitching. This technique isn't confined to textiles meant to cover beds, but can be used for clothing (as shown in the V&A's own English quilted silk satin doublet and breeches, 1635-40), curtains and other hangings. In fact, the technique most of us associate with quilts is patchwork, where (usually) geometrically regular bits of cloth are cut out, and stitched around their edges, often sandwiching the stuffing, to make a square or rectangular bed.......

Read more at  -  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126955722517867637.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Date and Time

Thu Mar 4 (6pm - 8pm)

Location

51 Yerba Buena Lane
San Francisco, CA 94103

Craft Bar with Etsy Labs at MOCFA SF returns! 2010 launches with an eco-savvy theme for the conscientious consumer.

On March 4 learn how to crochet with recycled plastic bags (local artists demonstrate), or participate in guided knitting lessons. Sip locally-brewed refreshments, nibble on homemade baked goods, and visit the new exhibit Rhythm and Hues: Cloth and Culture of Mali for inspiration. All skill levels welcome: materials and instruction provided.

SOURCE  _   http://www.sfstation.com/craft-bar-with-etsy-labs-e826381

The Jacksonville Center will be joining this celebration, and Southwest Virginia's Rising Stars: A New Constellation of Arts & Culture as Southwest Virginia Celebrates Women in the Arts, with a juried exhibition entitled All This I Am.

.....The deadline for completed entry materials is April 2. Notifications will be mailed April 12. The show will be held from Friday, May 7 to Sunday, July 11, with a reception on Saturday, May 15. Prospectuses can be download on the website at www.jacksonvillecenter.org. Those with limited computer access may request an application by calling (540) 745-2784.

SOURCE  _  http://www.twincountynews.com/announcements/4660-calling-all-artisans-for-juried-exhibition.html

Capture your imagination and even the Mona Lisa's eye at this knit fest

by Jo Irving

It takes all sorts to go gooey over yarn, but I'm one of them - show me a wool shop and I want to move in.

Why? Well, the beauty of wool in the 21st century is that it's nothing like the nylon matinee jackets your mother used to make.

So, imagine my delight at the first ever Knitting Expo in Exeter - and it's not just for wool addicts like me.

There'll be woolly workshops of course, as well as poetry, cabaret and even knitting bingo!

This festival means that sheep are definitely back on the menu for all the right reasons as the knitting industry hurls itself forward with softer, newer, fresher, brighter and bolder ideas.

There's also a strong contemporary feel to the event, which is the first of its kind, being held in Exeter.....

Read more at  -  http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/devon/hi/people_and_places/arts_and_culture/newsid_8491000/8491099.stm

The Art of Craft

Where: Museum of Vancouver, 1100 Chestnut St.

When: Until April 11

Info: museumofvancouver.ca or 604-736-4431

For many of us, the word "craft" conjures up images of macrame and papier mache.

But when it is used in the context of fine art, it's all about beautiful handmade pieces such as the ones that make up the contemporary craft art exhibit The Art of Craft currently on at the Museum of Vancouver (MOV).

"In the old days, it had to be useful as well as beautiful," MOV curator Joan Seidl said when asked to describe craft. "We find that a false distinction now.

"It is artists that have a deep connection to their materials, a deep understanding and often have years invested in learning technique."

The 173-piece exhibit highlights craft art from all over Canada and Korea.

Crafted from wood, glass, textiles, ceramics and metals, the pieces range from delicate silver jewelry to a whimsical ceramic canoe filled with sprinkle-topped doughnuts to pieces made from traditional Korean Hanji (made from the mulberry bush) paper.....

Read more at -  http://www.kelowna.com/2010/01/24/not-your-grannys-sweaters-handmade-works-of-wood-glass-metal-textile-ceramics/

Susan Hensel Gallery ushers in 2010 by showcasing two women artists whose work trangresses the historic boundaries of craft and practices that are traditionally considered "a woman's work". Rachel Starr Suntop's handmade felt pieces tell her story of her recent travels to iceland, and Sara Christensen-Blair explores issues of reproduction and the body through pieces like Deterioration and 24 Months, made of birth-control pill cases crocheted into doillies.

For more information go to -  http://www.susanhenselgallery.com/nowshowing.html

Ceramic Art by Jane Muir - specialises in idiosyncratic figures representing a witty and uncluttered observation of the world.

Ceramic Art London 2010 is the major selling fair for contemporary studio ceramics
At the Royal College of Art on 26 February to 28 February 2010.

Ceramic Art London 2010 provides a unique showcase for contemporary studio ceramics featuring work from leading national and international makers.

•Discover and buy work from over 75 leading contemporary ceramic artists
•Enjoy an integrated education programme of talks, demonstrations and films designed to enhance your understanding and enjoyment of studio ceramics
•Talent spot young emerging ceramic artists from the Royal College of Art

If you are a ceramic artist interested in exhibiting at Ceramic Art London 2010, visit our exhibitor registration page for details of how to apply.

If you are a Collector, gallery owner, potter or enthusiast and want to see the best in contemporary studio ceramics check out our visitor registration page to receive regular updates on Ceramic Art London 2010.

SOURCE -  http://www.ceramics.org.uk/home.php