Several exhibitions that I have been featured in finish today. It is always a joy to see your work in group shows even if one is not able to visit. I have written extensively about group exhibitions in my first (co-written with Cas Holmes) book ‘Connected Cloth’ in 2014. It has been reprinted several times.

I was delighted to have a small piece as part of the British Textile Biennial and Mr. X Stitch ‘s ‘Stitch your Story’ installation at Blackburn Cathedral:

I was also pleased to be a selected artist for ‘Beautiful Mess’ at the Fibre Works Gallery in British Columbia, near Vancouver, Canada. My piece ‘Me and my Toy Dog’ was a ‘happy accident’ made from scraps and leftover pieces of coated paper and textile found in my studio:

‘Undersea Mobile’ is a five hoop piece attached to a hanger, all made from recycled and found materials, selected for the 2nd Society for Embroidered Work exhibition in Rome ‘Surface and Depth‘ at the Palazzo Velli Expo. The exhibition looked wonderful and my thanks to Cat Frampton and the organising and hanging team. The video below is courtesy of Ailish Henderson.

I’m currently preparing for some in person workshops in November. Most are sold out but there are places on ‘Moving Memories’; with the ‘Creative Southwest’ textile group on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5th December 10 – 4 at Butterleigh Village Hall near Cullumpton, Devon. You can message them here for more information.

I’m currently updating my workshops list for 2022 and further exhibition news which you can find here, as it is added.

‘Stay at Home’ is currently on display at the wonderful Timeless Textiles gallery in Australia – the exhibition ‘It Ain’t the Archies’ continues until 5 December.

You can watch a video of me discussing my piece here:

I was honoured to be an invited guest at the wonderful ‘Pour l’Amour du Fil’ in Nantes last week. It had been rescheduled three times but was well worth it and I really enjoyed my visit to France.

I was fortunate to have a stand which was near the entrance and many visitors came for a look and a chat. I also taught four workshops there which was a great opportunity for me to practice my French!

It was also lovely to catch up with other artists and makers – Jo Colwill’s stand looked great, and it was lovely to meet Cecile Franconie, Alison Glass and Christopher Wilson Tate, amongst others.

People are what make any event special and I was really touched to meet visitors who had visited my shows at Quilt en Beaujolais and Aiguilles en Luberon.

It was also heartening to meet these ladies from Norfolk, and Margaret Seaman, aged 92, who knitted Sandringham for NHS charities.

I am very grateful to Carol Veillon and her team at Quiltmania for the invitation and all of their hard work. They have also produced a beautiful article on my practice in ‘Simply Vintage’, current issue no. 40 available in English and French.

I’ve been busy recently fulfilling rescheduled commitments and working with new groups. I made some small pieces for sale at these events and for my forthcoming trip to Nantes and ‘Pour l’Amour du Fil’.

It was a complete joy to return to the lovely Hope and Elvis for a two day workshop recently. Enthusiastic students, gorgeous food and a beautifully revamped studio – what is not to like? My thanks to Louise, Magie and Ruth for the warmest of welcomes and making me feel at home. I will be back!!

Also wonderful to return to Sussex Prairies Garden for my second of two one day classes this year. A very hard working and talented group and they enjoyed the late summer sunshine in this stunning location with a picnic lunch. Planning some new courses and revisiting others next year.

I travelled directly from Sussex to Scotland almost two weeks ago to be a visiting tutor at Wandering Crafts Retreats which is run by the lovely Jane Bumar and Summer Kiser. It was a gorgeous setting in the Scottish Highlands and we were blessed with amazing weather. I gave two short sessions with kits provided and enjoyed the company, landscape and delicious food. These ladies have big plans so watch their website for updates as places are selling out fast.

There are limited spaces available for courses listed on my ‘News’ page ….

I hope to see you there!

A very exciting event in two weeks’ time at Loop London – for London Craft Festival – a book signing/meet the artist and pop up shop on Friday 8th October from 4 – 5:30, ahead of my weekend workshops – watch their blog and website for details.

The weather certainly feels autumnal at the moment and I was lucky to get away for a coastal break recently. I’m teaching ‘A Vintage Coastal Scene’ at a lovely new venue in Brighton ‘Atelier Beside the Sea’.

Another lovely course to sign up for is ‘Moving Memories’ at Les Soeurs Anglaises in France next summer from 6 – 12 July. Limited spaces …

I was delighted to have sold several pieces of work during my exhibition at Ruthin Craft Centre including some sailboats. I have just made some new pieces for forthcoming workshops at Hope and Elvis, Sussex Prairies and in Scotland.

On the exhibition front, I am delighted to have work in four international exhibitions over the next few months. ‘Ain’t the Archies’ continues at Timeless Textiles in Australia, ‘A Beautiful Mess’ starts in Vancouver, Canada, ‘Undersea Mobile’ will travel to Rome with SEW and I will be guest artist in Nantes at Pour l’Amour du Fil at the end of September, all being well.

I am also very pleased that my exhibition at Ruthin receives a wonderful review by Ellen Bell in the current issue of ‘Embroidery’ magazine.

I was happy to receive the latest reprint of ‘Textile Nature’ , which is five years old this year!

In the book is my hospital commission, still up in the multi faith centre at Tunbridge Wells Hospital ‘William Morris Trees’.

I am working on several new and exciting projects, which I will share in due course. It is great to be travelling even in a limited way again and to see ‘Textile Travels’ also being reprinted.

In the meantime you can browse my courses with spaces and buy work from my online shop on this blog.

It has been wonderful connecting with students in person again. I have really enjoyed my online teaching this past year and a bit and am sure it will continue too.

My first live workshop of the season was at Sussex Prairies Garden and on the theme of gardens. Lovely as always to be back and I am returning in September.

I was pleased to visit Alexandra Waylett’s studio and provide two two-day sessions on ‘Birds and Collages’ with some very talented people… I am returning next year.

I was invited to work with the Tutton and Young team at their new venue ‘Atelier Beside the Sea’ on the Brighton seafront. I have two courses coming up in July and August.

I am pleased to be a tutor at the wonderful West Dean College and to have just completed a three day course on ‘Stitchbooks’ there. We had a great time making, printing and stitching. I am returning in November and next summer.

There is always much preparation involved for these courses and it has given me a chance to revisit sketchbooks and select some for my students to look at.

I was delighted to receive the ‘official’ photos of my solo ‘Well Travelled’ exhibition at Ruthin Craft Centre, on until 17 July. They were taken with some video footage which will be available via the Gallery’s website by Dewi Tannatt Lloyd.

All details of forthcoming workshops can be found here.

I am delighted and honoured to be showing a solo exhibition of recent work at the Ruthin Craft Centre. It opened on the 28th May and runs until 17 July, alongside two other exhibitions. If you are anywhere nearby it is a destination venue and a lovely town nestled between the mountains and the sea in North Wales. You have to register on the Gallery’s Eventbrite site and it is open from Wednesday to Saturday.

I am very grateful to Philip Hughes, Director of the centre, Jane Audas and Gregory Parsons as well as the staff at RCC for their assistance in curating and hanging the exhibition.

I am really pleased to be having a socially distanced ‘Meet the Maker’ and book signing event this coming Saturday 5 June from 2-4 pm at the gallery. If you are interested in attending you can reserve a visiting slot during that time from the Eventbrite site.

The retail gallery at Ruthin is also selling smaller pieces of my work, not yet listed online, but you can contact them on +44 (0)1824 704774 if you see something you are interested in.

I am awaiting the ‘official’ photos and video of the show, and am thankful to Gregory Parsons for sending through these low res shots that were taken during the installation.

I’m looking forward to visiting next weekend …

After a very long time at home and participating in mainly online activities, it feels as if the UK is opening up a bit with a busy few months ahead.

It was wonderful to drop off my work, including ‘Italian Landscape’ (below) at the wonderful West Dean College for a tutor’s exhibition. It will be on show during May and June, dates tbc. I am teaching ‘Stitchbooks Inspired by a Walk in the Park’ there at the end of August – just two places remaining. Details here.

I am in the final stages of planning for ‘Well Travelled’ my major solo exhibition at Ruthin Craft Centre, from 28 May – 17 July this year, all being well. I have made a 3D plan for the hanging team and am hoping to visit when restrictions ease.

I was delighted to visit the amazing Gees Bend exhibition at the Alison Jacques Gallery in London recently – very colourful and inspiring work, by the ground breaking group of women.

I really enjoyed designing a new kit for the lovely French General in LA. The ‘Stitched Tree of Life’ is a live Zoom workshop on 26 June – you can sign up here.

I’ve been busy teaching workshops online to various guilds and groups – you can see a full list of available classes here.

It was a complete joy to help to judge the Batsford Prize this year. The work was varied and impressive given the unusual and stressful time that they have been working through. The shortlist is due to be announced very soon.

I’m looking forward to seeing this book published later this year. My work and an interview with me will be included. More details here.

Also very pleased to see this book review in the SAQA magazine of ‘Textile Travels’.

Finally my thoughts are with my friends in India during their terrible second wave of the pandemic. You can support local craftspeople and their work, fairly traded and run by Isha Sharma through her company Aahilya.

Spring is definitely on the way – I am being ‘jabbed’ today by our wonderful NHS and things feel more hopeful.

Recently as the road map out of lockdown has become clearer, I have been rescheduling classes and events for later this year and next.

It has been a very busy few weeks teaching online classes and giving talks, alongside my weekly KCC course ‘Stitchbook’.

I was delighted to teach ‘Folk Art Narratives’ online for the wonderful West Dean College a few weeks ago. I am hoping to teach there ‘in real life’ in the summer. Details of my new course here – ‘Stitchbooks Inspired by a Walk in the Park’ .

I am also teaching a one day online class for Cowslip Workshops at the end of the month, which is full, and hoping to visit in July, on the 3rd and 4th for ‘Travels in Textiles’. It’s a wonderful setting in Cornwall and just visiting is a holiday!

There are also a few spaces left for the same course ‘Travels in Textiles’ at the fantastic Hope and Elvis in Welbeck in September, on the 4th and 5th.

I am delighted to be returning to the wonderful Unit 12 in Stafford for a House and Home course on July 12th. Their gallery is well worth a look too!

Other residential events have been rescheduled for 2022 and can be seen here, as the dates are confirmed.

Closer to home, I am offering two garden themed courses at the superb Sussex Prairies Garden, where we are able to work inside or out, socially distanced if necessary. The first is sold out but there are places on the second on September 11th ‘Make a Garden Textile Sketchbook’.

I have been making drawings based on the home – and as a result of being largely confined to it we do look at things more closely. My little booklet ‘House Drawings’ is available here and 20% of sales go to my local food bank.

I was delighted to speak with author and writer Charlotte Abrahams recently and our chat is on the ETC travel blog, in a series on artists and makers.

And last but most certainly not least I am continuing to prepare for my solo exhibition at the Ruthin Craft Centre later this year, all being well. I was delighted to see this spread in Embroidery Magazine.

January always seems the longest month, but more so this year as the UK continues its third lockdown. Happily my online teaching has resumed and my Kent Adult Education students from all over the UK are continuing to make work on our ‘Nature Stitchbook’ course. There are a few spaces available on the next series of classes which begin in April. Details here.

I’m continuing also to give studio talks and workshops online – it is an absolute pleasure to share my work and practice in this way. Next weekend I am teaching a class for West Dean College and looking forward to it. Contact me through this website if you are interested in booking a talk or course for your group or guild.

I also continue to enjoy walks near home – I am fortunate to live in West Kent, which borders on East Sussex and has many beautiful places to visit within walking distance. I have been working on a series of folding books inspired by local walks, for my forthcoming exhibition at Ruthin Craft Centre, later on this year, all being well.

I was given a lovely sketchbook as a Christmas gift from my son and his wife, and have been keeping daily drawings of domestic life, as a record of this unsettling time and a way through to realising potential new starting points.

I’ve been heartened by the response to a collaboration with my daughter Ruth Fox @ruth_fox_stitch on Instagram, making some pieces using cross stitch elements with fabric collage. I continue to sell work through my online shop , and am happy to ship internationally. 10% of sales go to my local foodbank.

The documentation and writing of work always takes much time and continues all year round. I’ve been revisiting older pieces and making new work for a variety of venues – you can see my forthcoming news and events here.

Finally I was delighted to hear this week that Batsford Books is reprinting ‘Textile Travels’, first published in October 2020. Thank you to everyone who has purchased and enjoyed a copy.

And what a year it has been! A most stressful and exhausting one (emotionally and physically) is finally almost done. It has been difficult but not entirely without some good moments, which I am highlighting here.

The year started with some terrible wildfires in Australia, and a growing recognition of the climate emergency which is unfolding around us. If not for a quickly developing respiratory virus pandemic, that might have been the main story of 2020. I visited family and friends in Germany and Canada.

In February, I led my third tour to India to Gujurat, which has an amazingly diverse and rich textile heritage. I had worked with Colouricious Holidays for several visits, and am happy to be looking at leading some tours for Bespoke Travel India in 2022, all being well.

March was the month that everything changed. It started out with a lovely stitch retreat with French General, in Vermont. Wonderful participants, accommodation and food, and I was delighted to work with French General later on in the year on an online project ‘Threads Together Stitched Apart”.

In April we were in a national lockdown, and all of my teaching for the remainder of the year was moved online or postponed. Like other makers and tutors, I found it challenging and was very grateful to have online opportunities from West Dean College, where I am due to teach next year, Kent Adult Education (online classes) which are continuing next term, and the wonderful Textileartist.org, who have written a feature on my new book too.

In May I started making new work to sell online. I have sold my work through galleries, museums, at shows, workshops and from my studio in the past, but having more limited contact this year meant looking for alternative opportunities. I joined the great Artist Support Pledge, supporting my local foodbank with a 10% donation on all sales.

I am delighted to send work all over the world and enjoy the comments from visitors to my online shop. I was pleased to be a part of several charity exhibitions – at Candida Stevens Gallery in Chichester and the Secret 7″ show at NOW Gallery in Greenwich. I had a small piece touring in Switzerland with Swiss Fiberarts and have some work for sale through Timeless Textiles Gallery in Australia.

I continued to contribute to various websites, books and journals this year. There were several standout pieces in readiness for the publication of ‘Textile Travels’. This piece by Caroline Zoob and Jane Audas in The Stitchers Journal was one. I also liked this blog post on the super School of Stitched Textiles site.

In the good weather and even in the rain, I like to walk in our local park. In July I made some hand dyed and printed backgrounds with a series of hand stitched birds. These proved popular in my website shop.

In August, as the weather eased, I was able to travel for a brief Cornish break and to visit family and friends. It was a short respite from the conditions of what we have now come to regard as ‘normal’, and much appreciated.

I was able to teach two ‘in real life’ socially distanced workshops at the lovely Sussex Prairies Garden over the summer. Fortunately both days benefited from good weather and we had a sociable and creative couple of sessions. My workshops for next summer and throughout 2021 that have spaces are here.

I was delighted to welcome my fourth book for Batsford ‘Textile Travels’ to the world in October. I had a small socially distanced book launch and signing at the Pincushion Pantiles, my local quilting shop. They are also selling my kit ‘Tea on the Pantiles” and copies of my book. The book has been well received and is available internationally.

One of the highlights of 2020 was this commissioned feature by Jane Audas in ‘Embroidery Magazine’ and having a detail of ‘Corali’ appear on the cover. It was a real pleasure to see the article and so sensitively written too.

One of the benefits of having a little more time in the studio at home this year has been having the time to make new work, but also to rework older and unfinished pieces. I wrote about my Quarantine Quilt for Mr X Stitch and they have also published a recent interview and book review.

What does 2021 hold? I am scheduled to have a major solo exhibition, ‘Well Travelled’, at the fabulous Ruthin Craft Centre, from mid March until July, pending further lockdowns and other scheduling commitments. I am busy with courses, talks and residential workshops online and in person, but this will all be highly dependent on the success of the vaccination programme next year.

A very happy holiday season and all best wishes for 2021 ! … x Anne