A Common Thread is the latest exhibition at the Brampton Museum in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
It is, in fact a three in one exhibition which celebrates modern textile art, home produced items from the museum's collections and photos and information panels about local textile manufacturers including hat makers.
The main exhibition has works from Dr Jack Roberts who is known as JPR Stitch. In the top photo are the Daily Stitch Towers created over one year from daily stitch drawings. Here is a -link- to the artist's website.
Above a floral dress from the 1860s which has been altered a few times. Perhaps so it could be passed on and worn by others.
It was a lovely display of all sewing crafts, tapestry, embroidery, lace making and knitting.
I was sure there were photos of me somewhere in dresses similar to the one above, I have found a couple of them and put them at the bottom of this post.
Lots of memories in these displays. I still have my Mum's Singer sewing machine which is dated 1938. She always had the Woman's Weekly delivered and often knitted cardigans, jumpers and toys from their patterns.
Oh, heavy shoes and socks at half mast😊 This was taken in a London Park, I think. We were visiting my Mum's old school friend who lived in Stanmore in Middlesex. I remember the bus journey into London.
Well, it's the first of December today. I must start to think about Christmas. We had our first card and present in the post on Friday so I must stop dragging my heels and write some cards, buy some stamps and add to the bits and pieces I've already bought to make up larger presents.
All for now.
I have just had to see how far away the exhibition would be for us to go as it looks so wonderful. It would be 1 hour 30 mins away on a good day. Is it on for long? I would dearly love to go.
ReplyDeleteI love your pictures, I had the same hairstyle and frocks. My gran made them as she was a tailoress and sewed for a living. She was the one who taught me how to sew age 6 and I am still sewing now.
Hello, thank you for your comment. The exhibition is on until 21st December. If you do visit there are two parking areas on the Brampton fairly close to the museum. It is only small but they have other displays. Upstairs are a few small Victorian streets scenes and shop windows and a toy display. Also the Little Vintage Tea rooms. It does close on a Monday though:)
DeleteThe exhibition looks so interesting Rosie - thanks for all the photos My mum had a singer sewing machine like that too - she used to make a lot of her own clothes and mine when I was little! Lovely photos of you as a child and it is lovely you still have the teddy bear :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Caroline. My Mum's machine is a smaller one to put on a table but my grandma had a treadle machine. I loved to search through the drawers and her button box. Mum didn't sew very many clothes it was usually curtains, but was always knitting something, I had lots of cardigans and jumpers over the years. I preferred bears to dolls and that bear I called Belinda for some reason, they have to have a name don't they?:)
DeleteThis looks like a wonderful display of costumes. I love the details in the dresses. My mum had Womens Weekly and knitted lots of the patterns. I know she enjoyed reading the stories and other articles too. She read it for many years. She also read Peoples Friend. Thank you for bringing back those memories for me.
ReplyDeleteThank you Beverley, I too love the details in the dresses. Mum had the Woman's Weekly for years too, also sometimes Woman's Realm. She was an avid reader too with books from the mobile library:)
DeleteThat looks like such an interesting exhibition. And that smocking is so beautiful. I remember the same sort of dresses that you were wearing, the shoes, and the socks sagging around one's ankles.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lorrie, it is an interesting exhibition, I remember having big brown winter shoes and also red summer sandals measured in our local Clarks shoe shop:)
DeleteI love the costumes especially the brown wedding dress! You were such a dear little girl Rosie! x
ReplyDeleteThank you Simone, I liked the brown dress too, I would think the wearer would look very elegant in it, a good winter colour for a Christmas Day wedding:)
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