A call for keen embroiderers....

Exciting news... Amit Rastogi of sari retailer RCKC (who produced the winning British Sari Story saris last year and will also have this year's winning entries made up) is keen to have a catwalk collection designed by one of his designers embroidered here in the UK. So ... we are sending out a call for keen embroiderers who might like to become involved. If you feel that you could come on board please do get in touch (please email info@bridging-arts.com). Initially it would just be a question of getting some examples to your work to Amit (who will be based at RCKC in Wembley this month) so he can see. Then we'll get a team together.  We don't anticipate a huge amount of work - this will just be for sample garments for the catwalk show.
Amit would like to start on this as soon as possible.
This is really an exciting development. Currently the vast majority of embellishment and beading for London catwalk shows is done in south Asia. We're keen tostart to change this. This first idea is a small move that could be important. This new collection will be designed by an Indian designer but embroidered by a British team....

The Stitch Roadshow at the Meena Bazaar

The Stitch Roadshow at the Meena Bazaar, a day for women only at the Baitful Futuh Mosque, Morden, south London. The embroidery on display was created in Wandsworth over the past 12 months with groups of Muslim and non-Muslim women. 

Our new packs were on display (we're starting another course with them in July) ....

Visitors looking at embroidery...

The mosque...

Katrina Williams, who has helped with the project from the start ...

A visitor's henna-ed hands

And another visitor's pink handbag, chosen to match her long-sleeved pink t-shirt.

News of Nilesh Mistry's elephant - and an embroidered elephant in Selfridges

The Elephant Parade has just been launched. Nilesh Mistry, winner of the first British Sari Story competition, emails to say that his Heavenly Jewel elephant is in Leicester Square, opposite the Radio One building. "I don't think I could have asked for a nicer spot." There are a few others in the gardens too.

He also says there is an elephant - in the Selfridges basement  - which will be of great interest to embroiderers.   It's  by a couple of Indian fashion designers and bright pink with an amazing hand embroidered throw made from gold threads, beads and mirrors. They've called it Heaven's Haathi...

Reflections on tent stitching technique from Lady Mary Wortley Montagu

It is sunny in Cornwall! though freezing. Take advantage of the Bank Holiday to continue with Lady Mary Wortley Montagu's letters. Started because we quoted her in  the background to one of our latest embroidery packs. She was bowled over by the embroidery she saw at the Sultan's harem in Topkapi Palace, Istanbul (dutifully accompanying her husband, Edward Montagu, when he was ambassador there in 1717) - she saw jewels as large as hen's eggs and a silver basket filled with embroidered handkerchiefs, one of which was presented to her.  Back in London, semi estranged from Edward, she leads a seriously racy life cavorting with the leading literary figures of the day and reporting on extraordinary love affairs and intrigues to her sister, Countess of Mar in far flung Paris. Describing her daily routine, she turns to her tent stitching technique to explain...

"I ride a good deal, and have got a horse superior to any two-legged animal, he being without a  fault. I work like an angel. I receive visits upon idle days, and I shade my life as I do my tent-stitch, that is, make as easy transitions as I can from business to pleasure; the one would be too flaring and gaudy without some dark shades of  t'other; and if I worked altogether in the grave colours, you know 'twould be quite dismal."

Letter to Countess of Mar, 1725.