Splendid Stitches & Exotic Embroidery

Cultural and the Arts

A treasure house of textiles

An exciting exhibition at Buckinghamshire County Museum, Aylesbury from 9 March – 6 July 2013

At the heart of this forthcoming exhibition are sumptuous embroideries and textiles selected from rarely seen treasures within the Embroiderers’ Guild collection and the museum’s own collections.

The Embroiderers’ Guild cares for an exceptional collection, ranging from inspirational historical fragments to cutting edge textile art. These items will be supplemented by the museum’s outstanding historic costume collections and contemporary work created by local embroidery and textile groups. Includes work by Kirsty Whitlock, EG Scholar for 2012. www.embroiderersguild.com

From 22 April to 17 May 2013 the museum is also hosting the 9th Muir Trust artist-in-residence scheme, working with Naomi Ryder, a textile and embroidery artist, who will be demonstrating her creative practices and techniques. www.naomiryder.co.uk This will be followed by a separate residency exhibition that explores this artistic journey from initial conception to the finished work (25 May – 29 June 2013).

All exhibitions have free entry and will be supported by an exciting programme of activities and events including a Big Stitch Day on 25th May 2013.

Key Exhibition Themes:

Indian Inspirations: exploring cultural diversity by including exotic Indian textiles from different regions and looking at their influence on textiles in Britain and Europe and how Indian embroidery today inspires contemporary artists.

Gorgeous Garments: spectacular survivals such as Tudor coifs and kid gloves, 17th century stumpwork and an 18th century court suit show how embroidery and textile decoration has been used across the centuries and still inspires artists today.

Textile Treasures: whether pushing the boundaries of stitch through works by renowned textile artists such as Michael Brennand-Wood, Alice Kettle, Audrey Walker and Jean Draper or exploring textile art from the past with rare 17th century crewelwork hangings and 19th century crazy patchwork.

Bucks Stitchers: a taste of the creative talents from Embroiderers Guild branches in Aylesbury Vale and Milton Keynes and the Chiltern Embroidery & Textile Group and the opportunity to find out more about their activities.