Bunting for the Green Patch Spring Fete Part 1

Sue at The Green Patch asked if we might be able to help create lots of bunting for the Green Patch Spring Fete so Carole showed us how to use glittery fabric paint, rollers, stamps and brushes to create our own lengths of fabric.

Once dry and ironed the fabric was cut into pennant shapes

ready to be sewn into lengths of bunting.

Our lovely Michelle made a beautiful crochet and appliqued line of bunting with letters spelling out The Green Patch and adorned with gardening inspired buttons. Here are Abby, Brendan and Holly proudly holding it out for us to see. Wonderful work! 

If you live in the Avondale / Grange ward do join us again

for our next Threads and Chatter session 

May 3rd 3.15 - 5.15

The Resource Centre, 

9 Grange Place, Kettering. 

NN16 0NT

The sessions are free.

It's In The Bag!

With Christmas fast approaching the group 

have been busy making Advent Calendars

and using fabric stamps

to embellish gift bags for the group and other 

members of  The Green Patch community.

We chose words that represented the fun 

and joy of the winter season. 

Our plan is to sew all the fronts 

to lovely patterned fabrics 

and fill them with a selection 

of small gifts and treats. 

30 fronts down and 50 more to go !

Here are Jamie and Jacob

With their felt panels now mounted on 

a felt mat to hang on their walls at home.

Nice work team!

Fabulous Fabrication Day in Litchborough

As part of “Marking Our Tracks - Wellbeing Walks Further Afield” Remake Remodel strand, members of Back To Books worked with artist Carole Miles at Licthborough Village Hall, rifling through old fabrics and lace trims and generally having a lovely time.

Some tea towels and other pieces from Invisible Threads came to light and were given a new lease of life by entirely new owners! We spent the day using recycled materials to sew cushion covers, hats and bags.

There is always such good conversation, so much laughter, lots of news, life stories and a great sense of community spirit amongst the participants whenever we bring the project out to this side of the county! It may have been cold, grey and wet outside but inside the room was buzzing with life and energy!

Felting the Landscape Installation Photographs

It has taken quite some time to edit and upload the photographs taken in March, which saw Carole Miles and Andrew Rushton installing and photographing the group's Felted Landscape Vessels along part of the Brampton Valley just a few miles from the Hanging Houghton Crossing near Lamport. They were viewed with much curiousity by by a host of Twitchers hoping to catch sight of Skylarks and a rarely sighted owl visiting Northamptonshire. The idea behind the temporary installation was to connect the works with the landscape and the sheep that graze in many parts of the Brampton Valley.

The full Photo Set featuring all the works made by participants can be viewed in the Flickr Set here. 

Copies of the images printed on digital watercolour paper at A3 size can be purchased by emailing Back To Books 

fingerprints07@hotmail.co.uk. 

Prices on request.

July Brampton Up-cycle and Story Telling

When you see a sign that says Beware it's handy to have a Storyteller in your party.

 Luckily Carole and the children from Year 2 Priory Lower School

had Allan Davies from A Word in Edgeways in their carriage at the Northampton & Lamport Railway

He brought us tall tales and magical music.

We up-cycled empty cardboard snack boxes

creating colourful collages with tissue paper

cutout paper shapes

and glue

Having made boxes fit for treasure

we set about creating

fabric rosettes

to carry back to school.

The children said "This is the best day ever!" 

We all remembered the joy of a tale well told and a world where a cardboard box could provide scope for the imagination. The carriage may have been stationary but our minds were full of the sights, sounds, smells and textures of an old railway line which once carried people and goods through an even older landscape.

Upcycled Accessories

The range of accessories designed and made by Year 1 textile students at Tresham College, many of who participated in the New Vistas project we staged during the Big Draw last year. Inspired by the Textures set of photographs taken by artist Carole Miles along the Brampton Valley Way earlier this year.