This week saw a friend and I make a glorious road trip across country to Fairfield Mills in Sedbergh to look at a very interesting textile exhibition. It was a great day out - the weather was very kind - eventually - the sun came out and the drive over was just glorious scenery with hills that looked like they were made out of velvet and ever changing skies going from dark and brooding to brazenly blue with scudding fluffy clouds. All the way there and back we were treated to natures own art show and once there we enjoyed some first class textile art.
Sarah Waters was showing a collection of felted pieces... wonderful earthy colours - using nature for both inspiration and materials. The exhibits were really well presented and each piece had a story to tell - it was very difficult not to touch as all the pieces looked so tactile.... I just wanted to stroke then all or try and put my hand in the inviting curves....
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The other exhibition was a collective of different artists work. Very different, some mixed media, quilts, embroidery, hand and machine - all very colourful and vibrant. it was all very good but my favourite was the work by Amanda Duke - hand dyed, stitched into, patchwork, colourful - very lovely eye catching work.
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The mill itself is interesting as well- there is a section devoted to its history with some vintage machinery on show plus some working powered looms and on the top floor there is a very pleasant workshop space where people meet to demonstrate weaving and spinning.
Some of the mill rooms house studios and these are open to the public for browsing and the odd demo. On a day like the day we visited it was really nice as the rooms often had big windows with the sun streaming through and and the sound of the mill race outside. These lovely spaces have a variety of friendly artists - printers, knitters, pottery and more. There is a nice shop and most importantly a very nice coffee shop where we had a very good lunch and splendid cakes..
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