Adventures in Vintage Needlecraft is presented in Objectspace’s Window Gallery and Vault to coincide with Rosemary McLeod’s appearance at the 2013 Auckland Writers and Readers Festival and the launch of With Bold Needle and Thread: Adventures in Vintage Needlecraft.
To mark the publication of With Bold Needle and Thread Rosemary McLeod will give a talk The Secret Life of Aprons on Sunday May 19 10.15-11.15am at Auckland Art Gallery Auditorium as part of the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival.
Appreciation for items handmade is growing and embroidery and sewing are enjoying a renaissance of sorts with a revival of interest in vintage fabrics and techniques. Rosemary McLeod and Marilyn Daly, set out to recreate items for the book that had originally been created in the thirty years spanning 1920 – 1950. These delightful objects: bags, tea-cosies, aprons, cushions, and adornments are made from a range of materials such as felt, hessian, cotton and brightly coloured threads, wool, and buttons. Made with techniques such as quilting, patchwork, and embroidery the objects display an extraordinary freshness and vibrancy that has immediate appeal to both young and old.
My mission here is to reclaim the home-made… I also wanted to find out what it would be like, as a maker, to re-enter a time when the average woman, with average sewing skills, was expected to be able to make most of the craft projects in magazines. Rosemary McLeod
What: Adventures in Vintage Needlecraft
Where: Objectspace, 8 Ponsonby Rd, Auckland
When: The Window Gallery, 3 May – 8 June
The Vault, 11 May – 8 June
Gallery hours: Mon – Sat, 10am – 5pm. Free admission.
The Auckland Art Gallery writers-and-readers-festival link to the Saturday programmes stipulates prior and turn-up fees for this audiorium event that could be included in the summary.