​By Design will be showing at Hilliers Arboretum, Romsey, SO51 0QA in January and again, at Five Arrows Gallery, Exbury Gardens, SO45 1AZ in April.

 

The group had a Gallery at the Festival of Quilts August 2024 and launched their latest exhibition, Through the Lens, celebrating 25 years together. We had many visitors and it was very well received.​​

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By Design is a group of eleven leading textile artists from the south of England, brought together to form an impressive exhibition group. All the members are well known artists in their own right, who work individually to create their own pieces of quilt art.

 

We have produced twelve exhibitions; As Nature Intended?, Chiaroscuro, Passage Defined, Red Hot, Structured, Marginal – on the edge, Smoke & Mirrors, Just One Day, A Closer Look, What's the Score? (to celebrate 20 years since we started working together), Signs Symbols Messages, Through the Lens and we have recently finished a new one which will be revealed later in the year. Each is a series of two textile hangings per artist.

 

Each person in the group has started with two pieces from the same design source. One piece has been completed by the original artist, with the second piece being worked on by three other colleagues from the group. From the quilts themselves we can see the progression of ideas as each artist adds their own interpretation of the theme. The result is an exciting exhibition of thought-provoking hangings, which explore the theme within a broad spectrum.

 

The group comprises Penny Bicknell, Susan Chapman, Kate Dowty, Mary Hewson, Maggie Jarman, Lyn Lambert, Janet McCallum, Grace Meijer, Christine Restall, Hilary Richardson and Beverley Wood. Sadly, June Thorpe is no longer with us. Regretfully Lynne Seaman retired from the group in 2020 to pursue her individual textile journey. We wish her well and watch her work with interest.

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