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On 12th September 2016 Winston Churchill's portrait will be installed in the window at Lock Hatters, London. The work will then tour to Savile Row and Jermyn Street. SEE MORE
It took 630 bespoke labels and 142 hours to create using only dressmaker pins.
Winston Churchill, cheek detail 2016
DERBY MUSEUM
Thank you to those who have visited The Queens portrait at Derby Museum. The exhibition runs until 25th Sept 2016.
FROM SAVILE ROW to WIRKSWORTH FESTIVAL
Exciting news…The Bespoke Merino will be exhibited from 9th – 23rd Sept in the window of AIRR Clothing, 2 Market Pl, Wirksworth, Matlock DE4 4ET.
The Wirksworth Trail weekend is 10th & 11th September, this is when the town comes to life with more than 100 artists showing wonderful art in historic buildings, gardens, courtyards, shop windows and churches. It is a great weekend when you can complete the Art Trail, or just enjoy the town. I will be in and around the shop all weekend with the Merino, pop by to say hello.
WESTON PARK
The WW1 Homing Pigeon was selected for this summer Exhibition, (supported by ACE). Exhibition runs until 30th August 2016 at Weston Park Art Gallery, Shropshire, TF11 8LE.
LONDON
Winston Churchill’s portrait tours to the three bespoke collaborators: -
September 12th - Lock & Co Hatters, 6 St James's St, London. SW1A 1EP
October - Henry Poole & Co, 15 Savile Row, London. W1S 3PJ
November - Turnbull & Asser, 71-72 Jermyn Street, London. SW1Y 6PF
BROMLEY HOUSE LIBRARY COMMISSION
To celebrate 200 years of Bromley House Library, Nottingham, more information to follow.
MILITARY BOOTS
For those who participated in The Military Boots project by stitching a name. I have received a few enquiries about purchasing Limited Edition prints of the Boots, please let me know if you are interested and I will forward the details.
You can see the work of more than 100 artists at this years Wirksworth Festival. The Trail weekend is on 10th & 11th September and you can view wonderful art in historic buildings, gardens, courtyards, shop windows and churches. #WFTrailArtist
EXCITING NEWS..... The Bespoke Merino of Savile Row will be exhibited from 9th - 23rd sept.
WHERE: Window installation at AIRR Clothing, 2A Market Place, Wirksworth. DE4 4ET
(a women’s clothing boutique showcasing a selection of the best ethical brands).
ABOUT: The Bespoke Merino was sheep created in collaboration with Huntsman, Savile Row, London, for Wool Week UK 2015. Made in response to The Campaign for Wool, led by patron His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales to raise awareness about the beauty and versatility of wool. The 1.2 metre canvas is assembled using 1000's of bespoke Huntsman labels & dressmaker pins.
With special thanks to the 450 BBC Get Creative participants, including the Wollaton branch of the W.I. for stitching 100 WOOLMARK labels with Merino wool to celebrate the 100-year birthday of The National Federation of Women’s Institutes.
BUS: From Derby Bus Station theSIXES telephone Trent Barton 01773 712265
From Savile Row to Wirksworth Festival
2016 marks the 200th Anniversary of Bromley House Library. To celebrate this wonderful achievement a contemporary artwork will be commissioned by artist Joy Pitts. Joy creates images from new and used clothing labels and more recently from woven nametapes of WWI fallen. Joy’s portfolio includes commissions for Paul Smith, Liberty and Savile Row.
Since 1816 there have been 138 members of staff at Bromley House Library including presidents, honorary secretaries, librarians and other library staff. These 138 names (along with their time in service) will be specially woven onto individual nametapes and assembled on canvas depicting the four-storey building as it stood in 1816. The result will be a personalised history of Bromley House Library over 200 years, an achievement that would not have been possible without the continued support of its members.
Work in progress
Joy Pitts (MA Fine Art 2005) has completed a label portrait of Sir Winston Churchill to coincide with the issue of the new five-pound note featuring Sir Winston Churchill later in 2016. Continue reading....
Work in progress: Size 46.
LABEL OF SUCCESS read article here PAGE 4
Artist-in-Residence at Erewash Museum 11th September – 31st October 2015. This residency provided an opportunity for me to present a body of work to the specific community that generated the material to produce it. The response was overwhelming and over the seven-week period I received over 600 visitors.
For 15 years I have gathered used labels from local charity shops, unpicking labels from the neck of rag garments. The 30,000 used labels in this collection have all been gathered from the High Street; therefore local residents were once walking around in these garments. This 15-year project proved an excellent way to engage a local audience, both in terms of presenting my work and in supporting their local Museum.
The work allowed visitors to reflect on historic local garment manufacturers such as CHARNOS and DAKS, also shops that no longer occupy the High Street including Burton, Woolworths and Adams. Context lies within the detail of the work. Not only in the design of superseded labels in which we can observe the passage of time, but also in the unexpected detail which tells a story.
The award winning ‘Dairy Cow’ made up of 5,000 used garment labels, was on display in the window at Sue Ryder to accompany the exhibition. At age eight Sue Ryder was given two Jersey cows and subsequently began her own dairy herd, which grew to twenty-four. Young entrepreneur Sue sold the milk and butter from the door and scrubbing her dairy was her favourite job.
What would Sue Ryder think of this Dairy Cow assembled from 5000 used garment labels, all generated through charity donation on the High Street? ‘Dairy Cow’ has been described as ‘an extravagant rescue of fashionable waste’ and in the current global milk crisis offers the viewer a strong sense of community.
Joy Pitts.
The Exhibition of 20,000 Used Labels at Erewash Museum continues until Saturday 31st October, last entry is 3:30pm. The Lally Gallery, Erewash Museum, Ilkeston, DE7 5JA. Tel: 0115 9071141.
