About Our Linen Stories
Exhibitions and Events celebrating Design Talent from Scotland, N. Ireland and The Low Countries drawing on our industrial heritage and desire for sustainable futures.
Our Linen Stories Description
GP Journeys in Design is excited to announce a series of exhibitions, talks and new commissions presenting 12 contemporary designers from Scotland, Ireland and Holland.
Exhibition will be open to the public on Saturday 5th May and will run until Saturday 26th May in Leith.
The events celebrate the versatility of linen and flax in the context of our shared transnational heritage and will then tour throughout Scotland, N. Ireland and The Netherlands.
Gayfield Projects also announces the winner of the inaugural Gayfield Design Commission.
Felicity Bristow is an artist from Selkirk in the Scottish Borders and receives a commission of £10, 000 in time, materials and residency at a centre of excellence outside Scotland. Felicity will use this opportunity to research and develop her practice in order to produce a small batch industrial design.
Reviews
Helena Loermans, Dutch weaver based in Portugal, offered us a fun lesson in weaving using her ‘human loom’ technique during her Edinburgh visit in May.
Fascinating exhibition: the art and microbiology of linen, part of the programme on now in N.Ireland centred in R Space, Lisburn
Featuring the famous Bannock 😋 A Selkirk Hamper to the winner of Our Linen Stories Treasure Hunt 😀 at The Haining today 2pm, all welcome Six Clues and Sixty Minutes! 🤓
Last day in The Scottish Borders today 10am to 4pm with a Dog-friendly Cafe and a Treasure Hunt at the Haining 2pm
Full house for a fascinating presentation by Hayley McCrirrick - a Journey in Design through dyes and design from the Eildon Hills to New York via Instagram. Thanks to a wonderfully insightful audience.
All set for Hayley McCrirrick artist Designer who screen prints on linen with exquisite subtle designs - Talk at 2pm
Cupcakes and Cupola: a dog-friendly cafe and a cracking exhibition at The Haining in Selkirk today and tomorrow 10am -4pm. Admission free
Many thanks to Michelle Ballantyne MSP for opening Our Linen Stories Selkirk at the Haining and to the dedicated support team of volunteers who help keep this special venue so vibrant. Great turn out, engaged attendees and some splendid linen stories from the Borders. Photography Max Ragni KISS Photography and Design
With each stop on our tour we are exploring how local geography and architecture has been influenced by Our Linen Stories, asking where in former time we might have found - the source of retting water c17 - the bleachfields c18 - the linen factories c19 - the local British Linen Bank c20... Thank you Selkirk!
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Borders Stories - Family Craft Thanks to Jenny, seen here in the 1950s aged 8, for sharing her linen story. Amongst fond childhood memories are of those spent with her great aunt Jessie. Raised by a single Mum, times with Jessie meant learning to embroider the family linen table cloths following patterns from The Peoples Friend. Humbled to include these artefacts in Our Linen Stories exhibition generously received in the post from Southampton where Jenny now lives.
Creative Kids with Lara working some magic with our spare raw linen - their spin paintings make attractive additions to the stunning Haining hallway, no? - good work guys 🎨👍🏻🎨
We’re very grateful to His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch and particularly to Bowhill House Chief Archivist Crispin the Duke’s Private Secretary Sandra for their kind loan of key Dinner table damask linen pieces dating back over 200 years which complement our current exhibition and give real object focus to our new theme of Patronage and Prizes.
Our new Dining Table Damask Stories - a journey in material culture relating to Patronage and Prizes for Damask Design. FYI Curators chores - nothing to the back breaking work of linen washing, drying and pressing in former times!
New venue and new exhibition elements on our UK Tour - check out our tribute to linen designers of Dining Table Damask and the Patronage and Prizes that incentivised the linen trade with Stories from The Scottish Borders in Selkirk.
Please join us for a drink and a warm Borders welcome to Our Linen Stories, Thursday 26 July 6-8pm at The Haining in Selkirk. You are invited to help open our weekend of Exhibition and Events highlighting stunning contemporary designs in linen and flax. All welcome.
A real pleasure to share Our Linen Stories in Portugal amongst the artisans of this fascinating region. A particular thank you to Inês, lead of CACO Artisans for her brilliant (voluntary) work organising it all - also a very talented ceramicist. Obrigadu Inês -vejo você na próxima vez, John, from Scotland.
What a wonderful weekend with the good people of Odemira, Portugal’s largest province just south of Lisbon. Having fun and gathering some linen stories too - can you spot our Flax Surfboard in the mix?