Jenny Fletcher had enjoyed C&TA in-person events as a guest for several years, and been a full member since retiring from teaching in 2023, but as the newest member of the committee she is finding out just how much the association has to offer...

"This week I really feel as though I am starting to understand what an incredible organisation the C&TA is.  I am sure that most people who have come across the association locally have done so first through one of their beautiful exhibitions, such as the lovely display put on for their 35th Anniversary at the Norwich Makers' Festival earlier this year, or via one of their live events like the 'Norwich Pines' craft workshop held in the Library for Heritage Open Day in September, or the buzzing Craft and Vintage Fair they held in Costessey in October.  Almost all of the local people who decide to become members of the association then attend some, if not all, of the regular live talks offered, which never fail to be informative, entertaining and inspiring: recent favourites of mine have been given by the ever-fascinating History Wardrobe and Sewing Bee's own historical costume expert Amber Butchart from the London College of Fashion.

But the C&TA is about so much more than that.  Its key and founding purpose is to support the work of the Norfolk Museums Service, to which it is affiliated, and to this end the association assists in the acquisition of key textile pieces to preserve the rich heritage of textile production in Norwich and the surrounding area, and curates its own textiles archive to support academic research; it also runs design award challenges for local Fashion and Textiles students and offers research bursaries to help broaden understanding of important textile history in our region.  In connection with this work the association is now also publishing original material on local textiles.  Information about all of these ventures can be found on this website, along with enormous amounts of detailed and high quality information about so many aspects of clothing and textiles connected with Norwich.  I would really urge everyone to set aside an hour to do some further website exploration - you are bound to find something to interest you!

And as I mentioned at the start, this week I took part in two other online aspects of the work of the association, and discovered yet more faces of the C&TA - both literally and metaphorically! 

On Tuesday afternoon I joined my first ever 'Crafty Chat' - and what a revelation!  This is a lovely friendly, relaxed forum for anyone interested in producing or learning about textiles to share their knowledge, enthusiasms and advice.  We were lucky enough to hear from Eunice Warren, our Treasurer, about her recent trip to China and see her wonderful photographs of all things textile: these included the stunning silk embroidery work done at the Baisha Naxi Embroidery Institute, where Naxi Masters take more than 20 years to learn their trade and produce gossamer-fine embroideries that look like paintings, as well as work that will show a completely different and perfect picture on each side of a single piece of silk fabric!  She also showed us the exquisite detail in historical costumes in a new Shanghai museum, and explained the Chinese fascination with hiring facsimiles of traditional costume for the day, having a full professional hair and make-up session to go with it, and then parading their finery in tourist destinations, accompanied by their own photographer!  The results were absolutely stunning, although Eunice pointed out that the very modern trainers worn by most of the people she saw underneath their outfits did create an unusual, if practical, contrast with their costumes!

This was followed by a completely non-competitive and very entertaining Christmas Quiz organised by Caroline Whiting, our Chair, which revealed a lot about our festive viewing habits - or, in some cases, lack of them!  Then we shared our ideas for Christmas makes, including a fabulous stitched bag, some handy knitted dishcloths and facecloths, handspun rainbow yarn, information about useful pattern buys... I suspect we could have gone on all night!  But Caroline closed with a couple of charming Christmas poems, and after waving goodbye to everyone I reflected on the surprisingly cosy and intimate atmosphere that had been achieved in an online forum between people who had never met, in the far-flung corners of Britain, and indeed, across the world.  'Community' is a word with a very wide range of meanings, and this is a regular C&TA event which really embodies it - I heartily recommend you try it.  Details of how to join are sent out to all members each month via email, and it is VERY easy to do! 

On Tuesday evening I was transported to C18th Norwich when I tuned in to Dr Michael Nix's fascinating online talk 'Colourful Norwich Textiles'.  Michael is a very experienced academic who was awarded the C&TA's Geoffrey Squire Bursary in 2017 to research the export of Norwich textiles in the 1700s - work which led to the creation of his award-winning book of 2023, Norwich Textiles: Norwich Textiles: Global Story, 1750-1830, which is available from our online shop.
​
In this talk, Michael was sharing further exciting research that he has done concerning the use of colour in Norwich weaving, and what a revelation this was!  He had lots of pictures and documentary evidence to share and really made the individual characters of the merchants and dyers come alive, as well as placing his findings clearly in the geography of Norwich.  As a local girl I was fascinated by this and am determined to set out across the city in the New Year armed with his book and my notes to start to uncover traces of this hidden treasure for myself!  But the stars of the show were, of course, the textiles - and what a jazzy lot they were!  Of course nowadays many of the historical textiles that we see are badly faded, but it was amazing to see the pattern sample books and realise just how bright and flamboyant they must originally have been.  And how expensive!  Scarlet in particular - a colour that Norwich was particularly well-known for - was so expensive to create; one hundredweight of cochineal would have cost the equivalent of about £33000 in today's money!  Michael's detailed, knowledgeable explanations of the origins and costs of the dyeing materials really brought home to me the key role that Norwich played in the C18th textile industry, at the centre of a worldwide and extremely valuable trade - and made me think about the connections that the city had right across the globe at that time.

These online events are more formal, extremely high quality lectures given by experts, and it is a privilege to have access to them.  They are followed by the opportunity to ask questions and explore ideas further.  I really would recommend to all members that they have a look at the programme (which can be found here: Costume and Textile Association events) and book themselves up for a dive down a wonderful textile-related rabbit hole!  There is bound to be something to your taste.  And on these cold winter evenings, what could be nicer than snuggling up with a warm drink and being transported away across the world to hear about beautiful costumes and gorgeous fabrics?

And so, please do believe me when I say that there is more to discover at the C&TA, and more friendly faces out there.  The website is a great starting point for your journey of discovery, and I hope to be able to wave to you, be it across a crowded hall or through a tiny screen, somewhere along the way!

Jenny Fletcher
​

We were delighted to get together again for a face to face meeting at Costessey on Saturday 23rd November for another wonderful afternoon with historical dressmaker Meridith Towne from History Wardrobe.  Here are the lovely reflections of two of our members:

"A wonderful treat to see Meridith Towne; her Mum was absent but one month old son Henry was a beaming presence.
 
Showing off her post baby figure in Lycra, Meridith wanted to draw our attention to the very different attitudes and social mores towards nineteenth century Lady cyclists.  Notice the capital L? These cyclists needed money to obtain a cycle, which although cheaper to buy and maintain than a horse, nevertheless needed a substantial outlay.
 
Cycle manufacturers were astute enough to realise that there was a huge untapped female market: bikes offered freedom from chaperones, and a way to meet friends in a more relaxed setting.  Meridith pointed out that of course cycles needed to be adapted for the female form in response to the moral and physical concerns raised.  Ladies needed to sit upright - or how would they keep their hats on?  Ladies needed to mount and dismount as elegantly as possible, or legs and ankles may be revealed!  Soon a whole Lady cyclist wardrobe evolved.
 
Of course, a Lady cyclist must wear wool.  A Liberty bodice; a corset to stop the figure going “all abroad”; stockings; brogues; a woollen mutton sleeved blouse; a split skirt; a jacket; bow tie and straw boater.  To be a “Scorcher”, bloomers and gaiters also needed to be worn.  All these items were exhibited, and a rather pink Meridith eventually ended up wearing them! 
 
How far have we travelled?  Meridith, (admittedly by car!), all the way from Whitby on a weekend of truly foul weather, and we were so grateful to her.  In terms of cycling and attitudes?  Think Laura Kenny and fellow Olympians."
 
Lorraine Ransome
C&TA member

"On 23rd November 2024, I attended Belles on Bicycles: The Victorian Lady Cyclist, a presentation by Meridith Towne. The Stafford Hall at the Costessey Centre was already buzzing with chat when I arrived and all the front row seats and almost all the second row seats were full. The seats were laid out runway style, as for a fashion show.  It was a miserable cold and windy winter’s day outside, but there was a happy and enthusiastic atmosphere inside. Meridith’s talks are always popular.
 
Attendees were greeted by a table of original Christmas cards by Stephen Worth, with several witty new designs for 2024 (see C&TA online shop). Isobel Auker had put on a display of fascinating recent donations to the C&TA resource collection, including a lovely 1920s evening dress with gold lace and silk flowers which belonged to Phyllis Marjorie Smith, as well as an elaborate black dress, cape and apron dating from c.1900 that had belonged to Emma Cooper. There was a table of items for sale: second-hand books, old magazines and journals, threads and buttons - all very tempting, but I could not justify any purchases as my workroom - which I have just sorted through - somehow still seems to be too full.
 
The Belles on Bicycles talk was given by Meridith Towne, who had her baby with her in Norfolk - a delightful distraction for many of us. As well as recently becoming a new mother, Meridith is multi-talented as an historian and costume maker, and I can recommend an exploration of her website. She apologised that her own mother - her usual trusty assistant - had not been able to make it down from Yorkshire on this occasion.
 
Like her business partner in History Wardobe and author of several books, Lucy Adlington, Meridith is now able to mentioned her own recently published book: Making Late Medieval Menswear, Crowood Publishers, 2024, which demonstrates her impressive range of expertise.
 
This what Meridith says about the talk on her website:

'Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! What a ride!
Experience freedom as you cast off your chaperone, sit astride your steed and embrace the new thrilling craze of the bicycle. This lively talk embraces the lives and clothes of the emancipated, cycling women of Victorian England, including the daring few who donned the shocking Bloomer Suit!'
 
Meridith began her talk wearing an eye-popping patterned modern Lycra top and leggings as she time-travelled back to former times, exploring the wonderful world of clothing for cycling over the past century.   She went through the items a Victorian lady cyclist could have worn to engage in this thrilling new pastime and explained that she was inspired to investigate this topic because of the Tour de France which came to Yorkshire for the “Grand Depart” in 2014. During her talk, by adding layers of mostly woollen clothing and explaining their significance, she gradually transformed from a modern cyclist into her 1890s counterpart. She explained most Victorians would wear ordinary outdoor clothes to cycle in; however the more daring riders could have these more functional outfits made especially for them.
 
Meridith covered several interesting topics along the way: notably how the bicycle became popular across all sections of society, how cycling changed our world by allowing more freedom and social mobility, especially for women, and how it continues to do so.
 
She brought along a fascinating display of ephemera and small costume items for us to explore after the talk and stayed to talk with us and allow photos to be taken while we all enjoyed tea and cakes."
 
Helen Durrant
C&TA Member

​
To read more about History Wardrobe, click here: www.historywardrobe.com/
To visit Meridith Towne's website, click here: www.meridithtowne.co.uk/
For information about Meridith's book, Making Late Medieval Menswear, click here: Making Late Medieval Menswear - The Crowood Press

The traditional method for large tapestries is to weave from the back, weaving the design from side to side, which makes shading and blending of colours for depicting figures, drapery, architecture etc easier and more effective.   You can see that in the ‘Crossing the Water’ examples illustrated here the blue one is woven from side to side and the red one from top to bottom. The outline of the letters in the blue one are smoother than the red, so a chosen technique will have an impact on how we see the image. ​

​More modern tapestry weavers, where designs may be simpler, tend to weave from the front, and bottom to top.  However, weaving from the front means that a certain technique known as double interlock cannot be used. It is one of the ways of forming joins between blocks of colour and generally seen on historic tapestries.

The diagram below is the double interlock and the reverse detail of a leaf shows that technique.


There have been many discussions between curators and conservators over whether they can identify a tapestry as being woven on a basse or haute lisse loom, in the hope of possibly identifying provenance, but all agree this is nigh impossible!

In this piece I describe briefly a fascinating lecture for the C&TA Pamela Clabburn Memorial
Lecture 2024, given by Amy Hare, Senior Lecturer in Contextual Studies at the Royal School
of Needlework (RSN) and an Associate Lecturer in Costume History at UAL Wimbledon.
​

The Pamela Clabburn Lecture was given to a lovely full room on the afternoon of Saturday 28 September. We were in the Jerningham Room, upstairs at the Costessey Centre, where it
is easier to see the screen clearly, rather than the larger but light-filled space downstairs.
Our guests of honour were Ken and Lisa Clabburn, who are generous sponsors of the C&TA.  The annual lecture was given in memory their renowned relative and C&TA founder, Pamela
Clabburn.


The RSN describes itself as:
‘The International Centre of Excellence for the Art of Hand Embroidery since 1872.
Based at the magnificent Hampton Court Palace, south-west London,
we offer a thriving education programme for everyone from beginner to degree level […] Our
renowned Embroidery Studio creates stunning bespoke embroidery for fashion, art and
royalty, as well as expertly restoring and conserving valuable and historical embroidered
pieces.’
Amy’s talk introduced us to the RSN, its history, founding ethos, and current incarnation.
She was unapologetic about the role of patronage in the founding and development of the
RSN, hence my title: Crown, Church and Couture. Amy shared some of the exciting work that
the degree students are involved with, and the role of the school as an educational
institution was explained.
Amy also showed us highlights of the RSN’s own collection, which was for me the most
interesting part of the talk. One theme was samplers (spot samplers, alphabet samplers,
technique samplers, sample garments etc.) and their role in women’s education. I had not
seen map samplers and so, when I got home, I looked at images of globe samplers from the
USA. Another image which interested me particularly was the Queen’s Robe of Estate
worked by the RSN Embroidery Studio for the recent coronation of King Charles III and
Queen Camilla (6 May 2023). https://royal-needlework.org.uk/her-majestys-robe-of-estate/
The highly-skilled master-embroiderers worked on nine textile pieces for the coronation -
including the Anointing Screen, with its tree bearing 56 leaves representing all the countries
of the Commonwealth. It also includes a phrase well-known locally: ‘All shall be well and
all manner of things shall be well’. These are the words of the 14th century Norwich mystic
and author, Julian of Norwich, also known as Mother Julian.
The RSN collection is currently being digitised and is very accessible, even if access to the
physical objects is limited to temporary exhibitions, teaching and research. Another
interesting digital project is the ‘RSN Stitch Bank’ which is a useful resource for both makers
and researchers. 

There was an interesting discussion of the role of embroidery as an aid to recovery for
soldiers, and the hidden history of men as embroiderers. I enjoyed Amy Hare’s curatorial
approach and the wealth of examples she used to illustrate her points.
After the lecture, a lovely tea was served, which included fresh strawberries and mini
Battenburg cakes, as well as other delights, and an opportunity chat with other members
and with the speaker. Everyone I spoke to had been inspired by Amy’s talk.
We were also able to admire - at a safe distance - a superb Norwich shawl made by
Clabburn, Sons & Crisp. I was there when it was folded up at the end of the day, and saw the
underside with its floating wefts and beautiful colours which were another inspiration.
For further information about the RSN, their website is well worth exploring
https://royal-needlework.org.uk/
Helen Durrant
CTA Member

October 2024

A coach party of members and friends enjoyed a private visit to the Warner Textile Archive in Braintree. 

Warner & Sons, founded in 1870, was one of the most respected furnishing silk manufacturers in the UK.   In 2004 Braintree District Museum Trust raised £2.6 million to save their complete archive for the nation.  It is the largest publicly owned collection of furnishing fabrics from a luxury textile manufacturer in the country, now housed in the original Warner & Sons mill which was refurbished to hold this significant collection of fabrics and records dating from the 18th century to the end of the 20th. 

The Archive contains hundreds of thousands of fabric samples: handwoven silks, velvets, printed fabrics; paper designs, jacquard loom punchcards, print papers, print blocks, pattern books, production and marketing records.  There is a huge amount still to be catalogued but the collection gives an extraordinary record of textile manufacturing across the centuries from production methods and trends to design development and changing fashions, marketing, sales and distribution.

Key designers represented in the Warner Textile Archive include Dora Batty, Edward Bawden, Frank Davies, Marion Dorn, Alec Hunter, Owen Jones, Theo Moorman, William Morris, Arthur Silver, Eddie Squires, Marianne Straub, Bruce Talbert, Bertrand Whittaker and Herbert Woodman.

Warner & Sons have a long tradition of supplying textiles for royal events and palaces. Queen Victoria was one of their  high-profile customers. She initiated a longstanding relationship, which was continued by many subsequent monarchs. Warner & Sons provided silks, and cloth of gold, for the coronations of Edward VII, George V, George VI, and Elizabeth II, some of which were re-used in the coronation of King Charles III. Their fabrics can still be seen in many royal palaces and residences, and thanks to the archive, unique decorative schemes and upholstery can be refurbished and conserved with exact copies.  

The archive is open to researchers and booked parties, a unique collection of extraordinary value anyone studying textile manufacture.

 https://warnertextilearchive.co.uk/

As part of the Heritage Open Days programme, a fully booked workshop held at the Millennium Library in September explored the Norwich Pine design, originally copied from kashmiri shawls in the nineteenth century by Norfolks' skilled weavers and developed by them on magnificent Norwich Shawls - the height of Victorian fashion.  There was a chance to lexperiment with the design and learn how to crochet, print onto fabric and embroider pine designs.  Two mother and daughter pairs joined in the fun, with a chance to see original Norwich Shawls up close for inspiration.

The summer came at last and, of course, we were then all a bit exhausted by the heat. So I was pleased to find that the Stafford Hall in the Costessey Centre was cool, even though it was a sold out event - as usual for the popular 'History Wardrobe’ events.

There were odd seats here and there between the various groups of friends, and I was able to sit relatively near the front. Several members had made an effort to dress in appropriately floral dresses, in keeping with the silk and roses theme.  I remembered that I had exactly the right dress for the occasion hanging in my wardrobe … life is full of these minor regrets.

The stage was set with handsome mannequins dressed in floral splendour and decorated with little flags and flowers.

Our chair, Caroline promoted future talks and events, which included our planned presence at the Worstead Festival held on the last weekend of July. Caroline was pleased to announce that we had the first opportunity to buy the new C&TA Christmas cards - prepared especially for sale at Worstead.  There was a round of applause but also a moment of shock at the thought of planning for Christmas this early.

Caroline then introduced the speaker, Lucy Adlington.  Many of the audience had been to Lucy’s ‘History Wardrobe’ presentations before and there was a buzz of anticipation; but some of us newbies were not so sure what to expect.

The first thing I noticed was that Lucy has a wonderful carrying voice which reaches the back of the hall without difficulty. I realised quickly that we were being treated not just to an erudite lecture on the relationship between gardens and fashion design … but a wonderful, almost theatrical, presentation using voice and movement … as well as showing us wonderful examples of her collection of floral costumes and textiles through the centuries.

The fabulous Lucy is an avid collector and her pleasure in sharing items she had collected, and the stories attached to the items, made the session very enjoyable.

So now no longer a newbie, I can thoroughly recommend ‘History Wardrobe’ to you next time an opportunity arises.


Helen Durrant
C&TA member

​

Here is a brief note about the C&TA AGM and talk by Lisa Little of Sheringham Museum,
on 18th May 2024. The aim of this little piece is to give you a flavour of the event in case
you could not attend in person.
A friend of mine, when I asked her if I would see her at the C&TA AGM, said “Oh no, I
don't do AGMs.” But I have to say the C&TA AGM is such an exemplary affair I could find
no excuse not to attend. It is informative, briskly run and so mercifully brief. Minutes of
the last meeting, agenda and treasurers report were available. A variety of members
from the floor were quick to propose and second motions, so there was no tedious delay
and all the reports were clear and to the point.
The Jerningham Room upstairs at The Costessey Centre was full and there was a lot of
chatter in between the various presentations. I was impressed at the smooth transition
between officers, as we had changed both our Chairman and our Treasurer. The
previous post holders were properly thanked and flowers were presented. The
Chairman’s talk included thanks to many and pride in our achievements, in particular
the 35 th Anniversary Exhibition at the Norfolk Makers Festival, held in April at the
Norwich Forum. The Treasurer explained the audited accounts and our different
sources of income. The digital report highlighted how important the online talks had
become for the C&TA income and how they had extended our international
membership. There was a discussion of what I would call the digital divide and people’s
confidence in using new technology
​
​
Ruth Battersby, Senior Curator at the Norfolk Museum Service’s presentation was very
interesting. She focused on the recent work of moving the collection and the importance
of location documentation; and highlighted the contribution C&TA had made to the
work of the Museum Service. She also explained the Norfolk Museums Service’s role in
the advisory services available to other heritage organisations
There was then a small gap in proceedings, so anyone who had wanted to avoid the AGM could arrive just for the talk.

​

The speaker for the day was Lisa Little of Sheringham Museum.
Lisa spoke about her family connections to Sheringham. Her talk covered two main topics of great interest to
members: The first was John Craske, the fisherman, artist and embroiderer. Lisa
showed the design and development of a community piece in response to his work, the
‘Sheringham Seascape Embroidery’, a view of the Sheringham shoreline - this piece of
work-in-progress was set out on a table for us to examine afterwards. The second was
the East Anglia Gansey Group project [A gansey is hand knitted woollen jumper worn by
British fishermen], which included an insight into the development of the International
Gansey Day (23 rd November) and the ‘Gansey of Inclusivity’, a truly impressive piece of
5ft 8in knitting celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. Lisa’s enthusiasm and hard work
shone through her talk.

We hurried away promising ourselves a visit to Norwich Castle when the Keep
restoration project opens, and a visit to Sheringham, where the museum is open
everyday, except Sunday, as soon as possible.

Helen Ann Durrant (Member, C&TA)

April 2024: Ten day Exhibition celebrating the 35th (Coral) Anniversary of the C&TA at The Forum, Norwich.