Queen Margaret University Association
April get-together
Although our usual date of the second Tuesday of the month fell just at Easter we decided to meet anyway. the venue was again Dovecot Studio's in Infirmary Street, Edinburgh. this allowed any interested parties to then go to the Kaffe Fassett exhibition on design.
There were some remarkable, complex patchwork quilts on show, all made from Kaffe Fassett's fabrics. Other items were shirts, tapestry cushions and wall hangings. The colour palette was bright and designs were very diverse. Overall we were quite amazed by the variations in approaches to his designs, but some of us were a little disappointed that none of his knitwear patters of garments were in the exhibition.
Whether one could live with the dynamism and vibrancy of some of the work was a moot point but overall the opinion was he has certainly set the world alight in terms of colour use and design. The exhibition runs until the 8th July and there are of course retail opportunities to buy tapestry wools, tapestry kits and some informative books.
Coffee get-together in January
We started the year well with a get-together in January at the National Museum of Scotland. The plan was to have coffee and a chat followed by a visit to the Bernat Klein exhibition being held there. 11 of us arrived for coffee so we rather filled the Balcony coffee space. as our date clashed with one of the school strike days there were also many (grand)parents and children so the place was buzzing. The exhibition was fascinating with bold textiles and colours that we now take for granted but were quite radical in the 60's and 70's.
The exhibition is free and is on until 23rd April so do go and see it if you have not done so already.
February get together at City Arts centre
Having had very good feedback regarding the get-togethers having a focus as well as the chat element, we all met in Mimi's cafe at the City Arts centre for the initial chat and coffee/tea/cakes (delete where appropriate!). Then, those who wished to, sallied forth to the 4 photographic exhibitions being held there. Of particular interest were the Auld Reekie exhibits (who remembers the portable heated hood hair driers from the 70's by Ronson!). The "lost world" images were also very evocative including this one of an old Edinburgh laundrette.
and also the photographs of interiors of shop now long gone, such as the iconic brush shop in
Victoria Street and Macdonalds - Tobacconists on George the IV Bridge.
