‘Banners for Macclesfield’

Over the last nine months a group of local people have met at Artspace Community Arts Centre in Sutton Mill, Macclesfield to create a 12 foot triptych of three Banners in a wide variety of textile techniques – embroidery, appliqué, quilting and stump work. The finished pieces are now on display in St. Michael’s Church as part of the Barnaby Arts Trail, and will head the large Barnaby Festival Parade this Saturday 21^st June.

The 3 Banners show landmarks of Macclesfield, the Silk Industry and many of the town’s colourful characters of the past. The initial idea came from Jill Maguire, a member of Artspace who has spent many years as a painter and weaver, and has worked on many Community Arts projects in Cheshire (Nantwich, Northwich, Sandbach, Congleton, Bollington ), but never in her home town of Macclesfield. The group she gathered together, while not professional needle-workers, have gained in confidence using textile techniques over the months to produce work of a high standard, and this has been evident as work on the banners progressed. They are on view in St Michael’s Church in the Market Place until June 28^th, after which the group hopes they will become a travelling exhibition in different venues around the town, finally settling into a permanent home for display to the public.

The Textile Group plans to stay together after this project and welcomes new members. Anyone interested is asked to contact Jill, artscps@talktalk.net or ring Jill on 01625 432437