Students are SO talented!

(Above: Unfortunately, I've lost the name of the artist. If anyone knows it, please inform me. I thought this was BRILLIANT!)

Last year I really was blown away by the graduate student work presented at the Birmingham Knitting and Stitching Show. I really looked forward to seeing what this year's batch of young, talented fiber artists would show. I wasn't disappointed!

Unlike the members of the Studio 21 Group, these kids generally do have proper resumes, portfolios of work, business cards, websites, and are armed and ready to take on the difficult tasks of finding a personal creative place, employment, and an audience for their work. I was quite impressed by each little nook and every partial wall of fiber art.


(Above: One of the garment by Rachel Crowley meant to show inner complexities by revealing body parts that are generally hidden...something like that...quite impressive actually.)

There were two areas, the Knitted Textile Student Awards and the Embroiderers Guild's selected graduate displays. Some of the work that most impressed me were the unique felted-like accessories by Lianna Merrony, everything by Rebecca Holmes (who won the top honor...though I didn't realize it when I was gawking at her sense of style!), the implied complexities of Rachel Crowley's body parts/garments, the humor in Laura Sollis' crashed tea party installation, the delicacy of Jennifer Syrett's Urban Fairy costumes, the clown-like ruffled neckwear made by Jill Flower, the ready-to-sell boxes by Linda Marie Young, and the interesting embellished writing by Filomena del Guercio.


(Above: Linda Marie Young and her boxes.)

The Knitting Students have more images available here. Including their winners...but scroll down a bit for several other photos.

I've included images in my two Flickr! sets. Here and here.



There will always be up-and-coming fiber artists in England because young people are simply exposed more often to the amazing possibilities in the field. There are hundreds of students...not just the college aged ones focusing on knitting and stitching and pursuing diplomas....but the KIDS. They were happy, excited, trying everything, happy to pose for pictures, and an absolute delight.