Julia Caprara

I will probably get sued by Twisted Thread but I thought I'd risk it to flag up the tribute they are preparing to Julia Caprara. I copy below in full the content of their newsletter which came to me today.

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"Help us commemorate Julia Caprara's life in stitch when you visit Harrogate.

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The run up to Harrogate is normally such a joyous time but Julia Caprara died on the 24th October. She was a great friend, a consummate artist and teacher, as well as a massive inspiration for so many of us. Alex Caprara has kindly given his permission for us to stage a retrospective to mark Julia’s contribution but we do not intend to mount that exhibition until 2010 in order to do full justice to her work. Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn have kindly agreed to curate this exhibition. However, back in 2001 and inspired by the terrorist attacks in New York, Julia created a special piece for The Knitting and Stitching Show which comprised a ball of barbed wire – the idea being that visitors to our events could add their stitched thoughts as a gesture to the victims and their families. Julia’s only regret about the piece at the time was that the barbed wire was fresh, bright and new. She wanted that ageing patina she associated with World War I sites! Well, we have found that ball of barbed wire and, over the years, it has acquired that very patina that we know Julia would have loved.

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We intend to place the ball in the entrance to Hall M at The Knitting and Stitching Show and, if you will be visiting and knew Julia, (or knew of her through her books, her art or teaching), we would love you to stitch or write a message for her and attach it as you come in. She loved colour – so please don’t be timid. Black and white was never her thing! Should you not be intending to visit Harrogate, you can still contribute by posting your message to us at Creative Exhibitions Ltd, c/o Harrogate International Centre, Kings Road, Harrogate, North Yorks HG1 5LA but please ensure that it arrives NO LATER than Thursday 20th November when the Show opens.

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Please keep the size to that of a postcard at maximum. We intend to present the messages to Alex after the show closes. Finally, please don’t think you have to put your thoughts into words. Julia would never have thought you needed to be that literal! Incidentally – you may be aware of our website name – twistedthread. That name was inspired by the original barbed wire ball which is why the request I make is such a personal one. Andrew Salmon"

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I never had any contact with Julia other than seeing her work at the Festival of Quilts. However, I have never forgotten the impact her work made on me so I am going to make a small sewn piece to take with me when I go to Harrogate on 22nd. I've made a start tonight and have made some backgrounds about the size of a bookmark (there's a bit of a theme here this week!)so I shall have to get busy with the needle.

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I've bondawebbed silks, chiffons and organzas to a loose weaved background and I'm going to work in blue and orange detached chain stitch, changing colour and/or thread type each time the thread runs out. If I'm a bit quiet you'll know what I am doing! (I'm using the piece on the left).