Meet the Welcoming Tasmanian Textile Artist Group Stitching and Beyond
Stitching and Beyond began as a small group of textile artists after a 2005 quilting exhibition.
Since then, our membership has grown to more than 100 textile artists of diverse backgrounds and skills, from all regions of Tasmania and further afield.
New members, whether they be professional artists or novices, are welcome.
Passionate About Fabric, Fibre, Colour and Making
Our members are passionate about fabrics, fibre and threads, colour and texture. We share ideas, knowledge and techniques collected over many years from varying backgrounds.
As well as support each other in our textile quests, and showcase fibre and textile art in all forms at our popular biennial exhibition ‘Out of Hand’.
Through the passion and work of its members, Stitching and Beyond hopes to encourage the broader community to take up needles, threads, fabric and any kind of fibre.
Belonging To Textile Groups
Many of our members are members of other textile groups such as the Tasmanian Quilting Guild, Basketmakers of Tasmania, Handweavers, Spinners and Dyers Guild, Hobart Embroiderers Guild and many others.
Coming Together to Make and Share Inspiration
Members get together the third Monday morning of each month to find out the latest textile happenings, have a chat and share their latest projects.
Those interested in joining our group are always welcome to come along.
Monthly Meetings in Hobart and Launceston
Our southern Gathering is held in Kingston and our northern Gathering in Riverside (Launceston).
A program of themed exploratory days (held in Kingston the first Sunday of each month) is another opportunity for members to gather and learn from each other while exploring new techniques and skills.
Talented Skilled Members
Our membership consists of people with a diverse range of fibre and textile backgrounds and interests.
The interests include embroidery, quilting, shoemaking, basketmaking, printmaking, mixed media, costume design, wearable art, recycling, felting, dyeing, weaving and many more.
Flourishing as a Member
As a financial member of our group, you will enjoy:
- exclusive access to a number of quality workshops each year
- regular opportunities to show and share work with like-minded others
- invitation to exhibit and sell work in Stitching and Beyond’s biennial Out of Hand exhibition, with no entry fee
- entry at no cost to our Annual Challenge travelling exhibition of Tasmania
- regular textile news updates
- complimentary listing of personal art-based website, blog or social media link on our website
The Stitching and Beyond Exhibition, Workshops and Events
Every two years we hold a biennial exhibition called Out of Hand at the Long Gallery at the Salamanca Arts Centre.
The exhibition has grown exponentially from its early beginnings in 2005 with its first exhibition at Woodbridge.
This exhibition is a chance for members of the group to exhibit works that have been created within the prior two years of the exhibition.
The Stitching and Beyond Out of Hand Exhibition Theme
The theme – Out of Hand – encapsulates the connection of the hand being visible in the created work.
The works to be exhibited demonstrate the extent to which fibre can be pushed as an art media.
Many of the works are both functional and artistic and often made with recycled and repurposed materials.
The Stitching and Beyond Annual Touring Challenge
We also have an annual touring “challenge” with a different theme each year. This allows members to exhibit work throughout regional Tasmania.
The Stitching and Beyond Workshop Calendar
The group has an extensive workshop program with tutors coming from around the globe to teach new skills, processes, and media.
Our workshop offerings are diverse, ranging from traditional to the latest contemporary fibre and textile art techniques.
Upcoming Stitching and Beyond Workshops
We have a number of workshops planned for the next 12 months and more are added to the website as they become available.
The current program includes the following:
August 25th 2024 @ Kingborough Women’s club rooms Make an Amulet with Jude Walker.
October 5-7, 2024, Hobart. A Botanical Collection -Exploring the possibilities of Free-Motion Machine Embroidery with Irene Manion.
January 2025, Hobart. Exploring Landscape with embroidery and mixed media with Judith Burns.
2-4 May, 2025, Hobart, Workshop with Priscilla Edward (UK)
5-7 August 2025, Hobart, Landscape Fragments with Julia WrightT (UK)
Out of Hand exhibition is on 26th Sept to 6 Oct, 2025. This is celebrating 20 years of Stitching and Beyond.
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About the Textile Art Group
Stitching and Beyond is a warm and welcoming group of creatives which celebrates the work of textile artists exploring innovative and diverse approaches to fibre and textile arts.
Members of all skill levels share their knowledge and love of textiles through regular gatherings and have exclusive access to quality workshops led by Tasmanian, interstate and international tutors.
Explore Stitching and Beyond online, their workshops and events and follow on Facebook for the latest exhibitions, updates, news about workshops and textile inspirations.
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Read What Our Members Say About Belonging
Join the growing, supportive artists community today and have your Artist story told here.
Belinda is doing a great job creating a professional looking artist hub online. Check out the profile I posted recently to see how well she does them. To all my artist friends let’s help make this THE go to place to discover local artists.
You won’t regret joining Art Trails Tasmania . It’s a welcoming community for creatives at any career stage.Becoming an Art Trails Tasmania member wasn’t a hard decision for me to make as it’s such a wealth of knowledge and support.Being member provides a quality way to showcase your creative endeavours and it’s quickly growing in reach.
We operate a home based picture framing business and recently joined Art Trails Tasmania as a means to giving us exposure to the wider artist community. We have almost immediately seen increase in activity thru our online sites, which I am certain will lead to more opportunities to grow our business.
Artist Profile Stories
I want there to be more arts and crafts in our world, in our communities and in our own lives. Hopefully you’ve found this blog post inspiring and interesting.
So I’m creating, with your help, Art Trails Tasmania, allowing all of us who feel this love to create more of it.
And the Art Trails Tasmania blog is a key part of making this happen, telling the stories of members. It’s about what they have happening with workshops and classes, exhibitions, open studio trails, where to find their outlets, markets, fairs and festivals so you can shop their creations as well as their art and craft retreats.
Also being shared are the supporters of our artists, the galleries, shops, cafes, art societies and groups, places to stay and artist in residencies.
