Last year there was an embroidery exhibition in town, and when visiting it I found out Sweden has an Embroidery Guild open to everyone, called Broderiakademi! How amazing is that? I had no idea groups like this excised. Where I live there is even a local group meeting every month!

Embroidery floss (Photo Copyright Hanna Andersson) at www.ihanna.nu

When I joined I was not sure if this would be for me (yes I am very much the youngest in the group), but every time I go I come home inspired and full of creative energy from the embroidery ladies. I’ve mentioned the Embroidery group when I wrote about the start up of the Summer Embroidery Project (a last update with images of finished edge, hanger and all will be featured in a blog near you soon… I promise!).

Embroidery Exhibition

Anyway. The exhibition was fantastic and huge – as you can see from the video I just edited and uploaded to youtube. The exhibition really showed how rich this craft is! There is a huge and beautiful verity of methods, stitches, materials and traditions in embroidery! And oh so many fun ways to express yourself with thread. I’m trying out what I would call “mixed media embroidery”, sewing little stitches on fabric painted in acrylic etc. Fun fun fun!

Right now my experiments look like this:
Mixed Media Embroidery (Copyright Hanna Andersson)
Mixed media embroidery… is that a term? Now it is. I’m in love with sewing.

As I’m now both a part of the magazine editorial staff and elected to be a member of the committee (though I have yet to attend a meeting) I thought I really needed to tell you about this group, especially if any Swedish crafters or embroiderer’s coming by here wanting to belong to a group or find fellowship with other creative souls… Check out Broderiakademin, that’s all I’m saying.

F?rsta tidningen f?r mig (Copyright Hanna Andersson)As a member you get a full color much loved magazine about embroidery twice a year. In the magazine you can read about upcoming events, news, contests, books and be inspired by other members and read a few longer articles and interviews!

The first issue that I’ve been involved with came out in December 2009. Yay! I contributed an article about traditional Madonna Embroidery, a book review and a piece about the woman who got the embroidery scholarship last year. The magazine is of course in Swedish and I really enjoyed writing and working with it!

The organization Broderiakademin wants to do this, and I fully stand behind Broderiakademin’s “program declaration.

Broderiakademin’s missions statement

My translation loose translation: Broderiakademin wants to promote embroidery as a way of artistic expression, to increase awareness about the traditions of embroidery, work to promote development chances for embroidery, create new arenas for people to meet and view embroidery and to be a forum for and strengthen the relations between those who work with embroidery.

Isn’t that beautiful?

T?cklebro Broderiakademi

I was checking out UK’s Embroiderers Guild today, to find out if I could translate our group as “guild” and I think I can. So let’s call it Sweden’s Embroidery Guild until someone objects. I think it is. Everyone interested in Embroidery can join a guild. Broderiakademin has members all over Sweden (and Scandinavia), contests, a magazine and local groups meeting in many cities including my hometown.

If you’re a member and happen to be visiting – say hi to me below! Or if you know of great embroidery books or resources, I’d love to know about them… :-) You could grab one of the buttons I just created to link from your homepage or blog… I did these while updating my Link Love Page and making buttons for the DIY Postcard Swap 2010. Here they are, cute as a button:

T?cklebro Broderiakademi (Sweden's Embroidery Guild)

Oh, and if you have the time I would love to know what you think of the video I did in Movie Maker (that stupid program, not done for fine tuning…) below. It took for ever to edit this, but I think it’s rather good. Rate it at youtube by clicking the clip, or comment below.

The embroidery pieces in the video are just examples of the exhibition, I couldn’t fit it all in and didn’t want to make it too long. Non of the embroideries in the video are made by me, I just picked the music. ;-)

Maybe I should suggest to the board that they should hire me as their Information Manager and general PR person? What a dream job that would be for me!

What creative groups do you belong to?