Fabulous February's "Yarn Bombing"

Fabulous February is  "Yarn bombing" creation month!

Since Stokey WI was formed, every year we have done some sort of a "Yarn Bombing" event to celebrate International Women's Day. This year we are planning a collaboration with other local london WI groups, and women's groups in our Area. We're still keeping what we'll make this year under wraps, but the theme is sustainability and the colours of the suffragette movement- Green, White and Purple.  Please start collecting carrier bags, in this colours, along with any other materials that we could use to make things to decorate Albion Parade.

These are a couple of pics from last year's event

     

   

International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. In some places like China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria, International Women's Day is a national holiday. 

The day honours the work of the Suffragettes, celebrates women's success, and reminds of some of the global inequities that still to be redressed. 

So let's all put our fingers to work on Feb 13th, and get creative for International women's day whilst sipping some lovely wine, and enjoying the company of our lovely group.

No charge for members to attend, just grab a drink from the bar on the way in.

Love your Libraries campaign Update

One of last year's national resolutions was a "Love your Libraries" campaign. It launched on Sept 16th, and here are a few reminders of how Stokey WI joined in

The campaign isn't over yet, so here's a few dates for the diary and more ideas for how to get involved:- 

National Libraries Day 4^th February 2011

All over the country plans are progressing for National Libraries Day on 4^th February. The day is a chance to celebrate our libraries, and to demonstrate how important they are to our communities. If you haven’t already organised an event, why not try one of these options?

• A ‘hug a library event’ - organise a human chain to form a ‘group hug’ around the library to demonstrate just how much it is valued
• A Love Libraries march to your public library or a rally – you might even want to dress as your favourite literary character
• Hold your WI meeting, or WI book group in your local library
• A library ‘read in’ event with local authors, or for children’s reading group

A website for the day has been launched where you can register your own event and find out what is going on around the country:

www.nationallibrariesday.org.uk

You can also find out more on Facebook here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Libraries-Day/323090687701341

Or follow on Twitter via @NatLibrariesDay

Join the Libraries Lobby Day on Tuesday 13^th March

The next stage of the Love Your Libraries campaign will be a lobby day in Parliament. Members are invited to come along on 13^th March to join a rally in support of libraries, and to meet with your local MP to explain why libraries are so important to you.

Full briefings will be provided, and there will be an opportunity to meet up with other WI members to share experiences. To find out more please contact Emma Lindsay in the Public Affairs Department on 020 7371 9300 (ext 213) or email e.lindsay@nfwi.org.uk.

Libraries Embroidery Project

“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library” Jorge Luis Borges

WI members are invited to embroider their favourite literary quotation to illustrate the importance of libraries to our lives. The quotation can be taken from any work of literature or poetry, and any technique of hand or machine embroidery may be used.

The best submissions will be showcased at Denman College and the Autumn National Council meeting later in 2012.

Guidelines

To enter, you must embroider your favourite literary quotation onto material no larger than A3. Entries must be framed, but need not be glazed.

·   The quotation can be taken from any novel or poem.

·   The quotation should be embroidered on any type of fabric.

·   The entry should be no larger than A3 in size.

·   You may use any type of machine or hand embroidery.

·   Entries must be framed to enable hanging, but need not be glazed.

·   Entries must be clearly labelled with the competitor’s name, address, contact telephone number and WI.

·   Entries can either be posted or delivered by hand to the NFWI, 104 New King’s Road, London, SW6 4LY.

To enter the competition please e mail us for an entry form stokenewingtonwi@gmail.com

Prize

The winning entry will receive £50 of book tokens.

Timeline

Deadline for entry forms 1st March.

Deadline for completed entries: 31^st April 2012

Winners announced 14^th May 2012.

Best entries displayed at Denman College June-September 2012

Entries showcased at Autumn National Council meeting October 2012.

National federation resolutions-please vote asap

Vote now for the 2012 National Federation Resolutions

As members of a national organisation we get to vote every year on the resolutions the whole of the WI will focus on.
Please only vote if you haven't already posted the form in your last WI Life Magazine
You can only vote for one resolution, and the federation will choose the 2 most popular topics for this year

Voting closes soon...



Resolution Shortlist
 
1. Field study centres and outdoor education
At a time when understanding of the complexity of environmental issues is paramount, the WI opposes the closure of outdoor and field study centres, depriving future generations of schoolchildren of their recognised academic and social benefits.
 
2. Airborne litter
The NFWI urges Her Majesty's Government to legislate against the sale and release of sky (Chinese) lanterns and the mass release of balloons because of the damage that can be done to animals, crops and property.
 
3. Reducing fuel poverty
The NFWI urges Her Majesty's Government to address fuel poverty.
 
4. Employment of more midwives
There are chronic shortages of midwives. The NFWI calls on the Government to increase investment in the training, employment and retention of midwives in England and Wales to ensure services are adequately resourced and are able to deliver a high standard of care.
 
5. Achieving legal status for British Sign Language as an indigenous minority language in the UK The WI urges Her Majesty's Government to give British Sign Language (BSL) the same legal status and protection as other regional and minority languages (e.g. Welsh and Gaelic).
 
6. Helmets for cyclists
The NFWI urges Her Majesty's Government to make the wearing of helmets when cycling a legal requirement.
 


Vote now by clicking on the survey link in the e mail reminder you were sent last week,or filling out the form in the last WI Life Mag

Brilliant night of burlesque Life drawing at the Prince Pub

Any back to work blues us ladies may have felt, were swept away at January's Burlesque life drawing class. Over 30 ladies attended,  many of them new faces eager to get drawing and have some fun.

A big shout out to Gail, who teaches art at Stoke Newington School for leading the session. Another big thanks to the fabulous Mary, who generously collected and brought along all the loaned art materials from the school. They were heavy, and she kindly drove everything to the event. Finally a fabulous big thanks to our model for the night Honey Wilde aka Kirsty Gilmore who is a fabulous political burlesque performer, a life model and a sound engineer, and who brought a touch of glamour to the evening.

The evening started with some blind drawing techniques, and much laughter!
Kirsty was delicately laid across a table....

The second technique we learnt was using charcoal, and i regretted sitting between a professional costume designer, and a milliner, who both rendered some fabulous drawings.

Finally we worked with water soluble pens, and used washes of water to create shading and texture in our drawings. 

What amazing pics everyone did!

Kirsty our model regularly performs across london and the UK as a comic, political burlesque model. If you'd like to catch one of her shows you can check her schedule here http://www.honeywilde.co.uk/

We're super lucky that in Stoke Newington we have a couple of great places to take life drawing classes. So if you fancy having some fun drawing, or want to improve your skills in a super cool chilled bar with a cheeky cocktail, then check out the Baby Bath House candlelit class on Thursdays.

Beat The January blues with Burlesque Life drawing

January can be such a depressing month!

So to beat the blues, why not join us on Jan 9th for a night of fun and life drawing. You don't need to have done any drawing before, it's just a night of fun. There will be a small donation on the night of £3 for members and £5 for non members to cover the cost of materials,the model and art leader. Drinks can be purchased at the bar of the Prince pub

We have a truely fabulous Burlesque artist posing in costume for us,  Kirsty Gilmore. Here's a little about our talented model..

Kirsty Gillmore splits her life between two very different businesses which reflect a passion for creativity and the arts. Performing as Honey Wilde, "The Iron Lady of Burlesque" since 2008, she has won fans around the UK and across the Atlantic with her quirky comic burlesque performances, specialising in the revival and reinvention of unique characters. In 2010 she was named as one of the Top 100 Burlesque Performers worldwide and in 2011 she took her signature Margaret Thatcher act to the 9th Annual New York Burlesque Festival. See more of Honey at http://www.honeywilde.co.uk

Tom Mac Photography

Mat Ricardo Photography

As owner and operator of her second business, "Sounds Wilde", Kirsty works as a sound designer and sound engineer, providing creative sound services to creative people. In 2011 her projects included designing the sound for a show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, creating a soundtrack for a catwalk show for London Fashion Week and launching a portable voice reel service for actors and voice artists. There's more about Sounds Wilde at: http://soundswilde.com

We have a local art teacher who will be assisting us with our drawing skills, and she is kindly bringing along all the materials we'll need too!

So come along for an evening of creativity, fun and wine!

Jan 9th- 8 pm to 10 pm upstairs at the Prince pub on Kynaston Road

RSVP here so we know numbers

Members- please note that subs are now due, so bring along a cheque or cash of £31.50 on the night.