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Jean Littlejohn FSDC

Stitched & Constructed Textiles

About Jean
Jean’s multi-media approach combines fabric, print and stitch marks, and allows the interplay of layers that hint at complexity. Jean is ever aware that our ancestors cast long shadows.
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Biography Back to top

Jean’s work reflects a continuing fascination with pathways and the routines and rhythms of daily life.

There are also underlying references to the past and the echoes of our forebears.

Some images evoke a sense of life being ‘in and out of focus’. She also references notions of memory retrieval, family archives and personal narratives.

The inclusion of celestial markers such as moon phases and solstices represent consistency and change.

Resumé Back to top

Jean Littlejohn Cert Ed, LCGI, FSDC

Teaching

1966-1976 Teaching in Primary schools. Deputy Head in 1975

1977-2006 Lectures and courses for branches of the Embroiderers’ Guild and other organisations. Part-time then Associate Lecturer in Embroidery at East Berkshire College, 2000 - Artist in Residence, Course Tutor - Diploma in Stitched Textiles.

1968-Present Giving lectures and running textile workshops across the UK and overseas.

Lectures and Workshops Overseas

1966-1997 Canada, Melbourne Embroidery Festival, Australia, New Zealand

1998-2001 E.G.A National Seminar, New Orleans, California, Canada, Australia,

Israel.

Callaway School of Needle Arts. E.G.A National Seminar Boston USA, Chicago, San Francisco, Textile Forum and other venues, Australia.

2002 Chicago, San Francisco, Denver, Colorado.

2003 Callaway School of Needle Arts, Pine Mountain, Georgia. Baltimore.

2004 Fiber Arts Festival, Alaska, Freiburg and Irsee, Germany. San Francisco, Houston.

2005 Callaway School of Needle Arts, Atlanta. Australia - Textile Forums -Horsham, Orange. EGA, Florida and Arizona.

2006 Various courses in California, Seattle, Freiburg and Irsee in Germany

2007 Callaway School of Needle Arts, Vancouver, Alaska, Ontario, Switzerland (Bernina)

2008 Fiber Forum, Orange, Australia, Freiburg, California, Italy

2009 Callaway School of Needle Arts, California, Ireland, Irsee, Switzerland, Italy.

2010 Jersey, Australia, Freiburg, Italy

2011 Callaway School of Needle Arts, California, Santa Fe, Italy

2012 Freiburg, Switzerland, Italy, Sedona

2013 Callaway School of Needle Arts, Italy

2014 Chicago, Taos, Freiburg, Italy

2015 Callaway School of Needle Arts, Preniac, France, Italy

2016 Freiburg, Italy.

2017 Preniac,France

2018 Florida, Freiberg, Italy

Other

1983-1985 Examiner for City & Guilds embroidery.

1985-1993 Joint Chief Examiner for City & Guilds embroidery.

1995 Daler Rowney Award for outstanding working drawings

Kreinik Award for outstanding use of metal threads

2004 Honorary membership of the Embroiderers' Guild

1978-Present Vice-President- Windsor and Maidenhead Branch of the Embroiderers' Guild.

Awarded ‘Textile Teacher of the Year’ (with Jan Beaney)

2012-2018 Joint President of Embroiderers’ Guild

2015 Fellow of the Society of Designer Craftsmen

Exhibitions

Solo exhibition titled French Images, London (1986)

Joined the 62 Group in 1991 and shown most of their major exhibitions. Exhibitions include: ‘Out of the Frame’ Crafts Council (1992),

Textiel & Europa Grenzeloos in the Hague, Holland (1993), Coats Anchor European Embroidery Design (1996), Route des Textiles Paris (1998), 62 Group, 50x50 London and Israel, (1998)

'Art of the Stitch', London (1999), The Splendid World of Needle Arts, Japan (1999). 'On and Off the Wall', 62 Group (1999), 'Out of the Garden', 62 Group. (2000). 'Cajobah Gallery', Birkenhead, (2001). 'Art of the Stitch' London (2001). 'Double Vision ' (with Jan Beaney) , Knitting and Stitching Show, London, Dublin, Harrogate, (2002), Cajobah Gallery, Art of the Stitch'( 2003), Birkenhead, Holland, London. Quilt Star Gallery, Freiburg, Germany, (2004), 'Material Evidence',62 Group (2004), Art Embroidery, Pfaff (2004). ‘Close to Home’ Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate.(2006) ‘Tracing Threads’, 62 Group (2006). ‘Seeing Double’ (with Jan Beaney) , Knitting and Stitching Show, London, Dublin, Harrogate, (2008). ‘Bending the Line’, 62 Group (2009), ‘Bending More Lines’, Holland, (2010), ‘Interventions’ 62 Group, ‘62@50’ (2012). 'Rhythms and Counter Rhythms' (with Jan Beaney) , Knitting and Stitching Show, London, Dublin, Harrogate, (2013). ‘Ebb and Flow’ 62 Group (2014). ’62 Group. NOW’ (2015).

'25 Years Then and Now' (with Jan Beaney) , Knitting and Stitching Show, London, Dublin, Harrogate (2016). ‘Textile Meditations’, Armory Art Center, Florida, USA. (2018)

Work purchased for public and private collections in Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Germany.

Publications

Every Kind of Smocking published by Search Press (1985)

Fabrics for Embroidery published by Batsford (1986)

A Complete Guide to Creative Embroidery published by Century (co-author Jan Beaney) (1991). Reprinted by Batsford Books 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005

Voluptuous Velvet published by Double Trouble Enterprises (1997)

Stitch Magic, Batsford Books (co-author Jean Littlejohn) (1998), 1999, Paperback 2005

Bonding & Beyond and Transfer to Transform (1999) Gardens and More, and Conversations with Constance, (2000) Trees as a Theme, and Giving Pleasure,(2001), New Dimensions, and Double Vision (2002)A Tale of Two Stitches, and A Sketch in Time (2003), No Stone Unturned, and Connections (2004), Colour Explorations, and Over the Line (2005) Grids to Stitch, and Seductive Surfaces (2006), Red, and Embellish and Enrich (2007), Location, Location and Seeing Double (2008), Fragile Fabrics and Constructions (2009), Stitchscapes (2010), Stitch Rhythms and Patterns (2011), Memory Cloths (2015), all co-authored with Jan Beaney and published by Double Trouble Enterprises.

Articles

Contributed articles for:, ‘The World of Embroidery,’ ‘Stitch’ and ‘Embroidery’ magazines.

Videos/DVDs

Featured in Inspirations (1996), produced by Find a Fact Ltd.

Contemporary Fibre Artists, Maker Profile, Jean Littlejohn (2006) and Seeing Double (with Jan Beaney, 2008) produced by Odyssey.

In Action (2010), In Stitches (2012), In Motion (2014), Interpretations (2017) all co-designed and presented with Jan Beaney and produced by Studio Galli.

Company Co-founder with Jan Beaney of Double Trouble Enterprises to

publish books and promote embroidery. (1997)

To date they have sold over 200,000 books and 8,000 DVDs.

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