York's textile art: a free autumn exhibition

York has a quiet but steady textile art scene, and its most reliable fixture is about to return. The York Textile Artists are back with their annual exhibition, this year titled 'Fragments of Imagination', and it marks a bit of a milestone: the group is now in its tenth year of showing together. It runs over two days, Thursday 10 and Friday 11 October, from 10am to 4pm, and it's free to walk in, which makes it an easy one to drop into without planning much around it.

The setting is part of the appeal. The exhibition is held at the York Cemetery Chapel on Cemetery Road, a working burial ground close to the city centre. It's an unusual space for an art show, but that's exactly the kind of thing that gives the exhibition its character. Inside, you'll find a fresh collection of work from the group's thirteen members, and the range is wide: embroidery, felting, eco-printing, batik, screen-printing and weaving all sit side by side. It's not just a walk-around, either. There are demonstrations, a pop-up shop and refreshments from Divine Coffee Roasters, so you can meet the artists, get a sense of how the work is made and buy original pieces, prints and other textile works if something catches your eye.

The group itself has an unpretentious origin story. It came together after a few textile artists showing in the 2017 York Open Studios met for a coffee and a chat, found they enjoyed swapping ideas and sharing experiences, and decided to keep meeting and showing their work together. Since then, they've taken their exhibitions across North Yorkshire, from The Station at Richmond to the Inspired by... gallery at Danby. Fran Brammer, the group's chairperson, works in freehand machine and hand embroidery, with smocking, pleating, needle weaving, digital prints, dye sticks, silk paint and dye crayons all in the mix. Her pieces tend to take their cue from the local landscape, from the Vale of York up into the Yorkshire Dales.

If you're the sort of person who enjoys a bit of craft and a quiet hour or two, it's a lovely way to spend a morning or afternoon in October. The free admission means there's no real downside to popping in, and the mix of techniques on show gives you a decent look at what the local textile community has been up to over the past year. It's a small, friendly affair rather than a big event, which is really its strength. Whether you're a maker yourself or just fancy a bit of something different for your autumn plans, it's worth keeping on your radar for the second week of October.