Embellisher/Textile Art Pack/Rolls

I just thought I'd tell you that I've put the first Embellisher Roll onto Etsy. Here is a picture of the contents and you can find more information about them by clicking on the link. If they have disappeared you can reach the shop via the link in the sidebar.



The contents make lovely surfaces for further stitching. This photograph shows one made using an Embellisher with a broken needle. Some people don't mind the holes, but I use this as a workshop sample to demonstrate the difference between broken and non broken needles.



This design including the fish is also made using the contents of a roll. The stitching is with a Serendipity Jumbo Medium Perle. Another Serendipity Jumbo is shown here.


You've seen this one before, but I thought I'd remind you that the background is also made using the vegetarian silk from the Embellisher Roll/Textile Art Pack.



By the way - I'm teaching at Missenden Abbey this weekend, and it just happens to be an Open Day there on Saturday between 11am and 3pm. If anyone is visiting the end of term exhibitions you are more than welcome to come and see what we are doing. We will be in the Carrington Suite, that's the old Lecture Theatre for those of you that haven't been for a while. I just ask that you respect the fact that this is a weekend workshop and we will be working away during your visit. I will have a few items for sale, but obviously don't want to be interrupted to a great extent.

What did I do yesterday?

Yesterday was a day of great concentration! I needed to dye a specific range of colours, but to do this I had to use a technique that is quite time consuming, so I don't use it very often. It is worth doing, though, as it creates well over 400 different colours within a minimum number of dyebaths. Of course 400 hanks means an awful lot of preparation, and once they are dyed they also have to be twisted into skeins, so the involve quite a lot of work.



Here are some of them drying in the open air.



They are shown in the early morning sun. By the time the sun is high enough to do any damage they will be in shade and fully protected.



This is just a small proportion, and may not seem very different to other methods at this stage, but there will be a wealth of colour change in these skeins when they are dry. Some of them may well find their way to Etsy at some time. I can't upload any more pictures as these are apparently just about at the limit of Blogger allowance.

Someone somewhere knows where most of these are going ;)

June Take it Further

By the time I come to write about the challenge I always have a problem finding the link. I'm doing this for my benefit, as well as that of everyone else! The June challenge can be found here

Now I'm off to read it .....!

May, Take it Further

What a chapter of accidents! I have had to write this post in fits and starts. Many interruptions caused me to save and return to add more. The problem arose when I had more than one copy open in several windows (I still don't know how this happened). The result was that instead of publishing the final copy I saved the first! All the time and effort (well, almost all) was wasted and I have had to start again. Hopefully I can remember what I wrote, at least in gist.

I know it's June now, but I had actually completed the challenge by the end of May. As I thought, it was a holiday project, and here are my thoughts and results.

I gave the question a lot of thought because it goes much deeper for me than it would at first appear. My name is Welsh, but as soon as I open my mouth you will think I am English. It was a quirk of 'fate' that caused me to be born and brought up in England, but in spite of living here all my life I still regard myself as Welsh. I experienced Hiraeth long before I knew there was a name for it, and travelling over the border always makes me feel as though I am returning home.

In my working life I wear many figurative hats. I am a dyer, stitcher, artist, enabler (I feel that that is different to just a teacher). I work in textiles. My other hats include wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. At different times and if different places my 'title' needs to be different. With regard to my working life I consider myself to be a Dyer first and foremost. If asked 'what do you do' I always say 'I dye'. Of course, that could be for the impact, as it often raises a shocked glance as the 'y' isn't apparent in speech! I then go on to say that I'm an Artist who works in fabric and thread. I used to say that I worked in textiles. However, that seems to conjure up pictures of sheets and tea towels to the uninitiated, and I most definitely DON'T work in those!

Thinking along all these lines made me want to create something that harked back to my roots. Here is the result



This was made during our holiday. Fortunately I had an embellisher with me, and each layer was made using a different technique. There is also some hand-dyed fine viscose felt there, and some of the layers were made using an embellisher roll. It was good to make something from start to finish while still in the area. From first sketch to finished piece took about 3 days, but I certainly wasn't working all the time. It made me realise just how much I love creating, and how rarely I am able to fully indulge these days. However, dyeing is creative too, and I do LOVE mixing colour. Don't forget that you can see some to the colours I create on the website and also on Etsy.

Back to work

We had such a lovely time in Wales. It was hard to get going when we returned. This is a photograph taken from the cottage. The whole place is surrounded by such beautiful scenery. That's Cader Idris on the horizon, we saw it every day in all its glory.

As always we came back to earth with a bump. We arrived home late on Saturday, and had to be up early on Sunday to go to Urchfont. Always a pleasure to go there, though, as the students and tutors are lovely. Make a date in your diary for Sunday 6th July. It is Open Day at Urchfont, and, having already seen some of the work that is being exhibited, I know we are in for a treat. I'll post further details when I know them, but I'm guessing that it will be open from about 11 until 3. There is also an Exhibition of Art in the Garden, and this year it includes some textile pieces. They have already been attacked by sun,rain and wind, so it will be interesting to see how they change over the next while.

On the run again

We are off to Ledbury Artplace early in the morning. If anyone is around tomorrow evening do drop by and say hello, we will be open between 7 and 9pm. Say an especial hello if you are on the workshop the next day.


If you are in the mood to trade postcards or ATC's have a look here. A whole new batch is now available. They will go quickly, so hurry over.

Catch 'em early!

Now I'm not in the least bit biased! I promise, I'm not saying this because I'm a devoted Grandma! I'm not saying it because I'm soon to be spending a whole four days with him!.

However:

Isn't this just the cutest picture?



And to think I'm showing you this on the day I learn I will have to lose a tooth.

Oh well!

April Take It Further

It has been a very busy month. We have travelled the country, and it is only 10th May! Our travels are not yet over, later this week we head for Ledbury to both sell and teach a workshop, but first there are also selling venues at Urchfont and another workshop at Grayshott where we will be making a pair of boots on the embellisher. After Ledbury we travel further north and west to Dolgellau for our spring break. It is to be extra special this year as our little grandson is bringing his mummy and daddy to visit for a few days. I'm sure there will be photographs to load when we come home.

At last I am finding time to load a corner of the Take it Further sample for April. I said that I would combine and old and new technique, and this shows an ideal example of that.




The background has been created on the embellisher - the new technique - and for the 'old' I decided to use stitches from the first session of my City and Guilds course which dates back nearly 20 years. I hope you like it. I have used a Sassa Lynne Serendipity Perle 5 for the stitching

I have resisted looking at any reference to the May inspiration until I was able to do this. I'm off to have a look now, no doubt it will be my holiday project. And I don't think I told you about the wonderful 2 days we had in Cornwall teaching the embellisher. I'll have to remember to do that soon

Knitted Jumbos!

I thought I had loaded a picture of the baby jacket I knitted with the medium Jumbo Perle. I can't find it anywhere, so I've loaded it now.

Postcard and its destination

I promised to let you know where the postcard was heading. Well, by a very circuitous route I have finally found the link! Click here to see the Cyber Fiber Exhibition The picture above shows the one I sent and the one I received.

Have a good look around the site, if you want to take part there is another round coming up shortly. Go on, you know you want to.

A fleeting look at Etsy

This link won't last more than a couple of days, but if you haven't visited Etsy before it will open your eyes to the talented bunch of sellers. Pop over and have a look before it vanishes. It will open a whole new world. Each picture is a link to an item in a shop. You will soon find your way around.

Taking things Further

At last I can give some thought to the take it further challenge for April .

'How do you see change?'

Change is all around us, all the time. It is impossible to shut ourselves away and ignore it. From birth to death our circumstances change almost daily. Maybe these are imperceptible at the time, but in retrospect they are there. We love to watch babies grow and develop. Each tiny change is a mark of growth and a small step nearer to final independence. The seasons change, and with them the scenery and the way we face the world. How much easier it is to face a day of sunshine than a day full of grey skies and rain. Here in the UK, and I think in other parts of the world too, we have had to face a spring of strange and uncertain weather - climate change has certainly made itself felt.

I think I am going to approach this from the point of view of changing techniques. I haven't fully decided, but I am probably going to use a new technique and combine it with one from my past. Let's see what happens. I could always change my mind ...

Oh, and watch out, I think I have three posts 'coming on' today - and that certainly is a change!

PHEW!

Why is it that as soon as you agree to do something with a deadline you can guarantee circumstances will change and make it impossible without a lot of stress. The following postcard should have been in the post weeks ago, and most of it has been finished for some time, but it needed assembling. I haven't missed the deadline, but this should have been an easy quick task.



Finally it is ready to go into the post. The silly thing is that now I can't find the link to show you where it is going. I'll have to hunt for it and tell you all later. The background is made on the embellisher, from an embellisher roll. I will be loading some of these on the Etsy site shortly (it should have been today, but I've run out of time.)

If you have been following the Take it Further challenge I hope you wil be impressed by the fact that I have made this in blue!

I just have to keep running

So much to do, so little time. Does anyone else feel it too? There is still so much I want to create, but no real time to do it.

There are a few more threads to upload to Etsy, but so far I've just done one today.



The colours in the sunlight are truly stunning, and this picture really doesn't do it justice.

The quilties went into the post, and I have to say that it was a steep learning curve. Although it probably sounds simple to you I found the concept quite difficult. I couldn't be as free as I wanted to be. It was the restricted time that was the problem, and next time 'I'll do better'



Had a lovely day shopping for birthdays yesterday. Daughter and grand-daughter both had birthdays within the last week, so we had a 'girls' day out. Shopped 'til we dropped, then collapsed for the evening. Lots to do in preparation for teaching in Cornwall this weekend. I know a couple of you are coming, I'm looking forward to meeting you. The workshops are at the Roseland Mews Studios, link in the sidebar if you are interested, and a workshop in Grayshott tomorrow.

Another White Quiltie

I forgot to add this earlier.



Part of quiltie number 2, also to go in the post tomorrow. I have another 2 to finish. I'll try to post those before they leave the country!

Catching breath

Three images to add today, and blogger was very good, albeit slow. The first is a new addition to Etsy.



Next is a picture of the NEW TOOTH. Yes, happy Jack has cut his first tooth. He is just as proud of it as we are.



I babysat for him last night and he was as good as gold.

Finally a picture of part of a little quiltie that will be in the post tomorrow.



I'm not a quilter, so this is an unusual project for me.

Talent

I read the following this morning. I know many of you won't agree with the sentiments, but it is here for you to read anyway.

'We all have equal value in God's eyes, but we don't have equal giftedness. In their book Now, Discover Your Strengths, Marcus Buckingham and Donald O Clifton state that every person is capable of doing something better than the next 10,000 people. And they support that with research. They call this area your strength zone, and they encourage you to find it and make the most of it. It doesn't matter how aware you are of your abilities, how you feel about yourself, or whether you have previously achieved success. You have talent, and God requires you to develop it! But you can only develop the talent you have, not the one you want. When it comes to your character, you must never stop working on your areas of weakness. But when it comes to fulfilling your God-given assignment, you must recognise your strength zone and give yourself to it. Dr John Maxwell writes: 'It's been my observation that people can increase their ability in an area by only two points on a scale of 1-10. For example, if your natural talent in an area is four, with hard work you may raise it to a six. In other words, you can go from a little below average to a little above average. But let's say you find a place where you are a seven; you have the potential to become a nine, maybe even a ten, if it's your strength zone and you work hard! That helps you advance from 1 in 10,000 talent to 1 in 100,000 talent but only if you do the other things needed to maximise your talent.' So, find your strength zone!'

To read the original post look here, now go and use your talent.

Urchfont? I don't think so

What a disappointment.

We should have been going to Urchfont Manor in Wiltshire today. It is a regular venue, and we enjoy our visits there as it is in such a lovely part of the country. The alarm was set for 06.30 and at that time all was well. We leave at 08.00, and all was well at 07.49, but at 07.50 it began to snow and this is what greeted us as we went to the car.



There is usually a remarkable absence of radio travel broadcasts on a Sunday, so we had no idea what was waiting for us. We joined the motorway (M3) at Junction 4a and travelled slowly but surely until we reached just beyond the service area. Now we had our first radio message. Don't travel on the M3 - anywhere between junction 1 and 14, and sure enough we were soon at a standstill.



Inching forward we progressed. Having travelled less than half a mile we were overtaken by a police car and a highways vehicle travelling cautiously on the hard shoulder. The object of the first delay became obvious just around the corner as we saw the remnants of a 3 car collision. Further on, but within view were two more cars on the hard shoulder, then another two, and finally a more serious accident (or, to be more politically correct, an 'incident' as someone was possibly to blame)with an ambulance in attendence.

It took us two hours to travel from junction 4a to junction 5. We gave up at this point, and returned home. The traffic was still inching forward towards Basingstoke, but no idea of what was actually causing the problems further on.

We left the motorway and returned via the A roads. It was beautiful, but we were glad to be on our way home again. As we approached home it was lovely to see the faces of the children building snowmen. They obviously hadn't needed any encouragement to get out of bed this morning. Fathers were enjoying it too!

This is the view that greeted us when we returned after our twenty mile round trip.



Sorry, Urchfont, but I think we did the right thing, especially as you will all want to get away at lunchtime. Hope you all get home safely, although it will probably all turn to sleet and slush before very long.

A bit of bragging - but not about me

We had some lovely news the other day, so I thought I'd share it with you.

We have a fourteen year old grand-daughter. She has shown a lot of interest in my dabbles over the years, and has been stitching since she was 3. One of her options for GCSE is textiles, and her mother has just had a letter to say that she has been placed on the register of talented and gifted children. She has already produced a lovely portfolio. We are having a day together during the next two weeks to play around with some new techniques for her. I'l let you know how it goes.

Missenden Abbey update

I have just updated the Missenden Abbey link in the sidebar. Three new courses for the next academic year are listed.

Hope to see some of you there.

March Take It Further

Where did the month go? I intended to add some stitching to the February challenge, but just couldn;t seem to find the right place or technique. I'd value any input.

Further details can be found here and here



March was to take notice of the little things.

Well, my stitching probably couldn't be smaller, but I really enjoyed making this postcard sized piece.

It is surprising how we 'move on' with techniques and totally forget something that we enjoy. I have revisited something I used to do quite often, so in a way it encompasses both February and March.

Tiny scraps of precious fabric have been stitched onto a backing fabric using mostly zigzag with a metallic thread. The tiny piece is mounted on a transfer painted Evolon background. Maybe this isn't perfect, but it is quite striking in reality.

Phew! Just in time for April!

Serendipity at Etsy

Our Serendipity range of perle threads is very popular. I have been asked several times if they are available on the internet, so I have opened an Etsy shop to display some of them. I've only had time to list one so far, but over the next few days I will list more and more. Remember, these are not repeatable, they are really special, so grab them while they are there! Here is the link to the shop.

Eve's Tea Party

Well, what a lovely afternoon we had yesterday. It was lovely to see several of you in Yateley, and over £400 was raised in an hour and a half. I'll let you know the full total when I hear what it is.

Thanks everyone for making it such a good time.

Watch out for another post soon too.

Time for Tea AND a Good Cause

Here is an invitation for anyone in the area on 25th March.


Village Green Quilters invite you to an

Afternoon TEA Party


In aid of

The Eve Appeal

on Tuesday 25th March 2008 from 2pm until 3.30pm

at The Monteagle Community Hall, Monteagle Lane , Yateley GU46 6FR

Traders: Winifred Cottage & Nature’s Threads
For more information please contact:

email: hazel.ryder at ntlworld.com

It's a women's cause worth supporting. If you can't attend this tea party maybe you would like to hold one yourself. Let me know if you would like a link.

Spring isn't just yellow

It was such a beautiful morning I couldn't resist a quick trip around the garden. I had the camera in my hand, so here are a few quick pics, although the quality leaves a lot to be desired.



It isn't long since there was a race to see who had their daffodils flowering in time for St David's Day. This year it seems that everyone won! In fact, if you look closely at this shot you can see that one of the flowers is already spent.




While yellow is a refreshing site in spring it is lovely to see the other colours appearing too. This Camellia uaually flowers at the beginning of May, however, not only is it now in full flower...





.....some of the flowers are already dead.









The strength of the sun can be seen in the depth of the shadow,










These little flowers are forming a carpet under the trees, and there too are the bluebells. It won't be long before they are ready to flower too.

February Take it Further Challenge

I'm still working on this, but very nearly there. I'm wondering what is in store for March. No doubt several of you can already tell me, but I'm avoiding looking until this is finished.

No pictures today, I shouldn't really be on the computer!

I don't like chocolate

Yes, it's true. I'm not that keen on chocolate and never have been. However.....

Yesterday we were given the gift of some Belgian chocolates. DH tried one and persuaded me that I ought to have one too. I have to say they are the most delicious chocolate I have ever tasted. Rich and Flavoursome there was no hint of unpleasant aftertaste or sweetness. Here's a link to the makers. The site is in French, but you don't need to be able to read the language to appreciate the site! The gift came in a beautiful burgundy box just like those here.

This and That and Moo Too

I have spent the day restocking trays and shelves. A large order of machine embroidery threads arrived and needed sorting. We only ordered them yesterday so delivery was very prompt. The next couple of hours were spent cutting water-soluble fabrics followed by folding and packing. Hope we've got enough! I've also twisted some threads for the wholesale orders and watched some more of them 'stewing' in the pot and then hanging to dry. I also visited my mother and went to the doctors for a check up, so it has been a full day.

Oh, Moo! Yes, my new Moo cards arrived too. This lot are slightly different, there are a few of them here.

The promised flower

A few days ago I posted a picture of the flower made with water-soluble paper. Here it is now that it is sprayed.


I used a metallic paint and it is mounted on hand-dyed paper.

Missenden Abbey

If you are looking to book a date for a weekend workshop later in 2008 or 2009 I have just updated the Missenden Abbey information. You can find the entry via the link in the sidebar. No further published details yet, but at least the dates are there.

Missenden Abbey

If you are looking to book a date for a weekend workshop later in 2008 or 2009 I have just updated the Missenden Abbey information. You can find the entry via the link in the sidebar. No further published details yet, but at least the dates are there.

A weekend off

I have a whole weekend off! Now, what does that mean?

When I'm not teaching we usually spend the weekend visiting shows or colleges/courses with Winifred Cottage. As I said, last weekend we were at Textiles in Focus. I have spent the week beginning to restock our supplies, and a 'weekend off' means that that will continue! There are also three wholesale orders for Sassa Lynne that need attention, so the dyepot is red hot and I am working away with colour. Specific orders mean no time for experimentation, named colours are mostly the order of the day, but as I need still more Embellisher Rolls with the vegetarian silk I'm having fun with those too. I will also pop some yarns into some Serendipity pots, these are the experimental ones that will eventually make their way into the named range.

I did take an hour off this morning, though! I went to visit our newest grandson. He is now 6 months old and growing apace. We had lots of smiles and giggles amongst the hugs, so I've now had my 'fix' for a few days. We will see him again next weekend when we babysit for an evening while his Mum and Dad go out for a meal. It will be a busy week with trips to Heather Quilters, where I'm speaking about the Embellisher, Urchfont Manor and also the Quilters' Day at Selsey. If you are passing the stand - don't forget to say 'hello'. As far as Urchfont Manor is concerned - there is a very good exhibition of Art in the Garden that is well worth a visit.

TIF or TIF?

We arrived back from Textiles in Focus late last night. It was an excellent show with lots to see, very good exhibitions, and an interesting selection of workshops. I taught a couple of hand-stitching workshops using water-soluble paper and you can see the sample here.



The flower was made from scrim and then applied. The next step is to spray the finished piece with metallic paint. It is too cold to do that today, the paint will probably freeze as it leaves the can, so I'll post another picture when it's finished. This is a technique that I love, and creates surfaces that can be put to a number of uses - including book covers and box tops.

It wasn't until I thought about this post that I remembered our abbreviation for Textiles in Focus is TIF. I could so easily be confused with the Take It Further Challenge!

February TIF Part 2

This is just a bit of preliminary playing along with my original thoughts. There's still a lot to do.

Missenden Abbey Weekend Workshop

This is the view that greeted me from my bedroom window at dawn on Saturday morning. As a tutor I was lucky enough to be accommodated in the main building at Missenden Abbey. The view is over lake, and it was truly magical to see it unfold. As the sun rose the white frost began to shine. The camera couldn't capture it, especially as it is taken through a small pane of one of the windows.

There were students on the course from all over the UK, including Northern Ireland. We had lovely weekend and they produced some fantastic pieces. Stupidly I forgot to ask their permission to put their pictures on my blog, so you will have to make do with this view instead.

Back to the grindstone today. Lots more dyeing to do for Textiles in Focus at the end of the week. The Vegetarian silk in the fabric rolls has really taken off and I have once again sold out. I honestly thought I had enough to last us until after TIF! so it's back to the dyepot....... Now is the time to place any special orders and I'll incorporate them into a dyeing session!

Take It Further:: February

True to her word Sharon posted the February challenge earlier this month. I have been thinking about it, even whilst finishing that of January

My family memories of the past are extremely good. This has been a real blessing recently as I have been able to reminisce with my mother about all sorts of things. My earliest memory is being taken for a ride in my pushchair while staying with my grandparents in Brecon, S Wales. As my brother wasn't yet born (I wouldn't have been in the pushchair if he had)and my mother wasn't even pregnant with him yet (her pregnancy meant she could no longer travel) I must have been younger than two.

I certainly don't want to commemorate that, however. I have been thinking a lot about babies, though, prompted I'm sure by recent visits from our newest grandchild. I have had two pregnancies and both my children were born in the Louise Margaret Maternity Hospital in Aldershot. Although this was a military hospital (it was closed a while ago) it was also open to civilians, and that's how I came to be there! Shortly before my daughter was born an IRA bomb was detonated close by. This meant that there was much security in place, and some roads in Aldershot were closed (and have never been reopened). This is not something I would like to dwell upon or commemorate either. My son, however, was born 4 years later in much more relaxed circumstances, and in the middle of a heatwave. To tie it all together I've decided that that's what I'll consider for my Take it Further Challenge for February. The heatwave!

Is anyone visiting Textiles in Focus next week? We'll be there so come and say 'Hi'.

Take It Further January

Well, it's finished. The colours are much closer in reality, but here is the initial design




And here is the finished piece.



I'm surprised that the stitches aren't more in evidence in the finished piece. I have layered scrim over a layer made on the embellisher, The scrim has been pulled into a textured layer. I'm quite pleased with it and enjoyed doing it - even though it is blue!

Vegetarian Silk

At last I have been able to upload a picture. There are more,but they will have to wait until tomorrow.

These are sheets of vegetarian silk. I have discovered it quite by chance, and it is beautiful. It works like a dream with the Embellisher, and makes a lovely surface for stitching too. We are selling them rolled together with other similar surfaces including scrim. Vegetarian silk? It's other definition is pre-felt made from cellulose fibres from a sustainable renewable source. Let's call it one of our contributions to the environment!

Busy, busy, busy

January has been out busiest ever. Although we are now into February we are still sorting ourselves out after our visits here there and everywhere! I also have to prepare for teaching at Grayshott on Wednesday and for a weekend at Missenden Abbey starting on Friday. Both are on the Embellisher, so I know they will be fun and that everyone will go home with lots of pieces.

It's during times like this that I miss having times to create as much as I would like. I still haven't quite finished my take it further challenge, but that is well on its way, and it should be finished by the weekend. The new challenge for February is already up, and I know what I will be doing for that, however, I won't share that here until the other is completed. Part of the delay has been caused by having to use every available surface for sorting. Wednesday of next weeks sees us heading off towards Cambridge for the annual Textiles in Focus in Cottenham. This is a lovely show, and it will be good to meet up again with friends and customers that we see regularly. I've been dyeing more of the Embellisher Rolls, we sold out of our stock over last weekend, and have been packing orders for these and other goods at the same time.

The above should have been scattered with photos and scans, but uploading isn't going to happen now, it would appear. I'll post this now and update the pictures later when things seem to be working better.

January Take it Further Challenge - Vulnerability

Well, the task that I have set myself is to become more vulnerable within my creativity. For that reason I am going to share the following poem that I wrote last year. I haven't shown it to anyone except my close family, so this is quite daunting in some ways, But here goes. Some of you may remember that baby Jack was born very unexpectedly 7 weeks early, this was written the day after he was born when we saw him in the Special Baby Unit, and for the first time. I am pleased to say that he is now thriving.



For Jack

Silent, you lie there,
Oblivious of the tubes and pipes,
Accepting and contained.
Your world is small
No noise except the cry of babe
Hungry and impatient.
No knowledge yet of deep maternal love,
Of father, standing by
With arms of love and strong protection.
No thoughts or fears,
Complete in self, yet so reliant.

Sleep well, sweet babe,
for in that sleep grows strength.
Surrounding silence intensifies the love
That soon will be apparent.
Take naught for granted, love is all,
And God is Love.

Courses and Workshops

Details of workshops, courses and summer school 2008 can be found by clicking on the links in the sidebar. Several more workshops are currently being planned, and will added as details are available.

January Blue Take it Further Challenge

Well it isn't often that I am up with the 'trends', but it seems as though I may be this year! Here is an interesting item about blue.

I've got the blues

I never work in blue. I have the greatest difficulty in working in blue, so I have chosen this colour for the Take it Further Challenge.

I have been playing around with paints and printing, and have come up with this design. I'm not sure if it's finished yet, I think it needs a little tweaking, but it is a start.

I'd be interested to have your thoughts.

Trying to Take it Further!

Gosh, this is hard. I didn't realise that I was such a coward!

I don't make New Year Resolutions. However, I have decided that this year I must work on making myself more vulnerable. It is going to be a question of small steps, and I will apply them to the Challenge as it progresses.

How will I start? I have decided to choose a colour scheme that I wouldn't normally use. I'm not sure what I will use yet, but that seems to be a step in the right direction.

Thanks to those of you that have left positive comments. It's an exciting start to the year, isn't it?

January Take it Further Challenge

I have rashly decided to take part in Sharon Boggon's Take it Further Challenge. I tried to do the TAST challenge last year, but once a week was just too much to add to other committments. Hopefully a challenge that only has to be finished once a month will be easier to accomplish. The challenge for January has been posted. I have thought long and hard about it, just whom do I look up to and admire? I have come up with two names.

The first is Ann Stone. I am willing to bet that none of you have heard of her. She was a friend and neighbour for nearly 20 years. I first met her when she and her husband moved into the bungalow opposite. For many years she had been a professional dancer, and now she was able to indulge in her passion for art. Her paintings were amazing, but she had many other skills including stitching, and she was the first person I knew who created art from textiles. Her work inspired me to have a go, and Ann encouraged me on every step of the way, always telling me that I could do it, even when I had serious doubts about myself.

The second is someone I met almost by chance about 5 years later. I was now fully seduced by textiles, but needing a new direction. I was introduced to Vicky Lugg by a fellow stitcher, eventually spending a number of years attending her Masterclass in stitched textiles. Vicky was a very supportive mentor and teacher, her support for all her students going far beyond the call of duty, and enabling each of us to call her our friend.

So what was it about these two ladies that is so appealing? What is it that I particularly admire and wish to emulate? I have to say that it was their vulnerabiltiy. Each was willing to push the boundaries and expose parts of themselves in their work. Sadly, they are now no longer with us, but their inspiration lives on.

I'm not sure I can do this in a month. I'm not sure I'm brave enough to expose my vulnerability! However, I have at least admitted that here, and if I keep working away at it I may achieve something by the end of the year. Thanks for the challenge, Sharon. I'm willing to give it a go.

Another quick post

Still no opportunity to upload photographs, I don't know how long I will be online. It is very frustrating to be half way through something and then switched off for no apparent reason. I am hoping that I will have some free time (ha ha) next week and that I can at least solve half of the problem. In the meantime - just words which can be written offline and then just copied and pasted. If only blogger didn't take quite so long to upload pictures I could do the same with those.

However, today I am off to Newport in S Wales to teach a session on the Embellisher at Busy Bees Patchwork. It is a flying vist, and I am looking forward to staying with Sandra of Busy Bees and her husband. I will leave shortly after lunch today, and try to get there in daylight! I am teaching a taster session on the Embellisher, if you are in the neighbourhood I'm sure Sue and Sandra would love to see you at the Craft Workshops at Tredegar House, and maybe I will let you have a peek at what we are doing! I will post pictures when I can.

Tomorrow I must leave as soon as the session is finished as I have to get home to unload, then reload. On Sunday we are off to Urchfont Manor to see Sian Martin and Lynne Horniblow and their respective students. If you ever get the chance to take a course with either of these tutors make sure you grab it. They are both excellent and you will learn a lot.

I may be offline, but I'm not sleeping..........!

Can you help .....

...... to find this quilt? I was given this link by phone today. I hope it works! Maybe you have room for a comment on your blog too.

Hello again

Well, it has been 3 months since my last post, and to say the least those three months have been eventful. However, not in the way I would have wished!

Firstly, I have hardly been able to get online. I'm not sure when the problem started, in fact I don't think I realised that there was a problem at first. I was aware that emails had suddenly become very infrequent, and that I seemed to be switched offline more than I was online, but I just thought it was because people were on holiday, or that the Internet was very busy. However, then I discovered that I couldn't send emails. They would just sit in my outbox, and when I finally discovered this there was a long queue, no notification, they were just quietly waiting for something to happen. This situation is still continuing, we can only send on one of our addresses, sometimes 2. We can receive on these too - but sometimes we can't. Is there any logic? I don't know, but apparently my Firewall is reacting with the ISP and causing problems. The problem now is that I can't stay online long enough to sort it out. I am writing this post in Word, saving it onto DVD and will then put it online, maybe at my son's. If anyone has been trying to get in touch please keep trying - even if you have to resort to leaving a comment below with your email address included. I do want to hear from you, please try again.

Next there was an injury. Now I'm not sure how it happened, I didn't know that I had injured myself. I was aware for some time (from about May) that I had pins and needles in 2 fingers in my right hand (this is my dominant hand). By the end of August the pins and needles had turned to pain, not an ache, a definite pain. It was agony to do anything, writing or stitching (or knitting etc) was nil, at times it became all consuming. Sleep was impossible as it seemed to be worse at night, I was unable to find a resting place and painkillers didn't touch it. A visit to the doc's informed me that I had damaged the nerve on my elbow. Now how on earth could I have done that without knowing? I don't know - but I did. Rest was the answer, and, although the symptoms lessened while we were on holiday, the problem is still there.

You may or may not know that we had a new grandchild during all this. Our daughter-in-law gave birth to our third grandchild in mid-August. He was early, not due until early October, and, although he worried us for a while, is now doing well. I had a lovely long cuddle today, you can imagine how much I enjoyed that.

Next we had the postal strike. What fun that was! The collection service locally was supposed to be working, albeit intermittently. Packages were taken to the Post Office, but took days to arrive which was most frustrating for the recipients. A couple were returned as undeliverable. They must have been sitting around in strange places for a while, they were in quite a state when they were returned, at least the packaging was. Thankfully we had put our return address on the back of the packages - always worth doing. Customers were contacted and the goods were sent on their way again. However, those that had only sent an email address were more difficult to contact - no email as detailed above. Mails from a different address were neatly stacking up in others spam boxes, a lesson learnt in always checking spam, even if it only turned out to be something not required.

We had other dramas too. Other members of the family needed looking after requiring a stay away from home again. We managed to get through several shows without too many mishaps, but phone calls from customers morning noon and night began to make us feel a little like the Windmill Theatre ('We Never Close'). We usually work at weekends, so one customer rang us at 6.30 on a Sunday morning to catch us before we left - please could we post a packet of machine needles to her tomorrow! Phone calls have also been received at 11.30 pm, and not from customers overseas who have miscalculated the time.

Phew! I've got all that off my chest. Now, maybe I can start to make the odd entry or two, adding pictures may be a problem, but I'll face that when I have to.

Oh, and if you want a little light relief you may like to look here.

My absence from blogging has been enforced by internet problems. If anyone has been trying to contact me please will you email

Festival of Quilts

This is a particularly busy time of the year and I have hardly been here to post anything. If anyone is passing we will be on Stand J22 at the Festival of Quilts at the NEC in Birmingham UK from Thursday until Sunday. Pop by and and say hello.

A justifiable wrist slap!

I have just had a conversation with a friend who has chastised me for not updating the blog over the last while. Yes, I freely admit that I have been tardy. Life get's in the way, but then maybe I ought to regard this as part of life! I have tried to keep work and 'life' apart as I'm not sure why people really visit a blog. I follow some blogs because they are full of interesting 'arty' stuff, and others because they relate to real life. Those that mix the two don't really grab my attention, especially if the life is the main excuse for not producing art. Of course, you haven't seen much 'art' on this blog anyway, it has mostly been quick ways of using the embellisher. I know that some of you read my life blog, and for those of you that haven't and want to (no obligation) here is the link. (Of course, due to life, I don't update that one every week either!)

I have also had my wrist slapped for forgetting to tell you the name of the fabric I mentioned in an earlier post. It is called Evolon and we sold out of our first delivery within 48 hours of anyone seeing it. More is on the way and will be here in time for Worthing Textile Arts Forum on Saturday 14th July, and we will hopefully have enough left for Ardingly on 21st July. I really like using it. Hopefully you will see some results before too long, but I'm working on a number of items for the Summer School at Missenden Abbey at the beginning of August.

Another giveaway has been announced at Dye-A-Lot. Pop over and take part. The perle 8 can be used on a sewing machine with a topstitch 100 needle, and the perle 5 is lovely for cable stitch, also using the sewing machine.

Lastly, thanks to everyone that left a comment on the last post. I have also had a number of emails and it would appear that the problem is even wider than I at first thought.

Another day, another Exhibition

I don't want you to think we have been idle since my last post. Far from it. This time of year is full of different venues. We have spent a lot of time travelling from place to place, and later today we are off to Eastleigh College for the exhibition at the annexe in Cranbury Road. Open tonight from 6pm - 8pm and again from 10am - 3pm tomorrow, pop along and see what has been going on for the last few months! The exhibitions cover embroidery, quilting, flower arranging and art. They are usually well worth seeing.

On Sunday we are off to Salisbury. St Edmunds Art Centre is the venue, for an exhibtion with Inspire Stitchers. This promises to be worth a visit too. Only open from 10am - 4pm. After that we are hot foot to the car to career off down the road towards Urchfont Manor. I've forgotten what's going on there, too much to take in this week!

The winner has been announced on the Dye a Lot blog pop over and see who has won - and then go back next week for a new little competition. I have had fun reading all the emails from everyone. A total of 72 people took part in the last draw.

I am wanting to have a little moan. It has been brought to my attention that a tutor I know vaguely has developed a list of workshops based solely on other people's work. Apparently the last episode involved a visit to an exhibition where she saw something she fancied. On arriving home she made a complete and apparently fairly exact copy. This is now being offered as a workshop. I'm interested to know what you all think. Any comments? I know that at least 2 workshops are based solely on my book - and another is based on a book by a well known textile artist. Customers have mentioned this to me and complained - I have told them to complain to the tutor in question, but I don't know if they have. I've seen the results of some of the workshops, so know that this is more than just a rumour. I'd like to know what you all think.

How big?

Yesterday, in my post, I mentioned fabric postcards. These are sent through the mail and are usually 6 inches by 4 inches. I came across this today (scroll down for details and the dimensions). Now that really puts fabric postcards into a different perspective.

Forgive me

Forgive me if I wax lyrical about a fabric that isn't only useful as a background for the embellisher! I am having so much fun with it at the moment that I couldn't resist adding these pictures to the blog.

I am in the process of making some bookwraps, for a workshop I am teaching later this year. It stitches like a dream, by hand and with the machine, and can be used for both the cover and the inner pages.

The first picture shows part of a left over scrap after painting. If only the colours were as vibrant on screen as off.

This one was coloured using a different process. Can you see the angel?

And the name of this mystery fabric? Well, you will have to wait just a little longer to find out, however, if you are at the end of term Exhibition tomorrow evening (Wednesday 20th June) at Fareham College, or at Open Day, Missenden Abbey on Saturday 23rd June, you wll be able to buy some. Winifred Cottage will be at both venues with an exciting sales table.

Just tell them that I sent you LOL

And I can't wait to use it for ATC's and postcards, I know it will work like a dream.

Lutradur

I have often used Lutradur as a backing for fibres and fabrics on the embellisher, however I thought you might like to see this layered sample. It has given a lovely scruchy effect, just needs more stitching now!

Stitching

This is an ATC that is off in the post today. The theme is garden, and the background is hand painted.

The one below is another. I wanted them side by side, but must have uploaded them wrongly!

Blue Inchies

Nine blue inchies on their way to a swap. The background is embellished, the buttons are hand made and those are cross-stitch kisses! I think the cross stitches qualify them for TAST too!

Roseland Mews Studios, Liskeard

Details of workshops in Cornwall - follow the link

Missenden Abbey

If you followed yesterday's link to information about the courses at Missenden Abbey you may like to know that I have updated it with further details.

The Bramble Patch

Full details of this, and also to book, can be linked from here

Husqvarna Studio

Four dayschools have been arranged for Husqvarna Studio. Further details are here. They are each individual workshops, but they will be progressive, so don't be afraid to sign up for all four!

Missenden Abbey

There are several courses arranged between now and summer 2008. You will find more information here.

Grayshott Workshops

These workshops have been running for a while. If you are interested in these there is more information here. There is a break over the summer, more dates for the autumn and there will be more dates soon for 2008.

More information on courses around the country following shortly, including Busy Bees, Newport, Missenden Abbey and Husqvarna Studio.

Help find Madeleine

Bloggers are international. If you can post a picture on you blog someone may read it with important information.

You can find updated information on the BBC website

Oranges and Lemons

This challenge got me thinking. How could I display oranges and lemons without the inevitable shapes. Read how it was done, then have a go and see what you come up with. Leave a comment below if you do do something. (The theme can be anything you like, the object is to try the technique)

The background is black felt, the squares are orange and yellow felt. These were cut at random and well worked onto the black so that it appeared to be just one fabric. I counted out the letters first, applying just enough squares to complete the phrase, but remembering to add one between each word to act a 'space'.

When turned over the shapes were clearly visible from the back which helped. Now to write the message from the back - working from right to left, and remembering to reverse all letters!

As I hadn't written the letters first I just traced each the right way with my finger and then reversed the action with the needles. Tracing it first made sure that I got the letters the right way round. Some were easier to do than others, especially as the space was quite small.

This exercise took about 20 minutes. It was done freehand, and could have been more neatly done if I had drawn the letters on the back before meshing. Have a go and let me know! Any questions - either leave a comment or send an email.