This and that.....

I think Bloglines put the clocks back a month instead of an hour, my post for the 29th September has come up instead of the post I did yesterday????
************************************
I visited Arlees blogs(5) as she had been so kind as to leave a comment and found this link to Brian Dettmer who gives a whole new meaning to altered books!!
************************************
Just a little coincidence. This morning I was stunned by the latest pieces on Purple Missus, she has done something amazing with an old denim skirt and this evening on our local television news they had a piece on an exhibition on denim "Indigo: A Blue to Dye For",which is on at the moment in Brighton. From the programme it looked really interesting

This is the bluest thing I could find in my collection.

***********************************
I think I have mentioned before that I am a fan of American Football and I would like to apologise for the British Weather, yesterday the NFL brought a regular season game to London, the Miami Dolphons and the New York Giants, Saturday was a beautiful Autumn Day as was today and yesterday when we were on show to the whole of the USA what did it do but pour down. It must have reinforced every belief that London is just rain and fog. The worst bit was that where I live, about 20 odd miles from Wembley, it was dry. I hope it didn't put everyone off and that they will bring some more teams over. I am a long time Redskins fan(they won the first game I ever saw) and I also like to watch New England when they are not beating us 52-7 because they are known as the Pats(nothing to do with the fact that Tom Brady is a dish).

Show time.....

Yesterday was the exhibition at the Sevenoaks EG. I wish I could show you all of the wonderful pieces from cushions to boxes, from tiny handbags op wall hangings, so much to see but I can only show you my pieces. Three of them were made some time ago but the last is what has been keeping me quiet for the last couple of months.


I called this one "seascape", someone asked if it was displayed the right way up so I guess I should have called it "seaweed"....

This is Scotney Castle in Kent, it is one of my favoourite National Trust places. The gardens are beautiful in any season but on a clear Autumn day they stun.


This is an interpretation of one of my favourite photographs which I took in Annecy in France.
And this is my book, inspired by Beryl Taylor and by the Sharon B's TAST challemce. It is not all the stitches, there was originally going to be two books but this one took so long perhaps next year......

Fun in the sun........

and we could do with some right now as it is a horrible, grey day here.
I took this when we were on holiday in Cyrpus, someone had left some pile of pebble and I re-arranged them a bit and took this.


I am only showing this to link to the World Beach Project which has been devised by Sue Lawty for the V&A.. The entries that are already on the galley are fascinating, it is interesting that this come under the Textile Dapartment. It is open to anyone anywhere in the world. So if you weather is better than ours off you go to the beach.

Twisted Satin...

Week 42 of TAST. where has this year gone? I thought I would like to put this stitch in a circle and it decided it would like to be a colour wheel.

It would have been better(neater?) if I had put it in a hoop before stitching but I did like the way the twist stabelised the stitch, each one is about is about 3/4 of an inch. I wasn't able to get the tonal values quite right with the threads I had and the colours aren't quite true on the scan but it was fun putting it together.

Worth waiting for.....

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be chosen as the winner of the first Fibre and Stitch challenge. It was a random draw I hasten to add for there were many beautiful pieces entered. We have been experiencing industrial action by postal workers in this country, therefore I have only just received my prize. But, oh boy, was it worth the wait.

This exquisite little bag by Carol McFee is mine, all mine!!
This is the back

The challenge was to use Lutradur and Lace and this is what this little purse is made of except, in you hand, it is like a little shimmering piece of silver.
As though this was not enough it was wrapped in paper, which will find its way into something one day, tied with a piece of eyelash yarn which will feel the embellishers needles I am sure and last but not least a sheet of foil to play with.


I have thanked Carol personally but you might perhaps like to look at her Fibre in-Form site where these foils and some unusual sizes of mounted canvas are on sale.

How quickly......

fun can turn to tears, I had been tagged by Gerry of Sewing Southpaw I went to say thank you for the compliment but excuse me if I decline. I went to check something on her blog only to find that Gerry is suffering great sadness at the death of a beloved dog. Anyone who has ever been attached to any animal will sympathise with the pain she is feeling at the mement. Thinking of you Gerry.

Thank you Susan....

My thanks to Susan Lenz of Art In Stitches for her pieces on the Knitting and Stitching Show. I have edited my piece to add the correct names when I couldn't read my own writing!!!

Mystery solved......

I have just recieved this reply from the National Portrait Gallery re. the mysterious object in the portrait(see "Another World..... below).

"I believe this fitting to the Earl’s armour is a lance-rest, used when tilting. As painted, the rest is upright, but in use could hinge down through 90 degrees and serve as a support to the butt end of the lance. This lance-rest is rather ornamental; others have a much plainer and more overtly functional form."

And we thought it was for carnations!!!!!

I wish I'd known sooner.....

Just found a link to this by Gina of Fan My Flame to an appeal for Age Concern being run by Innocent Smoothies. Knit a Hat for a Smoothie bottle....the deadline is the 22nd so it's a bit close but might just have time. It seems they do it each year so I will have to try and remember next year.

I don't believe it.........

If you follow this blog you will know that I have just been on a holiday to beautiful Somerset. I was making a little book of the holiday, see below. On Saturday I went to my workroom with the last page, ready to do the stitching I wanted to add and to put the pages together before starting on the cover. I couldn't find them......last week I thought it was time to tidy the workroom a little(a lot)

and all I can think is that I have thrown out the other pages, my lovely little collage of Stonehenge and my Tyntesfield page and others that I hadn't photographed yet. My only hope is that they have been "tidied up" and will one day turn up. I haven't the heart to start again at the moment. The only time I ever "lose" anything is when I tidy up!!!!!
In consolation I turned to my new toys (stopping every 10 minutes to have anothe look for the missing pages) and this is what I made.

I am particulary pleased because I actually made a successful photo transfer to calico.

Lace border stitich.....

I am pleased to be able to make an interesting background for my TAST stitch this week. When I saw the name of the stitch this week I thought of doing something pale and pretty but the goodies I bought at the Knit & Stitch changed that. The background is made from the cocoon stippings and the paint sprays. Another stitch that frightened me at first but I enjoyed working.
This is the full piece.

Ups and Downs of Ally Pally

It started to go a bit wrong when my best friend couldn't go with me. I love the way she sees things so I missed her when I was looking at the exhibitions and I also like the way she manages to find things you have missed. We usually split up and then meet for refreshment and "where did you get that" sessions. Then the fog and in consequence the traffic made the journey there and back most unpleasant. Whether it was because of these two things or not I have to say that I was left with a feeling of disappointment at this years Knitting and Stitching Show. Several of my favourites were not there and I came back with many things not crossed of my list.

Having said all that there were many good things to see and buy. I loved the Val Cambell Harding exhibition, she did so many wonderful things, Maggie Grey was embellishing away and her table was full of yummy textured pieces . Next I went Studio 21 but I lost the leaflet I bought. I particularly liked works by Jacky Russel and Sandra Meech

I hope I have their names right as I can't read my notes properly.
All the other exhibitions had "No photography" signs right next to their very expensive catalogues so though there were things that I liked very much it would take too long to describe them.

It was lovely to meet Dale from the Thread Studio, she has parted me from my money before I knew her from her blog.The juicy wool and threads and the Moonshadow mists are from Dale. I also spent some time watching Sarah(I hope that's right) of Craft Notions demonstrating making silk paper from cocoon strippings and using her spray paints.
I bought some of her paints as well and of course I had to pay a visit toArt Van Go
Will I use all these exciting things.........Watch this space!!!

This entry has been edited to make corrections.

I'm a fan.....

Having discovered Neil Gaiman's writing thank to my son, I have now found his journal which leads to all kinds of other good things. This is an essay about the "question every writer dreads" Where do you get your ideas?,and I loved the way he talked about turning an idea or a question around I also found he had given a link to my current favourite advertisement Bouncing Bunnies
and I also found the one that fascinated me Bouncing balls This is a link to his journalNeil Gaiman

Only two sleeps........

until the Knit and Stitch show. I have a list, which is most amusing as, I will probably come home with a bag full of things that are not on it. Hands up those who bought something last year and haven't used it yet.

CaTASTing up......

Sorry about that, it's really bad. Here are linked double chain

and reveresed buttonhole stitch

I am not entirely sure I have done either of these right and they aren't very inspired but I did enjoy the chain one.

Another World......the end

I have added a few photographs to the previous posts from my "proper" camera.

Our last visit was to the village of Lacock, this really is a step back in time. If you watched "Pride and Prejudice" you will recognise Meryton.




I was just waiting for Mr Darcy to ride round the corner. Alas.....
Lacock Abbey was the home of William Henry Fox Talbot a pioneer of photography and this is my version of the famous window.(The only place where cameras are allowed inside the house.

The other famouse part of the Abbey is of course the Cloisters where they filmed parts of Harry Potter.

It was a beautiful autumn day, in contrast to our first day,a great way to leave, wanting to go back for more.

I forgot to tell you................

about the wonderful book which my son loaned me for my holiday. Stardust by Neil Gaiman. A wonderful work of imagination. I wished, oh how I wished, that I had the artistic ability to interpret the descriptions of "Faerie". i see that there is a film about to be released, I do so hope it will be shown here.

Another world contd......

I have looked forward to visiting Tyntesfield for so long that I thought I was bound to be disappointed. That happens sometimes doesn't it, the anticipation is better than the event? In this case it turned out to be everything I thought it would be and more. I think in the past I have visited and enjoyed historic houses and castles with little thought to how they are maintained. Here at Tyntesfield you can see what is involved. It is little short of miraculous.


The house was in a a state of decay, the roof still is still leaking and apparently the upper floor is strewn with buckets to catch the drips and some of out buildings are almost derelict. At present you arrive at a run down collection of stables and farm buildings which are serving as the visitors centre.

Inside a summerhouse.

Only rooms on the ground floor are open at present but they are fascinating. In each room there was a volunteer guide and they were both knowledgeable and amusing. I wish I could show you photographs of the Library where the shelves have a border of tooled leather and the oppulence of the Drawing Room which could double as a ballroom. As you pass through the rooms you come across people with light boxes. They are taking part in the massive task of preparing the inventory, each cup and saucer, walking stick and spoon is being photographed.

There was no mains water to the house and this is now being laid on and because of this we had a bonus, after we had visited the amazing chapel which is based on the Sainte Chapelle in Paris our exit was by the corridor which the family would have used to attend sevices(twice a day!) and along a corridor where we were allowed to peep into just one of the bedrooms. This room was full of furniture rails of clothes, racks of hats and piles linens, boxes of goodness knows what treasures. There are 40 bedrooms on the upper floors!!!!



The gardens have had a huge amount of time spent on them and we passed a group of young people from a local school who were off to do some more clearing in the woods and shrubberies.



Everyone we spoke to who is connected to the house appear to be in love with it. I wanted to move house so that I could go and volunteer to be part of this amazing work.

The National Trust protects and makes available all these wonderful pieces of our history,"for ever and for everyone". When so much of our land is disappearing under concrete their work becomes even more vital and the places they preserve more precious.


This is the page for my book. The background is a piece of waxed paper that I did ages ago (can't quite remember how!!!)

More Stonehenge...

Thanks to Gerry who left a great link to Carhenge!!!! I love it.
This is the collage I made while we were on holiday

The "stones" are made from some paper pieces that I bought from Frances Pickering, so she must take credit for their beautiful colours.You can see a fold because I am trying to make a little book of the holiday.

Thank you Lynda for setting me right on the link to Suziblu, I might have known that it was Sharon. Thank you Sharon, I like the Linked Double Chain this week. You have me scouring the charity shops now for the book.

Another world.......

We are back from our all too short trip to Somerset. I feel that I have almost visited another world and another time. We stopped at Stonehenge on the way down(impossible just to drive past)

Monday the weather was unkind but we had a wonderful visit to Montacute House This houses some of the National Portrait Gallery's Elizabethan portaits and there are some wonderful things to look at. We were intrigued by this maginicent portrait of Walter Deverux 1st Earl of Eassex and are now trying to find out what in the world is the strange thing attached to his right breast which look for all the world like a large buttonhole holder!! If anyone knows.......
Tuesday we visited Wells the smallest city in England. The cathedral was amazing architecturally and houses some wonderful embroideries and lace.The alter cloths are stunning worked (I think I am right) at the Embroiderers Guild and by the Sarum Group and I so wanted a longer closer look at the choir stall cushions which were all worked by volunteers and are very fine indeed. The bishop's palace next door has very photogenic gardens.



Now as you know Tyntesfield was the main reason for the visit but I think that deserves a post of it's own and I am now two weeks (3 if I'm not careful) behind on TAST and as no one is going to offer me a menu this evening I better find some food.