Going round in circles...........

One of the things I like about our EG meetings is that you never know what is going to happen, or what you are going to learn.  If we brush aside how to restore the fuses, which I didn't really want to know about, there were two other delights yesterday.  One was Susanne's demonstration of how to cast on a Moebius Scarf, this a You Tube demo link and this is a picture of mine at the moment.

I have no idea if it is correct and won't know until I cast off.  I had a terrible time fighting against "casting on " with the wool in the wrong hand.  Great fun, thanks Susanne.

The other was Fay's heads up on a new book by Jan Messent, Celtic, Viking and Anglo-Saxon Embroidery.. Gorgeous. I have ordered a copy. Thanks Fay.

I have been very remiss with my postings on Ideas of Inspiration, the first part of may was glittering gold, hope this will do.

The second part of May was the letter E, I think these will fit, I found them on my last visit to London

Just realised this one qualifies on both counts. Hurrah!

Being nosy...

I think I have a lot of stuff but Ruth Rae has just  re-organised her studio  and has posted a host of little videos giving glimpses into her collection.  Wow, how many drawers of buttons?  I have a copy of Ruth's book  "Layered, tattered & stitched"

This is a card I made

Must do more.

Lazy bones.....

lying in the sun.....yes we have sunshine, proper warm, clear blue sky sunshine. At the weekend too. What a treat.

I haven't really been lazy, spending most of my time defending my lettuce from the invasion of slimy creatures. Ugh.  I was going to cut one pot and thought "No, I'll leave that another day"  Next day...gone! Ah, the joys of vegetable gadening. 
My other achievment is that I completed my vessel from my day with  Lynda  I loved the whole process of turning a cardboard tube and a piece of felt, through this (please notice the tasteful artistic background)

to this

I have also turned the piece which started out like this.

into this book cover.

I wanted to go to Lynda's two day workshop at Art Van Go in June but unfortunately it clashes with something I haven't mentioned yet.. 

"The Matchgirls".  I have been helping out with the Youth Theatre of the society I have been associated with for 30 odd years.  I retired from "performing" some years ago,or so I thought,  but when I was asked to play a gin soaked old biddy, how could I resist?  "The Matchgirls" is a musical  based on the strike by the workers at the Bryant and May factory in 1888. One of the first time women bnded together to stand up for themselves against their working condition, which for them included the risk of  the horrors of "phossy jaw".     I am putting the costumes together which is going very slowly at the moment and gives me a huge guilt complex if I pick up any other kind of sewing. 

But for now the sun is shining and the garden beckons.  Have a good weekend.

Go look see......

The best of International Garden Photographer 2010 in The Guardian. I just love this  photograph of a pear by Magdalena Wasiczek (if the link doesn't work just Google her name for some stunning photographs.)

There are 18 other photographs on the Guardian site

  No intended breach of copyright, please contact if you have a problem and the post will be removed.

What a day this has been............................

a day with Purple Missus.  Early this morning I had a look at Lynda's blog and voted on the quilts she had there, a few hours later I was touching the real things. Magic.
If you follow Lynda's blog you can imagine what a wonderful day we have had.  We have played with scrim, Lutradur, pelmet vilene, Xpandaprint, gesso, paint, heat guns, soldering irons, machine stitching and good old fashioned hand stitiching. There was not one piece of work which was like another, each piece was an example of its makers creativity.
 This is a piece I did with Lutradur, Xpandaprint, ink and salt and a little touch of paint

and this was the piece of kitchen roll I had underneath it.

Same paint, same salt, different fabric.

I meant to re-do this but became so busy I forgot.  Lynda in full flow.

and these were some of the beautiful example she brought with her.

Can't wait for tomorrow when I can continue the story when I do the next stages on my own "vessel". If you ever have the chance to do a workshop with her, grab it she will get your creative juices. 

 Wait for a twenty minutes for a bus and then two come along at once!

I have been stagnating for ages.  Two days ago I was  lucky enough to secure a place on the  course with Jude of Spirit Cloth, I am so excited and, now today,  something at the other end of the textile spectrum a workshop which has awakened all my love of texture and rust and mixed media. 

What a great couple of  days these  have been..............

Waitrose 1, Sainsbury's 0 ........

When I spend money, I like good, pleasant service.  I know, I know but I am just an old fashioned girl.  Last week Waitrose and Sainsbury's were out of items I buy regularly.  I made enquiries as to what had happened, both stores promised to investigate and call me.  Waitrose rang later the same day, ten days later I am still waiting to hear from Sainsbury's. Marks and Spencer are minus 59 at the moment. I won't bore you with the details, it would take too long.

Here is a combination of my favourite store, John Lewis  and one of my favourite singers, Billy Joel.


I am not really wanting to advertise,  I just think this is clever and charming.

Top marks to the lady in the Post Office this morning when I had to organise a complicated,  special, registered package. She dealt with it all with such patience.

Let's all complain when we have bad service and find someone to pass on a commendation for good service. Perhaps that way shopping may become more of a pleasure. I feel better now,  it's a long time since I had a rant.

Now would anyone like to hear my views on Self Service Tills??????????????