Finished.......

.....I think.  I put it aside as finished several times and then next time I looked there was another little gap to be filled but for the moment this is it.

 

It is a strange uneasy time in the world so I am grateful to be able to pick up a needle and block it all out. 

I have been busy completing things for our little textile group but can't show them yet.

I popped up to London to see my daughter and watched a student protest march as it passed by.

There did seem to be nearly as many photographers as there were students, all hoping for a riot no doubt but the whole thing seemed to pass off peacefully. I think the cost of the police presence with attendant helicopter might have paid off a few student loans. For people of my generation who remember the years after WW11 the word "austerity" has different meaning I think.  But they are young. Bless.

 I did quite like this shot.

So things to look forward to.  My sister in law is coming to visit this weekend and we are going to see my daughter in "Matilda"

Friday would have been my brother's seventieth birthday he would have loved this show so he will be in our thoughts. For years Brian's birthday was the start of Christmas, we weren't allowed to mention it until his birthday was done.  I remember once being told off for wanting to make paper chains. So it will be quite 

for me to go to Sew Not Strawberry Jam 

 for a Christmas themed workshop with Caroline Zoob

I hope the weather behaves as it has been a bit nippy this week and I did see some of the white stuff.

Stay warm and safe.

 

Mind blowing....

I have always had trouble with mirror imaging, as in trying to transfer a design.  Imagine my poor little mind when we went to the Dulwich Picture Gallery for an exhibition  of the work of  M.C.Escher
I am sure you are familiar with his works as I was, we even had a jigsaw puzzle once which nearly drove us crazy, but seeing them up close and the realisation that the woodcuts and lithographs were all worked in REVERSE had  my mind reeling.   An unforgettable exhibition. With all the intricacies of his later work I think this White Cat was my favourite.  So much detail in its simplicity.

This was pinned from his Gallery here
It was quite a dull day but the Autumn colours still shone through.

 I fancied a meerkat hiding in this tree but perhaps my mind was still twirling.

Wips and other things.........

Ah Autumn,

Strictly Come Dancing and American Football on the TV.  Love it.

Watching so much television is also a great excuse for sitting and sewing, this is what is on my settee at the moment.  A vintage chair back cover, who remembers them (and replacing them a thousand times)?  This one is acting as a sort of stream of conciousness, sort of.  In other words what ever comes to hand or into my mind goes on it. It started with the red line and grew from there.  Still lots of space to fill.(as there is in my  head

I got off the settee yesterday and went up to London for the NFL Fan day in Regent's Street.ahead of today's game at Wembley. It was a bit spoiled by the rain but great fun to see and  the 250 strong Ohio State
University Marching Band.

  First time I have ever marched  down the middle of Regent Street. Well, you have to follow the band! Sorry.

 I spoke to the very proud grandfather of this young man who explained that his grandson played all the highest notes.   I asked if he, Grandad,  played the trumpet and he said "No, the banjo for sixty years". 
I do love these little meetings you have with people on days like this.
I spent a little while watching some very large man be introduced until I gave in to the rain.  A wander back down Regent Street produced this spectacle.

 Last Wednesday it was The Girls day and we played making books.  We were having so much fun I completely forgot to take any photographs so mine is the only one i can show you. This is the other Wip.

 I made up sheets and then cut them into three, the thinking behind was the books we had as children with the head, body and legs so that you could make weird and wonderful people and animals.  These are just backgrounds and as you can see are not yet attached but I think they will stand further embellishment.

See Strictly bit on previous post.

Strictly Come Dancing

This was supposed to be in the post above but Blogger wouldn't play nicely.

I will...

...get beck in the rhythm of blogging, just don't know when.  Days are flying by, dark mornings and the nights are drawing in. This post will be photo heavy, if blogger allows

We had a really enjoyable workshop with  Viv Sliwka at Sew Not Strawberry Jam. Just what I needed after my miserable weeks.  Good company, lovely setting and good cake!

I just love this place, I may have mentioned it.

This is Viv's thread nest and travelling companion.

 

I loved the way  Viv had laid out the little samples she used to explain what we could do.  Absolutely no restrictions on what we wanted do. 

These are my bits, I love my little grey brooch which says "Embroidery is easy to begin."

Lovely day, thanks Viv, thanks Sam.

Our latest voyage was our annual pilgrimage to the Knit and Stitch Show.  All in all a good show.  

Off to a good start with this amazing mural made entirely from re-cycled fabric by DAMSS

 Closer

 and closer

So clever. Mesmerising.

Well if that hadn't been enough our next surprise was a full sized fish stall by Kate Jenkins

What a huge amount of work and what fun. As was this exhibit from the Royal school of Needlework. The needlewomen are Elena Thornton and Connie Wynn.

I will never look at my sieve in the same way, given the size of the stitches I don't think I will be trying this at home.
These next darlings were on the New Zealand Contemporary Art stand  he artist is Sherril Jennings. 

and the last exhibit I photographed was this chess set by Mavis Walker. I particularly liked the pawns.

So that's it for another year, I enjoyed it and di a little shopping though I was disappointed not to find even weave canvas which was on my list.  Saw lots of cross stitch but no tapestry.  Interesting how the emphasis changes, a few years back it was all beads this year there were a lot more dressmaking stalls. 

Proper poorly.......

that's where I've been  Don't know if there is still anyone out there who is interested.   I won't bore you with the details, suspected servere infection of the gall bladder.  Of course it had to happen over a Bank Holiday weekend.  Getting out and about now but still run our of energy very quickly.  Enough.

I have been to London twice. On the first trip I went to to meet my daughter, I had a lovely stroll through Covent Garden where there were clouds....

of bubbles.  Reminded me of The Prisoner.

 One to play with I think.
When I am in town I often make my way home with a little stroll thought the National Gallery, just take in a couple of paintings and then onward.  This time I lingered for quite a long while over a special exhibition where school children had been asked to study one of the pictures from the Gallery and then produce there own interpretation.  Fascinating. This was the painting St Michael Triumphs over the Devil by Bartolome Bermego.

I wish I had photographed all the explanations panels which described the many different aspects which were discussed. One school has even taken the fact that his cloak was made of silk and had followed the history as to how the silk would have reached Europe.  They studied ways they could express their ideas in all kinds of artistic mediums and the results kept me in the gallery for quite a while.

I went back on my second trip but the exhibition was finished..
My second trip was very exciting.  First is that DH went with me, first time he had been up to town for about 20 years. He saw a few changes!.  We walked through Covent Garden to be greeted by many Shaun the Sheep statues.  What fun.  Can't show them all there were dozens but these where some of my favourites.

You can see loads more picturesor if you go to Google images Shaun in the City.
The reason for our trip to see our daughter playing Mrs.Wormwood in "Matilda the Musical" .We had missed her opening night but that was fine because doing the matinee we were able to go to tea with her during her break.
I can only say it was one of the best shows I have ever seen.  If you get the chance GO.
I had made Rebecca an autograph book in keeping with her character.

Tasteful don't you think?

This week I am hoping to get back to normal.  A day with "The Girls" tomorrow, our textile group on Friday and then on Saturday a trip to Sew Not Strawberry Jam for a workshop with Viv Sliwka.  Hope this Indian Summer weather holds .