Special day....

Today we have been married 47 years. Normally we just say "Happy Anniversary" and get on with whatever, today was a lovely September day, the kind we have been missing in the dreadful 'no summer'. So today we first thought of going to Brighton but then decided on Beachy Head, somewhere we have never been.
This is the famous lighthouse and I have to confess this is towards the end of our day because first of all we visited Alfriston Clergy House which was the first building bought by the National Trust. We were just bowled over by the charm of the village and of the house and particularly the gardens.

This is the 'back' door

and the apple tree

These 'friends' were in the village

This is my first view of the famous "Seven Sisters"

and here the magnificent cliffs (see the tiny people for scale)

I had wanted to contribute to the wonderful V&A World Beach Project but, typically, didn't get the idea of what I wanted to do until we arrived home....ah well an excuse for another day.
PS. I even did some stitching in the car on the way down. Lovely day!

Excuses, excuses....

If you look at the comments on the previous post you will see that I am in trouble for lagging behind in my posts.......Well here goes. Thursday 4.30pm, we were enjoying a peaceful afternoon, DH was playing patience and I was finishing off the knitted blanket for Electra(cat)when there was a sharp crarfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff(right on cue Electra moved across the keyboard to her current favourite position,right in front of the monitor!

To continue.. there was a sharp crack from the kitchen. We are used to birds hitting our large windows but we said "That wasn't a bird". Sure enough there was a hole in the kitchen window....to cut a very long story short it turned out that our neighbours had suffered even worse than us. Some dear soul with a catapult(at first we thought air gun). It has been logged by the police and that is about all we can do...I know that since time began there has always had crime but one of the sadnesses of the modern world to me is the senseless destruction or defacement of someone elses property. Don't get me started!!!!

Friday afternoon 4.55p.m the computer crashed.....this weekend the computer shop was closed until Tuesday morning, well of course!!!!!

Sunday afternoon, 5.30p.m Oh no,I thought, here comes the cat she is going to knock over my drink.......no...I can do it better myself...Coca Cola akk over my brand new carpet.

Did you really want to know why I was behind??????

Last weekend was the Thames Festival. I enjoyed it so much last year I took a friend with me this year and so did everyone else.......it was packed. I may be that Saturday was the first time the sun has shone for what seems like forever.(Grey again today!!!!)This year we went onto Southwark Bridge to be met be this amazing site.




These lines of tables stetched the whole length of the bridge on both sides. People were buying food or eating their own picnics turning it into one huge street (bridge) party. "Gold" chairs to sit on, a centre piece like this

every couple of yards and a place "mat" at every table

Each one had a culinary disaster story on it. I could have spent the whole day just reading the tables. I couldn't find out who were the artists resonsible but they deserve some kind of achievement award.
These children were getting into the spirit of the thing, they were soaked.

My friend said, "I'm glad I don't have to take one of them home on the train!!!"

I found this on the excellent Bibliodyssey. How right he was. Feel sorry for the poor old silk worms though......
The Praise of the Needle

"To all dispersed sorts of ARTS and TRADES,
I writ the Needles praise (that never fades)
So long as Children shall be got or borne,
So long as Garments shall be made, or worne,
So long as Hemp or Flax or Sheepe shall beare
Their linnen-woolen fleeces yeare by yeare;
So long as Silk-wormes, with exhausted spoyle,
Of their own Entrailes, for mans gaine shall toyle:
Yea, till the world be quite dissolv'd and past;
So long at least, the Needles use shall last.."
[John Taylor, 1640]

Keep up girl.....

Still struggling to get back into the habit of blogging and creating. here is my Calendar Girls 2008 postcard for Val. This was the picture

I decided to go with the words and the coolour, I think we are all struggling a bit with the flowers. So what did I produce? Flowers!!! I made the little word plaque on fine aida and than painted the background satin and lace with koh-i-nor dyes. They were very dark when they were wet but came up these pastel shades when dry. So I decided to go with pretty and added the beads and the flowers.


Just caught up with what Purple Missus who has her usual bumper Sunday edition. Enough reading to keep me going all week, such fascinating experiments. The Maggie Grey who is tantalising about the new book. Sounds as though the whole experience is going to be really exciting. (My directory is disinigrating nicely) and lastly Sara Lechner had a link to the Mixed Nuts exhibition, what great fun this looks.

Bad blogger.....

I have missed posting for a couple of weeks, entirely my own fault......part procrastination, and we all know tomorrow is come, here and gone before you can blink and part So to get me back in the swing of things, here is a book cover I made for my daughter.

It started out life as an experiment, ages ago, on the embellisher and then I embroidered it to within an inch of its life. This is the piece before it was turned into a book cover.


I won't go on about our rotten weather as I know there are people who are suffering a lot, lot worse but on a grey wet Sunday when Maggie Grey tells you to slash a catalogue or directory what else would you do?

Yes it's the silly season.......

This months TIF was about balance. So here I am on top of the world trying to balance the important things in my life.

I printed an image of my face and a background I had made onto cotton, same with the eath and the the "balls". I then assembled the doll which is based on the chia doll, you can find a printable template here. The earth is slightly padded.

Added note. The silly season obviously affected my spelling/typing as pointed out by a dear friend.

Is it August or November???????

Hard to tell at times..... Galvanised by the arival of this great card from Susan

I buckled down and finished my card for Carol
I took the August picture
and printed bits of it onto cotton, I then assembled crazy quilt fashion onto a piece of craft vilene. Mistake...it made it too stiff to embroider in the way I wanted so it is not as embellished as I intended. The centre panel is padded with wool tops which I let escape a bit so that it is touchy, feely.

Space flower.......

not really a flower, but a nebula in space from the stunning NASA site. Lacking in inspiration? Go and have a look, they post a new one every day.

Challenges contd.......

The TIF challenge "What is it to be at the Half Way Mark?" I played with "marks",and thought it felt "been there done that" and then "Way" as in the path that life takes but in the end I couldn't rid my mind of the old Glass Half Full/Empty thing. I first came across this when I was at school. I had changed in the second year from an all girls school to a co-ed, we had a lesson with the Headmaster, he was very tall and always wore an academic gown which used to billow out behind him as he strode the corridors. He learned every pupils name and could identify you from 500 yards, so you behaved when he was about and you behaved just in case he was about!!!! I digress. In one lesson he strode around the classroom pouncing on people and asking them "Whe you have drunk half of your drink is the glass half full or half empty?" I hadn't a clue what he was talking about and was terrified of giving the "wrong" answer, I stammered out "Half Empty" and slid in to the role of one of life's pessimists. So here is my Half empty Glass

I used the alphabet facility on my sewing machine to make the works Empty and full and free machined the rest.

Incidentally the Headmaster gave me a reference for my first job which I still have. He became less scary as the years went by and I hold his memory in a mixture of respect and affection.

Challenges....

I blame it on our lack of summer sunshine but I have been feeling really lack lustre, however I have finall managed to prod myself into activity so here are my submissions Calendar Girls 2008 and TIF

My card this month was for Carol and I wanted to do something metallic and funky but it just wouldn't come so I played with the original calendar page,

printed it onto cotton and added french knots and beads.

Still determined to get some metal in there, I added the three beads.

Will I never learn?...

I have a painting smock, I have a plastic apron and I have I yellow polka dot tee shirt because I didn't wear my painting smock or plastic apron!!!! I did remember the rubber gloves for once though.

Hibernation.....

is something I am seriously considering This should have been written about four days ago. Blame our disgusting weather for robbing me of the desire to do anything but curl up with a book!! If this is summer roll on winter...Enough!!

Last weekend was terrific. I have to congratulate the organisers of the EG Eastern Region, Regional Day. I had a memorable day, no little thanks to the company I was in. The speakers were Diane Bates and Jean Littlejohn and Jan Beaney.What can I say about the famous duo. It was fascinating to listen to there different approach to the same subject. Listening to Diane's Northern accent and humour made me quite homesick and I just loved her outlook on the work she does.
The exhibition had some beautiful work, there were a couple of things I wanted to bring home, one was an artists's box and the other was a stunwork tree which revealed more the closer you looked.
The highlight of the day was being told by Lynda of Purple Missus that I had won the draw for her quilt,(thank you Will) I was so suprised and thrilled. It looks really good against my new grey walls so I am just trying to find the perfect place. This is Lynda's photo I hope she doesn't mind.
Another delight arrived on Monday, my post card from Carol See how pretty...

My last little happiness was to see a picture of my Cyber Fyber card, I lost the original picture when my machine crashed. Just look at all the other cards, what a wonderful exhibition this will be, I wish I could get there. Wouldn't it be great to have it at the Knit and Stitch next year.

There's nothing like a British Summer.....

for being absolutely nothing like Summer!!! Another bright periods(short) windy day. So I shut myself in and made some ATC's which is something I haven't done for a while.

This was inspired by Maggie Grey's "From Image to Stitch",(did I say what a good book this is) it was great fun to make. I messed about with a photograph last week, unfortunately I messed so much I can't remember which one I used now!!! But this is the result. I printed it onto cotton and then added Bondaweb and then Fibre in Form Foils and then two layers of chiffon. I added some machine stitching and applied a little heat. I stood back to have a look. I couldn't think of anything that it would make because of the size (A4) so, on this gloomy afternoon, I turned it into 7 ATCs which I quite like. I intend to take them with me to the EG Eastern Regional Day at Colchester next week and if there are any left to the EG South Eastern Day at Canterbury the following week so if you recognise me, say hello and I will happily give you one of these.

Suits you Madam......

Neki Desu had a story on her blog A Moveable Piece about a salesman adjusting his patter to clinch the sale. Very funny! Go read. This jogged a memory. Does anyone remember the dress shops that used to be, on what was then the "wrong" side of Oxford Street, in London. These shops had entrances like funnels so that if you were looking in the windows you were unwittingly channelled towards the door where a charming (forceful) assistant was waiting to guide you in. One in there you were lost in a barrage of "Oh it's just your colour Madam", "The length is just perfect for you" "You couldn't have a better fit" ......and yes, I swear they were holding in a fist full of material behind you back!

Ommission.....

I forgot to say that the dress for the TIF challenge would proably fit a 2-3 year old. I just worked with the size of the partially made bodice in the bag.

June Calendar Girls 2008

I only managed two cards for Debbi to chose from this month. The first one was made using this
I had taken a photograph of my own hand and I added it to the print, printed on cotton it lost a lot of its vibrancy but I padded it and machine stitched into some of the lines. I added a little tag which said "hand of a friend"

This is the card that Debbi chose

Using the photograph of my hand, again, I altered it in PSP and printed it onto cotton. I added a tiny touch of gold foil from Fibre in Form and stamped the word "friendship" and added the ribbon. You can see the rest of the girls cards here

A Tale of Two Challenges..........

Do you have time?

Sharon's June challenge said "They (stash) are either purchased or scavenged materials that have accumulated over time and as such they often have a story to tell. Or it is possibly more correct to say that stashes are full of stories. The interesting thing for textile practitoners is that these materials can take on another story. They can be made into something new and take on other meanings in someones life.".

At the last EG meeting our lovely Jane, who brings us useful things like pelmet vilene and thermolan, had some bags of bit and pieces which she was selling for the huge sum of £1, of course I couldn't resist, well I needed it didn't I? (Like the proverbial hole). Having seen the colours for Sharon's challenge I challenged myself to use this bag of pieces for the June TIF. (The woman is challenge mad!!!)

When I opened the bag this is what I found.


I I examined them I realised that these were probably all fabrics from a bridal shop.
I spread them out

I had thoughts on weddings that happened and those that didn't and thought about
a fabric book for stitchin fingers but that will have to wait a while
because on closer inspection I found that the one's outlined in red and green

were very interesting indeed.

The one outlined in red was a part of a very small bodice and remined me immediately of Degas' Ballet Dancer

(hold that thought)

The piece outlined in green was some kind of head scarf/bonnet made of organza petal shapes.

I went away to think some more about the TIF challenge. "So this month the idea to think about is stories that are and stories that are possible."

Stories...hmm I love stories. Those that are... the scraps of material. Those that are possible.......the (wedding) dresses. Stories...... my favourite story is still Cinderella. Charming version here.

and there it was I would make a dress which showed the "ARE".. the rags and the "POSSIBLE" .....the ball dress.

The proportions aren't quite right but I was determined to work with what I had, I added some sequins and some gold ribbon for the sash and some eyelets for the lacing but everything else came out of the bag.



This is the Cinderella dress front and back. It was very difficult to photograph but it will give you an idea. Here are a couple of close ups.




It is imperfectly made but it is an idea that could be developed at some time so I will tuck it away until that time arrives.

A couple of links......

This is a better link if you are interested in Maggie Grey's "Image to Stitch"

Thanks to a comment I found the delightful blog of Annette EmmsHer fairy shoes are wonderful and she has a tutorial for a bookwrap which appeals to my love of tactile looking things.

It is apparently Worldwide Stamping Week I found this link onDapple Designs I used to do a lot of stamping and still have drawers of stamps which I use from time to time. I don't think I will have time to take part but I thought the list had some good ideas would be useful for those times when inspiration just won't come be it paper or textile.

Look what arrived today.........

well yesterday really, Maggie Grey's latest book "Image to Stitch" and it is a beauty.

I have only dipped in and out of it but it is full of inspiration and more importantly, information. Could'nt resist a little play last night this is the Calendar Girls 2008 picture for June



yes girls, I have started thinking.......

and this is what I came up with after trying out a couple of Maggie's suggestions.

I have printed it onto cotton,(the colours weren't quite so vibrant so I will have to play with settings).

Now what to do next? ....excuse me I have to go and have another quick read!

Meet my girls........

In the south east of England we are not having a good finish to Spring, the longest day is about two weeks away and we are having to put the lights on at 8pm. YUK. I hate grey, I would rather have storms than this dull, heavy, sit on your shoulders type of weather which seems to have been going on for weeks.

But today a couple of nice things happened. First a phone call to say that a friend of my husband's who had a stroke is now at home and doing fine and then there was my May Calendar Girls Card from Carol

The texture is wonderful and the flowers are like sunshine coming from behind a cloud(I wish). It is a geat addition to my collection.

So in the cause of cheering up.... Meet my girls! Inspired byJulie Arkaell I am in the process of producing these for my golf clubs.

When I showed them to my son he gave me an old fashioned look, "Well, they'll make people laugh" I said defensively....."Or step away" was his reply.
Fortunately they make people laugh, I think they have improved my golf and if not when I make a bad shot who gets the blame....?