Friday 24 July 2015

Five on Friday - My Week

I bring you a pretty random selection of things I've been up to this week under the very convenient title of Five on Friday!
 
1. Teaching
 
 
On Tuesday I was at Art Van Go teaching a class called "Stitches and Doodles", which was a fun day practising free machine stitching.

 
My twelve "victims" ranged from three ladies who had never done anything like this before to one who had completed her C & G Diploma in machine Embroidery... the ultimate mixed ability class! The one lady who claimed to not even know how to thread her machine went on to stitch these beach huts... obviously a natural!
 
 
Lots of fun all day!
 
 
2. Cooking
 
 
You might think I was making pumpkin soup in the middle of summer (I'm not even going to mention the rain today) but no... I spotted a recipe for Passion Fruit and Pink Grapefruit curd which I rather fancied. I bought the required fruit but by the time I came to make it I couldn't remember where I had spotted the recipe in the first place... so I made it up based on other curd recipes. But it didn't quite set! So today I heated it up again, taking care not to turn it into scrambled eggs, and I now have four jars of rather nice curd. Which is very pleasing as my favourite breakfast at the moment is lemon curd stirred into plain yogurt and topped with banana and raspberries and I'm guessing the type of curd won't matter.

 
3. Shopping

 
I've got a bit of a thing about vintage china... and before anyone else spots it, I know these are not vintage but are new cups and saucers by Katie Alice but they fit very nicely with the other old bits and bobs on my dresser. I couldn't resist them so treated myself.
 
4. Knitting

 
I've started a new cardigan... again! This yarn originally started out as a "Gina" jacket based on one I saw by Marion Foales. I adapted a pattern and knitted the whole thing but it was awful... big, baggy and ugly! So I unravelled it all, washed the yarn to get rid of the crinkles and started knitting this pretty cardigan by Martin Storey from the book Knit Red. I finished the back before I realised the tension was all wrong again... and yes, I had knitted a tension square but the yarn was too soft and floppy. It just didn't work.
 
 
So I unravelled again, have gone down two needle sizes and so far so good! I'll let you know how I get on... and of course whether it transforms me into that ravishing read headed model in the photo... because you just know that's how I am imagining it will turn out!

 
5. Packing

 
On Sunday I'm off to Missenden Abbey for a week to teach in their first week of summer school. City & Guilds level 1 machine embroidery in five days. You wouldn't believe how much stuff I need to take... I have several lists and I'm still worried I've forgotten something. I haven't even started on my clothes etc. So I won't be blogging next week... although will probably update my Facebook page with our progress. See you when I come up for air in August!
 
Joining in with Amy for Five on Friday

19 comments:

  1. The curd sounds lovely and the china is beautiful.
    Have a good weekend and week ahead,
    V x

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  2. Sounds like you have your hands full with packing! However, it sounds like it will be in a lovely setting and well worth all the extra work?! I love red anything so I have my fingers crossed that this try with your red yarn will turn out just like your dreams! :D

    I didn't make it to getting my post together for Five on Friday but am still popping around to say a quick hello to everyone!
    Hugs for now and enjoy your class,
    Beth P

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  3. Great work from your students. It must be a bit nerve wracking when one of them hasn't even threaded her machine before. The curd looks delicious. Lemon curd with yoghurt and blueberries is good too. Love the pretty china and that shade of red for your cardigan. Makes me want to knit something.

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  4. Great things Gina! All of the people in your embroidery class did really well didn't they!!! Great results. The curd looks and sounds delicious and I love the teacups as well, very pretty! I hope that the weeks teaching goes well and that you enjoy it! Thank you so much as always for joining in. I hope that you have a great weekend! xx

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  5. Looking at the free motion sewing at the top I realized how much I owe you Gina, from the other side of the world I took baby steps to follow one of your tutorials and am reminded of you every day (this year) as I use my daily dairy covered in a piece of material with flowers I fme'd
    used to cover it. Thank you. Love the idea of that gorgeous bit of knitting, hope it fulfills all expectations.

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  6. Gina, what fun to see those embroidered, appliqued beach huts by your fledgling student. Yes, I'd say she's got a great eye for the possibilties of this technique.

    I've loved various fruit curds for ages, but they all came in a glass jar from England...probably Essex. I am so impressed that you can make your own. Your breakfast menu sounds so healthy and delicious.

    On to knitting. I'm a big fan of Marian Foale, and have made several sweaters from her expert designs, based on very retro, traditional styles. Sorry that your original red sweater did not catch fire, and even take two was not quite right. May you be lucky third time around. The red yarn you are using is a beautiful shade, and it's great to knit something with a lace heart motif.

    Best wishes on your next round of classes. As someone else has already commented, the location must be a treat.

    Happy Weekend, dear Gina. xo

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  7. what talented students you produce - I am sure it has something to do with the tutor!
    Your knitting is looking lovely, I hope this round is successful, you have more perseverance than I ever did.
    Have a great time teaching this week, no doubt you will have lots of photos of your students' work when you return. Cheers

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  8. See you at Missenden next week! I'm on Janet's 3 days course. I'm looking forward to it.

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  9. Yummy sounding breakfast :) And I love that cardi too. Hope you have a great teaching week away.

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  10. OOOH! I love that sweater pattern! I'll have to look for that book. I think I really NEED a sweater with heart stitched in it! and what a perfect shade of red, too! Good luck with your summer school teaching!

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  11. Super stitching, pretty china and the curd looks delicious. What a lovely pattern, I hope it all goes smoothly now and you will post a photo when it is finished. Have a wonderful week at Missenden.

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  12. Love this post. Would have loved to have been one if your machine embroidery victims. Looks amazing. And that curd... I'm away from home right now but intend to give this a go at the earliest opportunity.

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  13. Loving the work your students produced, particularly the beach huts. Good luck with your teaching week, just think how excited all the students will be, waiting to learn all these wonderful new skills X

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  14. Oh, that cardigan! So lovely. I'd wear it. In fact I'd want a few, in different colours. Maybe mustard and a mossy green.
    The embroidery looks great. I'm quite scared of my sewing machine.
    Hope you have a lovely time away teaching.
    S :)

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  15. It was fascinating looking at the different types of free machine embroidery here - I've never done it but it's something I'd like to try one day. Your curd looks and sounds delicious. I like it on hot crumpets or muffins, but stirred into yogurt for breakfast, yum.

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  16. You seem to have forgotten eat, breathe, sleep, repeat somewhere in all that too.

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  17. The curd looks wonderful, I like the sound of your breakfast! have a fab time at Missenden.

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  18. Goodness you've been busy. The curd looks fab. Hope you have a great week at Missenden.

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  19. Busy as always Gina -- I hope you're having a wonderful week teaching this week!

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