The Evolution of a Moth

Ever since I first saw the wonderful moth sculptures created by Mister Finch I knew I wanted to make something featuring moths.

 

photo: www.mister-finch.com

 

I didn't really know what I wanted to do... except I did know that I didn't want to recreate moths like Mister Finch... they had to be my own take on the theme. Then I saw these fabulous screen printed cashmere moth patches made by Stella Neptune and I decided I would like to embroider some little moth patches to cover up the moths holes in one of my favourite jumpers.

photo: http://www.stellaneptune.com/

 

But once again I didn't just want to copy these moths. The idea stayed mulling around but not actually going anywhere until I spotted some more moths... this time some on some rather exquisite enamelled jewellery featuring a variety of bugs in the Anthropologie cataloge

photo: http://www.anthropologie.eu

 

And I especially loved their little floral wings which weren't that far removed from the original Mr Finch designs. And that is how I came to start embroiderering some little moths.

photo: http://www.anthropologie.eu

 

But like many other projects they were cast aside half finished because there were more pressing things to do. But this week I've been finishing off an article about stitching miniature pictures in free machine embroidery and I remembered the moths which were a perfect example of the technique. So today they were retrieved from under a pile of other unfinished projects and I finally finished them.*

 

I've just got to get around to stitching them on my jumper now. They remind me of the embroiderered patches we used to stitch on our jeans in the 1970s... or was that only me?

 

And all this whilst getting to learn how to use my new smartphone, making pantomime costumes (there will be more about that another time soon) and baking another carrot cake... early night for me tonight I think... I'm pooped!!!

 

* Just to say these were created with free machine embroidery - I don't own an embroidery machine!

Missenden Abbey

Missenden Abbey is a 12th century Augustinian Abbey founded in 1133. After the dissolution of the monastaries, Henry VIII gave the Abbey to his daughter Princess Elizabeth after which it was passed through various families as a private residence.

 

 

Through the years it underwent many changes and rebuilds...

 

until in 1946 the Carrington family sold the Abbey to Buckinghamshire County Council as an adult education centre.

 

After a major fire in 1985 the building was gutted and restored to its former splendor which included vaulted rooms, a ceremonial staircase, stained glass and ornate plasterwork, all of which were recreated with the aim of following the architectural traditions of the original building.

 

What I especially love are the stained glass windows which both respect the tradition of the building yet are also totally contemporary in their design.

 

This weekend the sunlight on Saturday was throwing the most wonderful reflections through the windows onto the walls and plasterwork...

 

which seemed totally fitting for a weekend when the focus of my teaching was colour.

 

It was the third weekend meeting of my City and Guilds class. We painted, dyed fabrics, stitched and immersed ourselves in colour...

 

and I reflected on how lucky I am to work in such a beautiful environment with such a fabulous group of ladies. It doesn't really feel like work.

 

I'll be teaching another Summer School this year and there will be a new level 3 C & G group starting in October. Please do get in touch if you are interested.

Faces

After weeks of throwing around ideas, it came like a shock in the middle of the night when I realised what I wanted to do... literally in the middle of the night!

 

 

Amazingly the idea was still there when I woke up this morning so I set about making some samples...

 

Experiencing the frustration of not quite being able to make the ideas in my head translate into reality...

 

And then the sadness of knowing I was going to have to stop sampling and put it all aside until Monday because I'm away teaching all weekend

 

But most of all happy that ideas are starting to flow again and I'm actually doing something about it...

 

Because it has felt like a long time!

 

These were another middle of the night idea... but perhaps not my finest moment.

 

I'd say watch this space but of course it might not work, I might bin the lot and then go back to the drawing board. But I'll be sure to show you if it does work. Must go.. still got to pack my overnight bag. Have a great weekend!

My "To Do" List

1. Finish work for exhibition
2. Prepare work for submission for another exhibition
3. Finish writing article and take relevant photographs
4. Make samples for workshop in February.
5. Write the Embroiderer's Guild Branch newsletter and send to members.*
6. Pack bags ready for weekend away teaching at Missenden.

 

 

Do you want to know what I actually did...?

1. Baked carrot cake
2. Took photographs of carrot cake
3. Ate carrot cake
4. Blogged about carrot cake.

 

Ah well... there's tomorrow I suppose.

 

* I did actually get the newsletter done after I'd made the cake... I was feeling guilty!

A Year in Books :: January

I belong to two very different book clubs. The first dates back quite a few years and when we first used to meet, we all read the same book and then got together in each others homes over some nibbles and a glass of wine to chat about the book. Gradually as the nibbles and wine grew into three course meals and several glasses the books and the discussions diminished. We no longer all read the same books but instead meet to eat and chat and we bring along books to swap... which suits us all just fine.

 

 

But I found I missed the discussions so a couple of years ago I joined another club. We meet every month at the local pub and have a different book each month, suggested by different members. The books vary enormously and we have fiction, biography, non-fiction, light reads and heavy going stuff. I don't always enjoy every book and I don't always get through every book but I do enjoy the discussion. I also like that it makes me read things I might not have otherwise considered and sometimes I am pleasantly surprised. We've just met to discuss January's book "Significant Sisters". It documents the lives of eight women who played a significant part in the feminist movement which I felt could have been really fascinating yet Margaret Forster made it deadly dull!

 

But despite reading regularly, I still have piles of books all over the house as well as dozens on my Kindle that I just don't get around to reading. So when I heard about Laura's New Year intention (so much better that a resolution) over on Circle of Pine Trees, to read a book each month and document it on her blog as a Year in Books I thought I would join in. And what is lovely about this is that you can follow the links on her post to everyone else who is joining in... which means if every you are short of ideas of what to read there will be plenty of inspiration.

 

Before Christmas Gill passed these two Peter May books onto me. I don't usually pick crime thrillers but these were so good that I read them both in quick succession. They are set on the Isle of Lewis and are incredibly atmospheric - they made me want to visit the Hebrides!

 

So for January I am going to read the third book in the Lewis trilogy The Chess Men... and when I come back in February to tell you what I'm reading then I'll let you know if it was as good as the other two!

Pink Posset and Pistachios

There were a number of blood oranges in my veg box last week. I always find them rather alarming when cutting into them and they tend to spurt red juice everywhere... well all over the work surface, down my front and on my new oven gloves to be precise. I wasn't wearing oven gloves to cut the oranges by the way I just hadn't hung them up... that'll teach me!

 

 

Anyway, as the family decided they were a little on the sharp side I decided I needed to find a way of using them. Now after the event, I'm thinking marmalade but at the time I didn't think marmalade but more posset. Although after my last posset post I'm loathed to call it that as the name seemed to put people off!

 

So I made some "Blood Orange Posset Creams".

I followed the same recipe as before but added the juice of two oranges... which I then discovered is the same as Raymond Blanc's recipe. However it tasted a little bit too sweet so I added the juice of a lemon too (what does Raymond Blanc know?)*

 

I'd put them in the fridge to set where they caused much concern. They were such an awful artificial pink colour that Joe thought I'd dropped my standards and I'd made Angel Delight... as if!!!* But once they were taken out and decorated with some segments of orange...

 

and accompanied by more pistachio shortbread, they passed muster and were devoured with relish... despite appearances. And very good they were too!

 

Which brings me to the point of this post (does there need to be a point?)... to give you the shortbread recipe which I promise will be one of the best you have tasted!

 

Pistachio Shortbread

200g plain flour

225g unsalted butter, softened

125g caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla paste

150g ground almonds

50g unsalted pistachios, chopped 

 

Cream together the butter and sugar. Gradually work in the vanilla, flour and almonds, adding the pistachios as the mixture starts to hold together. This can be done in a food processor (or a shiny new red mixer!) but be careful not to overwork the dough, adding the pistachios at the end as they can become oily if ground too fine. Wrap the dough in cling film and rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes... don't skip this step! Heat the oven to 180 deg C. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured board, to about 7 mm thick and cut out biscuit shapes. Place onto cookie sheets lined with baking parchment leaving plenty of space around each biscuit as they do spread. Prick lightly with a fork and bake for 15 -18 mins until just starting to colour. Sprinkle with caster sugar and allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container... or eat but they do make about 24 biscuits so that might be too much in one go.

 

I've got a weekend of family here for lunch, more arriving for dinner, birthday cake and rehearsals for me (more about that another time). Hope your weekend is good!

* I should say that in the interest of accuracy and avoidance of law suits that Raymond Blanc actually knows quite a bit about cooking and Angel Delight contains no artificial colours.. Phew!

Bring me Sunshine

I was recently passed a sunshine award from Judith who is a talented artist and illustrator from Ballymena. I was honoured and flattered to be picked out by Judith but as ever these awards come with rules and those who know me from old will also know that I don't do rules. However as I've already obeyed rule number one to link back to the blogger who nominated me, I thought I might as well play along a little bit...

 

 

Rule no. 2 is to answer some questions set by the person who nominated me. I've done the "five/seven/ten random facts about me" several times before but I don't think I've ever answered specific questions so here goes...

 

1. Pizza or Chinese?

Has to be pizza, preferable thin, crispy, simple and eaten outdoors in the sunshine in Italy... failing that, homemade with a beetroot and goat cheese topping.

 

2. Train or Bus?

I do get the park and ride bus if I go into Cambridge but other than that I can't really remember the last proper bus ride I went on so I think it has to be the train. I relish that uninterrupted time to read or knit.

 

3. Stairs or Lift?

Always the stairs if possible. Don't like waiting for lifts and don't like being in them!

 

4. Cooking or Washing up?

I think you all know the answer to that... cooking wins everytime. We have a rule in our house that whoever cooks does not have to wash up. I think I might have made that rule up... and that is one rule I'm happy to keep!

 

5. Luxury Cruise or Camping?

Neither! The idea of being stuck on a ship, luxury or otherwise would be my idea of hell not a holiday. I've only done it once, in February 1982 when I was a young teacher. Three of us took 30 year ten pupils on an educational cruise around the Mediterranean on the HMS Uganda. I suppose that might indeed sound like hell but to be fair at the time I really enjoyed it, we visited some amazing places and it certainly beat being stuck in a North London classroom teaching for two weeks (apart from the day when we were stuck at sea and all the children were seasick) but I wouldn't choose to do it again. And camping... I probably could enjoy it, but it was the only type of holiday we ever had when I was a child... and it always rained, so after a particulary soggy camping trip in North Wales when I was fourteen, I swore I would never do it again and I haven't. If you forced me to choose it would be camping  rather than cruising... but somewhere warm and dry.

 

So those are my answers. Rule no. 3 says to nominate eleven more bloggers to receive the award but that is where I am not playing. (To be fair I have received this award in the past in my early days of blogging and may have played along then.)  But you can play along if you like. What would be your answers to the questions ?