Sunday 27 April 2008
Good Idea?
Friday 25 April 2008
Socks and Swaps
It was a Kaffe Fassett yarn for Regia but I can't remember the colour!
Talking colour... Lulu is a colourful character.
Finished just in time for my Craft Stall this evening.
If she doesn't sell she might just appear in the shop.
This morning I popped to the local garden centre - first of all for a quick cuppa and catch up with Dotty Cookie and Tiny Small. Then we had a wander around the garden centre and I bought this beautiful Clematis Cartmanii "Avalanche".
It has an abundance of the most beautiful delicate flowers. I'd like to keep it but it is a present for our neighbours who celebrate their Golden Wedding this weekend. They are very keen gardeners so hope they will like it as much as I do... and maybe plant it against our adjoining fence!
When I got home I was disappointed to find I had missed the postman who had a Special Delivery parcel for me. Suspecting it might be something nice I went back out to the sorting office to collect it and I was very excited when I opened it because inside was this...
... beautiful mini quilt from Katy!
Thursday 24 April 2008
Bag Lady
"You have to bring in your old bags!"
"Yes I know... I do... but I need these bags."
"But you must recycle your old bags"
"I do... honestly... But I need these."
"I'll give you a sticker"
I gave in and took the bags and my sticker having decided it wasn't worth trying to explain... but I need more bags and I'm not sure I can face going back. I'll keep you posted!
As well as projects involving plastic bags I've also had to face the reality of going back to work next week. I put a lot of things on hold when Jacob was diagnosed and it has been almost three months since I've taught any classes. But next week we've got a Zigzag meeting and then I've got a weekend teaching at Missenden Abbey so I really had to get some preparation done this week. At Zigzag we're looking at ways of combining hand and machine stitch and today I've made these two tiny samples that will go on the front of cards.
Finally, I must mention the Arte Y Pico award given for creativity, interesting material and contribution to blogging. I'm honoured to have been given this award by three bloggers whom I admire greatly, who all have very different blogs that I find interesting and inspiring in numerous different ways. Kitty, Mags and Celia... THANK YOU!
Monday 21 April 2008
Feeling better.
And I've moved away from the assignment on Making a Cloth and I'm now looking at Dress as a Sculptural Form in greater detail. I've become fascinated by the Japanese designers of Comme des Garcon, in particular with Junya Watanabe and his surreal honeycomb structures.
And as a result I've been exploring my own honeycomb structures - this first was made from kite fabric. It taught me a lot about the actual construction but I'm not that keen on the Christmas decoration I produced!
Friday 18 April 2008
A Bit Under The Weather
I started to fill the inside but didn't get very far.
Because I decided to make another one which I could fill with memorabilia and photos from our holiday in Cuba- which seems like a long and distant memory.
I made the book and started to fill the pages but most of the photos I had with me were very tiny - just contact sheet size and looked out of proportion so Frances suggested I made another smaller book (the original one was only 4 inches square) that could hang as a little bookmark...
Monday 14 April 2008
Thriplow
There was a flower festival in the church, which also had some beautiful stained glass
Saturday 12 April 2008
A Brick
Now I know my reaction should have been "Oh darling, how lovely! It's a brick...I've always wanted one."
But instead what came out of my mouth was "It's a brick... hope you didn't pay for that!"
Very indigant he walked out muttering "It's Art - and it's not just any brick, it's sprayed silver"
Okay.....
The he came back in with another parcel and inside this were these three adorable little ceramic women, sitting chattering! They had been displayed on the brick in the shop and he persuaded the shop keeper to let him have the brick too!
It's the nicest brick I've ever had and it reminds me why I love him!
Friday 11 April 2008
Blues, pinks and crazy chickens.
And as it was Minxie's birthday yesterday I turned it into this little bag as a birthday present and a thank you for sending me such lovely drawings.
I've also overcome my technical hitch with the ponytail bands and have gone into mass production. I've been asked to have a stall at Jacob's school for a "Ladies Pamper Evening" in a couple of weeks time so I thought they might make good sale items.
I'm toying with the idea of adding leaves but I'm not sure yet? Any suggestions?
I thought they matched my new purchase rather well - I got this bumper pack of Alcazar machine embroidery threads in ten different shades of blue at almost half price, from Barnyarns where they are having a clear out sale. Might have to go back and get some other colours!
Thursday 10 April 2008
A Recommendation
Finally some Springtime pictures. This week we have gone from snow to sunshine but I know Spring is here by the beautiful show of cowslips on our village conservation area. We are so lucky to have this area which is behind our house and every year I look forward to the cowslips - which are then followed by large daisies and heavily laden cherry trees in the summer!
PS I forgot to mention I've joined Lucy Locket's mini quilt swap (I'll put a link up when I can get my computer to let me cut and paste the code!) My partner is Katy and I'm really looking forward to this swap - a bit of a challenge for me as I don't "do" quilts!