Busy Weekend!

It's been non stop activity here this weekend. Saturday started with a drive up to Peterborough to Art and Stitch where I was teaching a Tyvek Day. Ten ladies spent the day making flowers, seed heads and beads the results of which you can see here... didn't they do well!

I spent the day making a mess... the results of which you can see here!

A friend, Jenny, came to stay on Saturday evening and then on Sunday Jenny and I headed off to Cambridge for an ERTF lunch at Jesus college, collecting Mary Cozens-Walker on the way. We had a fabulous lunch, saw some amazing sculpture and were treated to a wonderfully inspirational talk by Michael Brennand Wood. On the way home Jenny and I were invited in for tea and cake with Mary and had a little tour of her studio which was wonderful... I now want to rearrange my studio (... room.) I didn't take my camera but you can see more of the lunch here and here... can you spot me?

Back home I thought I'd better do some homework. I haven't started my life drawing classes yet but I have recorded some life classes that were broadcast on Channel 4 a couple of months ago. The following couple of pictures were ones I made from a class taught by Maggi Hambling, whose work I love... I quite liked the look of the model, Matthew too!!!

I thought I would then try some "real life" rather than work from the telly but my men were very unsporting and refused to take their clothes off... Stewart said "Not so likely... it'll end up on your blog"... so here he is pretending to read (he was actually dozing!)

And Joe reading too!

And finally I thought I better pick the PIF winners... and here they are...

There weren't very many wanted to play and for a while I thought about sending each of you a gift... but then common sense prevailed and so Mavis, Maria and Twiggy... you will be getting gifts from me sometime in the next twelve months. All you have to do when you receive them is pay it forward to another three people.

I've got a week of more stewarding, teaching and homework... but I'll be back soon.

PIF

The private view of the exhibition was yesterday afternoon and so far the reaction has been very positive. If you want to see more pictures you can find some on the ERTF blog and if you are really excited by what you see and you live in the Eastern counties then why not join us!

Completely unrelated, but long overdue are some thank yous as I've been the lucky recipient of some giveaways. First this beautiful felt and embroidery postcard from Micki which I love... thank you Micki.

And secondly these great cards from Monda which I also love... thank you Monda!

But that was not all... I had completely forgotten that I had also been picked for a PIF gift from Monda too and so along with my cards came this brilliant stitched paper collage... and

A fabric corsage.... which just happens to be perfect...

For my winter jacket! (Although I'm not sure what has happened to the colour in this photo!)

All of which means of course that I've got to pay it forward too! So if you fancy receiving a PIF gift from me sometime in the next 12 months (probably means next September!) then leave me a comment letting me know by Sunday evening. I will then pick three names using a complex system of bits of paper in a hat and those three people will get something hand made from me. All you have to do is promise to pay it forward to three more people once you receive my gift.

An Exhibition

One of the other things I've been working on over the summer was a piece of work for the following ERTF exhibition which opens tomorrow. If you get a chance to visit Cambridge over the next couple of weeks do try to pop in and take a look. There is plenty of exciting work covering many types of textiles, not only embroidery. And there is a shop selling all manner of lovely textile goodies. I'll be there stewarding an a few of the days so if you happen to spot me please come and say hello!


The following is a preview of the piece of work I had accepted together with my personal statement for this exhibition:

For this exhibition Gina has explored her role within the family. For most of her adult life Gina has felt herself defined by her relationships to others in particular Wife and Mother. This piece is about emerging from these roles as a woman in her own right… Moving Forward...

The Birth Of Woman