Countdown - seven days to go!

I can't believe a week has passed since I last blogged. It has been a very busy week and I've had a horrible cold that seems to be hanging on like a toddler clinging to your leg, it just won't go away.


I have managed to do some work on my hanging but not as much as I wanted and needed to get done. I've bound the edges in the way you would a quilt. This picture doesn't do them justice they look much much nicer in real life. I am still making leaves, I have painted some Lutradur and I'm going to experiment with it and see what kind of leaves it makes. I have a mental issue with Lutradur. I know it's a useful fabric and I have seen beautiful pieces of work created by other people using it but I don't seem to get on with it. So here's hoping.

Today I might start experimenting with the poppies. That's the exciting bit.

Tonight however is wrap night. I really have got to make it, the wedding is a week today so it is now a matter of urgency! This time next week we will be at the hairdresser. Stephanie has got to be there for 8:00am, so I won't get a lie in!

First Meeting

On Wednesday we had the first meeting of the year of my City and Guilds class. It was great to get back to things and catch up with people. We had a lovely day.

However I wasn't as pleased with the work we had to do. I must point out that it wasn't the teachers fault it is just some thing we have to do.
I don't like drawing - that's not really true the trouble is I can't draw and I wish I could.

These are paper curls mmm.



This is meant to be a drawing of a crumpled (how my brain felt) piece of paper. This term we are looking at form and we had to look at the shape and shadows - I think. Now you know why I can't draw. Neil would say it's a lack of understanding and he's right, just don't tell him!

On a more positive note the hanging is coming along nicely. I have finished with the embellisher and cut my rectangles, they are looking very neat.

I have loaded them onto blogger in reverse order by mistake (I don't understand computers either) this will be the first piece.

This is the second or middle piece and is the wrong way round.

This is the top.

And this is the grass - in the making. It's sheer fabric sandwiched between water soluble fabric.
I have stitched triangles of various sizes and on different colours. I also used some lining fabric.

This is what they look like once they have been cut out and rinsed. Seaweed according to Pam, she has a point but it's definitely grass.

So at last I am making progress with this project and I feel much happier about it. Hopefully it will soon be finished.

It's A Dogs Life

This is definitely what you call a dogs life and I want one! He got up, came downstairs, climbed onto his stuffed dog that someone (Neil) bought for him just before Xmas and he went to sleep again. He really is one spoilt rotten dog and you know who it is that spoils him don't you.


On Saturday we have got our first workshop of the new year, Gina will be teaching Bonded Books. Students will be able to practice their F M E as well as learn a new technique - a fun day.

The red book was made by Gina, the other one by me. These are lovely little books to make, they are great for keeping special memorabilia in.

It's Good To Be Back

Thank you to every one for the kind birthday wishes. We had a great time in Wales, we didn't do anything. It was lovely sitting in the hot tub watching the snow fall, we really did chill out, neither of us wanted to come back. However it is nice to be back at work I did miss everybody and I have got lots of homework to do.

I am still working on my hanging. Some progress has been made, I have finished the embellishing and cut it into three pieces.

This will be the top.


This is the middle section.

And this will be the bottom.

Now I have to make some grass!

I have still got to make Stephs wrap for her wedding which is fast approaching. Today we are going for a hair rehearsal. Last night we were trying out nail varnish, only half a dozen or so and then, she decides that she actually wants a french manicure. I didn't know I could be so patient.

Check out Pams blog she has got something new to show you.

A Birthday Treat

We are back in Wales for the weekend. It is my birthday tomorrow and this is my birthday treat from Neil, a much needed rest. Things are going to be a little bit hectic for the next few weeks Steph gets married four weeks today and she is getting a little bit stressed and panicky, so am I. I still need to make her wrap, I know it won't take long it's just a case of knuckling down and getting on with it.

We arrived Thursday afternoon and were greeted with lots of the white stuff.


We hadn't had much snow at home and the roads were clear and free of traffic all the way here so this was a bit of a surprise. It does look lovely.

This photo was taken looking through one end of the verandah, it could be an Xmas card.

Some interesting texture, frost covered weeds.

These cobwebs are beautiful, especially with the sun shining through.

This is a view looking down on the village.

And this is the next lodge down from us there are five altogether so it is very quiet up here. Even the sheep aren't making a lot of noise.

One hungry pheasant, so hungry in fact that when I went out side he didn't fly away just carried on eating. In the distance I could hear guns going off.




I did bring some sewing with me. More hexagons to make some more pincushions and maybe needle cases.

I hope you are enjoying the snow and keeping warm.

Angel Giveaway

Today's the day if you had entered into the giveaway for this little lady.

Here are all the names ready to go into the pot to be drawn by Pati, our lovely receptionist.

This is Pati she is lovely, very efficient and we couldn't manage without her even if she does think I'm mad.

Here she is doing the deed.

And the winner is Gina. Congratulations Gina, your parcel will be in the post today I hope you like it.

I hope you are all enjoying the snow. It took me an hour to get to the shop this morning but my journey was very pretty. I used the back roads this morning and it was magical driving underneath white trees. The sun was just rising, the sky was beautiful and I forgot about all the inconvenience that the white stuff causes- until I go home!

January's issue of Patchwork and Quilting features Art and Stitch in the "let's go shopping" series. Judi Mendelssohn came to see us a couple of weeks ago (what a delightful lady she is) and we spent a couple of hours talking about us, the shop, the training room and our workshop programme. The article is an amusing (and encouraging) summary of what we do and how we do it -and has a picture of Neil in case you were wondering what he looks like!

Xmas Giveaway

OK, I give in and admit that Xmas is on its way. I did write three xmas cards this morning. Sunday evening Anthony and his girlfriend put the tree up. I think they did a great job it looks lovely.

The angel is as pretty as ever.

Monday morning we took Sparky back to the vets at Newmarket, he had to have some blood tests to check how he is getting on with the medication. Imagine the amusement when the vet picked him up to put him on the table and we spotted hanging from his neck a snowflake. It appears that when they decorated the tree they decorated the dog as well!

If you would like to win this little angel for your tree all you need to do is leave a comment before 9:00am Friday and I will put your name into a draw which will be drawn on Friday morning so that she can go in Fridays post.

Funny Weather

I thought I would show you some pictures I took in the garden this morning.

This geranium is still going strong




along with this fuschia. They are both very pretty and it is lovely to see them but not what I would expect at this time of year.

I got the pattern for these angels from here they are fiddly to make but there is a sense of satisfaction in making them. Thank you Dotty for the pattern.

Never Say Never

This is what we had for our evening meal on Tuesday. It's chicken and bacon pie with peas.

I thought I'd blog about this culinary achievement because nobody will believe me if I just told them about it.

This is how it looked before it went into the oven and that's egg not varnish on the pastry I'm not that hopeless! I will admit that I didn't make the pastry that was courtesy of Saxby. Well I can't do everything.


This was the spectacular offering that came out of the oven.

And this is how it looked when I cut into it.

Even if I do say so myself it was very yummy and everybody's plate was empty. You never know I might try again next year.

Course Work

This is a book I have made as part of my shape work. We started with a sketch book and played around with various shapes making different patterns. We also looked at how shapes are used in advertising, on food labels and any where else that you see shape.

Then we made a book and are meant to choose a shape and fill the book with patterns made using that shape, I've got as far as making the book.



This is a sample that I made in class using kunin felt, all to do with shape again.

The white side is meant to be the right side but I prefer the black. I really enjoyed making this. You know how it is when you make something because you have to so you just get on and do it (eventually), and then there are times when you make something because you have to but you enjoy the process, this was one of those times.

I have been doing some more work on my hanging but had to stop because I broke the embellisher needles changed them and then broke the new ones. So more new ones are on order.

It's A HAT

Yes it's a hat. I made it with the wool I got from here . It's a very nice fitting hat and the ear flaps do keep your ears warm.

Well done to Gina and Barbara who both guessed the right answer.

What Is It?

Can you guess what I am making?

Even this little fella is confused.

Just in case you were wondering the little fella belongs to the dog.

Hexagons And Prairie Points

Remember the hexagons and prairie points? Last time you saw them they were in bits and now they have all been put together to make this.


An oversized pincushion. It stands 10cm in height and 19.5cm across. It's larger than I imagined it would be but that might have some thing to do with the fact that I didn't read all the instructions. (Well who does?) I should have cut the middle band down to 3½" in width before joining together but never mind it still works the same. I've stuffed it with sawdust after some advice from a friend (thank you Barbara). As I was putting it together I didn't like it and wished I'd never started but now it's finished and I've had time to look at it I am pleased with it. I think it's going to be very useful and I've never had a pincushion before - can you believe that!


I added some embellishments of my own and I think more will follow. The hexagon and square button are handmade and I've had them for ages, I always knew I'd find a use for them.

This oval pendant used to be a necklace until this afternoon, I had it as a child (see you should never throw anything away) and it has got my name on it as well as some flowers (bad photo) so that just had to go on there.

There are enough squares in the box to make another two pincushions so you may see some more.

I'm Back

I've been away, we spent last week in Wales, here to be exact. We had a lovely time and I didn't want to come home. We went from Monday to Friday and it just wasn't long enough. I came back to work on the Saturday and I just haven't been able to get back into the swing of things. I'm sure you know that feeling.

One thing I have managed to do is work on my Shape sketchbook for my course. It's going in the right direction but it's not finished.

Here I have been looking at circles, how they are used in design and advertising and I have started to play around with them. Looking at this page now I could have made a face with measles using the coloured dots- Can you see it? Although I'm not sure that's what teacher had in mind :-)

This is some of my work on squares. I particularly like the pattern I made at the bottom left of the right hand page. I'm sure that would make a nice quilt. And I'm sure that's what the teacher had in mind more than a face of measles.

This is just a couple of pages where I was playing around with shapes and making patterns.

Hopefully I will get my creative mojo back soon and more interesting things will be produced.

I hope you have a good weekend whatever the weather.