Deleted ramble

I've just deleted the page with the webdings and reposted it below. At least I can give you a picture of my latest 'creation' now.

Tissue book 2

I'm now trying to post the message I wrote last Sunday which ended up as beautiful webdings. Please let me know if you can read it!

Last night (Saturday) I made some of my tissue paper into a book, Here is a photo of the final piece. I was really pleased with the piece combining some of the new techniques I've learned recently, lovely glitzy threads and skeleton leaves along with a piece of embossed copper. It's also got a few danglies with hand made metal beads, you can't see them on the picture because they are so small (big grin). Must learn how to publish emoticons on my blog. (Think I'll scrap that idea seeing as I've had so many problems after my first tissue book post)

Sunday 24th June

Had a trip out to Wooler to see Helen Cowans' Open Day (click on the title of this post to go to Helen's website). My friend and I had a lovely day out. Helen is an inspiration and has done some fabulous work. Well done. We stopped to take photos of the river in spate and went in to Wooler for a quick sandwich before coming home. The afternoon was beautiful after a very wet morning.

Busy day

Yesterday was a busy day. I went off, in the morning, to a meeting of Regional EG in Durham. Then back home to finish preparing for a social get together at my house of the APTT (Association of Part Time Tutors) working group. We had a great time, partaking of a glass -or two- of wine and a few nimbles. Conversation was lively and stimulating.

Problems on Sheilasembroidery Rambles

Oh dear I must learn not to play around with fonts too much. I was trying to include a Wingding smilie in my post and accidentally changed the whole post I changed it back and reposted the edit but Blogger, in it's wisdom, didn't show this change to others. So my apologies if the last post looks very pretty but unreadable.

In future I'll stick to making the font larger and in colour.

Beautiful gift

Just got a beautiful gift from a friend. Just my colours. I love them. I was blown away when I opened the package. Thank-you so much, you know who you are.

Richard Box

Last night I went to Hexham to listen to Richard Box talk about his embroideries. I think he is a great speaker and so approachable. I came away with one of his books 'Colour and Design for Embroidery' and some of his fabric pieces - as if I didn't have enough already! I was looking for some neutral lace pieces but only found some orangy yellow, might be able to use that though in another Calico Gardens piece.

While surfing the web I got carried away and started researching Richard's life and got side tracked - as always to other very interesting sites by well known embroiderers. Something is really telling me I must go back to my studies again.

Calico Gardens finished

Completed this on Thursday, I'm so pleased with it. Now I just have to make it into a Memory Book. Sorry you have to twist your head very slightly to make the arch and trellis horizontal :)

Calico Garden

I had a great time last Sunday and Monday at The Attic. We did a workshop called 'Calico Gardens'.
here are some pictures showing the progress of my garden.

The first one is a funny colour but shows the piece as it was on Monday after the workshop.

The last piece is as it is today. I still have the path to complete and some stems on the Whisteria. I'm really pleased with it.

Saturday

I went to Hexham for a workshop with Michelle Kinnerment. We did Metals to Stitch. While I had done the technique before, it was great to refresh and to learn a new way of preparing fabrics for applying metals onto velvets and my papers.

I've posted some pictures of some of the pieces. I have a couple more which aren't quite finished yet.

Decisions made

We're now at the end of a busy week. I've made a decision to go back to my studies. Having had a year off and after a couple of experiences recently I realised I was now ready to go back to my City and Guilds studies.

I completed L3 Certificate in both Embroidery and Patchwork and Quilting in 2006 after 4 years study. I decided not to go on to Diploma level because it involved a lot of research and paper work. While in London I started to do research 'just for fun' on East African Textiles. As reported earlier in my blog I've also been on a course with Marcia Crookes and my love of making papers was revived. We had Sheila Smith talking to us about Nuno felt at the Guild on Saturday which really fired me again. So everything seems to be shouting at me to get my fingers out again.

So where's the problem you ask? Do I go back to Ashington (Kirkley Hall) or go down to Durham with Tracey Franklin and Julia Tristron and pay twice the price? At first glance you might say there's no choice, it's an expensive course anyway so go with the cheapest. However I know Tracey and Julia will not pull courses due to lack of funding as we are paying the full wack - no college politics to deal with!

Talked to DH yesterday after visiting both sets of tutors. I loved the exhibition at Ashington, however my heart says go to Durham. We did the maths and despite paying a lot more it worked out at about £20 per workshop which is still a very good deal.

I don't have to make a final decision until August but the sooner I make it the better

Start of the new week

Well folks, once again the weekend seems to have flown by.

Saturday was Embroiderers' Guild day and we had a great talk from Sheila Smith a Scot who lives in Yorkshire. Sheila is a felter and has written a book called 'From felt to stitch'. If you have never felted before then give it a try it's great fun. Sheila has made the most beautiful wearable felt. Wish I had a photo but my camera decided to stop working - well flat battery really!

Sunday I took a couple of my quilting pieces to a local quilt show. I saw quite a lot of people I hadn't seen for a while. A lovely day was had by all. Took a lot of photos which I will get into my webshots album soon.

Week disappears

This week has disappeared, Monday did some work on my window hanging. Tuesday preparing for a dinner party with friends. Wednesday completed an accessory exchange for SS group, will post picture when my partner receives. Last night went to Jayne's Attic stitching club. Didn't do much stitching but decisions were made about the next steps in the design of my band sampler so I was pleased.


Whole Sampler June 5th


Here are three pictures of the sampler up to Tuesday.
Band A uses cream Marlett, Krienik very fine #4 braid, DMC perle #12 and cream petit beads.
Band B has cream Marlett and pale blue Steff Francis Silk Impressions.

Top and Middle of sampler

Band C is the pale blue SF silk with, at the moment, a twirly drop bead, this might alter if I find some small heart beads.
Band D uses the pale blue SF Silk and dark ble Dinky Dies Silk. Yesterday I added a pot in Blackwork with the dark blue silk and decided on a Carries thread for the stems and leaves with cream Marlett for the flowers. I haven't taken a photo of this yet will do when I've completed a bit more of the band.

I've had two good nights sleep so I'm pleased, my back is still sore this morning so back to see the Chiropractor later today.

I was interrupted while writing this entry - I had a delivery of small plants from Jersey Direct - 7.30 in the morning! That's over and above the call of duty for a delivery! They have to be rested for 24 hours indoors before planting out. So guess what I'll be doing tomorrow :)

A new day dawns

Up very early this morning and yes the sun does start to come up above the houses at 5am. These pictures are the proof.

















By 5.30 the sun was hitting the back of the extension

Almost as big as the shed

We've spent the last few days putting up a new greenhouse - well, when I bought it, I thought it was a cold frame! Its almost as big as the shed! Most of the time was spent clearing the space for it to go in!

Now we have to thin out some of the trees and bushes to let some more sun through!






Through the arch, the view from the house. Still busy clearing, hence all the bags, tools etc.

Almost as big as the shed

We've spent the last few days putting up a new greenhouse - well, when I bought it, I thought it was a cold frame! Its almost as big as the shed! Most of the time was spent clearing the space for it to go in!

Now we have to thin out some of the trees and bushes to let some more sun through!

Through the arch, the few from the house.

Back home

Had a great day yesterday in the garden. I'm so pleased to be back home. Nice as it was to see the kids the old saying 'There's no place like home' is very true. This is a photo of some of the honeysuckle which is looking it's best at the moment.