Hampton Court

Day 1 with inspiration
I had a lovely two days at Hampton Court. The Embroiderers' Guild are now using the 'new' Clore Learning Centre for their courses. We were working in a lovely bright room with plenty of space. The only dissadvantage is the noise from the school children who tended to meet just outside and we had to close the windows while the tutor was talking. The course was called Stitch explorations where we used sticky dissolvable to create beautiful fabrics out of ribbons, wools, threads and beads.
The tutor, Jan Beaney was lovely and kept us working hard even to giving us work to complete during the evening! Well I did get up early and got my first piece beaded and dissolved, just!
Day 2 sample for the lining of my tree trunk vessel before dissolving and after with extra stitching

London

well I'm back in London at DD's. I'm off to Hampton Court tomorrow on a two day course with Jan Beaney. Looking forward to it.

Race 4 Life

While I was away my pink T-shirt and sponsor form arrived. That has led me to a new sponsorship drive. If you would like to know more then please visit my sponsor page

Armstrong embellishment picture

I've started a new piece of work using the embellisher. I've had this photo for a long time with the idea that one day it will be made into 'something' Well last week I made a start on it with the help of a friend. I used the embellisher to create the background pieces and this is how far I've got already (about 5hrs work!)

What have I been up to?

Well lots have been happening. I've been accepted back to complete my C&G diploma.
Been doing some research. Spent a lot of time looking after my plants. The photos are from a week ago and they have really grown since. See the inside of the garage though. Lots more seedlings comming on
I've also been felting, do you like my knitted and felted bag - isn't it bright?
A picture of the Armstrong coat of arms has been in my to do list for ages. I've finally started an embellished picture using acrylic felt, pure sheep's wool and silk fibres along with some other acrylic velvets and printed 'fuzzy' fabric. You'll have to wait to see that. I'm also making a felted vessel but the photo went really fuzzy on me.

Decision made

You may remember earlier this month I mentioned I had a big decision to make. Well it's now made, I have decided to restart my studies. So I guess my time on here will be limited - yet again! I'm meeting up with my new tutor soon, she is a lady I know quite well. So I'm looking forward to getting started. Well if the truth be known I've already started but I've got no photos to share as yet.

I'm back to felting again and am making a felted 'vessel' and my knitted bag will soon be ready to felt, it's such a long time since I started that one. Another 'new' project is another Julia Caprara's 'crazy patchwork' piece to make into a notebook cover and I still have a green Rainbow Square to complete. Once those are done I have plans to do some more experimental dying as I ordered some new dyes this week, but I must restrain myself. My research on 3 countries will be ongoing for a while, so if you have any info on 1) Moiri textiles/embroidery 2) Native American textiles or 3) African - in particular Eastern African textiles and embroidery I would be very grateful.

As you may have guessed my shoulder is much improved but due to the extra exercise - walking, gardening and swimming - my lower back has started to play up so I'm off to see the doc tomorrow, sorry this morning!

I hadn't realised how late it was, so must go to bed. Night all.

Another lovely Day

The weather has been beautiful today. I went swimming and DH and I walked back, it's about an hours walk through a country park and some open fields. So it was very nice. I must be improving as I didn't huff and puff or keep stopping for rests. THEN after lunch I went into Newcastle as I had decided to get a new haversack as my old day pack was hurting my shoulders. I tested my DH's pack out and got the same although the women's version. Must go and do some sewing now.

Oh yes got some lovely threads from my friends on S&S as a speciality exchange, thanks Tina, Ursh and Klista

Rain

The rain over the past two days has stopped progress on my shed. Last week I did a teaching session on Julia Caprara's crazy patchwork. We all had a great night. My piece is very small. I deliberately gave myself a challenge to try and work small. The table was littered with fabrics and threads. On the table you can see my big portfolio with my 'big' crazy. Julia was a very inspirational teacher. She is much missed.

Saturday again

Well one more week over. The shed has been deconstructed and is being reconstructed with replacements for the rotten panels and the new extension. I hope to take some pictures once there is something to see. At the moment it looks more like a builder's yard. My hanging baskets and tomato plants are looking good and the tumbling toms have flowers already. Something is eating the French marigolds grrrrrr. I've also lost some of the cucumber plants but the beans, sweet peas and lettuce looks good. I still have plenty of seedlings waiting to be potted on. Yesterday we got the bargain of the week at B&Q. An aluminium garden table and 1 chair all for £20. They are white but I'm going to paint them green to match the table and chairs I already have.

History of Embroidery

If you like to read about the History of Embroidery then Helen Cowans has a very interesting blog. follow the link in my interesting people in the sidebar or in the title above

Congratulations

Congratulations to Karan. The winner of my blogaversary give away. DH picked your name out of the hat, a felt creation made over a couple of years ago when doing my C&Gs Patchwork & Quilting. Please send your snail mail address and full addie to sheilasembroidery@googlemail.com Karan and I'll get your book and mirror to you. (Sorry for the earlier mis-spelling of your name)

Tomorow

Tomorrow is this blogs 4th anniversary. I can't believe I've had it that long but my first entry was on Wednesday April 20th 2005. You can see the entry here. Boy have I come on since then! I've got to admit that my first entries were quite basic and I didn't make that many for quite a long time. I've written down all names from the two blogaversary messages and thank you to everyone who left messages, I'll get DH to draw out the winner.

Yesterday I went to see a Physio and he reckons that I have actually sprained two of my vertibra and that is what caused the terrible pain I was in for so long. He did a bit of manipulation but spent a lot of time talking to me about the symptoms and then testing my shoulder and neck movements. After all this he felt almost 100% certain that is what is was and the swelling caused by the sprain effects all the nerve endings, hence the feeling that it was in my shoulder blade and chest. I wish I had seen him earlier and then I may not have been in such pain for over 5 weeks. While I am much, much better I am still taking Ibuprofin twice a day and my full movement is still slightly restricted. I'm going back for more manipulation on Tuesday and he will look at my lower back as well which has caused me lots of problems over the years.

Today has been a swim, walk and garden day. With just a little bit of 'work' in between. It was so nice to see the sun again, while the rest of the country have had nice weather over the last few days the NE has been cold and cloudy with a lot of sea fret - that's the one disadvantage of living by the coast.

Big decisions to be made

Over the last two weeks I have met up with some of my C&G friends, both from Ashington and Durham. I now have to decide whether I will carry on with my studies next academic year. For those reading who don't know I have completed my C&Gs Certificates in Design (Embroidery) and (Patchwork & Quilting) - 4 years study part time, with one year out to rest. Last year I started the Diploma course but for lots of reasons decided to take a year out this year. I've really enjoyed the freedom of doing my own thing during that time. However I only have three years to complete the course so would have to complete next year. Can I do it - yes - if I restart my studies NOW. If I don't then all the work I did last year will be wasted. I do enjoy parts of the course and have learned an awful lot from doing it. I must talk to tutors about this as I am torn.

Sorry for the unburdening (? is there such a word?) I just find writing my thoughts down helps.

5 days and a reveal

OK I know you've been dying to know what the give away is for my Blogaversary (which is 5 days away!) Well here they are, two for the price of one, a handmade book (thanks to Helen for the idea) - sorry not handmade paper though - and a small handbag mirror with a sample of hardanger on the back, yes it's purple hand dyed felt behind and the cover for the mirror is purple as well! I hope you like my efforts and that you will sign up by leaving a comment either here or here

New goodies

This morning the postie brought me some lovely Kate's Kloths goodies bought on Ebay

If you are interested then they are being sold by sellertextilefun4u.

On Saturday Helen Cowans came to our Guild meeting to talk about her recent work and one of her inspirations, a Gothic designer called Pugin. Photos of Helen

Bluebell Wood

Just started a new piece for our Rainbow Squares project. As the title suggests it's a picture of a bluebell wood taken from 'Stitch' magazine. If you would like to see the original look here It's called a Drift of Bluebells and it's on a painted silk background with lots of stiffened thread bluebells and twisted thread tree trunks.
Only half a day in the garden today. All my hanging baskets, French Marigolds and Petunias are now in their home pots, I will harden them off over the next week or so before they go into their allocated places. Pete has made a start on clearing 'The Jungle' A wild area we planted several years ago and then left to it's own devices. All the bushes were very overgrown and the brambles were lovely last autumn! The shed is slowly being cleared and there was only one row about where things were going to go! Unfortunately the spade, fork, rake, yard brush and large clippers went back into the shed as we are using them all the time. My small tools live in a small trug outside anyway so that's OK. Forgot to take photos again today, sorry.

Good Gardening Day

Pete and I have spent all day in the garden. I've thoroughly enjoyed it. Potting up all my little (& big) seedlings. I still have some French Marigolds and Petunias to go in the hanging baskets and pots which are now safely tucked up in bed in the back of our garage. A few years ago Pete rebuilt the garage and gave me a potting bench at the back so not everything has to be in the kitchen, on the table and on every available windowsill that gets the sun. It's south facing and has lots of natural light, almost like a mini lean to greenhouse.

This year he is going to deconstruct the shed, replace all the rotten timber and put a potting/greenhouse extension onto that. I wouldn't wait to see it complete, we are emptying the shed at the moment and finding homes in stacking boxes until they can go into the 'new' shed. It might be next year before that happens!

I'll try ans take a few pictures tomorrow so you can see what I mean. In the meantime these are old photos before the garage extension. I love this photo taken in the autumn.

and the shed as seen through my arch on a very wet day and lots of mess in front of it.

Happy Easter and Blogaversary

Firstly Happy Easter to all. Especially those who are family visiting or entertaining. I tried my normal swimming yesterday but my shoulder still doesn't like it. I've kept up the walking, did an hour yesterday and 50 mins the morning before and am really suffering today, just a quick walk to the shops. I did get out into the garden and potted on my Tumbling Tom tomatoes, they are showing their first flower buds so I'm quite excited. Pete put some hooks in the garage extension so I can hang my hanging baskets inside. It's too cold yet for bedding plants here on the NE coast. I bought a few more this afternoon, so guess what I'll be doing tomorrow.

Stitching wise The Pins & Needles exhibition went very well and we have our monthly EG meeting tomorrow. I've made one yellow square for our Rainbow Square project. It's a 'tree' made of different threads and fibres on dissolvable fabric then the whole thing machine stitched with silk thread. I started another which will be hand quilted.

Here is a picture of the South West Region Rainbow Squares

It will be my Blog's birthday in 10 days so I have a small give away for someone. All you have to do is leave a comment and I'll get DH to draw the winner on the day

Promised pictures

Stash














Banner and Stand.





There are more pictures at My Webshot Album and look out for the Knitted Gingerbread House!

OK I'm back

Yes I'm now finished with my jaunts for a short while so will be able to catch up soon. Watch out for pictures from Pins and Needles, I still have to download them from my camera - and info on what I've been doing over the last week as it's been quite exciting.

You may also notice that my blogaversary is coming up soon so some exciting news about a give away to celebrate. Keep watching and I'll tell you more soon. Aren't I evil? Just keeping you in suspenders!