Stitching, and a Studio Jaunt

Hello hello hello! Late again! Busy with all sorts of things but especially preparing stuff for the Shipdham Church Craft Fair this coming Saturday. I seem to have become a cushion maker - I did do a few more bangles, a photo-type Christmas wreath, and a felt wall plaque which I like but don't know whether anyone else will! Where did my plans to be making Christmas cards, perhaps a quilt, go? Ah well, you can only do so much. I have been doing some doodling and designing, here are a few pages from my sketch book - and I warn you I am no artist!

Above and below, some try-outs for wings and leaves - I seem to applique these shapes a lot!

This is my intitial design for the bird and stem felt plaque. I enjoyed making this, we'll see how it goes.

And this was my first idea for my Three Folk Birds cushion, with a couple of plaque ideas above.

After meeting Debbie Osborn at the Castle Acre Craft Fair last month, I was keen to visit her Open Day at her Art House Textiles studio just outside Fakenham, so Yvonne and I toddled over there on the way to Jane Anne's at Swanton Novers for a day of stitching.

We arrived just after opening time and there was already a crowd. Debbie and husband Keith made it a very welcoming experience, both sharing the chatting and coffee/tea pouring which made for a lovely visit.

Debbie is a fan of the Slow Cloth Movement, using eco-txtiles and natural plant dyes, often using re-cycled fabrics. She uses her own original designs which she hand cuts into print blocks to print lengths of fabric which she then makes up into cushions, bags, napkins, coasters and so on.

                                Here's Debbie describing the printing process to a visitor.

As well as textiles, Debbie works with mixed media and especially paper. I LOVE all of her notebooks and calendars, I did make a few Christmas purchases!

Here's just a few of her paper products. I'm looking forward to going back and spending some time with Debbie, drawing perhaps, painting - who knows? I do know it will be fun.

And now I must away, but before I go I must include an old photo of Jim and I taken on our Engagement day in 1970. I posted this on face book and it caused a bit of a stir, I've never had so many comments or views - well, you don't normally pay much attention do you, to how many people read your posts, only to answer comments if needed. We were quite astounded. Even got a 'like' from Andy Cutting! So there!

Love's Young Dream, eh? Taken on my 19th birthday. Who knew we'd still be cuddlin' 44 years later!

A gig and more stitching

So it was off to Colchester last Monday, via my friend Jane's home in Newmarket, and another Burwell  Bash friend Jean, to see Andy Cutting, Nancy Kerr and Martin Simpson, at the Arts Centre. It poured down but we had a great time, meeting up with another Burwell Basher Tim. At the end we were standing around waiting for the crush to depart when Andy came down to chat to us, which was lovely. In February 2015 he will be back there with his new band Leveret, with Rob Harbron and Sam Sweeney (and a new cd out soon after) So hopefully we shall be there in strength with other Burwell Bashers.

Apart from a little bit of music I have mostly been stitching! Oh, apart from my birthday which was lovely. We are now into count-down mode for the Craft Fair , three weeks only to go. Here are some photos of the last blue cushion and the panel which I finished mid-week.

There has been quite a lot of interest on facebook about the Folk Flowers cushion, so I think people like it; I enjoyed stitching into this lovely felted wool. I really enjoyed stitching the panel as well, it turned out just the way I had wanted, but I'm not sure it is as saleable as the cushion. It is to hang on the wall, like a bas-relief carving, or a picture, but lots of people have asked what it is "for"! So maybe no one will have it. 

I love the frame, it just makes it different form everything else. But there you are, if you don't try these things out you never move on do you? Still not happy with the felt wreath I did the other week. But now I need to concentrate on some more bangles ...... and I was intending to make some cards too, but I think that may not happen! 

I've been reading so many blogs about bottling and otherwise preserving this year's harvest, I feel quite inadequate. Maybe next year......... Anyway, we seem to be hurtling into Autumn - it felt quite chilly today and overcast. Surely there is still some sunshine left?