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?

Stitching in Sunshine

Good morning folks - hope the sun is shining where you are. We've had some torrential rain over the last couple of days but the sky is blue - mostly! and the sun is shining this morning. Weirdly this has not helped my indoor photography so apologies for that.

We've had a pretty quiet weekend, and today appears to be just strolling along gently. I am going for a walk and popping in to visit mum on the way back. She was quite up-beat when I last saw her, looking more herself, less the bewildered and wizened old lady. I have a couple of textile commissions to finish so will be working on them today, and this evening it will be a spot of music and gossip over at Rob and Marj's. They have just returned home after a wonderful week on a narrow-boat on the Welsh canals.

 Following on from my last two posts, both of which included stories and photographs of narrow boats, I have been pondering about the resurgence in interest in this gentle form of transport. I have a friend who lives full time with her husband on their narrow-boat, the Lady Arwen, and they love their life. Another friend and her family live between their house and their narrow-boat, purchased initially as 'digs' for her husband who lectures at a university too far away from home to commute. Yet another young musical friend (all these people are musicians!) spends most of his life renovating his narrow-boat and holding epic parties-  it seems to me, from the photographs, on-board as he progresses! Other friends are tentatively taking their first narrow-boating holidays, having caught onto the current 'zeitgeist'.  I would love to try it myself - but I suspect our visit to Brecon earlier this month is the closest I am likely to get!

So, back to textiles - here a few photos of the wool cushion I am making for the next craft fair.

Close up of the front, I am re-using the Big Blue Bird, which also featured on one of the cushions which sold at Open Studios. The main fabric is a charity-shop blanket which I dyed in the washing machine - I love this raspberry colour.

Here a close-up of the reverse side, showing a hand-stitched button-hole and two hand-made felt and cardboard buttons - yes, they will have stitching -holes punched into them before I attach them!

Here is the front of a cushion cover requested by a visitor to Open Studios. She wanted a small cushion with the image of a naive vase and flowers which I had included on a small folk-art quilt. I sized up the image and appliqued the pieces onto the background, which I then stipple-quilted to give that antique effect she had so admired.

I added a little hand embroidery here and there, and attached the two borders. I now have to make the back, which will be constructed form a man's thrifted shirt; I shall use the front, so that the buttons will provide a ready-made opening for the cushion pad to be inserted.

This last is an unfinished commission which I can't tell you any more about because it is a secret! Again, as I said in an earlier post, the greens just do not reproduce well on my camera, but I am using pieces from the two blankets I dyed, the green and the raspberry. I need more blankets!!!! I am really enjoying using them and can choose my own colours by dyeing them myself.

So, the sun is still shining - I am off for my walk and visit. Have a lovely day yourselves, won't you!

A Loom with a View

I know, I know, I'm a sucker for an awful pun. And no, I haven't taken up a new instrument, but Nick my melodeon tutor has - he has become a Weaver! Already an accomplished spinner and knitter, Nick learned to weave, and is currently giving demonstrations on a reconditioned 19th Century loom at the Bridewell Museum in Norwich. I was fascinated to hear about the history of the Flemish weavers in the city, he does a good talk as well! This loom is now ensconced in their tiny terraced house in Norwich- he has VERY understanding house-mates! I think there is another demo this month, if you are in the area, check out the dates on-line. And for those more recent blog-followers, you can hear Nick and his band Triette playing fantastic music on their website. I don't know where he gets his energy from. OK, yes, being young helps, but even so. 

By contrast I have had quite a quiet few days - apart from zipping back and forth to Norwich. I'll tell you what else exhausts me, and that's the speed at which some of you bloggers are getting your posts out! I can only manage one every three days or so - and sometimes I hardly have time to read and comment and you've posted another one - enough, already!! Anyway, I have been mainly doing :

A bit of stitching ....

Applique nearly finished, lettering to complete and cushion make-up.

A bit of painting:

Viewed from Jim's chair, the re-vamped cheap magazine rack. I used the same paint I did the dining room chair with, but wanted it more green so I  ..er...squeezed some acrylic emerald children's paint into the tin of vinyl matt .....yes, I know. You shouldn't do things like that, but I got away with it.(I had visions of the whole tin ending up like cake mix which has separated) (phew).So the other chairs will be slightly greener than the first one. No I am not going to repaint the darned thing. Yes, I know you would, and I should, but again, this is too much like unpicking stitches: don't go there.

I did a little flower picking:

Sweet, huh?

A spot of straining and bottling:

Yes, it was time to bottle my Wild Garlic Oil, after 18 days of macerating in a dark cupboard. I have to say it is milder than I expected, just quite a gentle flavour, more chivey than garlicky I'd say. I'm quite chuffed. I couldn't bear to waste the squeezed leaved, so chopped them into the mashed potato which covered the fish pie we had for supper yesterday, and I think I will just freeze the rest and bung it into a risotto or something. I have been amazed at the number of references to Wild Garlic I have come across recently - in magazines, novels, newspapers, on the television .... perhaps it's time for the next Big Thing!

Oh and I did a little bit of preparation for an upcoming workshop which has been long in the pipeline for various reasons - New Zealand being one of them, and the shop needing the space for an unexpected property exchange requiring storage space. We will get there, honest! Anyway this is what I shall be teaching :

 Just a little stitched and appliqued sampler I did last year; several people including the owner of the shop have asked that I teach it as a workshop so that's what'll be happening.

And that's what I've been  up to; Bank Holiday is going to be very relaxed, and I'm hoping for more sunshine - we had a few rain showers today, what's that all about, hey?? Hope you have a good weekend.

Behind the Times!

I'm SO LATE with this blog-post. I just got stuck in that gloopy mire of being unable to get going so here is what I've been doing over the last week. I did a fair amount of baking. One thing I made which was a HUGE success was Annie's (Knitsofacto) Lemon Pudding. It doesn't look much in the tin but OH! my goodness it was wonderful. Jim only likes Crumbles for dessert, but he loved it too so it will be a regular feature at Gill Acres!

Wonderfully light, with that scrumptious lemony-saucy layer at the bottom. Do try it, Annie gives the recipe on her blog.

The Hot (crossless) Buns eventually became a luxury bread and butter pudding for when my Burwell friend Jane came for a day of music and natter last Wednesday.

And a fair bit of bread making took place; I'm adding more liquid than I used to, and I start it off in the Kenwood until it's less 'claggy'. Still enjoying trying various kinds of flours, and dodging between adding oil or butter, honey or sugar, water or milk/water. And I'm working my way through a packet of ground seeds by a firm called Linwood, adds great flavour and colour - and health!

The weather has been so cold, but we've been blessed most days with amazing sunshine, which does cheer me up a lot. The spring flowers are having a long run, though of course everything else will be way behind this year.

And these from someone else's garden! I love tulips, I would have armsful of them all over the house if I could afford fresh flowers every day.

Been doing a bit of cutting and stitching. Lovely young Georgia sourced me a new top hat, and my 'topper' fits beautifully.

Also started stitching my 'Boro-ish' embellishment on my jacket for my new Molly costume.

Close-up of cuff. Yes, I know there are raw edges. One day (oh yeah!) I may tidy them up a little, but I need to get some colour onto this jacket in time for the weekend. We (Ouse Wahses Molly Dancers) are dancing out at the Backyard Session at the Spiers and Boden gig on Sunday.

                                                               Both cuffs.

           
                                     The back so far ......a long way to go with this!

Oh! Before I go, I need to say something about Google dropping their blog-reader in July - I'm sure you bloggers already know about it. Dc at Frugal in Norfolk has posted some great info about your options, thanks Dc.I will be having a close look at Bloglovin' and Feedly. WHat are you thinking of doing with your blog? I hope the alternatives work as well.

Hoping for some better weather soon, and that you are all keeping well.

Lino prints and feeling felty.

Tapping away at my lap-top in rhythm to the pattering of the rain on the conservatory roof. Actually, I have a sneaking feeling of comfort and cosyness, despite the awful weather; I don't have to go out again today, Jim's away so no big meal to cook, chores done this morning so rest of the day to myself. Off to Norwich with friend Sue K tomorrow- we have booked lunch at Jamie Oliver's new (ish) restaurant, and we will be having a wander round the shops, no doubt. Then on to my melodeon lesson, always a high spot in the week. Thursday again, a take-it-easy kinda day , Friday quick whizz round the shops for mum then back home to pack...I am off for a weekend at Witney, Oxfordshire with a load of other melodeonistas for 2 days of workshops! Yay! And guess who is one of the tutors....yessssss! ANDY CUTTING! Phew, calm down Lynne. Anyway, I wil fill you in about that when I get back...blogging will be a little behind I'm afraid. I am thoroughly enjoying my low-key, kicking-back, sybaritic week.

A photo of the finished wool/felt cushion, I rather like the little 'tongues' round the edge, don't you?

And this is just a glimpse of a felty heart which has been winging its way to a bloggy friend.

And this is a glimpse of the dining room table which is going to stay like this for the next couple of days -  but I will tidy up before I go, promise!

Now though these next photos are not textile related, I want to talk about them for a couple of reasons. The first is that I love graphic prints, and these lino cuts are brilliant. And secondly I love to give a heads up to local Norfolk artists and crafters.

 I adore the work of  Angie Lewin, and pore over her book Plants and Places often; and a book by printmaker Mark Hearld is hopefully going to find its way into my Christmas stocking. I noticed these lovely lino cuts on Pinterest - sorry I can't remember whose - and clicked on through to read all about Amanda Colville, and immediately remembered reading about her as a winner in Country Living's Kitchen Table Talent Awards 2012 - the September issue. Amanda did a printmaking course at the College of West Anglia and went on to create these fabulous lino prints, using of all things, an old mangle! She has a blog  mangleprints.blogspot.co.uk and a website. Her prints are available on-line and at some interesting shops around the UK.....our nearest is at  Dalegate Market, Burnham Deepdale on the north Norfolk coast. A really good excuse for a trip out if you ask me!

I have contacted Amanda and have her permission to include her photos here. My post-header is of course one of her prints, too. I'd just like to wish her luck in her enterprise and hope she gets lots of lovely orders for Christmas!


Well that's it for now folks, just like to say I was a trifle overwhelmed by the response to my '50 shades of gery' hair colour! I hope you will be as fulsome in your praise for Amanda's work. See you after the weekend, I'm now going to settle down to more stitching whilst listening to Michael Jayston reading aloud to me from a PD James thriller - what's not to love?