Running the Gauntlet

Today I have made a gauntlet. It was supposed to be a cuff but I got a bit carried away. It's a sandwich of felt, Wireform and heavy Vilene with a silk printout on the top. Then light machine embroidery. I'm pleased with it but I can't show you, as it's for the book, and I want to keep it as a surprise. I will certainly make another one next week and show that instead. It is the very last piece and I planned to do it later and post it on to Michael, who does my photos, but the postal strike makes things difficult. It's a good feeling getting it all done but after tomorrow, I'll have to do all those things I've been putting off. The first will be to clean the oven. The smoke alarm has become the dinner gong just lately - not good practice.
I am also trying to get the book photo log sorted out, but that cat is very clingy and keeps sitting on my papers.

Arti - that garden looks so lovely and the weather, too. It's getting quite autumnal here and the leaves are all falling today. Did your stall do well?

Pat - I'm a great fan of Linda and love her blog. She has made the most super vessel today. She has also got a good record of the show - more on that later. I fear her photo of Dale and me is a good one of Dale. I seem to be asleep (quite likely!). I do hate photos and never let Batsford put them on my books.

Aussie Jo - not sure that I've ever been to a show in Oz, although the Forums have some great traders. I think that the Knitting & Stitching show is very special, especially the London one. Andrew Salmon really invests in talent and stages some wonderful exhibitions. He does try to have something for everyone and I think you'd be hard put not to find something to enjoy. It's not just the big exhibits, though - I love people like Ruth Lee ( her knitting book is great), Alyson MM, Hilary Hollingsworth, Leslie Morgan and Claire Benn, plus so many others who chat about their work and pass on their knowledge. Ruth Issett is a good friend of mine and watching her demo is always fascinating. You do really need to go for more than one day. What are the Aussie shows like?

A really exciting thing about being part of the show is catching up with people that you don't see very often. Generally this is folk who live far away, but I've become such a hermit lately that it includes some of my best friends! I saw Jane Wild, very briefly, and managed to sneak out for a coffee with Elli Woodsford. We are both lovers of good coffee and queued for ages for a good one at Café Yum which was like a three wheeled Indian tuk-tuk, all kitted out with expresso equipment. We decided that when we retire from stitch we shall invest in just such a van and call ourselves Hell's Grannies. Actually one of Elli's other retirement schemes was a cloistered environment for elderly stitchers to be called The Little Sisters of the Soldering Iron!

Here is Val's daughter Sarah having a go on the embellisher. Although not a stitcher she was very taken with it.

It is possible to play noughts and crosses on the embellisher - working from the back, of course.

Here's a couple more photos from the show. This is a rare big piece of Val's work.

Plus a wonderful beaded book cover that is impossible to photograph. machine embroidery flowers and solid squares of peyote stitch.

A small excitement was embellishing dyed abaca tissue over the top of transfoiled velvet.

And finally a silk printout with silk fibres around it and a border made from some wonderful silk ribbon from Mulberry Silks.

Off to London tomorrow - see you later in the week.