Talks, Titles and Exotic Aunts

Gina - I think everyone needs a Clive and I have a list of customers for when they get this cloning business sorted out. I really appreciate him for all things web wise of course, but also for the support when we do talks. We always work hard beforehand - checking the images on the computer and working out the video clips, with a full projector run through on the morning of the talk. But it is so good, when we get to the venue, to just leave all the setting up to Clive while I arrange the work I’m showing and chat to people before we start.


I have a talk titled ‘Visible, Invisible’ which has been very popular lately. I always give a good choice when folk make a booking but this one must be the 'most often chosen'.


It’s a good title because I can change and adapt it and it covers all kinds of topics. Everyone always loves this piece by Monica Morgan. It is zapped and painted felt with Model Magic and stitch as a resist. There is a lot of beading going on, too - it must have taken ages to do.



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Here is a detail.
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The lines of stitch act as a resist, too.

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The Visible, Invisible element comes from the zapping, of course.

Megan - interesting that you lived in Petersfield. They are a lovely branch - used to be part of the Guild but now they are the Phoenix stitchers. Clever name, eh!

On the way, we had coffee with my cousin, who lives in Petersfield. We have only got to know her in the last few years, since I started to be interested in the family tree. It brought home to me the fact that I knew nothing about my father’s side of the family and cousin Betty told me why.


Apparently his mother was an exceedingly devout Catholic, so he was brought up in that faith. My mother was a devout and determined agnostic, so he just didn’t tell her, causing a family rift.


They married during the war by Special Licence in his village church. The family story has it that Granny heard the bells and said, ‘How lovely - a wedding’. He was never reconciled to his mother although all his sisters used to visit us. Isn’t that sad? I found out from Betty that we have a great-great aunt who married a Moroccan prince. Books were written about her and I found one on Amazon. So exciting, but will tell you more another time.

Hi Carolyn - say hello to my friend Dodie - I miss her very much.

Well, since the last blog, I have given several talks - the most recent was last Friday. Terrible traffic and it was 100 miles away. Memo to self; don’t book a talk on a Bank Holiday Friday.


I have also had a visit to Michael for the last part of the Lynda and Carol book so that will be off to the designer next week. I am now trying to put away all the work that Michael photographed for my book. I had forgotten how much there was. The book is ready for printing now and he has done his usual lovely job on it. Here’s a quick flash of the couching section.
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I’m reworking my dissolvable class for Dale’s workshops in Australia and planning the demos for the Perth show. This is all great fun but I’m not going to show anything until I come home, or it will spoil it.

We gave ourselves a day off today and have been sitting in the garden as it is the most beautiful day. Clive can never sit still for more than an hour so he has now thrown me off so that he can paint the decking. I think I’d better go and catch Smudge or he will walk all over it and I still haven’t got the paint off the dining table from his last escapade.

The Creative Treadmill

This is going to be a world record for blog writing as we are soon to be off to give a talk in Petersfield and Clive is hovering behind me as we do the talks from this laptop and he wants to pack it up.

Thanks for all comments and I do agree about the Dublin girls - what a talented lot they were. I meant to blog in the week but all things bookish took over. We're also trying hard to get the two internet magazines out and, thank goodness, they are done now and look great. I do love everything I do - apart from the filing - but just lately it's a bit like being a hamster on a wheel. The timescale on the two new books (mine and the one by Lynda and Carol) has slipped a bit and will now be June. However, they will be well worth the wait as they look great. Mine is almost done and we are now working hard on 'the girls'. Michael's photos for their book are just wonderful. The pieces are so good that he wants to make every pic into a double page spread and there won't be room for the words!

I haven't given up on the catalogue and have made some changes. It is sitting on my thinking board so should feature here soon. This is the next one.

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It had some divine details, like these chevrons.

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I can see some little books in here.

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And it has an opening page, too.

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In a recent discussion on Spam I remembered this lovely little treasure by Cindy Hicock. She gave it me - aren't I lucky? She is at the K&S this year and what a treat that will be.

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Clive is about to pull my machine out from under me. back soon.

Back Home

I have had such a great time in Dublin, giving a lecture and teaching the most wonderful and clever set of people. They were so friendly and funny – we had a really good laugh. They also came up with some great work. We were mostly working with water soluble, both paper and film, combined with metal. There were a few side trips into zappy felt and embossing powder. Here are some gems. I haven’t attempted to name the makers as I’m sure to get it wrong. There was no selection involved in these pics, as all the work was great. These were

the first ones off the camera. This one looks like armour - hard to believe it is paper.

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This one reminds me of the enchanted forest - thorns and all.

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I do know that the one below is by Anne.

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This is going to be a little bag.

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A lovely zappy one.

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One of the girls was disappointed that I didn’t say on the blog that I was going to Dublin but I have heard horror stories of people being burgled when they announce holidays, etc. So I tend to keep quiet until I am home again, especially when Clive comes too. These are not 'our' arty people, obviously.

We had a day and a bit to revisit some favourite haunts in Dublin and discovered the Chester Beatty library – quite breathtaking and very inspiring. I found evidence of the first killed catalogue known to man – a papyrus from the second century AD. Awful photo but it was a bit of a sneaky one. It did look just like our catalogues.
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Thanks for the comments:
Heather – I think you are right about the origins of the tree decorating custom. The cloutie wells, with their cloths, always remind me of the prayer flags that other countries have. I love things like that, where textiles are changed and evolve due to weather and exposure. I think that is why I like the catalogues.

They are very hard, Becky – like boards but they can be carved into and have decoration applied. The pages weld together but have often blown into wonderful shapes before fusing. I find it best to leave them on the patio as they are less likely to be visited by cats. Look at the way the pages form chevrons in this one.

Julie, interesting about the other coin tree – I wonder if they are widespread – I’ve never come across one before.

Genie you are right – time is the greatest luxury and I really don’t know how I’d cope without Fiona who does all the admin for Wow and Quiltwow and so much more besides.

Hi Margaret – you are so right about time. Better start getting ready for Christmas.

Gill – your work is great and always welcome on my blog.

We shall watch out for your composted catalogue, Jan. I think I might try one in our compost bin – safe from cats there, too.

The icon straps are made from paper, Becky – right up your street. I think you are right when you say textile art is touchy-feely and this is why I like to keep my pieces unframed. There is no doubt that they sell better when placed behind glass so I do sometimes glaze exhibition pieces. However paper is great, too and the combination of both is best!

Due to a diary collision I am doing a workshop at Urchfont tomorrow. It’s for one of my favourite groups so I know I will have a good time. Planning to take some time out today as we flew back from Ireland quite late last night.

More Catalogues

I had a good laugh at your dog, Wabbit. Not sure if I've told you this story but, when I was a kid, we had an elderly aunt who used to crochet little bowls - stiffened with sugar water to make them stay bowl shaped - she'd have loved water soluble film. We also had a dog with a sweet tooth so we were always finding soggy, sucked bits of flat crochet around the house.

I don't know how or why the tree was decorated with coins. It was on a National Trust reserve called Airy Force (or something) - near Penrith. The Force (local name for waterfall) was actually more of a trickle but it provided endless opportunuities for us to ask each other if the force was with us.....

The garden spray table does actually look quite good, due to the asymetric flagstone, which looks quite Japanese.

Glad you didn't mind the catalogue pics appearing, Jen. The killers are going great guns - more below from Gill B. This one even has a design theme - it is based on an old church. I'm very impressed.

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The ones below are waiting to be decorated by Gill. They look pretty good as they are.

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I had an unexpected bonus of some extra pages in the Stitches, Straps and Layers book so I had a lovely play with paper beads and weaving. In the end I didn't use this piece (detail below) but I so enjoyed doing it.

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One of the new panels I made for the book is an icon panel with a frame made from decorated straps. I enjoyed doing this so much that I have decided to use my last catalogue as an icon frame. Hope to do this soon and also finish the coloured one. Just need an extra month or two to fit it all in.