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.