Saturday 24 July 2010

Overexcited and Underemployed

Hello - my name is Maggie and I used to blog here! It's been a long time and loads has happened. Things have developed on the house selling front but I shall say no more than that, as the chances of such a quick sale actually going through must be very low. However it has meant all kinds of running around and now I cannot settle to anything, although I have so much to do.
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I have managed to place the photos in the new book and that is almost ready to go to the designer. Grand-daughter Lauren's hands look great. The organising of work for the d4daisy display at the Festival of Quilts (stand Demo M) is also coming along with the postman bringing lovely surprises like this book from Lynda Monk (featured in the Stitching the Textured Surface book) and a huge and wondrous piece from Jae Maries. Lots more to come.

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Funnily enough this book came to light as part of my sorting out the work cupboard. It features a daisy and was made long before d4daisy was born.
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I used it for experiments with Castaway ink. You paint paper, then stamp with Castaway, iron it and exciting things happen. It inspired me to get some more Castaway ink but I can't make it work now and I'm sure that the same paint has been used. Any theories anyone?
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Haven't even told you about the last meeting of our Text 21 group at Urchfont. Jane Wild was giving us some drawing exercises. We had to shut our eyes while she put an object into our hand and then we had to draw it without looking at it and with the hand we don't usually use (in my case the left one).

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This was my drawing. The object will be shown at the end of the blog.
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Jane's interpretation of an elaborate gown, drawn very large, caused much comment at the Urchfont open day, which was a lovely event, as usual. Drawing below, with detail.
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I have a report on it (with pics) in the September Workshop on the Web. The work from the City and Guilds classes was outstanding. Great to catch up with Sian Martin and Ruth Issett too - they were there for the Distant Stitch summer school.
Next week the Scan'n'Sews will be sent out. Glad they found good homes. If this moving thing comes off there will, no doubt, be lots of give-aways coming up, so keep reading.

Here is the object I was given to draw. Funny how my drawing was so much less angular but still faintly elaphantine.

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Thursday 15 July 2010

Lots of Old Chat

Thanks for all the comments. I shall dedicate this blog to the answers!
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A taker for one of the scan’n'sews, Hooray! They really do extend the use of the Janome sewing machines. Robin – I don’t want any money for it – just want it to go to a good home, so there will be just the carriage for you to pay. If you email me we can talk about it. maggie@workshopontheweb.com. Now there is just the Janome 9000 scanner to find a home for. Otherwise it’s the tip!!
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Kerry and Jane – the Scan'n'sew only works with the specific Janome machine it was designed for. It is such a nifty gadget and so simple compared to the digitizing software. It is like the old hand held scanners we all used before we had flatbeds. You just draw the scanner over the design – simple designs work best – and then it saves onto a memory card that the sewing machine can read. They were so clever that they stopped making them. Boo.
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Scooter: Brewer Sewing http://www.brewersewing.com carry the Paper and Beyond CD in the USA. Go to the books section and search for Maggie Grey. This was the CDROM that Jane Wild and I made after we did the Paper, Metal and Stitch book together. It was so lovely working together that we couldn’t stop so we overflowed onto the CD.
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Sharne, Wabbit (Hi Wabbit) and Heather
I think you are right that UK art differs from the USA and I also think that both are influenced by each other – in a good way. All your paper arts have given us new ideas and new materials, which is all to the good. Do hope you get to do the C&G course Scooter. The work at Urchfont and Windsor this year was so good that I am going to run an article in Workshop on the Web about these courses and the distance learning versions of them. I’ll put it in the unrestricted area so everyone will be able to see it.
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The new book now has a proper title. Mixed Media: Studio Techniques. We are hoping for a September publication date, so not long now. I have loved working with Isobel and we have had fun. The photo-shoot was on Tuesday and I took my granddaughter Lauren to be our hand model. She has just finished her GCSEs and did one in photography, so she was fascinated by Michael’s studio. He was great and told her exactly what he was doing and why. Here she is sitting at my Bernina for a stitching shot.
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Then she was ‘promoted’ to be in charge of the flat-plan book – which shows where all the pics go
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Michael is such a brilliant photographer and I think his art degree gives him a creative edge. He has a good eye for the best angle and all the gear that goes with it.
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Marjorie – many thanks for the kind words – and the good idea about the scale planning. If we ever sell the house, I shall do that. I think we are to the house market what Barings were to banks! Every time we try to sell, the market collapses. We are determined to move and shall keep trying. Anyway, it may take a couple of years to get rid of all my rubbish.
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That fresco sounds very interesting, Caroline (welcome, by the way). I am doing an article on making a fresco for the September issue of Workshop on the Web. http://www.workshopontheweb.com/ if you don’t know of it. There is a free taster to look at. The icon I am making now uses chocolate foil to make a metallic background and I have had to try so many brands to get the right gold colour. The research has been hell, but one must suffer for one's art.
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Hi Diane – seems ages ago that we were in Puglia. So glad you’re finding the techniques useful. Which brings me to Gail – so sorry but I am not teaching in Puglia next year. I have plans for an Australian trip (not teaching – but maybe some talks) so am keeping my options open.
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Lucy – so kind of you and I’m honoured. Do send me an email to the address at the beginning of this post and I’ll give you some info for your course. I am doing two talks at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham in August. Details on www.twistedthread.com under the academy workshops heading.

Friday 2 July 2010

Who wants a Scan'n' Sew?

The house move -we are actually hoping to downsize, Heather. Heaven knows where all the stuff will go!

Jensters - great that you are planning a C&G course - you won't regret it. Frescos are a form of wall painting, usually much faded and distressed and a source of inspiration to those of us who like the 'tatty' look. Here's one I've been playing with.

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And here is a very small pic of a piece I'm working on for the book, using that image. I saved it as a thumbnail to send to Isobel and forgot to save it big as well. So you'll have to buy the book!
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Yes, Kim - perhaps they should market our house as 'complete with thingy room for all your stitching needs'.
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Lovestitchingred - my house does not usually look like this - even my messy room is tidy. It won't last. I am already having the thought that prospective buyers will have to take us as they find us.
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In view of the downsize I'm having a garage clear out and have 2 Janome Memory Craft scan'n sew scanners to give away. One for the 8000 and one for the 9000 machine. They are heavy so anyone who wants one will have to pay the carriage.

Although they only stitch a small area, they are great for stitching motifs and I had great fun with them. It was a long time ago that I last used them but they still work well. I do remember that you could get very creative with these scanners and Val and I did some great stuff together.
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If lots of you want them I'll pull the names out of a hat and then save a design and post it to the winners to check that their machine's read them OK. Leave a comment if you're interested.
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I have sent the text of the book, that Isobel Hall and I are writing, to the copy-editor, so that is well under way. I have finished my big fresco piece - it will also be at the K&S show exhibition. The book majors on mixed media and Isobel has introduced me to Light Molding Paste - much more flexible than the ordinary kind and good for hand and machine stitching. I've had a lot of fun with it.
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This afternoon we are really pushing the boat out and taking the whole family to the Cat's Protection League Summer Fair. We know how to give the kids a good time.