magstitch

The Winners and Materials (Various)

2012-01-23T10:27:00.007Z

I feel that this blog should have an index as it seems to be composed of fairly random topics. But they mostly seem to fit in the materials category, so bear with me.

First of all the lucky winners of the book give-away.

Erin Fish
Ann Swanwick
Gill Watson
Ann Sparkes
Pamela Wardell
Maureen Thompson
Emma Siedle-Collins
Anna Nowicki
Chris Angiel
Sylviane Caradec
Margaret Vincent
Christine Young

You should all be hearing from Fiona shortly. Thank you so much to all those who added messages about how much you enjoy the d4d books and Workshop on the Web. You can't imagine how encouraged I feel when I read those - especially when it has been a bad day!

We've just put up the second instalment of Lynda Monk's free classes for buyers of her Fabulous Surfaces book. The first one was based on tissue and rust and the current one shows a lovely folded book with step by step instructions. I must say that I'd never thought of rusting tissue but it works well. My biggest adventure with tissue was this embellished piece - here is a detail.
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It was made from felt, Bondawebbed and lightly foiled with painted abaca tissue applied with the embellisher. If you work from the back, the felt is pushed through the tissue. Here's a closer detail.
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When complete, the top surface is given a coat of acrylic wax. Then I zapped it with a heat gun and painted parts with acrylic paint - that is the cracked, distresed bit.
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It became much more distressed when Smudge took an interest. See below.
I tell people who don't have an embellisher machine to get a cat (or a personal rodent operative as the Sunday paper called it).
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Talking of the embellisher, I love the way that the velvet ribbons from Mulberry Silks behave when used with the embellisher www.mulberrysilks-patriciawood.com

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Patricia was having a delay with her ribbon supplier recently. When I ordered more, she sent me this heavenly silk velvet (below) on a CYO (cut your own) basis. Made me smile. She is so good with her colours and her silk thread packs are so hard to disturb that Jean Littlejohn used to offer counselling to those who couldn't bear to open them. I based a whole piece of work on the colours in one of her packs. She has a sale at the moment so I have been stocking up.
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Had a giggle last night - found myself watching a rerun of Day of the Triffids while making these plant based forms for a vessel I'm working on.

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Not too sure now about those tentacles!

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Back soon. Have to get on with dissolvable book this week.

Urchfont, WoW and I wish I was Hockney

2012-01-16T08:48:00.018Z

Sorry about all the gaps - it's not me it blodspot. I've had so many emails about the give-away and would like to say thank you for all the kind words you've said about me and about how much you enjoy Workshop on the Web. I'm really touched. When we started WoW, I thought of it as being a continuation of the distance learning classes I was doing at the time - was expecting a few hundred people at most. Within a month we had thousands and were in a state of total panic so it was just as well that we got Fiona on board quickly to sort out the admin for us. Many wowies, I know, have been with us from the start, such loyalty. For our part we try to keep the costs low and £15.50 for around 30 workshops a year is good value, I think.
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Talking of WoW, we have put my interview with Jim from Urchfont College on the free taster http://www.workshopontheweb.com/ So much for all his talk about Wiltshire Council putting into practice Cameron's Big Society'!! Do email jane.scott@wiltshire.gov.uk (thanks Kaffie) to register your objection to its closing. They have my interview on their website so perhaps that could be mentioned.

Have you seen the fabulous stuff that Hockney has done on the ipad. I felt inspired to have a bash on my Galaxy Tab - not that I can come anywhere near a Hockney but I do think he has underlined the point that computer design is not cheating but is a perfectly valid art form. This was my starting point - a photo of me, sitting on the sofa. I took it by accident when I was pressing all the buttons on the tablet. It is such an awful photo that I'm not showing the original so here it is in negative. I used three apps for the following sequence and they were all free in Android marketplace. Most of them did negatives but here I used the Photo Editor program.
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Then I used a line drawing app which goes by the catchy name of C4LAa. It is very adaptable in the size and number of lines - just as good as a 'proper' image editor.

Filling the colour back in and adding some extra lines gave these images.

Then back to Photo Editor for some colour swaps.

Finally to an app called Picasso for some of my own drawing - painting over the lines with low opacity colours.

Not very flattering but good fun.

Finally, I am humbled and horrified by love2cre8's minus 28. I loved my visit to Calgary but I'm glad I'm not there now.

A Link, a Stitch and a Bad Cat

2012-01-13T10:32:00.003Z

Thought I’d give you the link for the Flickr group, ready for tomorrow. Here it is – do hope you will all use it as it’s great to see what others are doing.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1830311@N25/

I have been working on the vessel I showed you a couple of blogs ago. The ‘flowers’ are stitched on water soluble, using a circular stitch.
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It’s interesting that people now seem to call any similar stitch granite stitch. Val Campbell-Harding was very ferocious about her version of granite stitch which had to be the tiniest of circles, hardly visible to the naked eye. I was always in trouble for my too big circles. Anyone else remember Val’s machine embroidery classes at Urchfont college. So sad that Urchfont seems bound to close this year.

Anyway, back to the circular stitch, which I call bubble stitch. I love it and many of my drawings use similar shapes for texture
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It’s freezing here, minus 3 this morning – cold weather at last. When I looked out, all the pigeons in the big tree looked huge as they were so fluffed up against the cold. Then I looked at Smudge, also huge and fluffy. He looks so funny – so much fur makes his legs look stumpy
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He is in big trouble as he spent yesterday helping Clive make a new garden – very much a work in progress. We discovered that the horrible hedge at the bottom of the garden was taking up six feet of space so it’s gone and now we are landscaping and trying to cover the new fence.
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Smudge was obviously carrying on the work. He came in late last night with so much mud on his legs that he looked as though he was wearing wellington boots. Needless to say much of it was on the new pale carpet before we caught him. Sigh.

Comments

So glad that my messy workroom made you all look good! It is now much better and I am working hard. I do agree about it being hard to find things when you tidy up. I like designlouise’s comments. I think my best solutioin wa in the last house where I had a smaller workroom but an absolutely enormous wall to wall cupboard in another room. I then went along with my basket every time a new project was to begin, just like at the supermarket. In this smaller home I have to keep it all in situ.

Emma – just visited your blog. It is a treasure trove and I’m so glad you have agreed to do a WoW article. Can’t wait.

Hope you scanned in your photos Sheila – Displacement maps?

Robin – I expect you found the requirements on the last blog.

Hi bois-fleurie, good to meet you.

Heather – I must find that utube clip. Love the H chorus, great to sing. Clive loves oratorio and once sent Fiona to buy him Bach’s St Matthew Passion for a birthday. The guy in the shop said ‘They a new group, then’!

Jane, interested in your flash mob – it is such a good idea. Can’t wait to try it. We are doing lots of African chants at the moment so we’ll probably have to come up with choreography as well. It’s impossible to keep still singing those.

Requirements for Lynda Monk's course

2012-01-11T16:34:00.002Z

Wow! What a response to our book giveaway. We've increased the number of books to twelve to give more of you a chance. Still time to try your luck - see my last blog.

I promised that I'd put the list of things needed up on the blog before the class. I imagine you will have most of them. I've never tried rusting paper but I shall join in and have a go. Looking forward to it. Do join the Flickr group - the details will be on the d4d site on Saturday morning.

We go singing on Saturdays so I shall be joining a little later but I will make sure all is up and running before I go and will pop in to Flickr as soon as we return. I do love our singing class - it is called Local Vocals, such a great name. We sing four part harmony without any instruments and our teacher is amazing - she sings our parts and we sing it back to her. We are all in touch with our inner parrots and it is surprisingly good for one's soul, as you have to concentrate so hard that all worries vanish. In the spring we are going to do Guerrila singing - works on the flash mob principle - a text message and all who can, will turn up at a shopping centre, sing and run away before we're moved on! With my voice, I think I need to run away!

Anyway here are the requirements. I'll answer comments in the next blog, there were some lovely ones.

Here is the list of materials for the first lesson.

Different types of tissue paper as described in the book
Fusible webbing
Steel wires, steel wool, anything that will rust
Water-based media for colouring
Acrylic wax or PVA
Transfer foil
Walnut ink

More news soon.

Book Give-away

2012-01-09T10:55:00.003Z

We've been busy setting up the site for the free clases with Fabulous Surfaces. I'm quite taken with Flickr and can see that it will become another obsession - when I've got time.

We are doing a book give-away, either a choice of d4daisy books or one of Dale Rollerson's Sari Ribbon books, which she has kindly donated - your choice.
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You've got to work for this one, though. On the d4daisy home page http://www.d4daisy.com/ you will find a pdf download of a useful glossary. What is the first item described? Email me on maggie@d4daisy.com - don't comment here or everyone will know the secret! Clue - it is something that Lynda Monk uses in her book. Closing date January 23.

I have instructed Clive to lock me in my workroom this week to finish my book on Dissolvables. Luckily I smuggled this laptop in so I could write my blog, possibly spend my itunes voucher and generally engage in displacement activities.

First I have to turn this chaos into a space where I can work.
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Comments
Glad you all liked Ted, but Diane is quite right - I really suffered with my poor thumb and haven't been able to finish him. I had decided not to have the thumb operation yet but it has been so bad lately that I'm re-thinking it. I know someone who is having the same operation next month so I might wait and see how she gets on. I am booked in for the end of March - after the next book publication.

Interesting about people making a living by selling work. I agree with Diane about having to teach - I'd encourage anyone to write articles as well, if you can write and produce good work you will be much in demand.

Happy New Ted

2012-01-05T08:52:00.005Z

Firstly, a Happy New Year to you all. May it be good and stitchy.

We had our first 2012 meeting of the Beyond Stitch group and decided to do something just for fun so Jane W led us in a feltmaking class. We were making animals, using the single needle technique and it was great. I’ve only got a Ted Head so far, but I love him.
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My granddaughter knitted teddy heads to sell for a school charity project. She made them as bag charms and called them ‘Shrunken Teds’!

Betty made a Persian cat, with flat face and all the shading in the ears. Not a good pic but you get the idea.
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I have been to Eastleigh College to talk to Sue Chapman’s graduate class about making a living out of textiles. It was supposed to be based on setting up a business, and we did that as well but I think most people start by teaching, selling work etc. I posted about it on Facebook and the general consensus was that it is very hard and selling alone is not enough. I think I agree with that. Even if you are top flight and get taken up by a gallery, they take a huge commission so I can’t see how it works.

Excitement! The Lynda Monk free classes begin on 14th January and they are great. The first one has exciting ideas for rusting. I have never even thought of rusting tissue paper. What a clever girl she is. There are three classes and each one will be followed a week later by a project made using the technique. We will have a Flickr group (ta Wabbit) to chat and show photos. More details later so make sure you go to http://www.d4daisy.com/ and get the book.
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This is my first free day to go to the sales so I’m now dashing off to see if there is anything left.

On the trail of the lonesome sprout

2011-12-24T08:15:00.009Z

Facebookers among you will have heard the tale of the single sprout (in a plastic bag) that was the result of an online shopping misunderstanding - I thought it was one pack. There have been hilarious tales of other peoples adventures, including Dorothy's seven bunches of seven bananas. In view of the difficulty of sharing the aforementioned sprout I have decided to decorate it and put it on the tree. Watch this space!

I've been juggling work and Christmas - lots to do on WoW at this time of year but managed to find time for the annual train trip to see Father Christmas. This has been going on for five or six years now and we keep thinking that the older GCs will grow out of it but they are as keen as ever. Although Lauren may have to have a re-think as a Hannah Montana game is a bit infra-dig at eighteen!

It takes place in our local garden centre and the track has been extended year by year and now is about a ten minute ride. All lit up with fairy lights and the track is lined with toys.

Good for swoopy photos.

When you alight from the train (at the grotto) Father Christmas is waiting. It was a new one this year and I think he was a bit unnerved by our GCs en masse. I would be, too! Anyway they grabbed pressies and we took a photo.

By unamimous vote (theirs) the next stop was the scruffy pub for lunch. This is part of the golf course at the end of our road and is very unstuffy and slightly shabby but the staff are lovely. The boys like the table football, too.

So a good time was had by all.

Not much about textiles in this blog but I'll just show you one of the pics from Alysn Midgelow Marsden's next Wow article - March issue. A fantastic mix of shrinking plastic, t-shirt transfer paper and stitch. I can't wait for after Chrimbo to try her techniques.

In the meantime I wish you all a lovely, peaceful Christmas and here's a Displacement Map, (made from the swoopy light pic) to go with the wishes.

Even fewer sleeps now

2011-12-16T18:34:00.004Z

As you will gather I am having a few problems in trying to write my blog using my new galaxy tablet. I love it but this is hard work as I don,t seem to have much control over where the pics go.

The pic above shows Elli W, Jane W, Clive and I having a convivial lunch, complete with crackers and party hats. We had a fun time.

The pic below is of the Art Van Go garden. We called in on them on our way to do a talk at the Letchworth Christmas party, which was wonderful fun. I was so surprised at the lovely garden and there is an outdoors area for classes to be especially messy or smelly. Sounds just right for me and I got talked into doing a workshop next year. I always enjoy teaching there.

I am going to quit while I am ahead but if anyone knows how to move pics on a tablet, do let me know.

Apologies for the phantom heading -it was the blog that got away.

Not many sleeps to go

2011-12-16T07:44:00.000Z

The Christmassy Edition

2011-12-05T07:35:00.007Z

A lot has been happening here, as usual. It's a good thing that, thanks to the economic situation, I can't afford to retire! Sorry about the rant - I don't really want to hang up my needles yet, but it's annoying to sees one's little 'pot' disappearing.

The Lynda Monk book has been a great hit and I'm so pleased. Apart from being so creative, she is such a delight to work with.

The Christmas season always starts for me with the Stanpit Christmas party. This is held in the hall where most of us local stitchers learned our craft through City and Guilds courses. Sadly, these haven't run for a while, but the party has continued, currently organised by my Beyond Stitch Group. Maureen Beale has been the driving force - a fantastic job she has done, too - but circumstances have forced her to give up. Luckily, one of the other local groups is going to take it on, so it will continue. It must have been going for about thirty tyears and is always such fun.

This year we had Ruby Lever as speaker and she was just great. Look at her lovely work.
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Don't you just love the tassels?

This made us feel very Christmassy so yesterday Clive and I set to, to wrap up the presents. We lit the fire in the baked bean can, put some Chrissy music on the ipod and off we went.

Clive does the wrapping and Smudge and I get in the way.

Smudge was disappointed to find that he no longer fits in a plastic bag - even the outsize ones. He used to disappear in them and then scoot round the room at a great rate of knots.
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He had that look on his face that I had when I tried my Christmas glad-rags out the other day, 'I really must go on a diet!'

He has become something of a local character due to his fondness for dogs. As we live on a dog-walking route, he gets to see a lot of them and has made special friends with a Saint Bernard and a Labrador. Luckily they both like cats but it's funny to see him rubbing round them and we often have a little crowd of dog walkers gathered at our gate. He's such a show-off!

A Flickr group is a great idea for Lynda's free online classes, Wabbit. I'll get that going.

Sorry your birdie got 'roughed up' in the ;post, Heather. Is he OK? Do you need another one?

Ancient Strings and Fabulous Things

2011-11-25T12:59:00.003Z

Jane Wild and I went to a fabulous workshop and concert based on Senegalese music, last Saturday. It was by a group called Ancient Strings and Fabulous Things led by Doudou Cissoko.

Doudou and percussionist Alicia Davies led the workshop which involved a bit of singing along to an instrument called a kora, some bashing of a pseudo calabash and ‘body percussion’ – aka clapping and slapping. It was huge fun. Here is a pic of Doudou. He has the kind of face that you want to paint.
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Here he is with the kora – a twenty-one stringed instrument. The strings used to be made of hide but now they are strung with fishing line and the sound is amazing. Find out more at

http://www.reverbnation.com/doudoucissokosancientstringsandfabulousthings

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Lynda Monk’s book 'Fabulous Surfaces' is flying off the shelves – just back from Harrogate where we took several orders and where Lynda is taking part in the Art and Artists section. I’ve been trying out her white spirit distressing techniques and they work amazingly well.
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She’ll be providing free classes for everyone who has the book. Starting after Christmas, they should really cheer us up through chilly January. I was thinking of setting up a Facebook page so we could all see each other’s work, but I know that not everybody likes Facebook. We usually have a Yahoo group but I find it very tiresome to organise and it seems to attract nasty spam. How else could we do it? Your views are welcome.

Here are the winners of the ‘Fabulous Surfaces’ giveaway. Deb Jackson and Barbara Wilson have each won one of Lynda’s lovely hand-made books and Ann Aket and Cynthia Tanti have each won a copy of ‘Fabulous Surfaces'. I haven’t checked whether you’ve bought this book already but, if you have, choose another from the http://www.d4daisy.com/ website.

Heather Martin and Esme Wright have each won one of my Birdie brooch cards. If you are a winner, please email me your snail mail address maggie@workshopontheweb.com It would be so helpful, even if we already have your snail mail addy, as it’s quicker than getting Fee to look it up. She’s a bit busy posting books right now!

There were loads of packages of goodies – too many to mention here but you’ll know if you’ve got one.

Our decision to go to Harrogate was made rather late so we had trouble finding a hotel and wound up in a two bedroomed flat for almost the same price. It was very classy and great value for money. We’ll be going back there, I think.

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I have lots more to tell but lunchtime is here so I’ll soon be back with the rest of it.

Big Giveaway

2011-11-18T09:58:00.003Z

We are having a lulu of a giveaway on the d4daisy site http://www.d4daisy.com/. This is to celebrate Lynda Monk's book Fabulous Surfaces which should be here next week. Not only giving away copies of the book, but lots of materials, yarns and threads and some of Maggie's birdie brooch cards.
Click on the 'let me know' button on the d4daisy site to be included - no obligation to buy, we'll just let you know when the book is there. If you are already on the list, you will be automatically included, no need to click again.

Wonderful stuff (like this bodice) is the book - we're so pleased with it.
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This is a super brooch. Michael liked it so much that he put it on the cover.
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It doesn't seem possible but we have been in our 'new' home a whole year today. This was us on 19th November last year.

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It looks a bit different now. It was such a good move for us as we love it here, on the edge of the forest. Should have moved here years ago.

Printing, proofing and a bit of old tat

2011-11-12T15:18:00.003Z

We went haring up the motorway this morning to meet up with Michael, the other half of our d4daisy publishing venture. The printer’s proofs of Lynda Monk’s new book, Fabulous Surfaces, were ready so, to save time, we met at the services to do the final proof. I have to say that the printer has done a great job and the colour is breathtaking.
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Here we are, spread over a picnic table, as it is always a bit dark in the restaurant. Luckily the weather is mild. I think I’m very brave taking a photo of a photographer – shan’t show him this.
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Clive is next on the production line.
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Proofing is very nerve-racking and it’s so easy to read what you expect to be there, rather than what is. We always involve Katherine James, a professional proof reader, and it is amazing what she finds. If anyone is thinking of self-publishing I would really recommend a proof reader (the cost is not great) and Katherine is a textiles person too. I know from my time editing Embroidery magazine that the bigger the heading, the more likely a mistake!

We’re all delighted with the book as it is the first one in our new ‘Workshop’series. It should be available on the d4d site around the 24th. www.d4daisy.com

This is subject to the vagaries of printers, of course. We once published a book around election time and found out, too late, that they were printing all the manifestos. Guess who got priority?

I shall be doing some Lynda book give-aways on this blog and on Facebook later in the week.

What do you do with old work? Do you recycle it or chuck it out in horror? I’m giving a talk in Bristol next week and needed a piece of metal threadwork to fit a theme. Looking at this City &Guilds piece, I can see all the errors but I can also remember how much I enjoyed making it. I had never done anything like it before as I came to C&G from a machine embroidery and drawing background, unlike most of the others who were familiar with more traditional techniques. Perhaps it’s good to revisit work from the past. What do you think?
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We are planning our local Christmas Party in Christchurch. There are always more people wanting to go than there are tickets, so this is a reminder to the usual suspects (or anyone else who fancies a fun day). It only costs a fiver and a plate of grub and we have Ruby Lever, always a popular choice, for the speaker, plus trade stalls etc. Email me if you haven’t got a ticket yet. maggie@workshopontheweb.com

Btw, regarding the collagraphs in the last blog, I used Daler Rowney Georgian Block Printing medium but Jenny Bullen tells me that oil paints on their own work very well. Thanks for that tip, Jenny.

Fun with the Sizzix

2011-11-07T11:53:00.004Z

Rather a long time since I posted about dashing off to Urchfont to the Text. 21 group - or whatever our group is called. I keep getting told off for getting it wrong! We have been so busy with Lynda Monk's new book, 'Fabulous Surfaces', that I've had no spare time. We are nearly there now and hope to be at the printer next week.

Back to Urchfont - we had a wonderful few days concentrating on printing techniques. Jane Wild gave us a class and came up with some amazing ideas for everything from mono-prints to collagraphs. Needless to say, it was the latter that I was concentrating on, having upgraded the pasta maker for a Sizzix Big Shot Cutting and Embossing machine.
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Sorry about the strange angle, but you get the picture. It was so much easier than the pasta maker. It is designed to heavily emboss paper, so printing doesn't put a strain on the machine, as Wendy thought it might. I had to add a couple of pieces of felt to the platform that holds the plate and, when that was done, it gave perfect prints very easily, just gently rolled through. I couldn't believe how easy it was.

I made the plate, below, from textured wallpaper, scrim and kozo fibres, all stuck to mount board with PVA glue. Jane also introduced us to carborundum - a fine grit that you sprinkle on to PVA. It's great for texture.
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I have always used acrylics with a retarder for printing but Viv from Art Van Go recommended oil paints with a special printing medium mixed in. This gives you so much more time to work on burnishing the plate - the point where the excess paint is removed. These are my prints - sideways on as Blogger is having one of its turns!

What do you think?

Comments

The jacket worked really well, Heather – will show a pic of it next time. I’m thinking of selling it back to Marks as a designer special.

Ticks – Clive seems fine, thanks. You do have to be careful because deer ticks carry Lyme's disease, very nasty. We live on the edge of the forest so lots round here and, on the day it attached itself, we’d taken the family to the 'scruffy pub' down the road for lunch. This is right on the edge of the golf course and is in the woody bit. Other people have posh eateries in their golf courses but ours is cheap and tatty. The food and staff are lovely and the kids like the table football machine.

Smudge does have tiny ticks but Clive’s was huge. Perhaps they scale themselves to their victim.

Had a giggle about putting the tick killing stuff on Clive too – it doesn’t seem to work on Smudge.

Urchfont, Thumbs Down and a Tick

2011-10-25T17:18:00.004+01:00

Look at this pile of stuff - where am I off to, you ask. Well it's the time of our quarterly indulgence at Urchfont Manor. My text. 21 group (or something like that) is having a session with Jane Wild on collagraphs. I can't wait. I've bought myself a Sissix cutter/press and haven't tried it yet. I am doing a talk in Worcester, straight after (Saturday) so will report back next week.
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I am also taking the embellisher machine with a view to attacking this jacket. It's a per una (posh M&S) in boiled wool and I loved it but the sleeves and a couple of panels at the lower front are made from nasty black fur fabric. So I aim to set the embellisher on them.

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I made a couple of little bags some time ago - just velvet, silk and chiffon. Here is one.

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I love the way you can do huge hand stitches like this.

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That become part of the fabric when embellished.

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I do hope I don't ruin it!

I may be a little late at the manor tomorrow as Clive has just found a big fat tick on his back (a gardening hazard). I got it all off, but it's as well to have the doc look at it. We had a friend who caught Lyme's desease and it was horrid.

Talking of matters medical, some of you will have seen on Facebook that I have to have operations on both thumbs. I thought I was only going for my carpal tunnel check up so it was a bit of a shock. They take out a bone and that stops it rubbing and hurting. I had the following phone conversation about it with my cousin.

Me: They take out the bone and put in a bit of gristle.

Cousin: Where do they get the gristle?

Me: Oh, they've probably got a lump of pork hanging around.

Cousin: Is that why they call it a hand of pork?

Boom. boom.

That joke probably only works if you are a brit.

Thanks for asking about the book. It's running a bit late due to the hand thing but I'll keep you posted.

Jane Lemon Exhibition

2011-10-17T08:02:00.004+01:00

I'm sure all UK stitchers know Jane Lemon's work. She is best known for her amazingly innovative church work. Heading up the Sarum Group, she changed the image of ecclesiastical embroidery over the last 40 years. Her own work took a back seat to the group so it's great to see an exhibition of eight panels of hers at Salisbury Cathedral. The work is titled Prisoners of Conscience and celebrates the 50th annoversary of Amnesty International. The Cathedral has a long history of support for this cause and their stained glass window depicting this theme is quite amazing.

I'm not going to go on at length about the panels here but I shall be doing a full review for December's Workshop on the Web and our review pages are unrestricted, so catch it then. But, if you can get to Salisbury (there is a charge to go in to the Cathedral), it is so worth seeing and they have some of the Sarum Group frontals on view as well.

The work is an interesting mix of machine embroidery, goldwork and embellisher machine.

Jane attends life drawing classes and it really shows in the composition of the figures.

The barbed wire runs through all the panels, silver turns to gold when the prisoner is released.

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Below you can see Jane's amazing skill - the silver kid barbed wire is a wonderful, both as a close-up and from a distance.

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Thanks for the advice about the jammy mouse. It still fells a bit sticky and the jam didn't set well this time so I think it will be a sauce and a glaze, though probably not for mixed work, Heather.

The Lynda Monk book Fabulous Surfaces has gone to the designer in Australia. As it is a new series for d4daisy, which we are calling Workbooks, she is doing a re-design. I can't wait to see the sample pages. These will be single topic books, aimed at producing wonderful stuff without spending a fortune. You won't believe what Lynda has done with tissue paper!

My new book will also be a Workbook, based on dissolvable stuff - mostly film, not too much paper this time, although I've found some interesting ways of combining the two. I've been able to get cracking on mine and spent some time gathering up all my pieces. I'd forgotten about this little book. It's made from Softsculpt. warmed and bent over two bottles to give a book shape. The 'leaves' are made from water-soluble film and I'm exploring more on the technique used. Having lots of fun.

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Comments

I remember signing your book Sabine - it was great to meet you. I think the exhibition in the foyer two years ago might have been the Pfaff one which doesn't happen every year. i agree there wasn't much happening in this area. I think it is a sign of the times that stalls selling mops and so on had crept in this year. I guess it's hard to fill when everyone is broke.

We all have to support AVG Irene - and it's necessary to keep up the paint stocks. I bought lots of their papers, too.

Diane's cumquats sound wonderful. I bet they make great marmalade.

How do you get jam off a mouse?

2011-10-11T14:53:00.008+01:00

I am in the kitchen, catching up with a bit of blogging while making some more jam. It's the last thing I should be doing and is, I think, a displacement activity for getting on with the text for my book. Unfortunately I'm using Clive's laptop and have made his mouse all sticky with jam. He'll kill me.

I was only at the K&S show for a couple of days, doing demos in the Learning Curve. What did anyone think of the show? I loved the Textile Study Group exhibition and have devoted many pages to it in my WoW review. Purchased one of Gwen Hedley's little treasures from her Excerpts from a Visual Diary. This is mine.
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Here are some more. They looked great in a row.
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Here is a piece by Mary Sleigh, based on Kettles Yard in Cambridge - a place I love. It's a place of collections where art, furniture and fossils all sit side by side and I love Mary's take on it. The title is Not Wanted on Voyage.

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I also enjoyed the Beryl Dean retrospective - waiting on images for that one. It seemed a pity to have two brilliant retrospectives at the same show. Diana Springall's coincides with her book and was great - but could have used more space.

I loved seeing the inspiration, design and finished pieces.

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The piece at the back of the image above was entirely worked in narrow fabric tubes.

The graduate showcases were very good - both knitting and stitching. Who could resist a knitted lampshade? Anyone know the name of the student? I'm usually very careful to note names but missed this one.
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I felt that the quality of the exhibitions was a little uneven this year but when you consider how many great exhibitions are here, all in one place, it is such good value.

I have to go - my jam is ready for pouring. I think that the birds can have the rest of the grapes now.

Giveaway Winners

2011-10-01T15:39:00.003+01:00

A very quick blog just to tell you that we've drawn the giveaway for one of my precious books. The winner is Jen Henley - well done.

Fiona's daughter Sophie picked our winners - we made a list from this blog and facebook and gave them all a number. Then Fiona's daughter Sophie, chose two numbers from the list, so it was all fair and square. As we had such a great response we're giving an extra prize of a Workshop on the Web subscription (or renewal if you already belong). That prize goes to Cat in Tassie. If Jen and Cat email me maggie@workshopontheweb.com with snail mail addy for Jen and email addy for Cat I'll get it all sorted.

I am in a mad panic as I'm running late with my preparation for next week at the K&S. I am doing a couple of demos as we haven't got a stand, but I got a bit sidetracked by work for my new book.

This sample started me off down a new path and all I want to do is explore it. Ain't textiles exciting.

Wanna see my Operation?

2011-09-28T09:41:00.003+01:00

Look away now if you're squeamish, but isn't it healing well? All the bumpy bits have been absorbed - aren't our bodies clever? Only problem now is remembering not to carry stuff. Still mustn't knit or type, but the one handed stitching works a treat.
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We recently asked our Workshop on the Web folks what articles they wanted and they were keen on one on the making of precious books from samples. Another excellent idea was a project that progressed and we could all join in with. So I've combined these two and will have a precious book article with techniques and, hopefully, a video. I'm hoping lots of people will try the ideas and we're going to have a readers section to see them all. The pic below is a layered printing method I use a lot in various ways.

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These books are so useful for those special stitched samples, like the letters below.
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The photoshoot meeting for Lynda Monk's new book went really well and Michael and I were absolutely bowled over by the quality of her work. It's called Fabulous Surfaces and who would guess that the one below is not leather, but tissue paper. I want a jacket made from it.
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There are lots of ideas for books, bodices and vessels. If you want us to let you know when it's ready just go to www.d4daisy.com and click to go on the 'let me know' list - no obligation.
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Comments

Glad to have amused you with the jam making. We made loads but the kids have pinched lots of it. Modesty aside, it is delicious. I shall put some time aside next year and make more. There are still loads left on the vine.

Cranborne Manor only opens once a week, Celia, but it is well worth a visit.

I agree about using kitchen stuff for textiles,Virginia. I think my pasta machine collagraph printer is my most successful to date.

There are more uses for a heat tool Horatio....

2011-09-20T07:37:00.004+01:00

We've had something of a harvest festival with loads of tomatos, marrows and grapes. The grapes are the very small winemaking variety and I prefer to leave wine to the French and the Ozzies. Brenda Weeks gave me a recipe for cordial and this led on to thoughts of jam.
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Well, jelly to be precise. I'd never heard of grape jelly but it was amazingly successful. We purchased a device (like a milking stool with no seat) to strain it through. I know you can use a chair but ours weigh a ton. It said 'easy to assemble' but we ended up with Clive struggling to click it together while I frantically stirred the mixture shouting, "Hurry up, it's boiling".

Then it set too quickly, before dripping through, so I got the heat tool out. Worked a treat.
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My hand is healing well and I've seen the nurse for a check up. Feeling a bit stir crazy we had a morning at the local stately home, Cranborne Manor.
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All lovely long vistas and ancient apple trees.
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With the odd visual pun - look at the man working in the field to get the scale.

Love this head by Elizabeth Fink and look at the wonderful stains on the marble.

Smudge has been poorly (fighting again) and we had to visit the vet. I don't know what was in that injection she gave him but I think I need one. He now needs feeding every five minutes to get back to fighting weight.

Tomorrow we go to London for the photoshoot for Lynda Monk's new book Fabulous Surfaces. I have seen the pics - amazing - and can't wait to see the real thing. I have the text all ready, edited and copy edited so when the pics are done it's off to the designer. Can never tell with the printer but we are hoping for November. Watch this space.

Thanks for all comments and lovely get well messages - I'm sure going to try Livewriter, Celia. Blogger drives me batty.

Will announce winners of the precious book next week.

The Single Handed Blogger

2011-09-10T11:10:00.008+01:00

Having loaded these two pics into blogger I am unable to move them. It just won't let me. So I shall post around them. They are the result of some one handed drawing and painting I did in the sketchbook I am giving away.
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By the way I forgot to say that comments on this blog will go into the hat for the book, as well as those on Workshop on the Web's Facebook page. Thanks for reminding me that we need to do both, Stitcher, but only one name per person, please.
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The pics are the result of some metallic watercolours I bought, recommended by Jane Wild, and they are lovely. You can't see the full effect in these pics but they give a great gleam and many work together for a variety of effects. Daniel Smith's Extra Fine Watercolours (got mine from Jacksons) and I will write a full review in December's WoW.
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So I'm back again, using one hand in 'hunt and peck' mode - not easy when upper case is needed. Thanks so much for all your good wishes - it's all going very well, not nearly as painful as expected. Something of a surreal experience, lying down with arm outstretched, chatting to a nurse who lived near me about our local traffic chaos while, on the other side of the screen, my hand was being tortured.
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Anyway, the big bandage is off and a smaller one applied. Quite spectacular bruises - should have photographed them, the colours were great. Arnica is wonderful for bruising so they will soon fade.
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I managed to give a talk in Salisbury on Thursday, which was fun and seemed to go well, in spite of struggling with a microphone and the laser pointer (known as Mr Pointy) in the same hand.
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Clive is great at cooking, but rubbish at blow-drying so I treated myself to a hairdresser visit yesterday and am now feeling great.

Must go now and direct operations in the garden. I have the perfect excuse for my favourite gardening method - pointing and saying 'just plant it there'.

The Cutting Edge

2011-09-05T08:36:00.003+01:00

I should be in hospital having my carpal tunnelly hand sorted out but they found they had got their am list muddled up with their pm list, so I have to go back later. Wish they'd found out before I got up at 5am!

Never mind - at least I have time for a two-handed blog before I go.

We've got a give-away on our Workshop on the Web Facebook page. It's one of my inspiration books - remember a few posts ago I had the idea of putting good samples into a 'special' book. Well, this is the first one and I am giving it away. Ain't that noble? Do go and put your name down if you fancy a chance of winning.

This is a detail of the cover. Paint effects and Pearly powders with embossing powder.
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And one of the pages with a slight celtic twist. Hand-stitching - I do enjoy that, but won't be doing much with the hand all bandaged up.
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The pond is nearly finished. Just a little row of bricks to build, new paving and some planting. Smudge took site inspections very seriously.
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So much so that he nearly got drowned when Clive did the trial filling. At one point he was asleep in the bottom.
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All filled now and holding water. Will show the finished version, with droopy plants when I can garden again as all planting is my responsibility.
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Ah well, soon be time to have another go at getting the hand sorted. Think of me.

Here in Black and White

2011-08-29T10:45:00.009+01:00

So much for coming back the next day. I was overcome by all the work I’ve been neglecting since the Festival of Quilts and getting our living room back. The room changed colour rather unexpectedly due to me falling for some handsome black and white wall lights.

Sorry about all the gaps - it won't let me edit them out.grrrr.

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This meant the curtains looked wrong so I dug out some dramatic black and grey ones.

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Had to knock up some new wall art with a black and white theme, so I hastily took some shots in the garden.

Upped the contrast considerably and then changed to greyscale.

A little bit of highlighting with the fill can and white.

And then made two more.

Here they are on the wall.

Remember that I wanted the flooring to match Smudge? Well, the new rug (below) matches him so well that every time he laid on it we trod on him. He now avoids it.

Great excavations

This is what we are tackling next. I expect you can guess what it is!

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Comments on comments

Heather – Grandad would love this – on a good day we only clock up one or two units on the electricity useage meter. It was nine or ten before.

We get a contract for 25 years for our feed-in tariff, Aussie Jo. If they renege, we can all sue the government! It is also inflation proof and tax free. This deal ends early next year as I think they have realised it’s too generous.

Hey Gillian – loved your show – so very different.

The low numbers may be a sign of the times Diane, but I do hope not. It will be interesting to see what happens at the Knitting & Stitching Show. We haven’t got a stand this year, although I’m doing a couple of seminars. We have noticed a big increase in Workshop on the Web numbers since the shrinking of C&G classes. This is very welcome but not the way I want it to happen.

A Quick Post Festival Post

2011-08-19T11:25:00.005+01:00

Lots of posts in that title. Whose idea was it to have PV panels and a woodburner fitted the day after we returned from the Festival of Quilts? Ooops – that’d be me, I think. However the guys were great and just got on with it, with the result that our twelve panels were up and generating by Tuesday afternoon. So far we have clocked up seventeen units and that includes one dull day and one day of torrential rain when it was as dark as night most of the day. It’s such fun watching the meter click around that we are thinking of putting a chair in the hall – better than the TV and certainly more lucrative.
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The woodburner is wonderful – the last one we had was very traditional and this time I wanted one of the modern baked bean cans. Here it is in full flow. It will look much better when the new wall lights go up.
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Back to the quilt show which was rather disappointing from a trading point of view (number down on Saturday and Sunday) but great for seeing everyone and keeping in touch. Some lovely exhibitions – perhaps not quite so cutting edge this year – and incredible individual entries.

We had some help on the stand this time with Sam Packer and Paula Watkins. It was lovely to go off and do our talks without having to worry about the stand and they gave great demos, too. We also sneaked off for lunch together – a rare treat at shows.

My overall favourite was the Studio 21 exhibition which also had an interactive ‘Come and have a go’ area which was a wonderful idea and very popular. This group has such a strong membership – Sandra Meech, Sue Chapman and Dawn Thorne to name just a few off the top of my head. It was interesting to see them taking the same theme – a sense of place and running the work in a continuous fashion around the wall. I love Anne Froggatt’s work and this is her Studio 21 entry, Svalbard.
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This exhibit from Gillian Cooper made a great visual impact as you look in from outside.
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Must go now – it’s the youngest grandson's birthday and the gang is about to descend. Will post more foq pics tomorrow.

A blogette

2011-08-04T11:56:00.007+01:00

Just a swift line or two to stay in touch. Frantically trying to get the car packed for the Stitched Up event in Sutton Coldfield, where I'm doing a talk and demos. I also have to get ready for the Festival of Quilts at the NEC next week. Our poor catsitter is coming today and we will have to try and put our sitting room back together for her. The plasterer is still in residence at the moment.

We had a plaster disaster as our usual chap is ill and couldn't make it. He was supposed to be here on Monday and we only found out he wasn't coming on Monday morning. Frantic phone calls brought us Gary who made a start yesterday. Luckily it is only a skimming job so won't be too damp and I've made Sue the sitter a bed-sit (with telly) in another room, in case she doesn't fancy the soggy one. Sometimes life just gets too hard but it's small beer compared to what some folks have to put up with.

Exciting things are arriving in the post for next week's show. For my Workshop on the Web display I have Gina Ferrari - her newspaper backgrounds made a splendid article.

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Olga Norris wrote a super article on using paper in reverse applique. I love the shapes of the figures shown here.

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Hope we can get lots of new Wowies. We need them, as BTinternet are putting an extra financial strain on us. They treat all our emails to subscribers as spam and place them in a separate folder - without even showing it to the account holder. We do tell people how to find it (in FAQs on www.workshopontheweb.com) but, understandably, some people find it hard and we have to resort to snail mail. Ridiculous with an internet magazine and very expensive.

Anyway, lets end with a giggle. This was one of my birthday cards! Who does it reming you of? Nuff said.

Being a Bit Cross and Reasons to be Cheerful

2011-07-25T14:46:00.006+01:00

I am feeling a little cross as Twisted Thread has messed up the dates for my teaching trip to Italy next year. Last November they asked me when I was free and I suggested April 2012. I duly drew a line through the whole month as they rearranged the last trip. Now they say they didn't get my email (very strange as it was the same email as I notified them of my change of address and they have certainly been using the new address). I am pretty booked up for May so can't do that and don't want to travel in February, the other suggestion. I've also been turning down work in April so it is doubly annoying. I suppose I should have checked to make sure but, as there was no paperwork last time I went, it didn't cross my mind. Never mind - I 've already got a booking for a talk in the Wirral in April and I shall enjoy it just as much.

Reasons to be Cheerful 1

Anyway it's hard to stay cross when you pull back the curtains in the morning and see this young chap. He was eating the fallen sunflower hearts that the finches drop - must be hungry. I bet my neighbour with the chickens would not say 'Aah, bless'.

Reasons to be Cheerful 2

I've been to Art in Action which was as much fun as ever, although a little light on demos this year. Found a fantastic collagraph artist, Sue Brown, and learned so much from her. She uses birds as inspiration.

With my d4d hat on, I do hope to sign her up for a series of small books next year.

It was good to meet Liz Clay (above) as she has written articles for WoW but we hadn''t met. She does great 3D stuff with felt.
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Reasons to be Cheerful 3

It was almost my birthday so Clive bought me this amazing piece of glass. It reflects its surroundings, upside down in the bottom, as well as the lovely swirl. Made by someone at Bournemouth and Poole College - they had a really good stand and are local to me in Dorset.

I am trying to pick a colour for the sitting room carpet. I am going to base my colour scheme on Smudge as he has a lovely coloured coat of creamy, tawny hues with touches of blue-grey. As you can see from the following run of pics he is not co-operating in the choice.

.How boring - fancy interrupting my sleep for this....

On the other hand it might make a good hiding place....

..for surprise attacks.

Hope the lady from the carpet department doesn't follow my blog!

Texture and Transfers

2011-07-19T16:18:00.012+01:00

Just a quick line or two, mostly to tell Gilby how Jane makes her lovely figures - see comments.

I have just realised that the Festival of Quilts is only a few weeks away and I haven't ordered any of the stuff I need from the printers. Likewise I have two new talks to give (they are getting booked up, so do go to http://www.twistedthread.com/ if you would like to come) and they need a bit of polishing.

Plus I'm doing a two-day stint at Sutton Coldfield which I am really looking forward to - it is called Stitched Up and I'm giving another new talk on Friday 5th and demos on Saturday.

Added to this is the September Workshop on the Web which is our tenth anniversary issue and really special. It doesn't seem possible that it is ten years since I took that bath and dreamed it up while soaking! One of my better ideas and we've made so many friends through it.

My article for the next WoW is on landscape, using transfer (disperse) dyes. This one is waiting to be stitched.

I would have shown you the whole piece but blogger will only let me put up portrait photos at the moment. If I try landscape it rotates them!

We took Jane Lemon to lunch on Sunday - she has been very poorly but is on the up now and ate a good lunch. You may know her better as head of the Sarum group of ecclisiastical embroiderers - they make breathtaking frontals. Jane has made some panels for Amnesty International and they are just so wonderful. I'll show you soon.

Comments

Thanks, Heather - still haven't finished the lampshade due to the FoQ stuff. It will come, one day.

JP: we thought we'd finished renovating and were going to leave the sitting room until next year but then decided that we'd put in a woodburner because of the huge gas increases. When we installed one at the last house, we cut our gas bill in half. This means redecorating, totally replastering, etc. However the painting is going to be done while we are at FoQ. The day after we get back it is in with the stove and the PV panels. Must be mad.

Gilby - Jane Wild says that the method for her goddess fiigure is very simple as she just uses kitchen roll and wallpaper paste! She makes a wire shape first and reinforces it with a little chicken wire around the bum. Then wets the kitchen roll with paste until squishy (technical term) and moulds it around the wire. I think when it is dry you'd need PVA but not certain of this. Then it is painted. I can't help feeling that her knowledge of anatomy - she's a superb artist - plays a big part. I'll ask her about the PVA.

All Things Urchfont

2011-07-09T15:30:00.007+01:00

I seem to have been spending most of my time at Urchfont college in the last few weeks. as many of you will know it's a great place to spend time. The accommodation is good, the staff are lovely and the food is much too good. I used to teach there but now I'm enjoying just being a member of a group that meets there three times a year. More on that later.

It was Open Day last Sunday and all the groups that meet there had a stand to display their work. This is our group text.tiles 21. Our theme was green (there was a group groan when we heard that but we rose to the occasion) and the colour unification did help with the display.

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Don't you just love Jane Wild's Goddess with Drum? Not a great photo as it doesn't capture her voluptuousness (is that a word?) Detail below.
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Tutors from the classes that Urchfont run were all there, too. Sian Martin's Distant Stitch was there for a Summer School and had a wonderful slide show running. Hazel Credland showed some lovely work (below) and Lynn Horniblow was immediately signed up for a Workshop on the Web article on her super machine embroidered tassels. Just right for December
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We also have Lizzie Lane in that issue. You can see a detail of her piece on the lost art of handwriting below. Lizzie is a member of MEG - the machine embroidery group at Urchfont.

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When our group meet, three times a year, we try to have a theme for each meeting, as well as doing our own work. This time it was using stiffening products to make 3D shapes so I had a bash at a Moroccan lampshade to go with my hall lanterns. the ones I saw in Marrakesh (why didn't I buy one?) were made of skin but mine is the veggie version. I used Abaca tisssue with silk paper and used PVA glue as the stiffener.
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It was stamped with a Moroccan style pattern, thanks to a super new stamp from Ario, and it looked quite authentic. In the pic below I am stitching wrapped wire to strengthen the edges and enable a bit of shaping.
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The plan to is to use it with an Indian lamp - a relic of Clive's Indian childhood. It's made from a polished coconut with brass inlay and Eastern style feet. This always lived in the garage in the last house until Clive wanted to sling it out and I had a proper look at it and decided to promote it to the house. I shall attach it to a proper shade to keep it away from the light bulb. Hope to post up the finished piece soon.

Anyway it was a lovely couple of days and I'm now home, with thousands of jobs to do, most of them boring.

Comments

Thanks Heather.

Clare - your piece was lovely and it was such a lovely day. We did enjoy it and it sure was hard doing the judging, Alex.

Thank you for all the advice on PV panels, Gill - both here and in a series of emails. I think we are going ahead as this is our last house, I hope. We have also decided to have a woodburning stove. We weren't going to, as we don't have a chimney, but I have found a very modish one that looks like a large, shiny, black baked beans can and the stove pipe goes up through the roof. The last woodburner we had cut our gas bill in half so we hope it will be the same here.

I'm off to finish the lampshade now. Back soon.

Still on the Road

2011-06-27T15:03:00.007+01:00

We've been on the road again - this time to Wolverhampton for a Regional day for all the local guilds.

There was a tense moment at the beginning of my talk when our laptop and projector played up - it was taking ages to change images. Good job Clive was there - turned out that the projector plug had worked loose and it was quickly sorted. Phew! The first time, in all the years we've been using digital images, that we've had a problem.

Had a fantastic time and had to judge several competitions. Such a high standard of work and I was glad that Pauline from the Guild was a co-judge. The theme was Frescos and Fragments and here is some of the work, with the young embroiderers first. Here's Stafford branch.

All were a credit to their teachers who are doing a great job bringing on the next generation of stitchers. This lovely piece won the adult section - so sorry but it was all such a rush that I didn't get any names.

The next two were runners up. You can see how high the standard was

As you know I have become a gardner (ish). However I don't think that Alan Titmarsh would be impressed by my mishapen cucumber. Especially when I tried to use it in a salad and found that it was a marrow!

On a more serious note we are thinking of investing in photovoltaic roof panels as there is an offer from the government's 'green deal' of 43pence per unit generated. We have a sunny south facing roof, so should be OK. Has anyone done it yet - it seems too good to be true. All info welcome.

Comments - at the end, please note!

liniecat - yes that yahoo group seems to have been hijacked. It won't let me in to delete so I'm waiting for Yahoo to do it for me.

Stitcher - the college decided to stop supporting the degree course and the c&g tutors have moved elsewhere, such a shame.

Julie's sad news - I've replied privately but I'm sure she will find lots of support from the on-line community. Someone once told me, having just had that experience, that it was like losing a huge part of yourself and I can see that.

Glad you all liked the frog - you're very encouraging

If it's Monday....

2011-06-20T15:43:00.008+01:00

Had a little blog break due to excessive travel. In a week we did a talk at a Regional Day in Yorkshire (good fun but very small screen), went to the last ever Windsor exhibition (so sad but Jan and Jean were in good form) and then gave a talk to a delightful branch in Banbury. Just getting our breath back before it's the Madeira lecture in Wolverhampton on Saturday.

It's good to see such a positive response to the Guild these days. They really do seem to be sorting themselves out and the Vice Chair gave a good talk in Yorkshire (although I do wish the Guild head office folk wouldn't use jargon - the phrase 'delivery of service' always reminds me of the post office rather than stitch). However, they are taking the members seriously at last and we all want them to recover - it would be a great loss otherwise.
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Windsor felt very sad, such a small exhibition this year. Here's a pic of some ofthe diploma work - those sample books are excellent. Can't show many pics as I forgot to ask permission.

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Do you remember my silly bird brooches?
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They sold really well at last year's Knitting and Stitching show so I am making some for the Festival of Quilts. At Maggie Hills' suggestion, I am also trying foppish frogs. Love his crossed legs.
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Good to have a small portable project although I'm not sure they are cost effective with all the hand stitching. However they are fun and with all this travelling I haven't had time to do any precious books.

Last week was further complicated by the arrival of many scratched tiles from Fired Earth. They had to go back, so the tiling has been held up. The blinds are fitted and looked rather plain so I'm sewing little buttons on the border.

Comments on comments:

Thanks for all the positives about the books. I hope to show you one next blog.

Kim - about needles: when I was editing the Embroidery magazine someone wrote in about a French nun who had a mamogram and they found six needles in one boob! I think they left them there. So beware!

Virginia - congrats on your Diploma and keep wearing the bird. As you can see above the range has been extended.

Good to hear from you Gill. Tell everyone about Workshop on the Web - good for all those without access to classes and we have articles from Ken Smith, famous Tassie resident, from time to time.

Stuff

2011-06-08T16:52:00.004+01:00

Liked the cruet story,Gill. Wonder what the odds on that are?
Magaret – I’m also inclined to think that computer art is entirely justified. Think the problem comes when a photo has just one, very obvious, effect applied and I agree that you have to work at it.
Heather – it was only Pizza Express because we had loads of things to do in town and it wasn’t worth coming home. In the end, one of us had to wait in for a delivery so I went out and had a very late lunch at home.
Robin – it’s the safe places that are hard to find. We now use unsafe ones.Diane – sounds like the kitchen is progressing. I’m glad I decided not to rush ours as it’s very hard on the building guys if they have to be put back a few days because the previous one hasn't finished. Well done in the c&g btw.
Go for the red JP.
Sorry Scooter – I’ll go more for the non fiction version next time - a lavatorial fairy tale!
I have seen the carpal tunnel guy at the hospital and it is good news. He confirmed the diagnosis and offered the op but suggested that he injected steroids into the wrist to see what happened. If it works, I might get away without the op. That was over a week ago and it is much better so here's hoping it continues.I am off to the Yorkshire and Humber Regional day on Saturday with a new talk on Faces and Places. Really looking forward to it. When I was looking out work for the display, I decided to really sort out all my stuff. Lots of finished pieces that I use for talks - they fit well into categories and are no trouble. But I found loads of smaller bits, samples, tiny art works - all manner of things.
What to do with them? Too good to throw away and too different to stitch together into finished pieces, so I thought to myself, 'What about using them for a series of really precious books' with wonderful covers, each page really well considered with extra stitch or media added? Easy to store on a shelf, perhaps mounted as saleable art at exhibitions. Maybe the books would sell on Etsy or ebay. Possibly even a give-away or prize.I'm excited and now have a huge box marked 'STUFF'.

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and here are some of the things in it.

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Pale angels

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and garish ones (some toning down needed here)

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Lots of sweet little stitched patches. I think I took the design from a mask. There's even a needle and thread in this one.

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I also have the beginnings of the first book and I shall show you next time how it is going. What do you think? Will it work or just look like a bitty book?

In Which We Lose Much But Find The Loo-People

2011-06-01T09:21:00.013+01:00

Firstly – thanks for comments. Yes, the postman asks after the worms every day, Jean. They seem to have become a mascot at the sorting office. I envy you your worms, JP. I think our lack of worms might be down to the fact that we have so many blackbirds here (I thought they were territorial but ours have declared a truce).

Gilby – I think you are right and that the use of the computer can add a bit of oomph. However, lots of people think it’s cheating – anyone agree? I think your technology skills are pretty good, Heather – blogs, Facebook etc.

Glad you like the title, Gill – am I brave enough to go with it or will I chicken out? We shall see.

Yesterday was a really weird day. We are back in the kitchen (pure heaven) which means emptying all those boxes stacked in the garage. So really the day should have been filled with exciting finds but we seemed to spend it looking for things.

This was the first culprit.
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A perfectly ordinary glass stopper. This was discovered on Monday, all on its own and we both remembered it as part of a decanter that went to the charity shop ages ago. So out it went. Yesterday we found this.

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one of my lovely oil and vinegar bottles, minus a stopper. No problem, we said, it’s in the rubbish and we’ll soon find it. Many hours later, covered with old tea leaves and coffee grouts, we gave up. Hours wasted. Then I decided to take a break and write my blog. The camera was nowhere to be found so we both searched for that for another hour, to no avail.

However, searching in the far corner of the shed (OK, we’re desperate by now) I found the loo people, who haven’t been seen for years.
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They were made as a joke for a daft Christmas competition which was based on the idea of making a contemporary version of the old fashioned toilet roll dollies. Do you remember the ones with crinolines which covered the roll? These two are the Grand Master and Mistress of the Sink Plunger and they were presented draped over large plungers with loo rolls down their shafts. They didn’t win but got a good laugh.

I think the heavy hand-stitching (over a photo printed on cotton) is quite interesting and might pursue it for more serious work.
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On the subject of loos, ours in the big bathroom is almost square. I liked the angular look of the basin and it came with a square loo.
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You don’t actually notice this fact when it is in operation but one thing made us laugh. When the plumber was fitting it he told us about a bathroom suite with a really square loo, called the Matisse. Clive and I went away and spent a hysterical ten minutes designing the Picasso loo.
Anyway, you’ll be glad to hear that, towards the end of the day the camera was discovered under the cat (Smudge was sitting on my desk in a patch of sun) and Clive found another rubbish bag and came in bearing the stopper.
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Then we found these beauties blooming away quietly, so all was well in the end.
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Here’s a couple of quick kitchen pics – not quite finished as we’re waiting for tiles and the blind man (remember him?) to come.
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I am pleased with it – I had sleepless nights about mixing the black lacquered wall units with the oak (thought that was boring on its own) but it looks fine. What a relief. ..
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Difficult to photograph as it acts like a mirror. Will do better pics later - just off to do some shopping and have lunch at Pizza Express.

Books, Bills and Worms

2011-05-20T09:55:00.004+01:00

Will we ever have rain again? I am so tired of watering the garden and it is like dust again very soon after. However it has been great to have the dry weather while doing the kitchen. A large fridge-freezer arrived today and we just took it for granted that it could wait outside until this afternoon when the floor is (hopefully) finished. I don't know about being laid back about the kitchen JP - laid out might be closer. We are on the last lap and the wwsil is doing a great job of putting it all together - in spite of the apparent puzzlement.

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Just the carcases so far, so the pretty bit is yet to come. I have gone for a weird mixture of traditional oak and glitzy, shiny black and am now wondering if I was mad. I'll keep you posted.

We will probably have something watery somewhere in the garden, Heather. Smudge does like to watch the frogs. I shan't have fish - too upsetting, as the heron always gets them. We made fantastic compost at the last house but there is a severe lack of worms here so I had to order some on-line. The postman was horrified!

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I am working on my next book which is about using photos, photocopiers and imaging programs and by-passing the need for drawin. Not that I think we shouldn't draw (and there will be a lot of ideas for taking the techniques and boosting drawings) but some folks just don't. It will be called 'Your Cheating Art' and if it fails as a book it will at least have a chance in the country music charts.

The piece below comes from a photo of our mate Bill, much changed. Don't think he'd know himself in the pic below.

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I have printed it on fuzzy paper and started to stitch into it.

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Hope it will be one for the FOQ talk too, Gilby. It will be great to see you there and, if I don't recognise you, just shout.

Faces and Places

2011-05-09T11:56:00.006+01:00

It's surprisingly hard work just getting 'normal' things done when you don't have a kitchen, plus the fact that I am very easily distracted these days. However I have to get down to some work as I have some new talks to put together and new work is needed. They will make their debut at the Festival of Quilts (NEC Birmingham) where we will have 'Face to Fabric' on August 12th and Art & Architecture on the13th. Last year, one of my talks was full very quickly and the other sold out on day one of the show so, if you're going to the show and would like a sit down, book early on http://www.twistedthread.com/pages/exhibitions/viewExhibition.aspx?id=31

I'm under Academy Workshops and Lectures. I'd love to see you. Here are some pics that I'll be talking about.

Below: Architecture of the Village - one of mine.

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This is one of my images which turned into an Ancient Face embroidery.

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Fabulous work from Jane Wild - the one below is a 'back of head' study but there is a face on the other side!
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Another of Jane's - suits the current atmosphere of romance since the wedding.

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I usually do some step-by-step photos in my talks so a new piece needs to be made. I'm getting excited about some ideas that have been buzzing the head for ages. We usually have mini movies in our talks, too - to demonstrate technique.

What else has been happening? Clive has moved a rockery - a bit like the labours of Hercules. he discovered an old pond underneath it.
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Buried in the pond where all kinds of things - like these dinky toys and a dog chew. It could lead to a series based on 'Those who came before us'.

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Smudge was no help but he enjoyed being a spectator from the summer house. he is auditioning for the pantomime - The Princess and the Pea - perched on top of all the chair cushions.

Finally: this was spotted on the wall of the underpass at the end of the road that leads to the trailways (lots of cycling being done at the moment, my bike looks much too new and I'm trying to bash it up a bit).

Do you think Banksy was here?

Bags and Grow-bags

2011-04-22T16:03:00.004+01:00

Aren’t these bags cute? Granddaughter Sophie and her friend Jennie had to make a stitched item for their Brownie badge so I was called in to help. We used blue felt for the background, ironed on Bondaweb and foil. Then came the Angelina – they were really hooked on that and I had trouble restraining them from an overdose of glitz. A piece of chiffon on top and we were set to stitch – machine, followed by running stitch (giving a good impression of tacking stitch).

They did it all themselves and I think they’ve done a great job, especially as we learned buttonhole stitch for the edges. Quite a hard stitch for nine year olds, with its loops and tension, but they soon got the hang of it.

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I was exhausted – especially with the needle threading. The cry kept going up, ‘I need more string’. I never did get them to say thread or yarn.

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Huge thanks again for all the info on Carpal Tunnel. I haven’t heard back from the doc yet but will call her next week. Funnily enough my friend Elli Woodfsord was having the tests done a week before me. I’m becoming convinced it’s down to the stitching – my hands are so much better since the loss of workroom forced me to hold back on the textiles. Thanks for the frozen peas tip, Wabbit.

Heather – had a giggle about ‘could have been worse’ when Smudge peed in the builder’s sand! You are so right.

When they get the cloning business sorted out I’ll let you know Jude. The temporary kitchen is not really big enough for us both to work in but the current regime of ready meals is working well.

We have had a couple of rather pathetic Brit-style bbbqs, Diane. I refuse to wash those rack things so we have disposable ones. Bet that causes a ‘wash your mouth out with soap and water’ reaction in Oz?

We have not been able to go out together for two weeks so not much chance of a meal out either. The reason is this.

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Two large holes in the kitchen where a door and window should be. Philly wanted to fit the windows to the holes rather than the other way round and they took a week or so to be made. So we couldn’t leave the place unguarded. We pushed a heavy chest against the hall door on the other side and, thankfully, no rape or pillage took place.

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Now we have them and it is great. Here's my new door with a lovely view of the garden, instead of the boring drive.

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Even got the dishwasher going again. I really find it quite fun doing the catering in the workroom but washing up was a pain.

The tyranny of the greenhouse

I was so pleased to find we had a green house here: ordered loads of plug plants and sat back smugly. Then they all came at once, then they sent free extra plants, then it got too hot in the greenhouse. All the potting on has ruled my life for weeks. I've exhausted all my pots and I'm on growbags

It’s got to go. Anyway it is in the way of this lovely tree-filled view and no way is it a thing of beauty.
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Never mind - the vine is growing well in the unusual April heat. Dear little grapes showing.

Must go now – plants to water, don’t you know!

Life Without a Kitchen

2011-04-09T18:06:00.014+01:00

I wrote this blog yesterday evening and have spent ages trying to format this post. It just keeps ignoring all carriage returns. So apologies, folks and I've now resorted to lots of spots. Thanks for the sympathy and comments on the hand problem. Liniecat – thanks that’s very encouraging and ta to Stephanie for the exercises. I have ordered the power ball, Sarah. Sorry about your wrist Diana – hope it’s OK now. ...................................................................

I had a little giggle about Wabbit’s towel – I’d probably get tangled up and strangle myself, but you have got me thinking about how I sleep. I’m much better in a chair with my feet up – perhaps I’ll take to sleeping in the sitting room. The hands seem better since I stopped using the keyboard so much, so perhaps it’s not the stitching.

Many thanks to everyone who entered the debate on e-books. I think the time has not yet come, as I’ve been reading another Rebecca Stott (she’s great) and her books always have little pics and etchings in them. It has, as you say Rachel, driven me nuts - making the page big enough to see, and then small to read the text. ....

I think the way to go with Machine Embroidery Workbook is to put it on CD or on the web. The basic techniques could be printed out with lots more colour on accompanying pdf downloads. Could also have a Yahoo group. A bit like distance learning but not quite so individual. Might think about that. ..... .

My kitchen is in bits so the workroom has become the kitchen. Am I bovvered? No. Here is a snapshot of our house, taken a few minutes ago. Trev the builder is reinforcing a wall before he knocks the chimney breast down.

Clive is cooking the dinner in a tabletop cooker, with veg cooking on the litlle electric hob and new potatoes in the microwave. What a treasure he is!

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Smudge is in the 'kitchen' courtyard wondering if anyone will ever fill his bowl.

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Where am I? . Am I helping? . Am I working? . Am I stitching? .

Not likely – I’ve got a new bike and it’s huge fun. Just heard that I sold a piece of work at Ramster so I don’t even feel guilty about buying it.

I'll have to get off my bike now, as Smudge has peed in Trevor’s builder's sand and he is not happy! Knew it was too good to last!

Ouch!

2011-03-29T12:35:00.017+01:00

I’ve had a bit of a dodgy week – felt really under the weather and had scary symptoms like waking up five or six times in the night with numb hands, or pins and needles. A quick look on the web convinced me that I had something really nasty and life-threatening so I high-tailed it to the docs to be diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel syndrome.

Not very nice but greatly preferable to some of the things I thought I had. So I have to have some tests and possibly injections to begin with. It was something of a relief really. I think it might subside on its own if I lay off the hand stitching for a while, as it has been quite intense.

I’m doing three pieces for an exhibition at Ramster Gardens next month and they are big on silk paper and hand stitching. I’m only going to show you teasy bits as they form part of an article for the June issue of Workshop on the Web which is about translating designs into stitch. We have a wonderful article on sketchbooks from Anne Menary and some super stuff from Janet Crowther on generating ideas for stitch, so I thought a practical write-up on the transfer process would be good. My base is silk paper with water-soluble inserts. Plus lots of stitching.

Having had the diagnosis, I reverted to machine embroidery for these alien birds which form the top of a panel. The inspiration is an imaginary planet with a cut-through section. Imagine it rotated 90deg left - for some reason, blogger keeps turnng this one round.

On another subject, I do hope that the cuts leave our libraries alone. Ours does fun things like this initiative. A mystery book hidden in an envelope. I’d never heard of Rebecca Stott but 'The Coral Thief' is a fabulous read and both Clive and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Although we have a kindle for ebooks, I still use the libraries a lot. I love the fact that you can download a whole chapter free to see if you like a book. There’s never time in a shop to read enough and I have made very few mistakes since we’ve had the kindle. If I like a book, I sometimes order it from the library, although I’m building up an e-collection.

Do you think there would be a market for stitch books in e-format? Some years ago Val and I did a great book for the Guild (The Machine Embroiderers’ Workbook) – starting from scratch and building up. I got the rights back when they didn’t reprint so could publish it. It wasn’t in colour but a website could be used for that. The original book had blank pages for readers to put their samples in and we saw some wonderful books. Maybe that would be better online so the pages could be printed out and saved in a file. What does anyone think? Must go now and give the wrists a rest!

Been there, Seen that, Had a Great Time

2011-03-18T12:38:00.007Z

We've been to Cheshire to give a talk for the Guild. What a great branch - loads of members and lots of enthusiasm.
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Stopped off at a wonderful exhibition in Stafford - at the Shire Hall. Called 'Drawing with Thread', it's outstanding - do go if you possibly can. The pic above is by Cas Holmes.

The one below is by Morwenna Catt. I love her work and she's got some great new stuff in this exhibition.
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And Caroline Kirton whose teenage portraits are so humorous.
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Back to the branch - I was very taken with their banner.
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The tiny cameos of local life were lovely.

I wrote this blog on the talks laptop and it wouldn't move the pics about. I've now managed to get home and on the other machine to put it all right.

Calligraphy and Clean Cats

2011-03-11T10:38:00.006Z

Heather – was very impressed with your appearance on Facebook. I have to confess that I still don’t know what the heck it’s all about but I’ve got lots of new friends. I know that we have a giveaway on the Workshop on the Web page - a book of your choice plus a big bag of goodies. Fiona is in charge of the WoW page (thank goodness) but she allows me to pop up there now and then.

It is a lovely piece of art, Scooter. It’s by Debbie Kirby, a silk weaver based at Walford Mill and Liz Farqueharson, a calligrapher. Liz has worked her magic with letters in a big swoopy style, cut it into strips for Debbie to weave with silk. It looks very different from different angles, as you can see.
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Diane – I sympathise. It is very different to co-ordinate all the people needed for a building project. We are steeling ourselves for the kitchen, planned for June. My cousin has a fantastic eye for fixing up a room – she calls it ‘pratting about’. She moved my furniture after we moved in and it looked so much better. Yesterday she came for coffee with her husband – a civil engineer. They started looking at the kitchen and it raised pratting to an art form.

What we thought was an immovable lump of wall can be knocked down almost completely and, best of all, Trevor is going to do the knocking down and rebuilding. This gives us room for a breakfast bar overlooking the garden. We never would have thought of doing it that way. Now I’m really excited.

Happy to be your friend Jen – can understand that you need to take care. I worry sometimes that the grandchildren are too free with information on the web.

Gilby- thanks for that – my lanterns are now hung. The electrician thought the lights were great but I can’t help thinking that this view of the bathroom from the hall looks like industrial chic meets Moroccan brothel!

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They do look lovely and give a surprisingly good light. Found them on ebay.

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Have been making collagraphs for the online classes. I’ve used paper mostly, but have got into printing fabric now and found a way to make repeat prints that are wider than the pasta machine.

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Love the back, too.

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Bought a new shaggy rug to soften the bathroom floor – Smudge is busily destroying it. Although he has found the right place for a quick wash, he is moving so fast it’s caused motion blur.
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Must go and finish the lesson, back soon.

Moroccan Adventure

2011-03-07T10:47:00.006Z

Did I finish my buttonhole bag? Yes, it’s on my Facebook page, so have a look. I have only just got around to Facebook as I have enough trouble dealing with my face on a personal level. Still don’t quite know what I’m doing so don’t be offended if I have failed to be your friend yet, I will be soon. Can’t have enough friends can you?
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Now it’s on with Lesson 3 of the d4daisy classes and we’re going to try to bring the previous lessons together with a finished piece. Well, I am doing that, and I’m hoping it will be able to go into the Ramster exhibition next month. This is always a lovely event – a super show with more and more of the big names entering. A lovely garden to explore and loads of scones and cream! Find out where at http://www.ramsterweddings.co.uk/events/
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This is a rough design – the piece is called Cross Section and it continues a theme that is a favourite of mine, a chunk cut out of the earth – sky, trees and plants, earth and below – you get the picture.
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It’s a good chance to bring in the fossils and I enjoy working in layers, like the pic below. I hope to vary it with a cross section from an unknown planet. That could be exciting. Watch this space.
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We accidentally decorated the hall. The wood-working son-in-law built is a dark wood cabinet over the top of a very ugly meter cupboard. I thought I only liked pale wood but I liked it so much that we brought in a dark, basket holding thing from the garage.

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When we added our Marrakesh mirror, it looked very Moroccan. It now made the walls look shabby so Clive painted them white.

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So I ordered two lantern lights. Will have to get the electrician to fit them as they came without interior fittings, rather annoying.
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When the boiler has been fitted. we will take the carpet up as there is a wood-block floor underneath, like this one.

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This is in my workroom and was in a terrible state – all covered in paint splashes. Clive has scraped them all off and sanded and polished it. I shall now be very scared in case there are new paint splashes of a Maggie kind.
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Spring is coming at last, although we’re still having frosts. Lovely at midday so must go – the garden calls.

Urchfont Delights

2011-02-26T12:58:00.005Z

Hi Again - yes, it's me, the errant blogger who has been neglecting her post. Been frantically busy, lots of trips to the DIY store as well as finishing the classes for the mixed media book.
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Here's a sneaky look at a sample from the next class.
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Oh yes, and the garden did call a bit, as well. Add to that the fact that I sneaked off to Urchfont College and had a wonderful couple of days - so, a bit of fun too. I belong to a group that meets three times a year and, while we don't have a tutor as such, we are all very generous at sharing our ideas. We also help each other when stuck on a piece of work. It's amazing what other people can see that you can't. We have a space for another member so, if you are interested in a two night course in Wiltshire (near Devizes) and are prepared to abandon your diet for a few days, drop me an email.
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Although we don't have a tutor as such and tend to do our own work, we also have themes where we'll take a topic or a technique and all have a play. Our next theme is stiffening and wiggling (no obscene comments, please). So what do we do?
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Well, Jane Wild had found a wonderful set of American water colours and produced some amazing results.

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She is very generous with her considerable knowledge and has given us some exciting drawing tutorials.
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You'll all know Anna from her blog - she is making costumes for an exhibition at the Urchfont open day in July. That will be well worth seeing.
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Chris is a quilter and did all her finishing off bits - you can tell I'm not a quilter, can't you?

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Sue is our organiser and also has great ideas for work. Here she is busy deconstructing a piece.

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' And putting it back together again.
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So, if you'd care to join our happy band drop me an email and I'll tell you more. maggie@workshopontheweb.com
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I'm sure you'd love it.

Silk and Sanitation

2011-02-12T12:17:00.006Z

Amo - we are indeed holding onto our sanitation and at last have something in place to hold on to. We are very nearly there, as you can see. There is still a very slight loo leak for the plumber to sort out and a bit of painting, but I could at last clean up. As it's all shades of grey I decided on sharp pink accents but haven't had time to go and buy any so it was down to a desperate search around the house. I came up with an orchid, some tulips and a pale pink china box that Val gave me. Not bad for a quick sweep. The blind man came and measured us and rasperry pink blinds should soon be in situ. Oops, should have moved the toothbrush - just ignore it.

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So glad we went for the slatey tiles over the bath as I think the big pale grey ones might look a bit insipid all over. The hand shower is for washing hair in the bath - too much information?

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Back to things stitchy and lesson two of the on-line classes. We're continuing with a silk paper theme and I'm making something that I'm quite excited about. It's all to do with buttonholes. I'm also having fun with a large lump of silk that was purchased from Oliver Twists, I think she called it silk lapp - I'm no expert so does that sound right? It comes in a big hunk like this in wonderful colours.
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I'd had some success by making a very thin layer of silk paper with it and then pulling out more of the the silk into a lattice shape and laying it over while the base was wet.

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This produced an interesting surface which looks lovely when the light shines through it.
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Current experiments, for lesson 2, involve making use of the fact that the silk forms a tube - see below.
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If you want to join our classes, they are free if you have the Mixed Media: New Studio Techniques (written with Isobel Hall) details at www.d4daisy.com
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I am a reluctant blogger today as the weather is wonderful. It's one of those warm, sunny days that we sometimes get in February and we have been for a huge walk, exploring our new trails. Went through woods, a farmyard, a snowdrop bank and lots of puddles. All without getting in the car. Heaven.

Signs of Spring and Melting Stuff

2011-02-03T16:31:00.007Z

At last - a warm, dry day. According to the forecast, it's a one-off but it's been so lovely to have a really good walk. Having a new garden is interesting, too, as it's all a complete surprise. I've got daffs in the woody bit and really lovely crocus, with pretty orange centres, behind the summer house. I spent a fortune in one of the plant catalogues before Clive reminded me, after it was posted, that there might not be room for all this new stuff when what's there already comes up!

I opened the door of the summer house to air it a bit and Smudge thought it was great - he immediately stretched out on a sofa - I think he'll enjoy the alfresco life.

The classes have started and we have immediately found fun things to do with clear embossing powder. Gill had a play and inspired me to have a go, mixing it with Perfect Pearls. It melts down so well (no melting pot or ladle).

I loved the shape and made this cute little brooch.

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Thanks for the comments: Hi to Heather - great to see your name on the Yahoo list, glad you're enjoying the class.

I wanted that Pat Hodson book too, Celia - apparently she is doing a book, don't know who with - wish it was d4daisy.

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Hi Emma - the classes will always be there, although the Yahoo group - where we chat and share ideas - is limited to six months or so.

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Penny - I hope Isobel is OK. I haven't heard from her and she hasn't popped up on the Yahoo group yet, so I guess she is either in the middle of teaching or she has a dodgy dongle.

Liniecat - yes, I was only briefly at Harrogate to help set up our Wessex Textiles exhibition. Thanks for getting the book at our stand. Thanks also for the kind words about the book and the classes. I do view them as an extension of the books and love the chance to meet the readers. Now I don't teach so much, it is great to have a bit of interaction.

The bathroom saga - a bit of a knife edge as the plumber is going on holiday next week and he still has to fit the loo and the radiator. He can't fit the loo until the floor is done and that is underway at the moment.

Will the floor be finished in time for the plumber? Will the house ever be empty of bathroom bits that can't be stored in the garage? Will Maggie and Clive hold on to their sanity? Don't miss the next exciting episode.

Free Classes, an Exhibition and Standing in the Bath

2011-01-29T15:48:00.013Z

I can't believe that it has been two weeks since my last blog (shades of the confessional). The excuse is that I have been working almost non stop on the free classes, which begin on Monday.

I wanted them to be more 'joined up' this time so I've planned a more structured course where techniques used at the beginning (working with silk paper, water-soluble paper and other bits) will expand and gather pace. I'm also going to make sure that samples from each lesson can be used in the next.

I've had such fun with embossing powder - set myself to find a way to melt it that doesn't need a Melting Pot or a ladle. It works - see below.

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The detail below is from a piece that mixes silk paper, silk carrier rods and 'flaps' of water-soluble - great for texture.
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Don't forget that the classes are free to anyone who has purchased the book Mixed Media: New Studio Techniques from any source. If you haven't got a copy head over to http://www.d4daisy.com/ and buy one.

The free on -line classes build on the book's techniques and we will have a Yahoo group where we can chat. My co-author Isobel Hall and I will pop up and chat, too. Isobel is in Australia just now with a dodgy dongle but she will do her best to keep in touch with everyone doing our lessons. Hope to meet up with old and new friends on Monday.

Having become a little stir crazy with all this studio work, Clive and I went to the Pat Hodson Exhibition at Walford Mill in Wimborne, Dorset today. I must confess I hadn't heard of her and her work is fabulous. Do get to the exhibition if you can - it's on until February 27. I'm not going to tell you a lot about it because I immediately decided to review it for the March issue of Workshop on the Web. The reviews are always in the unrestricted part of WoW so have look on 1st March http://www.workshopontheweb.com/.

Here is a view of the gallery.

But you need to see the work 'up close and personal', as you can see from the detail below. She uses text in wonderful ways, very fresh and innovative work. It takes a lot for me to go 'Oh Boy' but we were really bowled over by it and purchased two of her delightful little books.

I have also managed to get out and partake of food and drink. An evening treat at Pizza Express to celebrate grandaughter Lauren's seventeenth birthday (needless to say, the present had to do with a course of driving lessons).

Yesterday was a trip to the seaside to go to Urban Reef - a laid-back cafe bar on the coast at Boscombe. Good company, a glass of something bubbly (I wasn't driving) and lovely fresh mussels.

I hear you wondering about the bathroom. Well, three days of plastering, plus layers of plaster dust later - we have a bath. I like showers but there are times when only a bath will do. We crept in and tried it out, trying not to splash the new plaster.

What can we be doing in the pic below? Standing in our new bath on tiler Justin's jacket to make it go down one thousand of a millimetre at one end so he could tighten a bolt. I've heard of precision but is this a little over the top?

Hopefully pics of the finished room will soon follow. See you at the classes.

The Roman Pavement

2011-01-14T09:45:00.011Z

Thanks for all good wishes everyone.

Julie - having your bathroom in bits does increase the need to pee - one of Newton's laws, I think. We do have a shower room, so are not too deprived.

So glad you have sold your house, Diane. The floods are awful in Queensland. Liz, who designs our d4d books, lives near Brisbane. Luckily she's on a hill and not directly affected but she says that, even where they are, the mud is terrible. Such awful scenes of flooding all around the world.

The work continues

Smudge is being a great trial to Martin Plumber and Sparky Gordon. At first they were charmed by his dog-like qualities - he runs up to greet them and wants to talk to them all the time. Now it has rubbed off a little as, however hard I try to keep him out, he is always under their feet. He's been a pain from the start - this is me trying to empty a bathroom cupboard that is full of cat.

Wanted to take a couple of photos of the 'before' but Martin had whipped out the huge, ugly corner bath that took up so much room.
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There were three layers of tiles, the last layer stuck firmly into a sand and cement mix. Good thing we booked a plasterer. Interesting patterns emerged, including this Roman pavement. It was like an archeological dig.

And here's the throne! I wonder what it looked like with the geometric tiles on both wall and floor. Migraine material.

In view of the state of the walls, I think it will be at least a couple of weeks before we get to the 'after' pics.

Never mind - here's a sign of spring, below. I have a new pocket camera - a Canon Ixus and I'm delighted with it.
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Look at this macro shot - I hate photographing beads. This one is from an article on beaded beads by Heather Kingsley-Heath which will be in the next issue of WoW.

And that's without any practice, straight out of the box.

I am actually doing some work for the classes. Shutting myself away is the best way to cope, I think. It's wonderful to have lots of electric sockets at worktop level. More news soon from the home front. Keep the comments coming - I need the support!

Wired and Re-wired

2011-01-07T14:03:00.006Z

Happy nearly new (slightly used?) year. My blogging attempts have been frustrated due to the fact that no sooner had the old year moved out than the electrician moved in. So we are half way through the rewire and our lights are no longer lethal. We have been spending our time rushing around the shops looking for wall lights, spotlights and bathroom mirrors with shaver points. Exhausting.

Next week, the sockets will be done and the bathroom begun (luckily the electrician and the plumber often work together and they assure me that it will work). I'm thinking of leaving home. All our time will be spent making tea!

Back to things of a stitchy nature. Emma http://emma-alittlebitofeverything.blogspot.com/ who won a birdie brooch asked me how I made the background for the birdies - she thought that it might involve intricate work with printer and tissue but I have to confess that it was this stamp. Sorry - the pics are not good - I'm not back in production yet so it was taken in the dark with the iphone.

I took a very weighty sheet of watercolour paper and tore off bits around the edge to reveal the layers. Then it was stamped with the words, using a black Distress Ink Pad. I then used a lighter Distress Ink Pad, rubbing it over the paper, especially the edges. When dry, a little metallic wax highlighted the torn layers.
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I also have a script style stamp which is in French. Most impressive until you translate and realise that it says, 'Thank you for your letter of the ......'. Not very romantic.

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Thanks for all the lovely good wishes. Busy Lizzie - I so love my handy postbox and sometimes pop across the road just to give it a little pat on the head.

Carol - I drive Clive mad in just the same way. He now gives me warnings, telling me that it's getting complicated and we both need to watch so that our combined intellects can be applied (we share a brain cell these days).

Welcome Lynda - good to meet you.

Thanks so much Ellen for the praise of the book. So glad you like it. I'm having a lot of fun putting the first class together - it will be a mixture of Isobel and me. I'm working on the image, below, together with water-soluble paper and silk paper and embossing powder. I expect to go live with the classes towards the end of the month - watch the blog or the d4daisy site. www.d4daisy.com.

For those who don't know what I'm wittering about, these are free on-line classes for folk who have bought the Mixed Media: New Studio Techniques book. We have a Yahoo group and chat and play and show results.

Will be back next week to escape from the hell of the bathroom - might even give you a quick flash of the tiles (if I can find the camera).

Happy Christmas

2010-12-24T12:08:00.004Z

Here's my bloggy Christmas card. It shows the postbox opposite our house (so handy to have your own postbox) in the snow. Couldn't persuade a robin to pose but this chap looks quite exotic. Our new neighbours are now convinced that we are mad.

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Winners of the birdies are Sue Wild and Emma Siedle-Collins. Let me have your snail mail addys and we'll send them off.

Have a lovely Christmas everyone.

Thanks for all the great comments. Rather a lot to answer but here's a selection.

deLysia - it sounds lovely and warm where you are - our snow is still with us, now frozen hard. If it wasn't so difficult to get a flight at the moment I'd be tempted to join you.

Christine - I'm delighted that you've been inspired to join the Photoshop course. Will look out for the IKEA shortcuts bit although Clive is on strike and is never entering their portals again. I'll have to go with the girls as I've got a £10 voucher.

I certainly need boxes and doodads Kira.

Smudge's antics seemed to have made you all smile. He is enjoying his new home but, even though he's now free range, he has decided to keep the indoor loo and keeps coming back in to use the litter tray. Not what I had in mind. Perhaps, as Judith suggests, it's the difficulty with the catflap.

Olivia - short legs are a certain disadvantage for doggy flaps. Do his eyes water?

Jacky - you are so cruel - but it did make me laugh.

Edie, whose dogs have outgrown their door, perhaps you could hinge it at the top - make the whole thing a dog door?

Ev - Smudge doesn't mind being laughed at - he's very into stand up comedy. Our dog used to hate it, so we had to run away and laugh somewhere else.

Clive is better - he tried gilby's stretches and they did help.

Julie - my mother had acupuncture for nerve pain after shingles. She didn't believe in 'that sort of thing' and declared that sticking pins in was a lot of nonsense. When asked why she kept going back she replied that it was the only thing that helped!

Dale - what does a myotherapist do? Fat cats are a good idea as the next step after birdies - I have tried owls and Maggie Hills suggested frogs - fun with the long legs.

Smudge misses the frogs here, as we have no pond. He had an intense personal relationship with one called Frogford in the last house. He kept fishing it out of the pond, without harming it, and they sat on the lawn together until we rescued it.

Zak - love it that you've been making birdies - these things should be shared and developed.

See you in the New Year

Giveaway Extended

2010-12-20T16:38:00.010Z

Due to the post being so displaced I'm extending the give away until Friday and will post the birdy cards after Christmas. So if you missed it - you are not too late. Will blog on Friday and cover comments then too - there were some good ones, I thought. Thanks to everyone who commented. If you go to Workshop on the Web's Facebook site (If you are a subscriber) you will have a very good chance of winning a birdy there.

We had quite a fall of snow on Friday night which meant a lovely, snowy walk on Saturday. I was going to take you all for a walk from my new home so I took lots of photos and I guess you all know what's coming next. Yes, snowy displacement maps.

I know I do them every winter but it's such fun as the high contrast in the snowy images gives such good results. Not going through the method again - you'll find some tutorials if you look for the labels.

First, as usual, I filled the screen with a pale gradient and then used this image of snowy trees as a map.

The results were beautiful but pale so I used the Artistic Effects and Coloured Edges to add definition.

Ain't it pretty?

I then used the same image to displace a pic of an Italian door.

Loved the way the blue looks like a pool, especially as the original snowy shot was of a stream.

Now hankering for some bright colours to counteract the pastels, I laid down some broad stripes of colour. Then the Warp brush was used to swirl them all up together. I've used an old version of Paint Shop Pro for these effects but any paint program should have these tools and filters.

The same snowy tree image produced this. A bit busy but very colourful.

I had intended to use this photo to end my walking blog - the best bit of a weekend walk is the coffee and papers at the end.

However, look what a great result it gave me when it was used as a Diplacement Map on the brighty coloured warped image.

Click to make it bigger and you'll see a design just asking to be turned into a mixed media study - right down to the corrugated cardboard on the left. I shall certainly be using this design. I'm sure the leopardskin slippers made all the difference!

See you on Friday.

Giveaway

2010-12-11T12:54:00.003Z

Here's a pre-Christmas give-away - offering two of my Silly-bird brooch cards, picked from those who leave a comment on the blog. We've got another two up for grabs on the Workshop on the Web Facebook page, but those are for WoW members only. So, if you a fan of WoW, go along and double your chances. .

I do enjoy making these - I stitch the silk carrier rods to felt, cut out the shapes and then hand stitch. They all seem to have a different personality - such fun. I think the one below is looking for a loo!

We are still loving our new home and have decorated our bedroom - aka slapping on a coat of emulsion. Poor Clive has paid the price by developing sciatica, not sure if the two events are related. He has some strong pills from the doc but it's still extremely painful.

Smudge is now allowed to go outside. He spent a lot of time in this position (below) just to get the lie of the land. This also demonstrates the need for a cat flap from the outsize department when we re-do the kitchen in the spring. It takes him a long time to squeeze through it, with much frantic leg kicking on the way. It quite funny to watch but I fear he will be wearing the flap as a belt soon.
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We have been out buying stuff for my workroom but the putting together of it will have to wait until Clive is better. He came with me to IKEA to get the stuff - it was a bit like the Fred and Penelope cartoons. I should have photographed him under one of the 'walk this way' arrows with desperation written allover his face. The caption would have been, "Clive felt that the IKEA experience had somehow passed him by".
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Back soon with news of the free on-line classes for the mixed media book. The first one will be based on silk paper, water-soluble paper and acryic wax. I'm hoping to put some kits together and will offer some as a give-away, so watch this space.

Snizzle

2010-12-02T11:58:00.004Z

We were too smug too soon about the snow. 'We won't get it down here in the warm south', we said. We woke up to several inches and we've had snowy drizzle (snizzle) ever since. I am cross because we've run out of paint and our hill is causing skids so we can't get out.
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I did love the look of this garden pot - wearing his scarf and muffler.
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While the hedge is very Christmassy.
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Clive had to go and shake the Pampas grass as the weight was snapping the plumes.
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Haven't blogged since the Harrogate K&S Show. That was a drama. We went to help set up the Wessex Textile exhibition on the Wednesday, scuttling home quickly on Thursday morning before the snow came. What with the move a few days before, we were both a bit shattered. Then came the news that poor Ruby Lever, who was stewarding with husband Ian and Brenda Weeks, had slipped on the ice and broken her shoulder. So painful. The rest of the gang rallied round to pack it up on Sunday but Ruby and Ian had to stay a little longer than planned and then got caught in the snow.
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Thankfully they are home and Ruby is a little better. The show was more quiet than usual, due to the weather.
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This weather is a real pain as I was planning a trip to Ikea to get the storage furniture for my workroom. I want to get on as I am planning some free on-line classes, based on the Mixed Media New Studio Techniques book (http://www.d4daisy.com/) in the new year. I have some great ideas and can't wait to get started. I shall have to work on the dining table (nothing new there, then). Watch this space for more news on that.
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I have been doing some knitting - my first attempt at making something without a pattern. I've got a jacket with crochet edging so have followed that as far as I can, using up lots of different wools for a striped effect. I haven't pressed it yet but you get the idea here.
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Really enjoying the crochet bits - easier than picking up and knitting the edging.
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Thanks to everyone for the warm new-home wishes. we love it here and it does feel just like home.

Post from the Hut

2010-11-23T10:34:00.006Z

It's happened. We're here and we're so happy.
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It all went so smoothly - we had heard such horror stories but the guys made it so easy - almost fun. I did buy Marks and Spencer cookies which they carried off to their lair in the van, but when they packed my kitchen, they also packed the lid of the biscuit tin which hasn't been seen since!
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Not much time - I'm just grabbing a moment between the locksmith and the electrician to show you the new pad. Thanks to Fiona, who was wonderful, we got settled and (almost) sorted very quickly. We got the key to the new place much earlier than expected so we left poor Fee, like Cinderella, mopping the floor while we went with the movers to the new place.
This is the view from my sitting room at the front of the bungalow.
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This is how it looks inside.
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The view from the back, over the vegetable garden. Will I have time to grow veg - possibly?

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We have a vine on the garage wall. Will I make wine - unlikely?
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A summerhouse. Will I sit - certainly. Possibly with a glass of wine not made by me!

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This is the back. The patio doors belong to our bedroom.
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There is a little dressing room and a bathroom off the bedroom.
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Needless to say there is a computer in there, too. It will not look this tidy for long.
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Clive has his desk in the sitting room. He had to be upgraded to a better class of desk.
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For me this is the best bit - my workroom. It has patio doors to a tiny hidden courtyard where I can dry things and burn things and stamp on things to my heart's content. Well, I can when I've been to Ikea and got all the fittings.

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I have glossed over the main bathroom and the kitchen, both of which need urgent attention. We begin with the bathroom in early January. However most of the living space is well painted and quite easy to live with.

I like the up u rose verification - very apt and we do feel quite uplifted - just as well as we are off to Harrogate tomorrow to set up the Wessex exhibition at the K&S. The house sitter won't have Smudge to keep her complany but she is very excited about all the lovely walks here. Although only a mile from the old place, it is right on the edge of town, so lots to explore.

Moving - part 1

2010-11-17T12:05:00.006Z

Well, the moving experience has certainly improved since the last time we did this twenty-six years ago. The large van turned up early this morning (the day before moving day). We thought that they were just going to take a few boxes but they are planning to move as much as possible today so we can have a clean up. That will save time tomorrow. We'll have beds, sofas and the telly, so not too much like camping out.

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The weather is horrible with driving rain, but they have a catwalk, which they run up at a great rate. They are being very careful with all the furniture.
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Very nice lads, too. They are getting on with it quickly and our only role is to make tea and get in the way.
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It's good to be able to have a clean up today. We'll save our energy for the new place tomorrow.
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There are even portable wardrobes - straight in with the clothes, on their hangers.

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I thought I would feel sad but I'm really keen to get into the new abode, especially as the dishwasher is out of action.

I liked all the comments and I'm ahead of you with the cookies and chocolate. The emergency box is full of them - and I've got a spare kettle. My reading material, wabbit, is going to be kitchen and bathroom brochures. So glad you find our books good for eye-candy.

Next blog will be from the new home - nicknamed The Hut after a Celtic prayer about a hut in the wilderness, suitable for hermits. It's not quite the wilderness, but on the edge of it. We've just found out that our new next door neighbours have chickens. Now what will Smudge think of that?

What Would You Take?

2010-11-10T14:43:00.006Z

Well the watchword here is KBO, as Churchill would have said. Many rooms have been completely demolished and look sad and bare, with just a pile of boxes in the centre.
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We have been struggling a little as we've both had the most awful colds and Clive developed tendonitis in his foot (due we think to a new pair of M&S shoes). However, we are feeling better today and have allowed ourselves a little shopping trip. I have been buying goodies for the emergency moving box (cookies, snacks and sweeties) while Clive made more sensible purchases such as curtain hooks and screws. It will remain to be seen which is more useful!

My workshop is one of the rooms that has gone and the pile of boxes is enormous. I have decided to pack all my immediate needs into two of these cabinets on wheels which will go straight to my proposed workroom. They are not really as wonky as this - just an interesting camera angle.

I don't expect to be able to get at anything in boxes for ages so this will have to be my entire materials store. What to pack? What would be your priorities?
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Apart from a nucleus of threads (all my machines are travelling in the car to make sure that the Bernina is accessible) plus silk carrier rods, chiffon and felt, most of the stuff is arty.

Here is a typical drawer. inkAid, gesso, molding paste, crayons, pencils etc. spray paints, sketch books and so on. Jane Wild said it would make an interesting design and stitch exercise to see what could be made from the contents. Perhaps that will be my first assignment.

Thanks for the comments.
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Amo - I think somehow it is easier to move the whole house than just to relocate one room. It's good for de-cluttering.
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Diane is referring to the dishwasher packing in the villa in Italy earlier this year. It was not big enough to take all the crockery and cutlery for each sitting but Clive did his best.

I'm a bit worried about my sanity, Robyn, if you're only just recovering from the trauma of three years ago! I don't see how you can resist the lure of a purpose-built studio. You can keep your diamonds and pearls - new studios count for much more.

Only eight sleeps to go.

16 sleeps to M Day

2010-11-02T09:09:00.005Z

The move is getting closer. I thought the time would drag but it is rushing past alarmingly quickly and packing is in full swing. I am responsible for packing up my workroom while Clive is only responsible for all the rest of the house. Guess who is winning!

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Me.

The other side of the room shows that I have made a start.

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In my defence, I am trying to finish the last of the work for the Harrogate Knitting & Stitching Show. I have made some more work for the cradle - this one with an Egyptian theme.

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The piece below is a study of some lilies which were manipluated by using the displacement map in Paint Shop Pro. The design was then transferred to felt by printing it out on tracing paper and then stitching over the main design lines before tearing away the paper. The stitching is very heavy and solid. This is how I do the faces for my icons, Kerry.

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I have made lots more 'Sillybird' brooch cards but boredom forced me into an experiment with silly owls. They are fun but take longer.

The fun thing is seeing what happens to their legs when I put them in the cards. They all run in different ways.

Had a smile at the tence/tense, Heather. You may notice a box of sweeties in the workroom - an excellent antidote for stress and tension!

Quinn - that's a great title but will I be able to part with my Patron Saint of Relocation? I had planned on putting a price on her for the show but I fear she may now be needed at the new abode. Another NFS.

Val - copper foil?? Festival of Quilts??? I can't remember last week let alone August. Was it the foil that you iron on to Fusible Webbing (from Art Van Go or Ario) or the very fine real copper (Oliver Twists).

Margaret - yes we do really need our broadband. BT can't even tell us the phone number - we hope to keep our current one, but they say they can't promise. we are only moving one mile down the road.

Thanks scooter for the good wishes. Off to empty another shelf.

23 Sleeps to Moving Day

2010-10-25T09:51:00.004+01:00

Life is very hassly at the moment. I thought it would settle down when we had a firm date but I'd forgotten about all the arrangements to be made with the utility companies and, worst of all, British Telecom. So far we've had four emails all giving different information about installing the new line! As for arranging the Broadband connection, well...........

Our ISP, Madasafish (how can we swap providers when they have a name like that?) is great and has been very supportive in our BT battles. Just when we thought we had the right sort of number, for the right sort of line, they came up with the idea of sending an engineer first thing in the morning on moving day. Sigh.

Anyway, amid all the packing I have managed to do a bit of stitching to keep me sane. Here is an icon-type saintly lady who is going to the K&S at Harrogate to replace one I sold in London.

She is heavily machine-stitched on felt and I've manipulated her face with padding to get a raised efect that I'm quite pleased with.

I was going to just mount her on card for the cradle sales but then found this great frame, made by the wood-working-son-in-law. Needs to be a slightly darker colour but looking good for a wall piece, I think.

The winner of the dissolvables sample book (remember the 'let me know' list for the Mixed Media Book) is Marilyn Szatmari. Drawn from the hat by Fiona who will be posting it to you soon Marilyn. Well done.

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Have to dash off now to Staples for more bubble-wrap. the packing continues.

We're Moving - It's Official

2010-10-18T09:43:00.006+01:00

At last we have exchanged contracts on the house we are buying and the house we are selling. To those unfamiliar with the English system this makes the deal legally binding on all parties. Friday was nerve wracking – our solicitor rang to say that everyone was ready to go with a date of 24th November for moving day. We’d already said we couldn’t make that date as we will be in Harrogate helping to set up the Wessex exhibition.
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So then there was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing before we settled on 18th November. By then it was past four o’clock and we thought it was too late to move the deposit money that has to accompany the contract, so we were very down. Suddenly, around 4.30 came the call to say that it had all gone through. Phew!
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It’s good that we have slightly longer than we thought to pack everything up. We should have finished the December version of Workshop on the Web and, more importantly, uploaded it to the site. In view of horror stories about broadband installation at new addresses, this is pretty vital. We are going to try the mi-fi system as a back-up. This is something like broadband on a dongle but, from a gizmo the size of a mobile phone, you can have internet access for several devices. So, not only my iphone, but also the laptops should run on it. As my free year of web access on the iphone is almost over, I hope that this will be the answer for that, too. It turns you into a mobile wi-fi hot spot, which has amused the grandchildren who will, no doubt, be pestering for the password.
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The longer gap means that I can do some new stuff for the Harrogate show. I made some ‘Sillybird’ brooch cards for Ally Pally which sold out very quickly, so I shall make more.
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They are ideal when you want something more than a card but not quite a present. I make them from silk carrier rods, which are quite stiff, and gives them a feeling of substance.
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By the time all the hand-stitching is done and the brooch back and silly legs are sewn on, they take quite a time to make, so at £10 a card, they are not particularly cost effective. I am in the process of leg-stitching with the ones shown below.

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However I love making them and I bought some more of Mulberry Silks (http://www.mulberrysilks-patriciawood.com/) lovely silk threads for the next lot. If only I could bring myself to open the amazing packing! Particia’s colours are so wonderful that I usually take a photo before I use them and keep it in my colour schemes notebook.

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I have not been good about answering comments lately – life has been rather hectic. So thanks for keeping the comments coming – they really do help in times of stress:
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It was interesting to hear how many of you have been in the same boat, moving wise. It’s a terrible system and we often think that the Scottish system – where an offer is binding- would be better. Friends say that this has its drawbacks as it is not so flexible when buying. I do love the description of limbo-land as that is just what it feels like.
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Su – I bet you were amazed at the show if it was your first visit – a fantastic experience.
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Heather, you are right about us needing recovery time and I do think that having the full four weeks will be a life saver. We will have to leave our new house to go to Harrogate but the house-sitter is looking forward to a change of scene – and she will love the nearby walks.
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Garnered Stitches – it was good to meet you. It was so funny at the show, when demo-ing the use of the pasta machine as a printing press, finding out how many people had redundant machines languishing in kitchen cupboards – it appears that most are only used once! These folk were so pleased to find an exciting new use for their pasta makers that we sold loads of books. In fact, so far, the book is going brilliantly. Thanks so much for all the lovely emails you’ve sent about it.
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julie, I keep trying for the small j but Word changes my capital at the beginning of a sentence. I’ll change this one in Blogger.
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I guess Robin has answered the question about staying in one house – in the end you can’t move anyway. I swear that I will never move again – there are only three people in our chain and most of the queries were sorted in the first few weeks. However I think the delay was meant to be. Had we moved earlier we would have had the whole of the WoW issue to prepare as well as all the work involved in the Harrogate show. At least we should be a little bit sorted by Christmas.

Back from the Show

2010-10-14T07:58:00.010+01:00

Back from the show and blogging again, at last. It has taken me this long to gain enough strength to switch on the machine. Talk about exhausting: wonderful, fabulous, huge fun, but definitely exhausting. Great to chat to so many blog friends face to face. Hope you all noticed the dedication in the new book - to all my blogging mates,
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Wessex Textiles, the group that I exhibit with, had one of the exhibiting galleries at the Knitting and Stitching Show this year and we had an amazing time. Everyone said such lovely things and I have to say that the display looked good. Our work is very varied as we only meet in the pub (to discuss the next exhibition, of course) so our work reamains very different and this is one of our strong points. It is always a lovely surprise to see fellow exhibitor's work.

It was so hectic (I had my d4daisy hat on, too) that I had hardly any time to take photos but here are a few.

Maggie Hills' 'Allotment Chickens' are always popular and she was very generous in sharing her methods.

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Not a great pic - here is a better one from her postcard image.

Brenda Weeks had some lovely colourful pieces, as you can see. I'll show more of our work in the next blog.

This was one of my pieces, 'A Brief History of Wall Painting'.
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The panels depict paintings from the early days of Australian Aboriginal art right through to graffiiti - that one was fun to do. I'll show them in more detail when I get them back after the Harrogate show.

Carla Mines is our installation expert and she is very environmentally aware. Her big pieces looked great on the outer walls of the exhibition space.

Other wonderful sights were Deirdre Hawken's hats. She is our celebrity interviewee for the December WoW so we'll have some great pics then. Don't you just love the rhubarb?

How about this exploding altered book from the Dutch Paper Biennial. That exhibit was amazing. More on the show later in the week.

We were supposed to exchange contracts on the house last week but the slow solicitor at the top of the chain is still not ready. I am so disheartened that I can hardly bear to do any more sorting but someone is enjoying the unexpected bonus of space in a bookcase!

The book is here

2010-10-05T17:06:00.003+01:00

Phew! The book arrived today. You'll find it at www.d4daisy.com. It's been at the printers for nearly a month - the longest we've ever had to wait. I really thought that this time we could be quite relaxed about it, but it was not to be. Anyway it looks fantastic and we're really pleased. Here it is on my desk at last. I will announce the winner of my sketchbook on Monday.

It has been a very difficult day. Lots of phone calls to and from the printers and then loads from the solicitors about the move. It is likely we shall exchange contracts while we are at the show - not easy on a mobile. Luckily we can get emails on the iphone, so we may have to do it in cyberspace.

In the middle of all this I am trying to pack and get ready for the demos. It will be a luxury to have a whole table as part of the Wessex exhibition. We are all doing different things so it should be fun. I'm making pasta machine collagraphs - here are some of my plates.

I got so behind that Clive had to cut all the paper - I do like to see a man on his knees.

Our cat sitter (my cousin) has just arrived. She cares for Smudge and the house while we are away at the show. She is a treasure and has arrived with a casserole all ready for the oven. I am torn between total graditude and dismay that she was so sure we wouldn't be ready - she was right.

Clive has just announced that all the stuff won't all fit in the car - I shall have to travel with the rucksack on my lap. What joy - see you all at Ally Pally.

The Big Birthday

2010-10-02T16:25:00.006+01:00

Clive had a big birthday, so last weekend, we all decamped and went here.
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Time is very short so here's a visual blog.

We took all the children and grandchildren and stayed in two big chalets. Even Aussie boy came over - he doesn't usually look like this - either jet lag or booze. Somebody is doing a lion impression in the background (behind the chair).

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Here's the view from our window...
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...and the sunrise over the duckpond - or the lake, according to the kids.

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Speaking of ducks - they were early visitors.

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And they weren't disappointed.
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Clive had a big surprise - this was his pressie from the family. The only time in his life he has ever owned a brand new bike.

Of course, I had to hire one to keep him company. First time for forty years and I could still do it!

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We cycled to watch birds (Clive in the hide - below) and we all spent ages in the pool. Amazing, those rapids. We also had a hilarious game of ten-pin bowling.

The birthday party had crackers and hats (and champagne).

Tobes got a bit overexcited.

But those yoga lessons paid off.
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We all had a wonderful time and I can't recommend it enough.

Books due on Tuesday - cutting it a bit fine - will blog again before the show.

Nearly Book Time

2010-09-23T08:58:00.005+01:00

The book is almost here - another week or so should do it. It will be a close call for the Knitting & Stitching Show and Michael will probably have to bring me a couple of boxes up to Ally Pally but it should be there at some stage of the show. In the meantime here are a couple of spreads - it's looking good.
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I am having a free draw and the prize will be this technique sketch book for those on the 'Let me know' list for the book. Just go to www.d4daisy.com and click on the Mixed Media: New Studio Techniques book cover and then click 'let me know' to contact Fiona and put your name down. No obligation to buy.
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The book is about techniques for distressed surfaces using metal thread, dissolvable film, zappy felt and much more - as you can see.

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It rather hurts to part with it but I think that only things that you like should be given as prezzies.
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I haven't quite finished with the flower stitcher so there's more next time. Have to go now as Aussie boy is here on a visit and we are taking him to see the prospective new abode. That is going well and we are all aiming to complete the deal towards the end of October so the threat of coming home from the show and moving next day has, thankfully, receded.

More on the Flower Stitcher

2010-09-16T17:26:00.006+01:00

I'm glad you are all enjoying the Flower Stitcher thread. Val would be pleased that it's getting another airing - I often think how much she would have loved blogging. She was an ace communicator.
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Fibrenell - get into that book. I love the way Kate Atkinson weaves a story. You follow it through the eyes of several people and it is always a sign of a good book when you hate to leave the current character and move on. My all time faves with books are the Girl with..series and Audrey Neffeneger's time traveller and his wife (didn't care for her next one so much).
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Interested to hear about the Japanese version of the Flower Stitcher, henred. Keep us posted.
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Before we get to the next bit there is another Smudge thing. He is very active just now. We were taking a photo for my next article for Workshop on the Web (on oiling paper). It was a dull day so I was as close to the patio doors as I could get, balancing a board on a little sofa. Just as Clive was about to click, he noticed the tail hanging down from under the board and took a quick pic. Next minute the whole thing was upset and everything was everywhere.
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I left the board in place and he played there all morning. I did get some pics - watch for the article in December's WoW.
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Flower Stitcher - part 2

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Try stitching massed complete circles or only semi-circles. Solid satin stitched circles can be cut out and threaded onto braids or cords. They could be folded along an edge, or wrapped around a cord.
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Below. Satin stitch circles cut out and applied to felt with added stitching to secure them.
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Below. Satin stitch circles cut out and applied to a painted and stitched fabric. Torn scraps of circles stitched on water-soluble fabric were added and secured with free embroidery in running stitch.

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Below. Satin stitch circles cut out and applied to a solidly stitched belt.

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Below. Tri-lobal nylon was spread all over felt and stitched with overlapping circles using straight stitch. The embroidery was melted using a heat gun.

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The pics are a bit small - we had more limited download speeds back then but I think you get the idea.

More next time.

PS. We have to go to sign the contract for the house sale tomorrow - still trying not to get excited but our house passed its survey, so we are moving on.

Started Early, Took my Frog

2010-09-11T20:46:00.007+01:00

Fans of Kate Atkinson will recognise the heading above as (almost) the title of her latest book which I can thoroughly recommend. On this blog, it is the introduction to a Smudge story, after which we will begin the promised Val article on the Flower Stitcher.
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People often comment on the timing of my morning emails and, yes, we are always up by 6am - but we do have breakfast in bed. This morning we were having a good relaxed breakfast when we heard the scream of a frog. They really do scream, very loudly, when pulled from the pond by a cat in hunting mode. Smudge has a very soft mouth and never hurts them but, obviously, frogs don't much enjoy the game of prod, prod, hop, hop that ensues.
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So there we were at 6.15 today, two people in dressing gowns and slippers, chasing one cat and one frog around the garden. It was then that I thought what a great title it would make for today's epistle. The frog was safely returned to the pond and Smudge spent the next hour wandering round the garden in a state of 'I know I put it somewhere'.

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On to the flower stitcher.
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Before I forget, Dale has a great little book on the subject at http://www.thethreadstudio.com/
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After Val demonstrated what could be done with the Flower Stitcher at the autumn shows, so many people ordered one that there was a distinct world shortage for a while and the factory in the far east went on double time. She was much amused.

Ever Decreasing Circles
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Val Campbell Harding
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At the end of a year-long course on machine embroidery, I suggested that we try the feet and attachments that we had not used so far. Practising what I preached, I fished out a Japanese Flower Stitching foot that Janome used to sell for their sewing machines. Fortunately the instructions, though brief, were still there. The foot did not fit on the Janome 9000, but did fit the Bernina 180 using a Standard shank, and also on the Pfaff 7570. The Brother has an extension shank which will also fit the Janome 9000, but other machines do not need anything extra.

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I did a few samples and then took it in for the students to try. They took it in turns and were immediately hooked. There was one panic on the first morning when the whole thing seized up, but some oil did the trick and we were away. This is important to know as it always seems to happen but, once oiled, the Stitchers do not seem to need it again. Try moving the lever up and down and put a drop of oil wherever metal rotates against metal.
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Set up your machine as usual, and attach the Flower Stitcher with the lever on top of the needle bar.
Adjust the Presser foot pressure to maximum if you can. If you cannot, then use a thicker fabric. One layer of felt should be enough, but there might be trouble if you try stitching on transparent fabrics alone.
By loosening the large screw and sliding the plastic ring from side to side, the size of the circle can be adjusted. You can also move the position of the needle to give larger and smaller circles.
Then you just stitch and the fabric will rotate automatically, with the last stitch meeting the first one extremely accurately.
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First try straight stitching, then zigzag, then all your patterns. Some will need a second or third layer of stitching to give more emphasis, and some longer patterns will need three or four rounds to make anything interesting.
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Below: Straight stitch, satin stitch and some patterns.

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Try stitching smaller circles inside larger ones. These are stitched with patterns using metal thread on felt.

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Of course, you must try the following:
Changing the tension
Using two threads in your needle
Different threads
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Try different fabrics, some of which may have been previously painted, printed or stitched – below you can see the effect on builder’s scrim.

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Try on water-soluble fabric or paper, on loosely-woven fabrics, or on papers which can be wetted and partially torn away after stitching.
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Here you can see straight and satin stitch circles on water-soluble fabric.
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There will be more of the article in the next blog. Watch this space.

The illustrated to-do list

2010-09-07T07:42:00.007+01:00

At last I feel that I am getting through my to-do list. It was a very long list and remained static for some time. I once used my 'do' list in a textile for a Batsford book - when I needed a quick source of text. These days it would be a long piece of work. Perhaps that is a good idea for further exploration - the illustrated to-do list. Mine would currently look like this:

Well, that's the first four items. I also have to finalise the printing of postcards for the show, email all group members to finalise arrangements and chase up the estate agent. It'll be a long day.

One thing, the accountant shouldn't take long. We used to dread the year-end - we are pretty good record keepers but there were always odds and ends to sort out. But now we have the amazing Linda to keep our books, so there are very few queries. Almost a pleasure - apart from the paying tax bit.

I have just had the last address for the flower stitcher so they will be going out - another thing on the list! Anyone who is a long-time subscriber to Workshop on the Web (http://www.workshopontheweb.com/) will find an article by Val Campbell-Harding in the March 2002 issue - go to back issues and enter the password etc.

In fact I will give away the article as a series of tutorials on the blog over the next few weeks - a freebie - how about that?

Here is a detail of Val's belt to whet your appetite. Keep looking in for more ideas for using these useful gadgets.

Flower Power

2010-08-28T14:37:00.006+01:00

Now for the prize draw for the Flower Stitchers. I found two more, so that is seven to give away. I will pay the postage if the lucky winners pop a coin or two in the charity box. Here they are, sitting on my bookcase ready to be dispatched - and no, the iphone isn't included in the giveaway!

And the winners (picked from the hat by Clive) are:

Carol

Heather

Su Harris

Margaret S

Stephanie M

Ann M

Liniecat

Luckily I don't think we have any duplicate names. I don't know where you all live but I don't mind posting overseas if you don't mind putting the postage in a charity box. Don't forget to email me your names and addresses - maggie@workshopontheweb.com

Well, that's cleared out another drawer.

We are still having a gigantic clear out on the grounds that, even if we don't move it will be good to de-clutter. So, every day, we empty another cupboard or drawer and it feels quite liberating - not to mention all the nostalgia.

I am also working on the Mixed Media: New Studio Techniques book. That is now the final and conclusive title. It has come back from the designer and it looks wonderful. Co-author Isobel Hall is also delighted and that is just the initial design stage. One great thing about the way Michael Wicks and I produce books is that there is always a chance to improve the spreads. We had a really lovely double pager but I didn't like one of the pics so I am quickly knocking up some books to replace the dodgy one. I shall send them to MW on Tuesday and, when the book returns from the final trip to the designer, the new photo will just slot in.

We have a 'let me know' list for the book and, if you get your name on it, you can win one of my sketchbooks. Just email Fiona on fiona@d4daisy.com - no obligation to buy.

Here is a pic of my almost finished books - they use a neat technique with metallic paint sprays but I can't show the full effect as my photography is not up to Michael's standard.

Look at one of Michael's pics of the decorated paper and you will see what I mean.

No news on the move except that the solicitors have nearly finished and we have to go and sign the contract soon. Not that that means anything until our buyer has his mortgage offer. Apparently, everything stops in August and the surveyors have gone to ground. Hopefully things will move after the summer holiday.

On another subject, we are thinking of swapping our Broadband supplier to Sky - anyone got any comments on their performance? I know I can rely on an unbiased opinion from the blogging community.

Beavering on

2010-08-24T17:01:00.011+01:00

Well, we're home from the Festival of Quilts and it all went very well. We had some brilliant help on the stand this year - thanks Sam and Paula - so we weren't quite so tired when we got home. The stand looked great and Elli's jacket (thanks for the message, Elli) was a big hit. You can see a bit of our stand below. Elli's jacket is in my Stitches, Straps and Layers book and is a great example of working with strips of fabric - in this case, lovely hand-dyed fabric.

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You can also see a piece by Jean Draper which was very atmospheric. It was called, 'After the Fire, Sunset'. So very effective and great colours.
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I thought the show was wonderful - there will be a full review in the unrestricted area of Workshop on the Web in September - gosh, that's next week.

So many visitors from overseas - must improve my French. There was much to see - from welcome, familiar faces like the Kemshalls (below) who always present wondrous work, to newcomers like the group from Murmansk in Russia, there was something for everyone. The Russian ladies were lovely and the work, as you can see, was so vibrant and a little bit saucy.
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Bernina invited me to the Gala Dinner and I sat with Pauline Burbidge (love her work). We had both been teaching at the Italian Masseria this year so we had a lot to talk about. I am almost certainly going back there in 2012 so lots of time to plan a really great course.

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We stayed in a slightly better hotel than usual - we usually try not to spend too much on accomodation because the costs associated with the show are very high. We got a good deal this time on a Prenier Inn and it was certainly more relaxing.
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Anyway, we had an excellent show, my talks were really well supported, so thanks to all who came to them, we also had some good meals with good friends and managed to get packed and away in record time. Clive gained two new daughters (you know who you are) and, true to daughters everywhere, they both wanted pocket money!
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It's lovely to be home (no news on the sale - still waiting for our buyer's surveyor) and, best of all, my eldest granddaughter, Lauren, got excellent GCSE results today, including four As and an A*. The lowest she got was a C for Art & Design - oh the shame of it! She's definitely leaning towards the academic, not the arty side of the family. This means that she has been accepted on the A level course she had set her heart on, so that's good news.
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I have five Flower Stitchers up for grabs. If anyone wants one, leave a comment on this blog. That'll be another drawer cleared out! Closing date Saturday 28th.
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Comments

Scooter - glad you found the CD. Brewer Sewing do it in the USA - they carry all the d4daisy books.
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I put Tiziana's work in the talk I gave at NEC, Helen, and everyone gave that little 'ooh' sound that means it's a really good piece of work. Lovely to hear from the lady herself - you were much discussed Tiziana!
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Gill - I did try the old crumpled silk trick last year but it was a bit lightweight and kept catching in the sewing machine. I did discover that this gave an interesting result, though.
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Elli - see above note about your jacket. Much admiration - aren't I lucky to have friends who make such great work.

Ready for the Show

2010-08-16T16:25:00.009+01:00

I am in the usual pre show tizz - getting ready for the Festival of Quilts. Actually I am nearly ready and I've done the most hated job - ironing the table covers. By the time I get them there, they won't look as if an iron has been anywhere near them.

d4daisy has a great display with work by most of our lovely authors, including a big piece from Jae Maries, some awesome stuff from Lynda and Carol, even a piece of Julia Caprara's work, many thanks to Alex. Jean Draper is also bringing me a piece of her work - she is still hopeful that her book will be out next year (her partner was taken seriously ill which put it on hold, but, thank God, he's much better now).

There is constant interuption to the flow of work due to multiple choice question sheets about the house move. Our solicitor says that she is nearly there, but the surveyers have yet to survey so anything could happen and I refuse to get excited. If we get as far as signing the contract I shall celebrate with a bucketful of champagne (and no there won't be a pic on the blog!).

I was clearing my camera card in readiness for the exhibition - full report on the show in September's WoW - when I found this photo of my friend Isabel wearing a jacket that she had made at a Lizzie Houghton workshop. It's nuno felt with habutai silk and it just looks terrific. Lizzie's book 'Felting Fashion' is a really good one and I missed it as the publishers, Batsford, didn't send me a review copy.

I also found this amazing graduate piece by Tiziana Tateo who achieved her degree with Opus. It is Sizoflor and puff paint with some zapping, and is based on the philosopher Schopenhauer's view of Maya's veil - the veil of illusion. Way back when I ran distance learning classes, Tiziana was one of my students and she has gone from strength to strength, with her work consistently included in prestigious exhibitions. Based in Italy, she says there is little opportunity for creative stitching, so our UK Distance Learning was just right for her degree. I'm including this piece in my talk on three-dimensional embroidery at the NEC Festival.

JP and Julie - look forward to seeing you at the show.

Thanks to all for good house wishes - I'll keep you all posted!

Dongles do sound rude, Jo. I remember when I had a proper job at an insurance company and had to investigate a new computer system which included a dongle. Reporting to my rather po-faced boss was a great trial and I used to get outside the door and explode with laughter. Geelong sounds like a great pressie - give my love to everyone.

It was good to see you, too Daniela - if the house thing goes through it will be a very fair deal all round, I think. Prices are dropping a little and I don't think that is too bad a thing (unless you have a big mortgage, then it's difficult).

When I come back after the FOQ I shall have some Flower Stitchers up for grabs so watch out for this month's special offer.

Marking Time

2010-08-02T15:22:00.010+01:00

Thanks for all messages of goodwill about the house. No news, apart from several enormous forms from our solicitor, which we have just returned. I have been really busy getting WoW done and getting the book off to the designer - it is probably good to be busy.
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Gina - I'm sure that Jane would be happy for you to use the drawing exercise. It is fun and it's great seeing what other people have produced.

Castaway - no, it wasn't out of date - I got it new from AVG so really can't think why it wouldn't work.

Glad you liked Highcliffe Amo. I sold two pieces in the end and loads of books, so it was very good.

While filling in the solicitor's forms and looking at the dates, we suddenly realised that last Friday was our Silver Wedding Anniversary. Now most people would have been planning a 'do' for ages but things like that just seem to pass us by. I phoned the girls and suggested they come over for a quick take-away but Fiona insisted we went over there and she produced a great instant party, complete with selected best friends, and we all had a wonderful time. In the end it was better than anything we could have planned.

On Saturday night we took GC Lauren and her new guy to see a local outdoor production of Romeo and Juliet. It was really well done and the kids thought it was wonderful. Lauren's new fella is the one that I think is too old for her, but Fiona says 'He's got a job, he can buy her things, he's got a car, he can drive her around. What's not to like?' I have to say that he is a lovely lad, polite but not too shy, and very funny. I hope that he is not bad news for next year's A levels!

In the programme was a plea from the costume mistress for fabrics so that's just the right timing for all my cupboard clearing.

I love the work of Nikki Parmenter - she makes the most amazing 3D pieces. I'm doing a talk on 'The Third Dimension' for the Festival of Quilts and thought I'd put in this piece of hers. Amazing isn't it?

She is doing a WoW workshop for me on making the flowers. It will be in December's issue. I wonder where I'll be living then?

Probably still here!

Has anyone tried those mi-fi dongle things? It's a device, the size of a small phone that turns you into a wi-fi hotspot (provided you give people the password). It can be used with all devices - laptops iphones etc. My free year of 3g internet comes to an end on my iphone soon so I thought this would be a good solution, supposed to be faster than the usual USB dongle - especially if we move.

Overexcited and Underemployed

2010-07-24T15:19:00.009+01:00

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.

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?

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).

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.

Lots of Old Chat

2010-07-15T12:35:00.003+01:00

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.

Who wants a Scan'n' Sew?

2010-07-02T17:05:00.006+01:00

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.

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!

Yes, Kim - perhaps they should market our house as 'complete with thingy room for all your stitching needs'.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Stuff

2010-06-26T16:41:00.009+01:00

I like your ideas Aussie Jo. Jane Wild and I were wanting to call our Paper, Metal and Stitch book 'Stuff and What to do with it'. Lots of the stuff in the new book is based on frescos, both Isobel and I are quite hooked on them. In fact it is quite remarkable how we both keep coming up with similar design sources, without discussing them. Our work is quite different so it doesn't matter too much. I do love Isobel's laminating techniques - here's a little sample of a sketchbook wrap I finished today. You can't see it but there is some text laminated to silk paper here.

Isobel is great to work with and you are right about her earlier books, Carol. You are no slouch on the work front - I love the article you've written for the next Workshop on the Web. Amazing art books.

Yes, Heather - it was great work at Windsor this year. It was so encouraging to see the City and Guilds work looking so strong. I talked to Margaret Walker from C&G and she says that there are lots more smaller establishments and individual teachers setting up c&g classes, rather than Adult Ed. Good if that proves the way to go.

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Good to meet fabriquefantastique and welcome aboard.

It is so hot here and Smudge is roasting in his thick coat. Lots of it is spread around the house - I could knit another cat. This morning he was sitting panting under the cherry tree when a bird fell on his head. I don't know which of them was more surprised but Smudge wasn't slow to grab it. The poor young fledgling had a breakneck tour of the house and garden with Clive and me in hot pursuit. We did get it away from him and it flew off, so I hope it survivved. I bet it thinks that the world outside the nest is a scary place. This afternoon we rescued a frog from the jaws of hell and then Smudge went for the hat-trick and attacked next-door's dog - a large spaniel. This time it him who needed to be saved from the jaws.
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We are having another try at house selling. The guy came to take photos and I forgot to put away my sewing machine. Which was on the table in the 'breakfast room'. (We didn't know we had one of those, we call it the little room off the kitchen, or the thingy room!)

So my Bernina is immortalised on the Right Move site, for all to see.

Not getting excited - we caused the last property crash and have every reason to believe we'll cause another one. I'll keep you posted.

The Windsor Experience

2010-06-16T10:15:00.008+01:00

I was very flattered to be asked to open the Windsor textiles exhibition yesterday evening. Flattered and scared stiff - I love doing talks but speeches are a different thing entirely. Personally I feel that they should be very short but when it's such a big occasion they can't be too short. Anyway I did it last night and it seemed to go down well.

I have to say that the work is wonderful this year. The higher education stuff is always great and this year is no exception. I couldn't take many photos as I was on my best behaviour (aka chatting a lot) but did manage to take this photo of Alex with her wonderful 'pods'. It was based on a bush, covered with webs, she saw in Canada. If anyone has been watching Springwatch this week, you will have seen a similar effect where caterpillars had completely covered a bush with spun webs.

Here is a detail.

Mary wondered what could possibly be hatching and came up with the idea of the pods. There is also a sequence showing the pods as they 'ripen', complete with gooey drips down the wall. The final creature is left to the viewer's inagination.

I loved Glenys' crisp monotonal work with very clever use of the embellisher. She is sending me some photos of that, plus lots of other exhibition photos so I will show you them later in the week.

Gill made this amazing structure to be placed in a garden. Shuna Rendell, who makes the most amazing baskets (among other structural pieces), is one of the tutors on the course and her influence showed here in the wrapped withies. I do love the idea of a piece designed for a garden - such a clever idea and the weathering would change it gradually, so it was always different.
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Her drawings were lovely too - this one inspired the finished piece. It was light filtering through a gate.

The City and Guilds and Advanced Workshop stuff is also very strong. So, more on Windsor soon.

Thanks for all the messages of back sympathy. I do seem to be fully operational again but I'm taking it a little slowly. I'm working on more stuff for the book I'm doing with Isobel Hall. The working title is.........

Mixed media surfaces for jewellery, books, bags and quite a lot else.

I want to get across the fact that the book has lots of Isobel's amazing mixed media jewellery (which is so unusual) but still get across the fact that the surfaces can be used in lots of other ways. Any ideas, anyone?

Traps and Trips

2010-06-09T07:33:00.011+01:00

It’s been a funny couple of weeks since the last blog. Just when the tum cleared up the back went. It was just like the standard comedy show sketch – I was bending over a patio pot when this terrific pain shot through my back and I couldn’t move. I thought I’d have to spend my life as a garden gnome, glued to the pot. Anyway, Clive got me indoors and I’ll pass over the next few days. I got a lot of hand stitching done.

The exhibition finished at Highcliffe and I sold a piece of work and lots of books – quite a few sales were made, which is pleasing when you think of the financial situation. I met some interesting people when stewarding.

Had a great weekend in Kent doing a talk and demos for the local Guild. They were very enthusiastic and we had a lovely day but, boy was it hot in that hall! Here are some pics from the weekend:

On the way up on Friday we had lunch at a National Trust pad - Ightham Mote. It was a lovely house and the weather was just right.

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I'd done a bit of research on the web and found us a good place to eat in the evening. It was like being on holiday again, but without the getting lost.

The guild was very well organised - they had sales and traders and I did demos in the morning, then lunch and the talk in the afternoon. I thought their sales wall was a great idea and it was quite empty by the end of the day.

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The cakes, oh the cakes (I'm dieting today).
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The Young Embroiderers were a very lively group and I had a good chat with Ashleigh and Autumn. I've fuzzed their faces, for obvious reasons.

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The talk went down well, although it was very, very hot. We had a little break part way through for doors to be opened and water drunk.

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I do think that making a day of it is a good idea for branches. Yes, it's a lot of work, but everyone said how good it was and I'm sure that lots of tutors would be glad to do a few demos or show their work in depth.

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Jane Wild’s group, Studio 3 had a wonderful exhibition - we went this morning. She is using more colour (she is very assured in charcoal and drawing) and says she is feeling her way. Looks pretty good to me already - I'll get pics soon.

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At last I’m working in the studio again. Deep joy, can’t stop - back soon.

Yesterday's Diary

2010-05-29T09:03:00.007+01:00

I wrote this yesterday but didn't get around to publishing!

Here we are, home again at last. Really missing the Italian sunshine - the basking lizards.

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The white mass of the Masseria against the sky.

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The poppies in the fields.

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I’ve been a bit of an absent blogger as my last few days in Italy were rather spoiled by a horrid tummy bug. We went out for a meal on Saturday night and my problems started early Sunday morning. No-one else was affected so maybe it was unrelated. Managed to keep popping in to class on Sunday but felt so bad by late afternoon that I took to my bed. This meant that we didn’t do the class summing up session and I got no photos at all. So disappointing. In fact I am still feeling poorly so I am off right now to the docs.

Home again, armed with antibiotics to zap the Italian bug. Hope it works quickly as I am going to see Mark Knopfler tonight with the wood-working son-in -law. I am determined to go, even if I have to stand by the loo door all the way through. I am impressed by the fact that there is no support act - just him for two hours.

The good thing about being home is that I can start working on some of the photos. This one, a wall fresco, has been printed on ink-jet cotton.

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I am hand sewing to enhance the shapes.

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Plan to use some of this furnishing voile on top - like the look of the words.

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Two more pieces of news: Workshop on the Web has a Facebook page, so do come and be our friend and I am in Groombridge in Kent next Saturday doing demos and a talk. Contact me for more info.

P.S. Mark Knopfler was great and I stayed in my seat all the way through. My head is still buzzing with the music.

Just a quick pic for now

2010-05-23T06:34:00.005+01:00

So much for the idea of a blog diary of our Italian course - we are just working too hard. However we had an outing to Alberobello yesterday evening and I arranged a religous parade for the girls. Here you can see the town's patron saint on her way to the church.
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We had a good view point as we were investigating cafe society just then.

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Here's a good view of the little Trulli houses. They were originally made with dry stone walls - as there was a tax on houses this meant that they could be instantly turned back into walls when a inspector called.
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The church was interesting - it had a great door.
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After the walking and the cafe bit, we raised our game and went for cocktails.
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Then we staggered off to our restaurant to have an amazing meal. The antipasto was so huge that only two of us managed a main course.
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Back to work today, slaving in a hot studio.

Frescos and Matera

2010-05-16T17:50:00.004+01:00

Today we have been into Matera to see the cave houses and the frescos. This was the highlight of the trip for me and was one of the reasons for coming over early. I wasn’t disappointed and it was wonderful from the moment that the hotel shuttle bus dropped us off. We were the only passengers so the driver kindly dropped us off right amongst the caves.
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It’s an amazing sight – a wide ravine with caves on both sides but on the town side they have been built out or have been fitted with windows and doors. You walk across a garden and find it is also the roof of the dwelling below.

We found that three of the best known cave churches are further down the valley but we saw several and the frescos are lovely. They have been designed to fit the space, which they do really well. Photos are not really allowed but we bought postcards and I managed one or two shots through the door.

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All that walking up and down was exhausted so we’ve been flopping around, just reading and snoozing. Amazingly this hotel has a big, deep bath so that helped the poor legs. I am filled with the need to do some pastel drawings based on the Frescos so it will be a quick meal at the hotel and an evening of art.

Getting lost - raised to an art form

2010-05-15T16:31:00.016+01:00

Well here we are in Italy - near to a town called Matera which has amazing frescos in caves - you can see why I am excited. This is the view from my balcony.
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The main thing that we have done is get lost - always our specialist subject. More on that later.
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We are staying a little way out of town so are going to the caves bit on the hotel shuttle bus tomorrow. The reason for this is that we have developed streetophobia - fear of narrow streets that are only one inch bigger than our hired Fiesta. We can see why the locals drive Smart cars.

This is the door of the flat in Lecce where we stayed last night. Right in the heart of the old city with more Cathedrals, basilicas and amazing old walls than you could shake a stick at. It was wonderful being right in the heart of it.

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I love the little glimpses down alleyways that Italy offers. Here is one in Bari.
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Weather great - cooler here than down south but still hot. Here are a few more pics. I am adding stuff one pic at at a time as this connection is poor - like most things at the Hilton Garden Inn - so far we are not impressed.

Here are a few more - this one is the old port of Monopoli. We got lost here in spectacular fashion and I was so glad I wasn't driving.

The story of our first getting lost was a bit of an adventure. Arriving late after numerous delays, armed only with a Google map and driving in the dark on the opposite side of the road (in a manual car with gearshift in the wrong place) we drove straight as an arrow to the heart of the red light district. Then we wound up back at the airport. An hour later we were stuck up a one way street, going the wrong way. A lovely young Italian couple knocked on the window and asked if we were Ok. In the end they drove our car to the hotel, the other one following in their car. Wasn't that kind? I love Italians.

It has given up loading pics so I will try again tomorrow.

Up, Up and Away

2010-05-10T14:38:00.004+01:00

Thanks so much for all the lovely comments on the Sue Rangeley book. So glad you all love it as much as I do.
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Diane, you are too kind, but I'm glad you find the books useful and for Virginia's book to arrive so quickly is amazing. I liked your comment about our voting system. I think the worst part of it is that, just when we thought the TV news might be about something interesting, we are still seeing our three wise (?) monkeys plastered over the screen!

Emma - thanks for wanting to put a WoW button on your blog. When we are back from Italy, I will send you one but at the moment I am in a packing panic.

We go the day after tomorrow, ash cloud permitting, and the panic is entirely my own fault as I can't stop playing with the samples and making more. I loved this angel (from a fresco).

It went so well on this 'old walls' background.

I am also doing lots of printing in case the promised equipment in Italy plays up. Luckily my techie will be getting it all going (I hope) while the girls and I are playing. Clive and I are having a couple of days off in Italy before the course starts. This is counted as research, so we can find the best places to go and take photos.

My house/cat-sitter has arrived and, far from getting a civilised welcome has been sent down to the shops with a list. Good job she is a good friend. Smudge will probably get lots of attention and will be even fatter when we get back. I have discovered that he goes to tea with my neighbour's cats and Janet has to put an extra bowl down!

So we are off on Wednesday. I am taking my laptop so will try to blog while on the move.

Frost, Flowers and Lutradur

2010-05-03T10:03:00.011+01:00

This is a sight I thought that I’d never see - Sue’s book is here, on my coffee table, at last – hooray! It looks fantastic, as you can see. It is 'floating' on my glass coffee table - interesting effect.

The binders let us down badly. They assured the printers that it would be ready on Friday, but it wasn’t. Kerry from the printers even phoned them on Friday, before she sent the (hired) lorry. So the lorry got there only to be told, ‘Sorry mate – it’s not ready – come back tomorrow’. Some places don’t deserve to be in business and we won’t use that firm of binders again. Our printers are wonderful – they have done full justice to Michael’s amazing pics.

This is my favourite spread – I just love the delicacy of this cape which incorporates Angelina fibres to convey the theme of ’Frost’. Combined with the embroidered flowers it is just breathtaking.

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I expect that the most thumbed section will be the Stitch Techniques, where Sue shares her secrets.

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I do admire the way she can produce fragile and delicate, like the cape and then switch to the drama of bright colour on black. Here’s an example of a pastel drawing on black paper.

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The website www.d4daisy.com is open for orders and we have some great give-aways for the early birds. Fee and I have made up lots of very special packs with a mix of foils, sequins, water soluble film, silk and organzas. Lots of lovely stuff. We also have some great Simply Sequins packs and some foils to pop in the books. We like giving prezzies.

I am even giving away some of my precious foil with lettering on it. Interesting effects with reflections in this photo.

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This foil was obviously printed for a book cover and, when letters are foiled, all the rest of the sheet remains. It would be such a waste if the printer threw it away. I was given a small roll, which is much loved. Such a sacrifice! It works really well when ironed onto velvet (fusible web is ironed on first). Does need covering with sheer fabric to knock back the shine, though – see below.
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I had a class in Oxford on Saturday which was great. I don’t teach much at all these days so it was a really special day and the girls were such fun. We were looking at techniques for slips which turned into little books like this.

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It was such a rush that I forgot to take any photos - and there were some great pieces. We were foiling on velvet, as described above, and then placing Lutradur over the top before stitching. The surface was then zapped to reveal the foil and velvet.
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Well, now it’s back to the drawing board for the next book – Isobel Hall and I are working on that and we’re having a really good time. Meanwhile I’m having a day in the workroom. Deep joy. UK folks, have a great May Day Holiday. Back soon.

Exhibition Socialising

2010-04-29T10:41:00.016+01:00

This post is going to be mostly about the Highcliffe Exhibition but I have just found out something exciting about the topic of cutters that we've all been discussing lately (mostly because I'm lusting after a computer controlled version). I'm certainly going to look at the robo cutter that Margaret R recommends. Thanks for the link, Mags - looks promising.
It seems that the new Bernina cutter will cut almost anything - not just cutwork, as I was told. Jude, I stand corrected! Best of all I am going to have one to play with for a while. It all sounds really good but it will have to be after Italy now, as I only have next week for all the getting ready (I'm going over early to suss out all the places the class needs to see). This is research, you understand - not an extra bit of holiday.

The exhibition open day was great fun ( I'll be there on 30th May, Imo - if you come we can have a coffee!) Loads of people came. familiar faces and new converts. It is also interesting to talk to the castle's 'normal' visitors. They are often totally fascinated and want to know in detail how the work is made. I hope we inspire some of them to visit their local guild branch.

Here is a general view.

Plus a view of 'my'bit.

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These are some of my Fossil Tidelines. the display was acidental - the plinth was just so handy.

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Ruby Lever is always good Here is her piece, 'Roses and Gingko'.

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Plus detail.

Not much work sold off the wall yesterday but lots of samll pieces - bags, books and jewellery went well. Brenda Weeks has a great new style - loved these. 'Mamma Mia' and 'Greek Door' respectively.
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Rosemary Jarvis produces dramatic views of Exmoor - worked using her own special form of felting.

Here is Maggie Hills with another form of landscape - she has been working in a different way, too - more pics next time.

Carla Mines - a very interesting piece called '6 Feet Under' - you can see why. Based on laminated pages of EU directives on waste disposal.

Carolyn Sinclair always produces lots of colours in her digital stitched pieces.

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Lynne Prosser's 'Figues from a Font' shows how the embellisher can be used creatively.

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Finally, this is me taking a photo of Adrienne Woodfine's mirror.

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I've left some out - more tomorrow, plus news of the Sue Rangeley book which is almost certain to be here later today or first thing tomorrow.