Back up the M11

For yesterdays meeting of F.E.T.  Once all the business was out of the way it was time to get dyeing.  We did it plastic bags, wouldn't want to spoil the college's wood floor!!

I left my fabric in the solution over night and off to rinse it out shortly.  This is the one time I don't mind ironing, that will be tomorrows job.

F.E.T.

We had our first meeting of the New Year today.  Lots of news to catch up on and then onto making items for our sales table that we are having at T.I.F. next month.

I finished making these embellishments last night for our stall.

It's getting closer.

Thanks to lots of help from my youngest daughter Kezzy, all 250 goody bags are packed for Regional Day next Saturday.

Today, it was up the M11 this cold damp morning and back this afternoon, with the roof down and sunnies on enjoying the sun.  Had a great day with F.E.T. making a sketchbook, mine is nearly finished, just got to make the covers, but I don't think it will be happening this week.LOL
Tomorrow, a barbq  all being well.
After the meeting, I enjoyed the Cottenham Village Festival, lovely atmosphere and live music to listen too!

Taking Liberties at Art Van Go.

I have just heard from Pauline that our exhibition is being extended again, and will be at AVG until April 1st.

Parents evening tonight meant that I was late home from work.  Too tired to do any machine stitching, I did some work on my calendar challenge journal so it is up to date and got all the requirements needed for FET on Saturday.  It does not seem possible that our exhibition at Art Van Go finishes on Saturday, where did that month go?

Art Van Go

 Today was an early start to get to Art Van Go for the Open Day, as it was the first Saturday since our exhibition opened.  My sheer flower panels were hung against black glass, and this really made the colours zing.

 Some more of my work on display.  Below is just a taster of what else you can see is you can get to Knebworth.

 This was Margaret's work, inspired by Brighton Pavilion.

Chris loves St Ives and spends her holidays there beach combing.  She used all the bits she has collected over the years to make her fish on a background of handmade felt.

 Sheila was inspired by a visit to London.

Just a small picture of Nickie's hanging, it is so long that I could not get a full length picture of it.  Her piece is inspired by the poem 'Jonathan Seagull'.  There is more to see but Blogger wouldn't let me upload any more for some reason.
After I got home, I started painting a bit more of my foreground for Che.  It has now been decided by Rhodri, that he would like it bigger.  Back to square 1.

Taking Liberties.

I heard from Pauline our Mentor for FET, that the hanging of our exhibition at Art Van Go went well yesterday.  Today it was open to the public.  I wont be able to show you any photo's  until Saturday, when we have our Open Day. If you are in or near  Knebworth, I would love to see you.
I have nearly finished stitching the little boat for Josh, my other Grandson.  My next project will be a wall hanging for my son, Rhodri. 

Taking Liberties

Not only has our exhibition been extended by a week, but on February 12th, at Art Van Go,Knebworth, we are having an Open Day 9.30-2.30.  You will have the chance to meet the members of Fen Edge Textiles have some drinks and nibbles and of course, a chance to see our work.

Visiting.

I am still suffering with the wound on my thumb,  stopping me from being able to stitch ;0(  I think because I keep trying to stitch, I keep opening the wound.  Instead I have been doing  bit of blog hopping around the OWOH event.  What a lot of talented people there is out there!  Such a great way to find blogs that you wouldn't normally happen across too!!
I heard tonight, that our FET exhibition at Art Van Go is going to be extended by a week until the 12th March :0)

Members night.

This is the one month every year when we don't have a speaker, and the committee provide something for the members to do.  With our Regional Day looming on the horizon, it was decide we would have stations making various items for the sales table that we need on the day.  Fifty five members turned up armed with needle and thread and stitched, laughed and chatted the evening away.


 

 Members can also bring along unwanted textile related items or books to sell.  Our Branch deducts 10%  to help boost funds.  I manged to buy this book that I have been wanting for some time :0)

 The committee members also make cakes for the members to have with their cup of tea.  I had a slice of Diane's Tipsy Fruit Cake-it was delicious.  This morning while waiting for my cake to cook, I managed to make another block for the Oz Comfort Quilts appeal-that's 4 finished now.

I don't wish to tempt fate, but it looks as if my Range cooker is going to be delivered tomorrow  at last.      

                                                                                                                             

Time to play.

A lovely day at Cottenham, everyone has been very busy creating their work for our AVG exhibition.  It's a good job we went in Nickies car, as we would not have got all our work in my little car!  I cant wait to see everyones work in situ.
Nickie and I have also booked to do a 2 hour workshop with Marion Murphy at TIF in February, and then we will be demoing in the afternoon.  Not sure what I shall be doing yet, so need to get my thinking cap on.
Kezzy and Mitch are partying tonight and Hubby is cooking the evening meal, so I should, in theory, have quite a lot of time to stitch:0)

Getting ready

Nickie and I have our F.E.T. meeting tomorrow and we have to take all the work that got through round 1 of selection for our exhibition at Art Van Go.( Not long now!!)  That being the case, I have spent my evening getting my work together.   It is surprising how long it takes!

Snow and ice.

I just couldn't resist taking this photo of all the icicles on the bush.  Another morning spent making phone calls.  There seems to be glimmer of ope on the horizon that we can sort out my young friends problems.  Should know more Monday afternoon.
Nickie and I were supposed to go to Cottenham tomorrow for our FET meeting and Christmas lunch.  The roads around here are so treacherous that we have decided that it is not a good idea to travel;0(  My car is still snowbound on the drive and even the taxi driver would not come up our very icy road today.

And it is still snowing!!!

Even though I have tackled the huge pile of ironing, helped Kezzy sort out her pig sty, sorry, bedroom, made Rocky Road and a Bread pudding, I managed to finish stitching this panel.  It will be several days of cutting out now before I can start embellishing.
Nickie and I are supposed to be going to our FET meeting on Saturday, but if the weather is still bad which according to the weather forecast, seems likely, I don't think we will going.

A very long day.

Yesterday it was off to Cottenham for our F.E.T. meeting. Nickie and I had to take all our work along that we would like to be considered for the AVG exhibition in March.  It took some very careful packing to get it all in my little car.  All work selected  yesterday, has to go back again in January for the final selection.  I was given the go ahead to get on with my flower panel, a lot of work to do before January to get it finished on time.
When I got home from Cottenham, it was off to the Range and Ikea at lakeside with Hubby, looking for additional items for our kitchen.  Ended up with just a few beads and some buttons from the Range.  We took the very 'scenic' route home, over the Queen Elizabeth Bridge and then straight back through the tunnel, as Alan had taken the wrong road out of Lakeside.

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We didn't get home until 10p.m so it was a very quick evening meal and off to pick Kezzy up from her boyfriends.  When I got there it was to find that he was not well, (he had been suffering since Thursday with stomach pains and seen a paramedic Friday night.  He was told to go to hospital if it was worse on Saturday)  Anyway, to cut a long story short, I ended up taking him to A&E.  We arrived at Midnight and got home this morning at 5.30!!!    Luckily it was not his  appendix, but 'mystry-something-itus' or that is what it sounded like when the doctor told us.  So I am feeling just a bit jet-lagged today, hopefully a few cups of coffee will soon put me back in the right time zone!

Onto the next one.

I have managed to find a little time for stitching tonight, so I have started to embellish another vessel ready for next Saturday's demo.
Tomorrow, Nickie and I are off to Cottenham for our F.E.T meeting. Hopefully I will get the go ahead to carry on working on my flowers.

Back to 'normal'.

During the last couple of days we have travelled well over 700 miles to see  relations.  Hubby was chauffeur luckily, so I was able to do some stitching  while on the various motorways.
This panel is now complete and ready to take to show Pauline at our next FET meeting in a couple of weeks time.
Tomorrow I am out with Diane, shopping at The Range and Ikea.  Then in the evening, I hope to start making my vessel ready for the demo day I am doing at Craft Arena on November 20th.
I cant shake my cough off, I am now onto my 4th bottle of medicine!!

Cottenham

 A busy day at Cottenham, catching up with everyone's news, painting fabrics to make a pad folio and discussing our next project and exhibition.

Here is the pad folio under construction.
I have got the go ahead to make my 12 panels, so on the way home, I did a rather large detour to go to the Cheap Shop at Tiptree to see what sheers they had in stock.  I got there at 5.15 to find they shut half an hour early on a Saturday:0(  I will try and get there on my next free Saturday, not sure when that is at the moment.

There was a beautiful sunset for my drive, so decided to head to the local reservoir to take a photo of it there.  The sun had set by the time I got there, but loved the colours of the foliage on the trees.

I have spent the evening sorting out and de-cluttering my kitchen cupboards ready for when my new cooker comes.  As it will be larger than the one I have got now, Hubby has been playing kitchen fitter today. 

More sorting to do tomorrow:0(

Kezzy has had a good day at the stables, her riding instuctor thinks she is a natural at jumping.  'Thank you' that lady for giving Kezzy's self esteem a much needed boost.

Just a quickie

Only embellished this sample as it is the one I prefer of the two I made.  My bags are packed ready for an early start tomorrow.  Nickie can't make the FET meeting as she has family commitments.  It is going to be a very quiet journey to Cottenham!
Rhodri has come home tonight on crutches.  He played football last night and had an accident, not that he told me.  He went to work this morning but was sent home.  After being sent to the hospital by our doctor, spending several hours in the A&E and threats of an op', it has was decided he has only torn his quad and not ruptured it. :0)

Samples almost finished.

The excess fabric has been cut away and additional flowers stitched on top.  Tomorrow I shall embellish my samples.  If Pauline gives the go ahead on Saturday, for this piece of work, there will be twelve panels and the length of each panel will be 68'' long. (the flowers have not photographed in their true colour in the artificial light)
Jimi Two is nearly finished, I have got my two sewing machines set up so that I can jump from one project to the next without having to change, needles, thread, bobbins and tension.